____________________________________________ Visit the official Mesa Arizona Corruption website at www.MesaAZcorruptionReport.com ____________________________________________ _______________________________________________ MESA ARIZONA A CITY OF CORRUPTION & LAWLESSNESS _______________________________________________ by ED Magedson - Founder of this website I opened an Indoor Swap Meet called "Shoppers World" on the Northwest corner of Gilbert Rd. and Main St. in sunny Mesa, Arizona...AKA the city of LDS Mormon Corruption & Lawlessness. These are the terms that have long been synonymous with the city of Mesa. These are the methods it employs to achieve its unholy ends. I have learned first hand that the city of Mormon and Corruption will stop at nothing to destroy another human being for economic gain. This is accomplished through lawlessness and lies. It is accomplished through misuse of the police power and misuse of the local Mesa City court. It is accomplished, at public expense, by a power driven and depraved city manager who serves his corrupt brethren and their accomplices, as they in turn serve him. I am a victim of the venal vultures of Mesa, Arizona.

Shopper's World Indoor Swap Meet - Mesa, Arizona - over 300 tenants put out of business through bogus city violations.

___________________________________________ HERE IS MY HORROR STORY I WISH ON NO HUMAN ___________________________________________ I leased eleven stores in a shopping center and renovated the buildings to make them all one contiguous building unit totaling about 62,000 sq. ft. I submitted plans and obtained all my permits to build Shoppers World an indoor swap-meet. (The City made me jump through hoops before I was able to open, as is the procedure for businesses who are not locally well connected.") The City of Mesa authorized personnel knew exactly what I was opening. They said they were familiar with my other stores and the TV and newspaper advertising. So why should I have a problem? .. Because after the contracts had been signed and after all was said and done, 6 months later the landlord wanted the property back! The landlord decided that they had made a bad deal for themselves. About 6 months after everything was under way at Shoppers World, and due in part to my costly renovations, the building was now worth much more; and now that some time had passed, the rental rates were now much higher, many times that which I would be paying for many years. The actual property owner being an ex-Mayor of Mesa (1972-1976) , and a Mormon, whose Mormon buddy is the long time Mesa City Manager, Charles K. Luster, used his political power to sic the City Inspector "dogs" on me, adversely affecting not only myself but the hundreds of tenants that were leasing from me as well. _____________________________________________________________ WHAT THE CITY OF MESA DID TO PUT SHOPPERS WORLD AND OVER 300 OF ITS SMALL MOM & POP BUSINESSES...OUT OF BUSINESS _____________________________________________________________ About 6 months after I opened -- after $135,000+ had been spent on TV advertising, after 320 10' x l2' booths were constructed and approx. $130,000 spent in renovations --a representative from my landlord (Main & Gilbert, LLC) came to me unannounced, and said, the owners would like their building back. Provided that I would move out in one year, they would give me another one year of free rent. (Since I took the building in an "As Is" condition, and had to invest well over $100,000 in renovations, I had been given one year free rent at the signing of my 25 year lease.) The landlord wanted the building back because I only would have been paying about 75 cents a sq. ft. right after the free rent period. Today, years later, I would be paying only about $2.75 a sq. ft. according to my lease. In today's market the landlords are now getting over $8.00 a sq. ft. ____________________________________________________________ BY FORCE, THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE CITY OF MESA PUT ME AND ALL MY TENANTS (WHO PUT THEIR HEARTS AND SOULS INTO THEIR BUSINESSES) OUT OF BUSINESS, CAUSING HARD- SHIPS AND MANY BANKRUPTCIES. ____________________________________________________________ I simply explained to the landlord's representative that not only could I NOT realize my full investment back, more importantly, the tenants have mortgaged their homes and have taken loans out; and, just as I have done, they also have put their blood and sweat into this project. And, where would we move to? I HAD A 15 YR. LEASE WITH TWO 5 YR. OPTIONS .. WHY SHOULD WE ALL GIVE THIS UP? SORRY.... I made a good deal for me and I would like to keep my deal. Thanks, but no thanks. Simply, I said no! He got pissed off. He then got up and said, .."One way or another, they WILL get you out. ..You are better off taking the deal."... He then left in a huff. I did not know at the time that the actual owner of my property was ex-mayor Eldon Cooley, a devout Mormon and very well connected. One week later a City inspector, "Marci Rogers," came to Shoppers World and started causing problems, chasing tenants away from under the outside overhang of my building... telling them that they will be arrested if they stay here! These people were selling under the overhang outside, which is legal in a C-3 zone when you have fire sprinklers. Then, over the next several months, it got much worse. City Inspector Marci Rogers would keep coming down to Shoppers World, going up and down the aisles, making the following false statements to the tenants.

• That I was setting fires to the building. (insinuating I was trying to collect the insurance)
• That there was criminal activity going on.
• That Shoppers World had over 40 violations.
• That Shoppers World could be closed down at any time.
• That Ed will be running his business from jail if the place is allowed to stay open.
• That Ed has been dumping garbage illegally around in back of the building.
• That Ed had many tenants suing him, that several court cases were now pending.

note: TO THIS DAY THE CITY OF MESA HAS NOT DENIED THAT CITY INSPECTOR MARCI ROGERS MADE THESE STATEMENTS. ANY ONE OF THE ABOVE STATEMENTS INDIVIDUALLY WOULD BE ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY EXISTING OR FUTURE TENANT FLEE SHOPPERS WORLD As a result of the directed actions to "city inspector" Marci Rogers, the City of Mesa could only conjure up issuing 7 bogus citations to me! All bogus. I tell all readers, everything they said was a lie! There was not one of their claims that I was guilty of. EVER! Not even the one ticket I pled guilty to (in the City of Mesa Court) just to save legal fees! This was a ticket for "No use permit for night watchman's quarters." I had put an empty trailer in the back of the building. I left a light on and a radio playing and took a dog off death row and kept it in the shade next to the trailer, all to make it look like someone lived there. This trailer, equipped as it was, stopped the illegal dumping in the rear of the building and stopped the vandalism. Again, this is a C-3 zone. RV's, boats, trailers, autos and related items can be outside in a C-3 zone. Additionally, my next door neighbor had the same thing in the back of his place for years and was never cited by the city! And someone was living there! After only being able to make up 7 false tickets, the city of Mesa kept sending down the fire department for inspections on busy Fridays and Saturdays! The fire inspectors could only find a tenant using an extension cord hooked to a cash register! ..(Just imagine what a disruption this was to our entire business) They even commented that I had 20 more fire extinguishers than I needed in the building. The fireman said after the 9th or 10th visit ...I don't know who you pissed off down-town, but we are not getting involved. I asked him, ..Does that mean you won't be back again? ..I did not get an answer. They never returned again. _____________________________________________________________ I FOREWARNED THE CITY AT 3 PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND I WENT WITH MY DOG (so people would remember me) TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATORS MORE THAN 20 TIMES! I YELLED AND SCREAMED FOR THEM TO STOP TELLING THE LIES TO MY TENANTS, ...TO STOP THE HARASSMENT. THEY WERE INSTILLING FEAR IN MY TENANTS. "I'M LOSING MY TENANTS BECAUSE OF YOUR LIES, ...THAT I WILL HOLD THE CITY LIABLE IF YOU DO NOT CEASE AND DESIST AT ONCE!" _____________________________________________________________ By law, I needed to send all of the tenants down to the city's license division to buy a business license, for them to do business in the city of Mesa. When I then sent tenants down to the city to get a business license, they would be told by the city's licensing division that they should talk with zoning enforcement before spending their money on a license. So people hopped in their cars and went over to zoning enforcement, located in the basement of the Mesa City Court building. The City staff there repeated and filled their heads with all the above LIES! Those tenants then went and told the existing tenants at Shoppers World whom they had made friends with before deciding to move into Shoppers World. Tenant meetings were held almost on a daily basis because of the fear of the City's statements. (Talk about stress and aggravation!) I would have food at most of the meetings, and I always ordered 30 to 40 extra portions of food and gave them out to the increasing number of homeless people in the surrounding area neighborhoods. I even appeared before the Mesa City Council three times, apprising them that their staff is lying about me and my business, and that if it did not cease at once I will hold the City responsible. More than 20 times I personally went down to the City offices, forewarning the City Manager and other top officials, including the city council members at their offices. Weeks after I informed and forewarned the city council and their "bosses" of these occurrences, I got City employees on audio tape still saying these things! I also have over 30 sworn affidavits attesting to the fact that City employees were still promulgating all these lies. THE CITY INSPECTOR WAS A HIGHER AUTHORITY THAN I During this time, City inspector Marci Rogers would still come to Shoppers World and start talking with the tenants, continuing her mission of telling them all those lies. When you tell a tenant that your landlord has set fires, trying to burn the building down, this would be enough to scare any existing or future tenant into leaving Shoppers World. After all, the City Inspector was a "higher authority" than I, and anything that I would say would be meaningless. The City inspectors have a badge and they can write citations. They are considered by the City Manager and his minions as one step below a city cop!

"Chuck" one of the many mom & pop business owners put out of business through Mesa city corruption.

_______________________________ BECAUSE OF THE CITY'S RUMORS... Tenants were scared to stay, or to continue paying rent at Shoppers World. Since there was always a 40% turnover in this type of a business, I could not keep it full after the first 6 months because of the City's rumors, and I was fighting a loosing battle. Business was good for most of the tenants. My store was grossing (for me) at one point over $65,000 a month at the beginning. Today, with rent increases, I would have been doing over $130,000 a month. WHY WERE THEY DOING THIS? For ex-mayor Eldon? For the new tenant in there now? Excel, a telemarketing company, took over immediately after I left. Unmistakably, this was a done deal before Shoppers World ever closed! _____________________________________________________________ KEEPING SHOPPERS WORLD IN CITY CODE VIOLATION PLACES SHOPPERS WORLD IN VIOLATION OF ITS LEASE ... A REASON FOR EVICTION (loop-hole) _____________________________________________________________ The landlord wanted the building back. If they could keep me in violation of my lease, they could evict me, which they were trying to do. This cost me over a hundred thousand dollars in legal fees. Not to mention the stress on my tenants and me! Here I was employing hundreds of people by giving hundreds of people the opportunity to get into business for only $250 a month with no long term commitment, only a 30 day notice! Some weeks we had over 30,000 people walking through the door, because I advertised in every paper ..except toilet paper. We were on every TV station, too! Where could a tenant get that kind of foot traffic for $250 a month? The tenants were even in the TV commercials. Every week I would rotate the different tenants' businesses, putting their business and them on the TV commercials! In any city in the USA, a business employing hundreds or enabling hundreds of people to start their own small business would be welcome with big open arms. The city would likely offer incentives to a venture like mine. But NO. With no ethics or conscience whatever, Mesa needed to do a political favor; and, as I was told originally, they will get me out, one way or another. ___________________________________________________________ POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN THE COURTS, WITH NO CHANCE IN HELL OF GETTING JUSTICE ___________________________________________________________ I SUED THE CITY OF MESA FOR DAMAGES BASED ON MY 15 YEAR LEASE WITH 2 FIVE YEAR OPTIONS, AND SUED FOR ABOUT 25% OF WHAT I WOULD HAVE MADE OVER A 25 YEAR PERIOD. ___________________________________________________________ I have been through ALMOST all of the courts here and have lost every inch of the way! Thus far, the courts have said that it was reasonable, for a reasonable person (the city inspector, Marci Rogers) to say that:

• Ed was setting fires to the building, trying to collect the insurance.
• There was criminal activity going on.
• Shoppers World had over 40 violations.
• Shoppers World could be closed down at any time.
• Ed will be running his business from jail if the place is allowed to stay open.
• Ed had many tenants suing him, that several court cases were now pending.
• Ed is dumping garbage illegally around the building.

..... AGAIN, all the above statements the City has not denied! ____________________ THE COURTS SAID..... The City said, and the courts agree, that because they have one statement from one (disgruntled) tenant which backs up their claims, that, "it is reasonable for a reasonable person to come to the conclusion that City inspector Marci Rogers did by saying what she did." .. THIS DID NO HARM TO SHOPPERS WORLD OR ITS OWNER _____________________________________________________________ SHOPPERS WORLD HAS FILED A PETITION FOR REVIEW WITH THE ARIZONA SUPREME COURT ON MAY 21, 1999 CASE #1 CA-CV 98-O271 ..we're still trying to get our day in court! _____________________________________________________________ The City inspector knew that the 1 (one) tenant, who gave the 1 (one) statement, "Mary Laing," was a disgruntled tenant who did not pay rent for 3 months and who owed money for co-op advertising she signed up for. "Mary Laing" was then legally locked out of her business space for non payment of rent! In all my 6 years in this type of business, I have gone through over 900 tenants, only locking out 3 tenants in total! The tenants all knew how easy I was on letting people slide on the rent. I always worked with the people! _______________________________ MY PERSONAL BELIEFS _______________________________ I have always had a "live and let live" philosophy in dealing with people: tolerant and accepting of people whose culture, background or upbringing was different from my own. We are a melting pot in this country, and I always had a strong distaste for bigoted or derogatory remarks about other people based only on race, national origin, religion or even sexual orientation. Adherence to the Golden Rule and treating others fairly and squarely is a code of conduct that I practice in all business and personal endeavors. It's also common sense, because I believe narrow minded people often cutthemselves off from their own potential for success. Before I began Shoppers World in Mesa and was new to the area, an acquaintance made a derogatory remark about Mormons to me, and I chewed his ass out for being such a bigot. ..I didn't know then what I know how. ..I threw him out of the Shoppers World store! If I could find this man, I would apologize. I would fly him to New York and kiss his ass in Macy's window in an effort to show him how sorry I am and how wrong I was! ____________________________________________________________ I AM NOT ALONE! ..READ HOW OTHERS HAVE SUFFERED THE WRATH OF CITY MANAGER CHARLES K. LUSTER. ____________________________________________________________ Since I was forced to close Shoppers World, I have learned that I am not alone. In this city of Mormon and city of Corruption called Mesa Arizona, others have also been victimized. Many others have been subjected to the deception and fraud and a criminal mindset that is perpetrated by networking Mormons and a power hungry city manager who is void of conscience. Underneath the goody-goody veneer exists hate and exploitation, hypocrisy and secrecy, and an air of omnipotence that is unable to withstand scrutiny by those who cannot be bought off. I learned of the corruption within the Mesa police department, the "Elliget case," which was finally brought to light in the early 90's and which had been covered up for years by Mesa's city manager, Charles K. Luster. When I was doing all I could to ward off the harassment from Mesa City hall (so set on putting me out of business in order to fatten the bank account of an unscrupulous Mormon "brother") I naively went to Mesa City councilman Jim Stapley who was always available to listen to my woes. I didn't know what he was all about. __________________________________________________ CORRUPT MORMON COUNCILMAN FORCED TO RESIGN In 1997 he was forced to resign from the city council only because the outside media was uncovering a pattern of his own criminal wrongdoing. He interfered in a criminal case against one of his cronies by an intimidating call to the city prosecutor handling the case. To a landlady who was evicting his son, he used a false name and claimed to her face that he was his son's lawyer. He then attempted to retaliate against the landlady by misusing City employees of the tax and licensing division to further his own ends. He again interfered in the criminal justice system with an intimidating phone call to the Mormon judge who was handling the eviction case of his son. To top it off, a fellow city councilwoman charged him with improper advances and sexual harassment of herself and other women. (It should be noted that Stapley was avidly supported by his Mormon peers because he had a "temple recommend.") Then an incident from early 1995 came to light, one which had been covered up for 2 1/2 years by the Mesa city manager, and Stapley finally resigned. He had impersonated a real narcotics detective at the Pinal County courthouse, even flashing a phony badge, in a quest to see a search warrant that had been served on another son. Yes, Councilman Jim Stapley was the one I was telling my problems to about the unlawful harassment by the City of Mesa at Shoppers World. __________________________________________________ ANOTHER MORMON COUNCILMAN FORCED TO RESIGN In 1996 another Mormon Mesa councilman, Farrel Jensen, was forced to resign his long-held position as director of a taxpayer funded Mesa food bank after many improprieties were discovered including a missing $1.7 million. When it was later learned that he had also double billed the food bank and the city for hotels and meals from a few seminars he'd attended out of state, he too was forced to resign from the Mesa city council. This guy Jensen was on the Mesa City council when I aired my grievances publicly to the city council about the misuse of the police power directed towards me and my tenants at Shoppers World, and Jensen was also chairman of the city council police committee, something I later learned. Is it any wonder that I could get no help or satisfaction from these elected councilmen, Stapley and Jensen, over the lies and abuse my tenants and I were encountering at Shoppers World and about the focused drive by the Mormon city manager to put me and my tenants out of business? Like a den of thieves, they were "all for one and one for all." _________________________ SEX CRIMES COVERED UP Since then I've also been told from insiders at the Mesa police department that crimes committed by Mormons, particularly incest and child molesting, are kept under wraps and covered up. With their polygamous history, that shouldn't be surprising. _______________________________________________ ZONING ENFORCEMENT FOR NON MORMONS ONLY Mesa's sign and landscaping laws are strictly enforced for non-Mormon businesses, but are largely ignored for Mormon businesses. Just take a look around and ask the right questions, as I have done. Preferential treatment to Mormons is a rule of thumb for those administering the codes. ______________________________________ BIG OLD SIGNS OK FOR GOOD OLE BOYS According to City Laws, ..Those Big, Old and very high signs must come down and new landscaping requirements come into play when you rebuild or rehabilitate more than 50% of a building or new construction goes up on any property. ..BUT NO!...Not for the Mormons and their buddie's projects. There are too many to mention. Where are the laws in this country? Equal opportunity and treatment for everyone is supposed to mean equal application of the laws for everyone. ________________________________________________________ MESA CITY COUNCIL SELLS MAYOR WAYNE BROWN'S BROTHER $2 MILLION CITY PROPERTY FOR $1.00 AFTER TELLING THE PUBLIC IT WOULD BE PAID FOR AT FAIR MARKET VALUE! ________________________________________________________ The coup of coups was the 2 acres of prime downtown property that was cleared and purchased by the City of Mesa, reportedly worth over $2 million, then given to the present mayor's brother, Henry Brown, for $1.00 for his Brown & Brown Chevrolet dealership. Brown threatened that he was going to move from downtown if he didn't get more space downtown for his cars, even though the City was renting him prime space downtown for pennies. Meanwhile, the public never knew Brown had already sold the dealership for millions, waiting to close on this property give-away first to finalize the sale price. Long before he threatened to move, he knew he was selling! Brown & Brown advertises as the LARGEST Chevrolet dealership in the WORLD! Why would the largest dealership in the world ever move? Yes, the Browns are also Mormon, whose father was also a Mesa mayor for many years as well. _______________________________________________________ FAMILIES DISPLACED BY BROWN & BROWN CHEVROLET NEVER GET THE FUNDS PROMISED TO HELP WITH MOVING COSTS. _______________________________________________________ The Mesa city council set aside thousands of dollars to help the unfortunate displaced tenants from this crooked property takeover and give-away. People have begged for the funds. Fortunately or unfortunately they are not Mormon. More than a year later, not one penny has been given to these property owners. These are victims like the people in Kosvo chased from their land and homes ..The only difference is they are not being physically raped & shot. .. that we know of! These many illegal property takeovers mentioned in this story and in other stories can be found on the web site www.ripoffreport.com _______________________ BORN & BRED MORMON From an early age those born and bred into Mormonism are trained to think alike, to stick together, and later to vote as a block for a fellow Mormon. I have learned over the recent years that the Mormons will lie for one another. They teach and brainwash that if you are doing business with a non-Mormon, and a Mormon owned business comes along, you simply do business with the Momon's. Although they are a minority in number, this clannish socialization is evident even in the schools, sometimes mean spirited and arrogant towards fellow students. Those who are bullies go unpunished. I hope they have learned the lessons of recent school violence across the country. Mesa is an incident waiting to happen. Mesa, Arizona is a corrupt city out of control ... benefiting a few at the expense of the many. My commitment is to the Mesa population at risk. I am committed to reversing the Mormon corruption here by airing their dirty laundry nationwide, before I die. __________________________ FUTURE ARTICLES TO COME ...How the City Manager illegally intervenes with police investigations and the City and county courts and prosecutor's office. ...Incest crimes go unreported in the media. Sex crimes division ordered to keep quiet. ...Former Police Chief Jarvie resigns in disgust?. ..and he's a Mormon ...More Mesa city council corruption ___________________________________________________ CLICK BELOW FOR MORE MESA CORRUPTION STORIES Mesa Arizona, City above the Law! ___________________________________ by Bill Brando Mesa Arizona, The grim reputation it so richly deserves ___________________________________ by Marilynn Wennerstrom ======================================= These many illegal property takeovers mentioned in this story and in other stories can be found on the web site www.ripoffreport.com This is a web site dedicated to reporting everything from bad business practices, restaurants with bad service or food, to corrupt police and other government agencies. Anyone can enter their own Rip-Off Report or you may read the Rip- Off Reports before doing business with a person, place or business. The web site is also known as www.badbusinessbureau.com File your Report below or browse the reports. Click Below _______________________________________ Don't let them get away with it. Make sure they make the Rip-Off Report! www.ripoffreport.com ____________________ ========================================== e-mail us regarding this story your personal experiences, questions & comments are welcome info@ripoffreport.com ______________________ Read these Mesa Corruption stories too:

MESA ARIZONA ..... A CITY ABOVE THE LAW by Bill Brando

MESA, ARIZONA... the Grim Reputation it so richly deserves. by Marilynn Wennerstrom

____________________________________________ Visit the official Mesa Arizona Corruption website at www.MesaAZcorruptionReport.com ____________________________________________ Click here to read other Rip-off Reports on Mesa Arizona

MESA, ARIZONA ...THE GRIM REPUTATION IT SO RICHLY DESERVES Justice and Equity are words that are not in the vocabulary of an autocracy or a theocracy. They are not in the vocabulary of the operatives of the City of Mesa. - Ruthlessness - Vengeance - Abuse of Power - Lawlessness - Cunning These are the terms that have long been synonymous with the City of Mesa and the methods it employs to achieve its unholy ends. Upon occasion a citizen or group of citizens has successfully challenged an unlawful action by the City of Mesa. How dare a "sovereign power" have any of its ruthless actions challenged! What have been the resulting effects? Following are but a few examples that have helped gain for Mesa the grim reputation it so richly deserves. ____________________________________________________________ ...A ROSE BY ANY ANOTHER NAME IS STILL A ROSE, AND A SALES TAX BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL A SALES TAX ____________________________________________________________ The City of Mesa imposed an additional sales tax on all Mesa restaurants and eating establishments in defiance of the Mesa City Charter, which requires a vote of the people for any sales tax increase. Thinking it clever, Mesa concocted some other name for this sales tax or transaction privilege tax increase that was imposed only upon restaurants. After private well-reasoned pleas by one or more restaurateurs fell on deaf ears of the mayor and city manager, a number of restaurant owners banded together and, at great legal expense to themselves, sued the City of Mesa. The sales tax increase was instituted without a vote of the people as required by the City Charter. Thus, the tax increase was illegal. Mesa's attempt to call the sales tax by another name was not persuasive; and, not surprisingly, the Maricopa County Superior Court judge had no other choice but to rule in favor of the restaurant owners. Sorry, a rose by any other name is still a rose, and a sales tax by any other name is still a sales tax. Case closed??? Nope. Unable to graciously take defeat, the headstrong City of Mesa, at yet more taxpayer expense, appealed the lower court's ruling to the Arizona Supreme Court. When the case was heard, the Supreme Court justices severely blistered the City of Mesa for its stupid and transparent name-game argument, and the restaurant owners again prevailed. The tax increase for the restaurants was repealed, and after much confusion the monies that had been collected and deposited by the City of Mesa were refunded. (All or most of the restaurants had not passed the tax increase on to their patrons.) Did Mesa genuinely believe the increased sales tax for restaurants to be justified? No. Did Mesa then abide by the City Charter and take the matter to the voters? No. What then was the City of Mesa's motive for appealing the case to the higher court, for again presenting its absurd and meritless name-game argument? The answer is simple. Vengeance. Restaurants operate at a low profit margin, and owners dared challenge an illegal decision by Mesa's autocracy. They therefore needed to be punished: to be bled financially, to be distracted from operating their businesses, to be shown that Mesa city government had unlimited financial resources of taxpayer dollars at its disposal to waste on a frivolous appeal. The challenge by the restaurant owners was viewed as treasonous. To to cause a substantial increase in legal fees for its irreverent opponents was the least the City of Mesa could do to retaliate against these productive Mesa businessmen. ___________________________________________________________ JUST BECAUSE YOU HAPPEN TO OWN AND OPERATE A CEMETERY -- OR A BARBER SHOP OR A RESTAURANT OR A HABERDASHERY -- DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO MISUSE THE MUNICIPAL POWER OF EMINENT DOMAIN AGAINST A PROPERTY OWNER TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS ___________________________________________________________ The City of Mesa has become notorious for abusing the power of eminent domain to gain title to real property. This is in addition to Mesa's habitual practice of purchasing private property from unwilling or threatened sellers, taking it off the tax rolls, with no stated reason for any intended public purpose. The practice of using devious tactics to quench an insatiable lust and greed for property is deeply rooted in Mormon history. Although 85 percent of Mesa's population is not Mormon, those at the helm of operating the City Mesa are of that political persuasion. Lawlessness and cunning to gain title to real property are the rule rather than the exception in Mesa. Consider the experience of one man, the responsible owner of three adjacent parcels that had been in his family for decades. The man was approached by a City of Mesa property agent and told that the City of Mesa would be interested in purchasing his properties for future expansion of the Mesa City Cemetery situated east of the man's properties. Few municipalities are in the business of owning and operating a cemetery, but Mesa is. The reasonable man suggested that the city make him an offer for his properties. However, he did not hear from the City of Mesa again to negotiate any price, and no offer was made or discussed. Many months later he received an official notice from the City of Mesa that Mesa would be acquiring his properties by means of the power of eminent domain, commonly referred to as condemnation. The City of Mesa pushed the man into court, forcing him to hire a lawyer, in an attempt to illegitimately gain title to his properties by the municipal power of eminent domain. Arizona state law clearly specifies the public purposes for which the last-resort power of eminent domain may be utilized, and cemeteries is not among them. Hence, the bullying City of Mesa lost its case in court, and the man kept his properties. Case closed??? Again, no. In its time honored tradition of misusing more Mesa taxpayer dollars, despite the clearly stated laws of the State of Arizona, the City of Mesa appealed the case against the man to the Arizona Court of Appeals, thereby bleeding the man further of his own financial resources, forcing him to lay out even more in legal fees. The appellate court ruled in the man's favor and reiterated the lower court's ruling. Sorry, Mesa. Just because you happen to own and operate a cemetery -- or a barber shop or a restaurant or a haberdashery -- does not give you the right to misuse the municipal power of eminent domain against a property owner to expand your business. End of story??? Not quite. It gets worse. So incensed was the tyrannical City of Mesa over its losses in the courts that it enlisted the aid of two Mesa state legislators, Lela Steffey and Pat Blake, to further its "cause" of retaliation and illegitimate property acquisition. Sister Steffey and Sister Blake were good local soldiers and, at the behest of the City of Mesa, dutifully introduced a bill in the legislature to make it lawful for cities to acquire private property by the power of eminent domain for the expressed purpose of the expansion of cemeteries!! The state house of representatives actually passed the bill by a wide margin. It wasn't until the "cemetery bill" was introduced in the state senate that the owner of the three Mesa properties got wind of it, cried foul, and the wicked special bill targeting this one man for his three properties was stopped dead in its tracks. The horror stories of predatory abuse by the City of Mesa abound. This is but one. Marilynn Wennerstrom

____________________________________________ Visit the official Mesa Arizona Corruption website at www.MesaAZcorruptionReport.com ____________________________________________ A STATE-WIDE NETWORK OF LONG ENTRENCHED POLITICAL CORRUPTION How is it possible for a city court judge to deny a defendant of his constitutional right to legal counsel in a criminal trial and openly allow jury tampering to ensure the conviction? A ridiculously unlawful trial? No doubt about it! A lawless conviction that would easily, immediately be overturned by an appeals court. Of course! But not here in Arizona! There simply isn't a state or federal agency, an elected official, judge or court in Arizona that would even dare to take any action to correct the brutal injustice. Thus, for the longest time the city of Mesa, Arizona, has flagrantly violated the civil and constitutional rights of citizens at will, with absolute impunity! Unbelievable? To be sure. But true never the less. The facts as stated above are all unquestionably clear in the trial transcript. The court record leaves no room for miscalculations. Yet, bringing the evidence of these monstrous violations to the attention of the following authorities (several times) did nothing whatever to gain their help. Arizona Governor Jane Hull; U.S. Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl The U.S. Attorney, Janet Napolitano Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods F.B.I. office of Arizona The Arizona Board of Judicial Conduct The United States District Court The Arizona Supreme Court The Superior Court of Arizona While no authority above has denied the facts of this terrible injustice and violation of civil and constitutional rights, none took any action to correct the wrong doing! In other words, no office of either city, state or federal government has ever responded to the claim that the city of Mesa ruthlessly, lawlessly violated the civil and constitutional rights of this citizen. Without exception, all as one acted to dishonor their oaths of office: "..to honor, protect, preserve and defend the constitution of the United States." The fact that a citizen's constitutional and civil rights were criminally violated; that no individual, agency or office of state or federal government would come to his aid, is, in itself, the clearest evidence of a state-wide network of long entrenched political corruption with its power base centered in Mesa. MESA MORMONS RULE THE LAND Mesa's Mormon founding, economic and political roots remain fused to the colossal Mormon financial and political structure of Salt Lake City,Utah. It is not merely by chance that Mesa government has been dominated by Mormons since its inception. Just about all the seats of power throughout the greater Phoenix area are occupied by Mormons, or people who have had long, friendly relationships with the Mormon power structure. Mesa alone remains the most concentrated area of Mormon power and influence in the state. To put it bluntly, expectation to be elected, or reelected, to be appointed, or reappointed to the bench, to gain favor in business and commerce, etc., greatly depends on one's good relations with officials of the city of Mesa. LITTLE CHANCE IF ANY TO EVER REACH TRIAL STAGE 300 MESA PROPERTY OWNERS DEPRIVED OF THEIR DAY IN COURT Legal actions against the city of Mesa are virtually a waste of time, money and effort. Whatever the nature of a complaint; whatever court it may be filed in, a legal action against the city of Mesa has little chance if any to reach a trial stage. Judges have taken extraordinary measures to dismiss legal actions against Mesa. In a recent case a federal judge dismissed a complaint of "Deprivation of Constitutional Rights" despite the mass of undisputable evidence which supported the complaint. The lawyers for the city did not deny anything listed in the complaint. Instead, they declared the complaint to be "untimely" and "barred by Arizona's statute of limitations". While no evidence supportive of these fabricated contentions was provided by the court, all the same, the court dismissed the action against the city. Thus, the 300 Mesa property owners who were deprived of their constitutional and civil rights were also deprived of their day in court to prove their case. Evidence in the complaint left no doubt whatever that the property owners had been deprived of due process of law, equal treatment and equal protection of the law. All involved violations of constitutional law. Yet, the judge of the U.S. District Court of Arizona dismissed the complaint on a baseless claim that it was barred by Arizona's statute of limitations! Surely, local law can never cancel the authority of federal law. Nor can any law adopted after the ratification of our federal constitution reduce, alter, neutralize or disqualify any laws and guarantees secured by our federal constitution! Clearly self-evident? Of course! However,unfortunately, the corrupt judges and courts of Arizona do not abide by law, fact, truth or justice. None of the maze of federal civil rights laws under Title 18 242which deal with "depriving citizens of their constitutional rights under color of law" apply to Mesa's violations. Why? Violations of such law are federal crimes which come under the jurisdiction of such agencies as the U.S. Department of Justice, State Attorney General, or County Attorney. None of these three law enforcement agencies in Arizona will investigate a complaint against the city of Mesa. None will provide a reason for refusing to investigate a complaint against Mesa. Well, okay, now you get mad and sue all three law enforcement agencies in the U.S. District Court for failing to enforce the law of the land. The court immediately kicks your case out of court on the basis of other laws that permit these agencies to corrupt and neutralize all civil rights laws! Those other laws declare that these agencies have the exclusive right to select which complaints they will, or will not investigate! Thus, Mesa officials continue to deprive citizens of their civil and constitutional rights, under color of law, constantly, with absolute impunity! Simply, as the power of corruption prevents enforcement of the law, it serves as Mesa's guarantee of perfect immunity from all law. TAX ASSESSMENT FORMULAS FAVORING "THE GOOD OLD BOYS" ROBIN HOOD IN REVERSE Lacking any responsible action by the courts and law enforcement agencies of Arizona, Mesa officials have constantly trampled on the rights of small businesses and entire commercial districts, distorting and imposing on every aspect of free enterprise at will without fear of recrimination. Without any lawful authority, against the law, Mesa officials have established lawless "improvement districts" based on discriminating tax assessment formulas favoring "the good old boys." One such improvement district # 228, (entirely unlawful) imposed a discriminating tax assessment formula of four different tax assessment rates: 10 per foot for the smallest and poorest properties; 3 per foot for the largest, richest properties. This ridiculous situation has been lawlessly bleeding small property owners for the last 13 years. It is the longest term improvement district in Arizona. MESA'S GREAT ELECTION ROBBERY Mesa's 1996 election was crucial to the corrupt objectives of city officials who placed a request on the ballot to issue $294 million dollars in additional bonds. Moreover, there were several candidates on the ballot highly respected by the people of Mesa. It looked like an election that would surely, at long last, rid the city of the all powerful corruption factors. Unfortunately, for the first time in the history of Mesa, city officials elected to circumvent the authority of the county's election officials. Instead, unknown to the people and the candidates, the city hired a private 'vote counting' company to provide the election results. Yup! You guessed it. All corrupt issues and 'good old by' candidates won.

MORMONS & THE CORRUPT SYSTEM OF LAND-GRABBING WIDENING OF COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE This $30 million street widening project involved the imposition of 'eminent domain' to acquire properties said to be in the way of the street widening plan. Fig. 1 shows a section of property (A) taken via eminent domain at a cost of $350,000.00 to Mesa taxpayers. But, while the city took the two properties in the A section and razed the buildings, the oil tank in the same section was mysteriously left in place. Thus, only the vice mayor's property in this section was spared demolition, reducing the width of the city's widening plan. Fig. 2.

Fig 3 shows how the vice mayor's business property was greatly extended at taxpayers expense. City officials awarded the $350,000.00 piece of land to the vice mayor - free of cost. The street was never widened to the extent of the plan which imposed the eminent domain proceedings for that said purpose. Corrupt land acquisitions and political gifts are common in Mesa. Good old boys, relatives, mainly Mormons, have long enjoyed the spoils of this corrupt system of land-grabbing. Moreover, this 'so called' street widening project was illegal to begin with!!! THE PROJECT WAS NEVER APPROVED BY THE MESA CITY COUNCIL!

NO RESOLUTION TO WIDEN COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE WAS EVER PUBLICLY DISCUSSED, CONSIDERED OR ACTED ON BY THE GOVERNING BODY!!! This represents unequivocal evidence of the corrupt political machine which has long ruled supreme in the city of Mesa. It proves beyond question that Mesa is a city above the law. _______________________________________________________ RELATED STORIES How the City of Mesa Arizona put me and over 300 tenants OUT OF BUSINESS MESA, ARIZONA... THE GRIM REPUTATION IT SO RICHLY DESERVES To read more you can visit the official Mesa Arizona Corruption website at www.MesaAZCorruptionReport.com. _______________________________________________________ COMING SOON More in-depth stories will follow over the next several months under the category OF MOST OUTRAGOUS & POPULAR CATEGORY -- City Governments. Written By, Bill Brando "Voice of the Mesa Action Coalition" e-mail us c/o RipOFFreport "Editorial Staff" at the bottom of the front page of this web site. ____________________________________________ Visit the official Mesa Arizona Corruption website at www.MesaAZcorruptionReport.com ____________________________________________ test40