Guests - Charley Foley Flags for the Flagless, Rep. Joseph Chaplik
American Pride on Display: Charlie Foley's "Flags for the Flagless" Mission
A Decade of Patriotic Service
Charlie Foley, a former Tucson Police Department officer who served 20 years and spent five years on the SWAT team, has been on a mission to restore American flags to empty flagpoles across the country. His journey began in 2014 when a chance meeting with former NFL player Donnie Edwards sparked a passion for patriotic service.
"I take a trip out to San Diego where I originally grew up and had breakfast with a friend of mine. He brought in a friend of his, Donnie Edwards, who played pro football for the San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs," Foley explains. "He tells me he started his own nonprofit foundation called the Best Defense Foundation where he takes veterans back to where they fought their battles."
That conversation changed Foley's life. During a six-hour drive back to Tucson, he reflected on what he could do to honor his country. Soon after, while on patrol in downtown Tucson, he began noticing empty flagpoles throughout the city.
"You've got some old buildings downtown on East Congress where the old Chase Bank used to be. That building used to be the tallest building in Tucson one time - they had empty flagpoles out there. Benjamin Plumbing, which was previously owned by the Berman family, had a big flagpole on top of their building."
These empty flagpoles represented forgotten commitments to patriotism. "Somebody 50, 60, 100 years ago knew the importance and thought it was a good idea to put a flag up, and then they just forgot about it," says Foley.
Flags for the Flagless Is Born
Foley decided to make a difference by putting up flags on these empty poles. His first installation was at the Benjamin Plumbing building on Flag Day, June 14, 2014. When he approached the building manager, he encountered his first obstacle.
"He tells me, 'At the top of our building we have a doorway with about a 15-foot drop down to the roof. Years ago we had wooden stairs leading down to the roof, but over the years, the weather and sun deteriorated them. We have to use a ladder now to get to that flagpole.'"
Feeling dejected, Foley was about to leave when he was introduced to the owner, Mark Berman. After hearing Foley's vision, Berman made an unexpected commitment: "I'll build stairs for you."
"He had a company come in and build metal corrugated stairs from the door down 10 feet to the roof," Foley recalls. "When I told this story to my dad, he said, 'Charlie, that's the difference between someone who works at the business and someone who owns the building.'"
That first flag installation launched what has become a decade-long mission. To date, Foley has installed between 800 and 1,000 flags across 17 states. His program, Flags for the Flagless, has expanded beyond large flagpoles to include classroom flags and has touched communities throughout the nation.
A Community Effort
Foley's mission wouldn't be possible without community support, particularly from Tucson Electric Power (TEP).
"I partnered up with Tucson Electric Power. They love flags, they love the American flag. Every time I need help, I usually identify five or six flagpoles in an area, get a hold of TEP, and they give me a bucket truck. They take a truck out of service, have their guys come, and I point out where I need it done."
Foley emphasizes that the flag belongs to all Americans, regardless of political affiliation. "I started this program in 2014 under President Barack Obama. Our country's flag doesn't belong to a political party. It doesn't belong to a TV channel. It doesn't belong to anybody but the people of this country."
Honoring Gold Star Families
Beyond installing flags, Foley found another meaningful way to honor those who served. He began receiving folded flags from families of deceased veterans.
"When people say 'I want to give my family member's flag to you to find a home for,' it's heavy. It's not like a flag in a plastic bag from Amazon. This flag represents a person, someone who volunteered and raised their hand to serve."
In 2015, Foley met James Francis, a senior athletic director at the University of Arizona, who wanted to donate flags to the program. This meeting led to a special partnership.
"I said, 'James, you guys fly an American flag at every home football game over the jumbotron. How would you feel if we flew different families' casket flags at every home football game?'"
Francis embraced the idea, offering four tickets to each family, a parking pass, and the opportunity to be on the field for the national anthem. It's a simple but profound gesture that often moves families to tears.
"For this year, I've decided that every family for the home game will be a Gold Star family," Foley shares, referring to families who lost a loved one in military service.
The Flag as a Symbol of Freedom
For Foley, the American flag represents much more than fabric and design – it symbolizes the freedoms that make America unique.
"Our flag is a symbol of our freedom," he explains. "We have the ability to be free in our country. You do that in some other countries, you'll probably be thrown into prison for the rest of your life or be shot."
He encourages Americans to travel abroad to truly appreciate what they have at home. "I've been to different parts of the world. Every time I come back, I have this sigh of relief when that plane lands. It's like I feel safe. It's great to go to other places in the world, but when you're back on U.S. soil, it is incredible."
Reflecting on America's upcoming 250th anniversary in 2026, Foley notes: "We're a year away from our 250th birthday. No one's ever had this kind of freedom for 250 years. It's going to be a big party, and flags are going to be a big part of it."
A National Platform
Foley's dedication to patriotism is gaining wider recognition. A major television network has approached him about creating an eight-episode series featuring his stories and flag projects.
"If you listen to podcasts, you can hear some stories on Apple, Spotify – it's Flags for the Flagless," he shares. "A major network has come to us and said, 'We want to do a TV series about your stories, what you've done providing flags to people.'"
As Foley continues his mission, he leaves us with a poignant reminder: "As Americans, we are the thread that holds our flag together. If we come together as a country, that flag is tight, it's strong. No matter what kind of wind or storm, if we stay together as a country, that flag is good. If we start fighting with each other, that flag is going to start to unravel."
Protecting Citizens' Rights: Rep. Joseph Chaplik Fights Controversial Rezoning Bill
Standing Against Retroactive Legislation
Arizona State Representative Joseph Chaplik (R-District 3) is leading the charge against legislation that would eliminate citizens' right to challenge zoning decisions through referendum petitions.
Senate Bill 1352 and House Bill 2925, which Chaplik describes as "mirror bills," would fundamentally change how citizens can respond to rezoning decisions made by local governments.
"Notwithstanding any other law, an application for rezoning that is approved by the governing body of a municipality is considered an administrative act and is not subject to the filing of a referendum petition by a person or organization," Chaplik explains. "What that means is if your city councils go rogue and they pass a zoning change for something, the citizens will no longer have a right to petition through a signature referendum and have it voted on in the next election."
The Scottsdale Axon Project
The legislation comes in the wake of a contentious situation in Scottsdale, where technology company Axon (formerly Taser) seeks to build a large housing development.
"A company here in Scottsdale bought some land from the state land trust as light industrial zoned, and then they got our city council, on their last session after they all got voted out of office, to change the zoning to multi-family use from industrial so they could build 1,900 units, which would be the largest complex in the history of Scottsdale," Chaplik says.
In response, Scottsdale citizens rallied, gathering 25,000 signatures (10,000 more than required) to place the rezoning decision on the 2026 ballot. The proposed legislation, however, includes a retroactivity clause that would nullify these efforts.
"I stayed out of this as a city issue because the city should work it out, and they did," Chaplik notes. "I got involved at the state level when these bills surfaced with a retroactivity clause going back to June 30, 2024. Without that retroactivity clause, this company disappears from this bill."
A Statewide Concern
While the immediate impact would be on Scottsdale, Chaplik emphasizes that the legislation would affect all Arizona municipalities going forward.
"This will forever change the state of Arizona on how we have signature petitions to fight a rogue city council decision," he warns. "Going forward for all Arizonans, this will forever change your city if you disagree with how their zoning is changed. It could go from multi-family to industrial to commercial... and you have no right to challenge it."
Chaplik finds it particularly concerning that the bill was introduced by legislators who don't represent Scottsdale. "David Gowan and Michael Carbone live hours away from Scottsdale," he points out. "This is an attack on a city you're not even living in and have no idea what the people want."
All nine legislators who represent portions of Scottsdale oppose the bill, according to Chaplik.
A Company's Threat
Axon's president, Josh Eisner, recently suggested on Fox News that the company might leave Arizona if the project doesn't proceed. Chaplik finds this threat questionable.
"I've never seen a business threaten that they're going to relocate if they can't build an apartment complex of this size," he says. "They're not in the multi-family business. To pick up and leave the state of Arizona because they can't build a multi-family project makes no sense."
Chaplik points out that there are already 5,000 apartments within a five-minute radius of the proposed site, and that Axon employees, who reportedly earn between $100,000 and $300,000 annually, are unlikely to live in these apartments.
"Those people are not going to be living in an apartment complex," he says. "They're going to be in a home in the community, raising a family, making their roots here."
Legislative Priorities for Arizona
Beyond fighting this specific legislation, Chaplik is focused on other priorities in the current session. One is strengthening Republican majorities to prepare for redistricting that will begin around 2030.
"We need to be doing things that strengthen the Republican majority. We absolutely have to keep the Republican majority in the House and Senate for two more years at a minimum," he says.
Chaplik has also introduced House Bill 2684, addressing pedestrian safety. "We have one of the highest rates in the country as a state with pedestrian fatalities," he explains. The bill would restrict pedestrians from standing in unsafe areas like freeway bridges, on/off ramps, and other hazardous locations.
Another bill, HB 2683, would require businesses to accept cash payments for transactions under $100. "Our currency, our cash that says 'for all debts public and private,' should be accepted in retail businesses," Chaplik argues. He cites data showing that approximately 12% of Americans are "unbanked," meaning they don't have checking or savings accounts, with higher rates among Hispanic and Black communities.
"If more businesses decide not to accept cash, then we're just disenfranchising all the people that need cash access the most," he says.
As for the controversial rezoning legislation, Chaplik reports that Senate President Warren Peterson has given written confirmation that "the bill is dead in the Senate." However, he hasn't received similar assurance from House Speaker Steve Montenegro.
"Nobody's attacking Axon, nobody's attacking their project to cancel it right now," Chaplik emphasizes. "We're allowing the people to have a vote in November of '26, as it is today, to decide if the city wants the 1,900-unit apartment complex."