Guests - Lisa Golembiewski, John Collins & Maybelle McCleod, Katey McPherson
Celebrating Tucson's Victory on Proposition 414 and Protecting What Matters Most
Tucson Voters Make Their Voices Heard on Proposition 414
The people of Tucson have spoken loud and clear by overwhelmingly rejecting Proposition 414, a sales tax increase that would have made Tucson the highest-taxed city in Arizona. With over 70% of voters against the measure, residents sent a decisive message to city leadership about fiscal responsibility and proper allocation of the existing $2.4 billion budget.
"We are still celebrating the victory on 414," said Kathleen Wynn, reflecting on the election outcome. "I want to thank everybody who has called, who has texted, who has Facebooked, Instagram, whatever you've done to just say, 'Good job, Tucson, Arizona, for getting this right.'"
The election highlighted several key concerns among Tucson residents:
The need for better allocation of existing funds rather than new taxes
Proper funding for police services without additional taxation
Infrastructure improvements, particularly road repairs
More responsible fiscal management by city leadership
The outcome is particularly significant for local business owners who would have shouldered much of the burden from the increased sales tax. Restaurants and food service operations, already operating on thin margins, would have been especially impacted.
"I had so many, especially food and restaurant organizations that are on very thin margins and I think it would have been just, it would have been just a horrible thing," Wynn noted. "Food prices are already high, so I for one am grateful for the collaboration with people that we don't normally collaborate with."
This victory reflects a growing demand from residents for more efficient government spending and improved allocation of resources. The message sent to city leadership was clear: work with the existing budget to address the community's needs without raising taxes.
Delta Defense: Protecting Gun Owners in Self-Defense Situations
In the wake of discussions about crime during the Proposition 414 campaign, Lisa Golembiewski from Delta Defense joined the conversation to discuss how gun owners can properly protect themselves—both physically and legally.
Delta Defense works with the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) to provide training and legal protection for responsible gun owners. With 860,000 members across all 50 states and U.S. territories, the organization stands on three principles: mental preparation, physical preparation, and legal preparation.
"The time you take a shot, you go from victim to victim of the system in one round," Golembiewski explained. "It's my passion to train as many people as possible and protect people. Delta Defense saves lives by doing that."
The Self-Defense Liability Policy
When someone becomes a USCCA member, they receive:
No-limit criminal defense expenses with the attorney of their choice
No-limit civil defense expenses with the attorney of their choice
Up to $2 million annually in liability for civil damages
Coverage for crime scene cleanup and time off work
Reimbursement for firearms if confiscated during investigation
"You go from being a victim to being a victim of the system in one shot," Golembiewski emphasized. "What is your plan? You use your gun to protect yourself and family members and if the intruder gets killed, that's a whole level. If the intruder gets injured, that's a different scenario, but both will throw you into a legal system."
The need for such protection becomes evident when considering the realities of self-defense incidents:
Every 26 seconds, there's a violent crime in America
In 2024, 40,911 emergency calls went unanswered
The average self-defense incident with a firearm lasts 2.9 seconds, involves three rounds, and occurs at a distance of nine feet
"You are your own first responder," Golembewski stated.
Training for Responsible Gun Ownership
USCCA provides extensive training resources through their Protector Academy, which offers hundreds of instructional videos ranging from three minutes to eight hours in length. Topics include:
Situational awareness
Firearms handling and operation
Encountering mass shooter threats
De-escalation techniques
Defensive tactics
"I think that a lot of people, especially gun owners, don't really spend as much time training as they should," Golembiewski noted. "We want to avoid the fight at all costs. However, it will never be up to us when the fight chooses us. The outcome is determined by our level of training."
Dealing with Law Enforcement After a Self-Defense Incident
One of the most critical aspects of self-defense is knowing what to do in the aftermath. Golembiewski emphasized several key points:
Before police arrive, secure your firearm in its holster or place it off your body on the ground (only after the threat has been neutralized)
Call 911 and explain: "I was attacked, feared for my life, and had to defend myself"
Request both police and ambulance response
Call the USCCA critical response team
Comply with all police instructions
Invoke your right to remain silent until your attorney arrives
"Do not volunteer any information," Golembiewski emphasized. "It's not because you're trying to evade the law. It is because you don't want them to make an assessment of your home. You're already in the fight for your life. You don't want to have to fight for your life on a criminal and a civil matter."
USCCA membership includes access to 1,200 sanctioned attorneys who are pro-Second Amendment and available 24/7. The protection applies not just to firearms but to any legal means of self-defense, including pepper spray, knives, or even physical defense.
"I would refuse to leave the home without it," Golembiewski said of her USCCA membership, which costs approximately $390 per year for basic coverage.
Cracking Down on Sexual Abuse in Arizona Schools
The conversation shifted to protecting children in educational settings with Katie McPherson, an advocate working to strengthen mandatory reporting requirements for sexual misconduct in schools.
Senate Bill 1437, sponsored by State Senator Corinne Warner, aims to clarify and strengthen the mandatory reporting process when sexual misconduct occurs in educational settings. The bill, which has passed the Senate and is moving to the House, addresses gaps in the current system.
"As most educators know, we are all mandatory reporters. Parents are also mandatory reporters, anybody working in a capacity that's taking care of children," McPherson explained. "But we have found, unfortunately, over the last three to five years specifically here in Arizona that maybe not everyone is following the protocol."
The bill would:
Expand mandatory reporting requirements to include substitutes and governing board members
Explicitly cover private and charter schools
Require reports of sexual misconduct to go directly to forensically trained sex crimes detectives
Bypass school resource officers (SROs) for initial reporting of sexual misconduct
"What we're finding is the principal has an SRO sitting 50 feet from them. Some of them unfortunately are under-reporting and only giving half the story or not filling in all the blanks," McPherson noted. "And so then the SRO reviews it as the law enforcement officer on site and makes a determination whether or not it's a crime."
The Impact of Sexual Misconduct on Students
McPherson highlighted the severe consequences these situations have on victims and their families:
"I have seen and I have assisted families with self-harm, vaping, substances, even suicide attempts, due to not only the trauma and abuse, but also the feeling of 'why me,' the isolation, the withdrawal from friendship groups. And parents too... they were like, 'we were out on this island all alone. We felt like nobody understood us. The district wasn't responding.' So it traumatizes the entire family."
The conversation referenced a specific case where multiple administrators were found to have failed to properly report a teacher's misconduct, allowing the situation to continue and affect more victims. These administrators are now facing potential disciplinary action from the state board of education.
The Need for Better Education on Grooming
A significant gap identified in the current system is the lack of understanding among administrators about grooming behaviors:
"When I listen to the PPAC hearing and the administrators who are possibly looking at discipline, all of them couldn't really describe what grooming is. None of them felt like it was kind of a bad thing," McPherson explained. "There was this grave underestimation of the runway of predation."
McPherson pointed to the competitive nature of education as a potential factor in the reluctance to report:
"So many people are competing for the same children, meaning there are lots of choices now—you can go to a private school, there's a charter school on every corner. So our public schools specifically are wanting to look shiny and [say] 'everything's great here.' And so if I have a teacher who is touching a student and that's going to hit the news waves, that's not going to look so great. And so let's try to handle this in-house."
The bill is expected to be heard in the House next week, with hopes that Governor Hobbs will sign it into law, providing clearer guidelines and better protection for students across Arizona.
St. Patrick's Day Musical Celebration
As St. Patrick's Day approaches, the conversation shifted to a celebration of Irish culture with musical performances by young musicians John Collins (16) and Maybell McLeod (15).
The duo performed two Irish songs:
"Irish Eyes" by Rose Betts - A nostalgic song about Irish heritage passed down through generations
"The Parting Glass" - A traditional parting song celebrating friendship and community
Collins and McLeod will be performing at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Tucson on March 16th at Armory Park, with their performance scheduled for 2:00 PM.
Looking Ahead to Improving Tucson
The conversation concluded with reflections on next steps for Tucson after the rejection of Proposition 414, including:
Working with business leaders to develop a plan addressing police needs and road repairs
Creating a "pothole posse" to identify and prioritize the worst road problems
Focusing on upcoming city council elections in Wards 3, 5, and 6
Exploring more efficient allocation of the city's $2.4 billion budget
"I am encouraged by what we see in Marana and Oro Valley and Sahuarita. Those cities are very safe. There's no reason why Tucson can't be more like those cities that are part of Pima County," Wynn concluded. "And it is my hope that because of this, that we really just do some good old-fashioned math and figure out where out of that 2.4 billion dollar budget, maybe we don't plant as many trees and maybe we plant some new officers in the police department."