1.17.2024 (Full Audio Transcript)
Kenny EVANS: Welcome to Rim Country Forum. Well good morning Rim Country, I'm Kenny Murphy, this is the Rim Country Forum. Our call in number as always is 474-2427 and today we have Tom Morrissey in the studio. Good morning Tom. Good day. How are you doing? Good to see you brother.
Tom MORRISSEY: Good to see you too.
EVANS: So I'll start off by thanking our sponsors, Owens Law Firm, Pinnacle Propane, Banner Medical Center, Dana Law Group, RoofKang, Peak Dermatology Aesthetics and Wellness. So it's a wonderful day in Rim Country, is it not? It's always a wonderful day in Rim Country, Kenny.
That's right, that's right. So we're going to be talking about some of the things that you're doing. You are running for sheriff in Gila County.
MORRISSEY: Yes I am. All righty. So we're going to be talking about that.
EVANS: But one thing I'd like to do, Tom, before we go on to that, we had a lady yesterday that called in and said that there was a bunch of people that were killed on January 6th at the alleged insurrection, although no one's been charged with insurrection. It was a riot. It should never have happened. It was a horrible day. But there's an article that was written by Andrew McCarthy, who was a former U.S. attorney in National Review, and I'm going to read some of this because it kind of clears up the deal. And what he wrote was, we acknowledge the traumatic events of that day and the role that might have played in some officers' deaths without bending the truth. There are jobs no more stressful and emotionally wrenching than being a police officer. And sadly, on occasion before, that's why the police suicide rate is markedly higher than the suicide rates in other professions. It would also be hard to imagine a more draining experience physically and emotionally for a police officer than that of being overmatched while under siege by hundreds of rioters that are storming a building that you're duty-bound to protect. When a cop commits suicide soon after an event, it is reasonable to suppose that the stress of the job is a contributing factor. Yet committing suicide after the traumatic event is not the same thing as being killed in the line of duty during the traumatic event. Okay? First, the bottom line is that the number of police officers killed in the line of duty on January 6th is zero. Only one person was killed, known to have been killed during the riot, Ashley Babbitt, a rioter who was shot dead by a Capitol police officer. Three other rioters died during the riot, but they were not killed. One report was that Roseanne Boylan was trampled to death, but the medical examiner later found that she died of an accidental acute amphetamine intoxication. Two other rioters died from cardiovascular disease, which may have been exacerbated by the excitement and the violence. Five police officers who defended the Capitol during the riot died in the days, weeks, and months after it ended by suicide. Brian Sicknick, whose death was covered extensively, was known to have been subjected by the rioters to assault, including toxic aerosol spray, but he appeared to be in good condition back at his headquarters afterward. The prosecutors have charged two rioters with assaulting him. The charges do not even mention his death, much less allege that the defendants caused it. While it was initially claimed in media reports that Sicknick was killed by blunt force trauma, this was a false allegation. It is far from inconceivable, of course, that the riot could have contributed in some way to bringing on his strokes, but that has never been established. Four other police officers who defended the Capitol during the riots have committed suicide. One did so on January 10th, four days after the riot. These losses are tragic, no question about it. There is a high suicide rate with police officers. But none of their deaths were related to or even charged, anybody charged with their deaths during the riot. So to say that there were people that were killed by the rioters, that police officers were killed, did not happen. In addition to that, what bothers a lot of people in America is that there were hundreds and hundreds of people, police officers that were injured in riots by Antifa and BLM across this country where they attacked federal buildings and destroyed property and were complete jerks who have not been charged with anything. At the same time, people that were charged with misdemeanors sat in jail for years now without bail and without being released, which is why I call them a political prisoner, because they're being treated completely different from most people.
They're people charged with murder that are out on bail. So the idea that this was all equal and fair is ridiculous. In addition to that, the mayor of D.C. and Pelosi both refused National Guard support which was offered to them by the president.They never, they said they don't need them, they didn't want them. So they allowed this to happen and while there's no excuse that there's people that rioted and that broke things that should not have been in there, the bottom line is this, is that these people were being treated unfairly and a lot of people have been convicted and are doing time that probably deserved if they assaulted people in whatever they did. And it was a horrible day for America, it should have never happened. But that's the facts and I just want to make sure that that's clear. So when people say that there was dozens of police officers killed during that day, that's just not true. All right, we have a caller.
EVANS: Good morning. Welcome to Rim Country Forum. Who's this? This is Ken. Hello? Go ahead. Is your radio on? Yeah, no. Okay, go ahead.
This is Ken. I have a question for Tom. Okay, go ahead.
Go ahead, Ken. Tom. Yes? What's the probability that we are going to proclaim Gila County as a Second Amendment sanctuary? Well, I did.
MORRISSEY: I proclaimed Payson as a Second Amendment sanctuary when I was the mayor. I don't know. We're getting a lot of squelch there.
I am absolutely committed to the Second Amendment because without that, we don't have a country. We don't have a First Amendment. We don't have any of the guarantees that are in that wonderful U.S. Constitution of ours.
So the Second Amendment, we have a right as citizens to defend ourselves. If the Second Amendment laws are abandoned or subdued, then we're sitting ducks. And all you got to do is take a look at what happened in Australia.
Take a look at what happens in the countries that have banned guns. And all of a sudden, you have knife wielders and people getting killed other than guns. I mean, more people die, certainly, from car accidents than die from gun violence.
What are you going to do? Ban the cars? I mean, it's totally illogical when people attack the Second Amendment. And that's why I served in the Army to defend that, and that's why I spent 31 years in law enforcement to defend our rights in my own way. We only do what we can do as people.
But as long as I am the sheriff, and please, God, I get elected, I will stand in front of our community and protect us against any gun grabbing. And the sheriff can do it, and I will do it. All right.
Did I answer your question? Very good. Thank you. All right.
Thank you, sir.
EVANS: All right. Well, we got joined here with Tom Morrissey by Mr. Jim Muir. Good morning, Jim.
MUIR: Hi, Kenny. How are you? I'm good, sir. How are you today? I'm good.
MORRISSEY: Thank you. Good, good. And Jim is a double Purple Heart recipient. That's why I hang out with him. You didn't learn the first time? They were on the same day. They were on the same day? Oh, man.
MUIR: So I didn't have time to learn. Okay. Well, God bless you.
EVANS: Thank you for your service. All righty. So Jim and Tom, what's your background? You want to go a little bit about your background here that makes you qualified to be a sheriff of Gila County there, Tom? Yeah.
MORRISSEY: Well, first of all, I'm a veteran of the United States Army. I was a rifleman, 4th Armored Division. I ran alongside the tanks and I didn't get to ride in them.
Then I was a chief deputy. Well, I was a deputy U.S. Marshal and I rose through the ranks to chief deputy and chief deputy for the Federal District of Arizona in the U.S. Marshal Service. After my over 20 years with the Marshal Service, I was tapped by the governor and appointed into DES as a law enforcement presence, first as inspector general and then moved up in the ranks to chief of the Office of Special Investigations.
I was there for 11 years. So then I served as the mayor of Pace and I was very involved with helping get resources for our police department and for the fire department. So I, you know, they say once a cop, always a cop.
And you walk like it and you talk like it and you look like it. And I see people react to me that way in a lot of different ways. So I have the experience at all levels.
I've worked in federal government, I've worked for the state government, I've been an HR for the Maricopa County. I was the chairman of the American Mission Board there, which dealt with the police discipline matters. And as the mayor of Pace and very, very involved, you can't help but get involved whenever you see your guys, and I consider the police officers, my guys and my brothers, are challenged in any way.
And I just couldn't help but jump in. My wife will tell you that. I could be driving by a stop, a cop, a police officer making a stop.
And my tendency is to slow down and take a look and make sure he's not in trouble. And he or she. And it's just natural instinct.
So what would you do differently with the sheriff's department right now? Are you critical of anything they're doing currently right now? And if you are, what are those things? And if you're not critical of them, what things do you want to do differently? Well, it's not a criticism, Kenny. The thing is, the sheriff's department is doing all that they can with what they have. Unfortunately, the world has changed, especially over the last three, three and a half years.
And the challenge is that the sheriff's department, all law enforcement faces now, are way deeper, way bigger than they were even three years ago. And of course, that's for the sheriff's department. So what I see is I'm not running against, I'm not criticizing anything.
I'm running for something. I can bring to the sheriff's department and will bring to the sheriff's department things that are grossly needed. And I've done it.
I know how to do this. And I did it based in for the PD.
EVANS: You mean grants or what?
MORRISSEY: I mean, I mean, grants.I mean, if an agency even applies for a grant or applies for some kind of assistance, financial assistance or equipment assistance, it's a phone call. OK, now, the grim reality is this. Look, I I took a very poorly performing federal district law enforcement, U.S. marshals from one of the worst performing large districts in the country to two years later to the best performing.
We even got bonuses for it. I know how to do this. And it's not just resources.
It's not just equipment. It's morale. And what I did to do that was I went out with my troops. I went out and did the job that they did on a daily basis. So I knew what the challenges were. And I intend to fully do that with the sheriff's department.
I will get to know every deputy and I will get to know all the admin people and I will bring a an armed, certified posse into existence. And that will help. I'm going to use a method that I use in the marshal service.
I'll explain that briefly. We had a program in the US Marshals. I say we because I still feel I'm still in law enforcement. So I'm going to use that term. So we had a program called W.A.E. while actually employed. And in those positions were retired law enforcement and veterans who assisted the regular deputies.
They were not in the retirement system. They were not in the health system. What they were were private contractor. So they get paid hourly with with an armed, certified posse that will not bring them on where they will be paid hourly. But if they are assigned a specific duty that ordinarily would be assigned to a regular deputy, they will be paid hourly. Now, what does that do? My goal is to get 50 of the of these armed, certified posse members.
And what they do is they process serve, assist prisoner transport, They protect the courts.
They protect the judges when they're on trial. So they free up the other guys to do some of the real work that they need to be out there and go track down the fugitives, which is what a lot of what the U.S. marshal's office does.
EVANS: Well, we're going to take a break, Tom.
EVANS: All right, it's 33 degrees in Rim Country and it looks like it's getting a little cloudy out there. Well, guys, we have a caller.
Let's take that call. Oh, they hung up. All right, so, Jim, I heard this yesterday and I couldn't believe my ears when I heard it.
But is it true that Katie Hobbs has done what?
MUIR: Well, the governor was given a bunch of money from the federal government and she distributed that to the various legislative districts. Our legislative person, David Marshall, was able to get $3 million of that for the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat. There's a lot of people who don't know what that is.
And if I can just take a second to talk a little bit about the fact that the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat is a 282-acre facility. I'm sorry, 232-acre facility in the town of Young that was the former Tonto National Forest facilities up there. When Woody Klein was elected supervisor, he needed a place to camp out so he could do his business. So he went to them and asked for an office. And they said, well, not here because we're going to be moving out of here. We're going to go down to the new facilities in Payson. So he said, what are you going to do with this? He said, well, we're going to tear it down. We're just going to bulldoze everything down and get out of here. And so Woody contacted me and asked me what I thought about maybe doing a Veterans Retreat or something like that.
We went up, we visited, we looked at it. Kenny is fabulous. It is pristine property that is just gorgeous. So we've been working on this now for about five, six years. And the federal government gave some fundings to the various states. Katie Hobbs gave it to the legislative representatives and they in turn distributed it out.
David Marshall distributed out $3 million for the Payson or for the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat. And we were using that $3 million to repair some of the things that needed to be repaired in the facilities that were there, the barracks, the homes and the grounds and stuff like this. And I got a call on Friday night and I was informed that Katie Hobbs has asked for that $3 million back.
She gave us $3 million for the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat, which will help veterans with PTSD, get their families up there. But now she's asking for that money back. And we've already spent about a million and a half of that money on repairs.
And for her to come back now this late in the game to say, oh, you know what, I want that money back because I want to use it for something else. I don't know what she wants to use it for. Maybe she wants to use it for the cost of hotels for undocumented criminal entrance.
Otherwise known as illegal aliens. I don't know. But it's sad because it's taking the benefit of veterans being able to get out into some pristine country to clear their heads, to get rid of all of that combat stress and everything that they've had.
It's taken that away from them and putting it back into someplace that I don't know where it's going. All right. Well, let's take this call and see what they're asking.
EVANS: Good morning. Welcome to Rim Country Forum. Who's this?
CHRISTENSEN (Gila County Supervisor): This is Steve Christensen. Good morning, gentlemen. And so I have an update on that money, Jim. I just thought I'd kind of update everybody on that. So the three million I heard yesterday, for sure, is not in danger at all. So we've already received a million and a half of it. And we actually have not spent any of that three million. We have spent money that's been ARPA money. So the million and a half you're referring to approximately is where we started. And so now we have this additional three million. And it is secure. So no worries there.
MUIR: So, Steve, are you saying then that the three million dollars has no danger of disappearing and going back? The governor called it back. So I'm confused.
CHRISTENSEN: Well, be no longer confused.I heard yesterday that it's absolutely secure. We already have a million and a half of it in our bank. And we're certainly not going to write her a check. So the other the other million and a half is coming, I think, toward the end of January. So OK, well, that's good. That's great news.
MUIR: Thanks very much, Steve.
CHRISTENSEN: Appreciate you even letting us know that that's coming from David Marshall. He checked into it and all that. So, yeah, no, they're not going to they're not going to take it back. She might want it back, but she's not going to get it back. So good.
EVANS: Well, we know she'd spend it wisely if she did get it back. Oh, absolutely. Yes, indeed.
CHRISTENSEN: No, it's our money. We're going to use it. Well, we need it.
EVANS: And this this is a beautiful, beautiful thing out there for our veterans. And it's not just for local veterans.
CHRISTENSEN: This is this is veterans from anywhere in the country that want to bring their families out there. And it's what, two hundred eighty five acres of I think it's two hundred and thirty two. We seem to be getting an additional sixty acres here and there. But no, two hundred thirty two. And so it's a wonderful thing. So I appreciate everything you're doing, Jim.
MUIR: And then we did pick up an extra two hundred acres because originally I think we were told it was around thirty some acres and it came out to be two hundred and thirty two. So it's a wonderful place for veterans and their families. Yeah.
CHRISTENSEN: Yeah. And I got to give a lot of credit to Woody. Woody and his executive, Kathy, have been working really hard. They sure have for seven years. The gala retreat was a blast, too. That was really nice. Oh, my God, that was fantastic. They did a marvelous job. They being the rim country retirement living right across this and living right here on Tyler Parkway. They they did a marvelous job. You know, I've never seen what happened there when they're trying to auction off a gun and nobody would take it after they bought it.
EVANS: I know that thing turned over. They don't need it back. And then it get auctioned again. Then that gun made more money. That was a beautiful thing. It sold five times for veterans.All right, Steve. Thanks for calling me, buddy. Have a great day.
CHRISTENSEN: Thank you. God bless. All right.
Well, I'm glad that that's good news because I was very disappointed that when I when I heard that and so well, you know, but apparently they haven't completely lost their minds down in Phoenix. So yeah, well, that is good. That is good.
OK, well, we're going to take a little break time. And when we come back, we're going to be talking about some other things that you'd like to do for the sheriff's department and maybe listen to something about a banner. You got the home of the brave.
All right. In trouble. You want to you want to talk about that real quick and I'll play it.
MORRISSEY: Well, it's a song that I wrote and has been used as a warm up music during some of the Trump rallies when Neil Young cut him off from using his stuff. So I'll talk more about it. But we're going to come back with the with it.
And if the lyrics aren't clear enough, I'll talk over them. Well, we're going to go out listening to it right now. OK, great. Home of the brave is in trouble. We've lost our way and started to stumble. That's why I'm running for sheriff.
EVANS: In studio we have Jim Muir and Tom Morrissey, former mayor of Payson, former U.S. Marshal, the chief deputy for the U.S. Marshal Service in Arizona and former chairman of the Republican Party here in the state of Arizona, right? Yeah. Yeah, you've been a busy little boy all your life.
MORRISSEY: You know, I look back on it. I say, yeah, I kind of was busy at different times. But as my wife will tell you, I get bored easily. So I try to keep myself active. And my motivation for running for sheriff, ladies and gentlemen, is simply this. Our country is in trouble. Now the song you heard before we went into the break, the home of the brave is in trouble. It's a tune I wrote back in my days. Actually, I've written it after the Ohio Express thing.
I was writing songs for Ray Charles and Richie Havens and Brooke Benton and people like that. So my songwriting stream continued. And I started looking at how music impacts folks and motivates people.
And so I wrote the home of the brave. And the chorus line is, the home of the brave is in trouble. We've lost our way and started to stumble.
So what makes this kind of fun is that I had a banner that was up on 260. And it was a political banner, but it was on private property. And that's a First Amendment issue.
So friends of mine, the owners of the Payson campgrounds, put it up on their property. Well, self-appointed signs are go unnamed right now. Oh, you don't want to name him? No, I can't because I don't have proof.
OK, so but made a complaint about it. And so the town notified me and the town code officer, who's a really nice person, not trying to hurt me in any way, just said that it couldn't be up until 71 days before the election. However, I consulted an attorney and was told that it's a First Amendment right that on private property, you can put anything you want to put as long as it doesn't interfere with traffic or it isn't offensive.
Now, maybe a person or complaint found it offensive that I'm running for sheriff. And well, OK. But so what I did was I took the sign down because they didn't want to want to put the folks who own the campgrounds to a trial thing.
And I put up a banner that says, quote unquote, the home of the brave is in trouble. And we are indeed in trouble. And under it, a song by Tom Morrissey.
So that that's up there now. But then I get informed by the town code that I have to have a banner permit and and I have to pay a fee to do it, which I'm more more than willing to do. There's a banner permit, the banner permit.
Yeah. Fifty dollars to do it. But it's fine. Yeah. Not a fine, but it's a fee.
And I have no problem with paying it. You know, if that's the town code, so be it. But but the thing is, when you get into these political campaigns and and everything comes out, you know, I think that it's a blood sport.
And I'm not a politician. I don't know how to be a politician. I'm an elected official and a public servant.
And the way that I see myself serving my country, which is the home of the brave,
It is indeed in trouble. And if anybody thinks it's not where have you been folks, if you don't think it is, it is in deep trouble. And I'm doing my part to express that. But I'm doing my my part as an A hopefully as a sheriff. The sheriff has incredible power. And, and when when the sheriff is protecting the people, and the sheriff can and this sheriff will, if God blesses me to be elected sheriff has the power to to negate anybody trying to come in and take away our Second Amendment rights. And that is and that was brought in by the framers, I am an originalist, I believe in the Constitution as it was written, and originalist, and that is there to prevent tyranny of our government, to protect and, and in that woven into that is our ability in our right to defend ourselves and our families.
EVANS: And that right is not specifically in there, because that's a God given right,
MORRISSEY: That's a God given right. But it's in the spirit of the Constitution, you know, the, you know, the pursuit of happiness, you know, and so the frame is laid it out, and that constitution has what is what has made this country, the great country that it is, and it's a blessing from God. But with that blessing comes a responsibility. And I'm meeting it with my way of meeting that responsibility.
EVANS: It’s not law abiding citizens that have guns aren't the problem. It’s the criminals. And you should, oh, Chicago, New York, they have the latest gun control laws in the country and look at their murder rate. It's insane. So Well, let's take this call Tom, and see who's either.
CALLER: Good morning. This is Joe. Hey, Joe. Good morning. I always like to have the opportunity to say hi to Tom when he's on. He's such a great guy. And you know, I know why he didn't win as mayor and stay as mayor. And I know the answer to that, what God had something more important for you to do. And greater things for you to do and be in Sheriff for Gila County is a great more importance than being one of the mayor's that have to listen to all of the 10 words, how many on the board seven altogether, and you've got a much better place to be and God's blessing you the close of all the things you've done. And you mentioned, I don't know how many times already God's name on this program, and he's going to bless you for that, my friend, and I hope you win. And God bless you.
MORRISEY: Thank you, Joe. There's not a New York Coalition here is there?
Well, you know, it does sound like I think Joe, I think Joe's from Brooklyn. I bet I can remember Brooklyn or the Bronx. A lot of people had that come from Brooklyn and the Bronx.
EVANS: Good morning Caller.
CALLER: Hi, this is Don. Hey, I appreciate your time. And then I'm really supporting him. I know he will. When you speak, it will happen. I am interested in Tom's plan to get more patrol sheriffs out our deputies out on the road or for recruiting and also if he has any ideas on how to increase their salaries so we can keep patrol, sheriff's or deputies, I'm sorry, in the county, and so we can get rid of the crime that's out there.
MORRISSEY: Thank you, Don, it's good to hear from you. This is good question. And it does enable me to segue into what I was going to say. Yes, I can. That number one, this not sudden, usually it's not a funding problem. It's a it's a way the money is spent.
Now I'm looking at things and I'm doing things outside the box. For instance, I number one, I will do everything I can and I believe I can sincerely raise the salaries of the deputies. Usually of everybody that's working in the Sheriff's Department.
How do I do that? Okay, I go out for grants. And my buddy Jim here just reminded me to say this. I when I was mayor, I was able to get over $40 million in grants, working with Senator cinema. And what that money was for and is for is treating the forests that surround the town of Payson and the CC Cragin water system. And that was a couple of phone calls to the senator adjusted Vacation proposal by me to her and lo and behold, boom, we got it. And that's the way this stuff is done, folks. When I was chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, I was not a typical. I'm not a typical Republican.
Okay, I'm a patriot. I am a Republican, because that party, I believe, serves the country best. But I am my own man. And and what I did I during that time, it was to me it was a very difficult job. The chairman doesn't get paid. Everybody around him does. But it was my wife and I really, we were a team. We worked together, who if Kris and I, and we accomplished at that point in time for those two years of my term. It was a historic moment.
I was told that by the New York Times, folks when they interviewed me, after the election of 2012, we had the most successful election cycle in the history of the state. It never happened before and it hasn't happened since. The way we did it was inclusion. I welcomed in the Latino community. Number one, I had the support of Herman Cain, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Ted Nugent, Steven Segall, they all came in and did you know the fundraising events that enabled us to stay afloat. I inherited $100,000 debt when I came in, paid it off, and it's so many things - I can't keep going on. But the reason I'm telling you this is I made connections then, and the people that I became friends with are in power. They're still around, they're around and they will help.
EVANS: Good morning. Welcome home country forum Who is this?
CALLER: Morning. This was Chris. Chris Martin. Chris. Hi, gentlemen. Tom, I'm late to the show. And I apologize if I'm going to speak over something you've already spoken to. But you just use the term that the sheriff has incredible power. Yeah. And as the son of a librarian, my mother constantly drilled into me the, you know, the veracity of each and every word that we use, incredible to me is like unbelievable power. How would you describe the power of the sheriff's office? Okay, other than incredible, which is unbelievable. So where are the limits of the power of the sheriff?
MORRISSEY: He is the deal. Okay. As a chief deputy US Marshal for Federal District, you would think I had incredible power? Well, I didn't. I reported to somebody who reported to somebody who reported to somebody my boss was the US Marshal, who was appointed by the president and he appoints he reported to somebody and so forth. And so on the head, the head FBI agent in this state reports to somebody, police chiefs report to somebody all law enforcement, the state troopers report to somebody, you know who doesn't the sheriff - the sheriff reports to the people.
And that gives the sheriff incredible power, in my estimation, okay. And the thing is, a lot of the sheriffs are well intended and all that, but don't really understand the power that they have. Now an example. Okay, Governor Newsum last week, impose some some incredibly dire regulations, that that took away the citizens of California's rights. One of them was a gun rights. And, you know, stop them dead in his tracks? A sheriff in California, stopped the governor of California. And let me tell you, folks, if that happens here and I have to go up against the governor, get ready, bar the door because I will I will protect our rights.
And hopefully you wouldn't be alone. The sheriff's would too. Right. And that's the second part of this. Where we are organizing. I'm working with Jerry Sheridan, who is running for Maricopa County Sheriff. That office has been decimated by the previous administration. And Jerry, I believe Jerry is going to be in the next year if they're, I believe I'm going to be the next year of fate here in Hill County. And we've already started coordinating I had been talking with prosecutors and and and lining up things and working with organizing the sheriff's as 10 That would be about 10 conservative sheriffs in Arizona. We will be one Voice and we will stand together.
CALLER: This is Courtney. And I'm a big fan of Sherif Morrissey's after hearing this interview and my question, it regards the fentanyl epidemic that is affecting young people in a really catastrophic way. And I wanted to know what the future Sheriff Morrissey would do to help combat that problem?
MORRISSEY: Okay, I can answer that by telling you an experience I had. When I was chief deputy. I was one of the founders of the Haida task force that's High Intensity Drug trafficking area. And we we put together a combination of ATF, DEA, state to state police, DPS, state police, sheriff's deputies, local police officers, US Marshals because we funded it, and the military.
Now, the military cannot be involved in law enforcement, or constitutionally. But what the military could do was bring in intelligence, and 50% of the mission, or maybe even 70% of law enforcement is made possible by intelligence and the military has an incredible network.
So we use that and that was highly successful is still is still there. And it's still going as a matter of fact, there are about eight of the task forces that have grown out of that. So what I do with with with the the problems that we're having with drugs, I would use the task force concept.
Now our department, a sheriff's department is not big enough to have our own task force. But the way to solve that is to put a position put a deputy in the task force, a task force as working these drug missions. So that we have access to and be served by the task force. And what what it is is cyclical weed rolls through, and that I have another plan of working with other sheriffs, on on patrols. And I'm not I can't go into that, because it's a strategy we're going to use. But we're going to share resources. And we're going to do a lot of things that have not been done because they haven't been able to be done. But I know how to do it. And we're going to get it done. And I'm sure that I'm not going to tip off the cartels and the people that are moving drugs and people. But I'm going to tell you and I'm going to tell all the listeners that I will deal with it. I already have a strategy. I'm already working on a plan. And I hope that answers your question.
CALLER: This is Frank. Hey, I don't want to cast shade on your word or anything because I generally take people at their word, but I do recall not so long ago when when you were telling everybody they had to wear a mask to come into town. And that that was gonna be your your thing. You had to wear a mask come into town. And that didn't sound very libertarian to me.
MORRISSEY: Well, I'm not a libertarian. I'm a conservative Republican. And that is not true. I fought the mask mandate. As a matter of fact, I was able to keep businesses open. We were open during that period of time when other mayor's closed their businesses down. I do not support mandates from the government telling adult people like ourselves, that we have to wear masks, and that we're limited. Because the government says we have to do things I did not support the mask mandate. I did not encourage it. I never will. And I did not support closing down the business. As a matter of fact, when I began, Senator cinema helped me with this, I was able to get stipends to keep the businesses open, and kept them open. And I did not enforce any of the mandates.
CALLER: That don't ring true because I was the one that called you up on the radio that one time and you said everybody should wear a mask. The governor had said that it was going to be up to each community. And you would come out with your ruling. Well, you were gonna wear a mask here.
MORRISSEY: No, I didn't. That is not true.
CALLER: I asked you point blank where? Where did you got that power in the Constitution? Because after all, I'm not very well read man on the Constitution. I'm sure you're far smarter man than me smarter than you imagine is like you and I'm telling you that's not true.
MORRISSEY: I never support mandates. I do not support them. And I didn't say no. And I can prove to you that that is not true. Okay. And as a matter of fact, I worked against the will of the governor who I know and has been a friend of mine and he wasn't happy with me because I did not abide by that I did not enforce it. And the police department did not enforce it.
CALLER: But they really couldn't.
MORRISSEY: Yes, they could if they wanted to. But they The thing is ultimately, it would have been my decision and I did not support it and I will not support that type of thing. Period.
CALLER: Okay, well, we'll see. Thank you.
EVANS: thank you sir for the call. Well, we had a really good ‘Karen police force out’ there that was trying to enforce it that's for sure. Well, you know actually the police chief didn't they didn't fire and police are the character
that would sit there look at you and you didn't hadn't didn't have a mask on and they were having a match and pointing fingers.
that you can kill everybody evil crap.
MORRISSEY: But you know, we're blessed with a great police chief by the way Ron Tissure was very much on board with me on that.
EVANS: look what they did they closed the churches and kept Walmart open. You know, when when a government does that, you know where their agenda is. You got it. Good morning. Welcome home country foreign. Who's this? Hey,
CALLER: Good morning. This is Darren. I just wanted to back in that previous caller of you did support mass mandates you did It played on the radio. And you did support it. So for you to say that you did. I do. It's just not just not being honest. You did do that.
MORRISSEY: I don't know it. I did not do that. But I did I left it up to the people. If they wanted to wear masks, they could. Okay, that led to them not true. That's just not true.I'm speaking. I'm speaking from my history. And I'm telling you I did not support a man that I don't support them. That's why they don't do it Monday through Marina mask. Yeah, yeah, when you want.
CALLER: But he definitely was pushing for it. No, I was not. I was not generous. Right next to me. And you know what? You could say? Yes. I'll say no. But I'm telling you, I'm telling you. No, you say yes.
MORRISSEY: So we'll agree to disagree.
CALLER: I wish we could bring up the past kmog forum recordings, because you actually did. And I just want to let you know, when you use the word inclusion, you got to be careful, because you're using the words that the liberals who support DEI, and yeah, of course, we should, you know, hire people based on merit, not based on the color of their skin, right? No.
MORRISSEY: Did I did I say anything against that? When I said inclusion was I included the Latino community into the Republican Party. It was not governmental policy, and the Latino community or everything that the Republicans claimed to be their family oriented, their work oriented, and they're patriotic, and I welcome them in and they came. That's what I'm talking about.
CALLER: I agree with that? I agree with that. Okay. Well, thank you for your history, definitely supported mass mandate. Well, I will not be supporting you for sure.
MORRISSEY:I don't and you know, you honor me by not supporting me for sure. I don't really want your vote. Alrighty, thanks.
EVANS: Thanks for the call. Appreciate it. All right. Well, we got a little disagreement there. And whether you send it in or you might have you might have been following the recommendations of the government. I don't know. I mean, I don't know how a town could have mandated unless you had a vote of the council to do it.
MORRISSEY: I left it up to the people. And you know, and it was up to them, but I did not force people to, you know what happened. When this all started. My wife and I were down in Scottsdale for a weekend. And we had to wear a mask everywhere you went and including into your own bathroom. Those two days that I walked get, I got for as a result of that of wearing that I got pneumonia from wearing the mask. So I was naturally opposed to wearing them. I don't believe in them.
EVANS: Okay, so All right. We've got another caller. Good morning. Well run country for who's this? Good morning.
CALLER: These are dangerous times, as you said at the beginning of this conversation today. And I got the big one here. And what the sheriff can do about the the what else? We're desperate times, desperate men sometimes do evil things and go, yes. What if people are panicking. They declare martial law for whatever reason, I can think about 10 different reasons why that might happen. And they abandoned the Bill of Rights. What could the sheriff do in the town of Payson, would you enforce that martial law? Or would the police have power over you? And if you and the police chief here in town disagreed on that situation? The sheriff have power over that demonstration.
MORRISSEY: And the according to the Constitution, the sheriff is the highest law enforcement officer in the county. Now that that is law enforcement. Now the county attorney has the ultimate authority. Okay. I think it would be shared power between the sheriff and the county attorney and we haven't had a great county attorney. But the thing is, the sheriff is over the law enforcement including outside agencies. If the FBI came in, and we're doing something that was not constitutional, the sheriff can tell him to pack their bags and leave. It just comes down to that because ultimately, as I said before, and the sheriff reports to the people and the people decide the authority of the sheriff based on the Constitution.
CALLER: That's what I got that's what I kind of thought I do appreciate your comments. Remember also being an intelligent he wouldn't be an a patriot. That grants are a form of taxation on the people. We're 34 trillion in debt. Just keep that in mind. Please, you guys have a great day.
EVANS: Appreciate it. Well, we're at the top of the hour. Tom. Any final thought you have here? Before we go? Well, let's take this one last call as soon as we got here. Good morning, welcome country forum.
CALLER: I saw Tom all the time in the Republican Party activities. And I just want you to know that he never mandated a mask, nor did we ever Band Aid, or tell anyone to get a COVID shot. Now that's the way Tony was, I don't know what did he say that people got their information with Tom never mandated a mask.
MORRISSEY: Thank you, Betty. Thank you for saying that.
EVANS: Well, thank you, Betty for clarifying that from a Republican Party standpoint, appreciate that.
MORRISSEY: Okay, can I just finish with real quick, okay, the thing I am I'm also going to be very, very active in protecting voter integrity. I see irregularities and I already have a plan and a strategy in place to deal with it.
And I will bring the one missing ingredient to the table that and that that has been stopping us from getting that. The people in Payson, you know me, and you know me by my record, and if you know and you know, I will do what I say I'm going to do and that is I will protect the county, at all cost. I will protect the county. I have nothing to lose. And I am doing my part to restore our cuts to take our country back. Our country is gone. Now we need to take it back and we will take it back and we will take it back.
EVANS: Thank you Tom and Jim.
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