Joe Ferguson

Joe Ferguson

@joeferguson.bsky.social

Reporter. Likes don’t = endorsements.

988 followers485 following4.4K posts

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

We are at the last time item on the #TucsonCouncil meeting, a reconsideration of a liquor license for 914 N. Grande Avenue. At the last vote, the owners were not in compliance. They are now, according to TPD in compliance.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

Schubert gets a second, so now there is a formal Council discussion. City Manager Tim Thomure said 6, 12 month reports are a reasonable request but isn't sure on a granule level what can be shared publicly related to the AVTTF.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

The next item is an intergovernmental agreement between TPD and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, for the Tucson Police Department’s continued participation in the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force (AVTTF). This agreement would include the use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs).

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

Council member Miranda Schubert is concerned about a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Tucson Police Department (TPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The program would share with ballistic tied to firearms suspected to have been used in a crime.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

Another speaker asks the Council to cancel contracts with companies that have contracts with the feds to build the border wall. She calls profiting on the border wall "unconscionable."

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

The next woman, who owns a business in Ward 5 (and another in Ward 2), says she has seen road improvements, increased TPD patrols in her Ward in the last year. She notes her business received some grants, presumably from the City of Tucson.

Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

A woman who gives guardian angel pins to police, fire and constables (I am guessing she meant a Pima County Sheriff deputies) talks about being assaulted downtown. She notes after using her stun gun and pepper spray she was able to ward off her attacker downtown recently.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

The #TucsonCouncil did pass a resolution during the first Trump Administration, saying they did not want to invest or contract with any company working to build the wall.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

And finally, my sincere apologies to anyone whose name I don't spell correctly, I don’t have any ability to review speaker cards before or during today's meeting. It's always my best guess.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

I am also concerned about repeating statements that may contain misinformation, opinion presented as facts, and what I will gently call hate speech. Sometimes I can fact-check something, but I am rarely a Subject Matter Expert on items at call to the public.

Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

As someone who has been to hundreds of public meetings, call to the audience is a mix of both performative political speech and authentic public pleas by the community to their elected leaders.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

The big one is that I am not going to repeat what every speaker says. There are a number of reasons, but the big one is this is a form of journalism (maybe some commentary) not stenography. There is the YouTube feed if you want the full #TucsonCouncil experience.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

This was a really well-prepared item, tbh. The group had a short video about Historic Black-Owned Businesses on South Park Avenue that played after the proclamation.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

The first item on the agenda (after the pledge and the land acknowledgement) is a proclamation making October 20, 2026 to be "Honoring Historic Black-Owned Businesses on South Park Avenue."

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

People are lining both sides of Speedway today between Treat Avenue and Howard Boulevard. I’d estimate there were easily more than a thousand people showed up this morning for the #NoKings #VoteEarly rally.

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Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

And there is another protest/rally in my childhood home of Green Valley this morning, taking over the La Canada and Esperanza intersection this morning.

Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

People are lining both sides of Speedway today between Treat Avenue and Howard Boulevard. I’d estimate there were easily more than a thousand people showed up this morning for the #NoKings #VoteEarly rally.

Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

There are three finalists left on the race to be Pima County’s next county administrator. We wrote them a cheat seat on what issues are facing Pima County, including the stuff that doesn’t make headlines.

Tucson Agenda@tucsonagenda.bsky.social

And then there were three. The finalists to be the top dog at the Pima County government are going to meet with local officials soon. Here’s what we think they should know before they take the job. 

tucsonagenda.comOur memo to the next county administratorMaybe read this before you sign anything?
Joe Ferguson
@joeferguson.bsky.social

I bent some journalistic norms and gave money to the #AZ06 candidates in the last few months. (And all I got was this lousy t-shirt.) Read what happens next when you contribute to political campaigns - including those surprise texts from Talerico's campaign - in today's @TucsonAgenda.

Tucson Agenda@tucsonagenda.bsky.social

Joe donated to both Juan Ciscomani and JoAnna Mendoza — just to see how they talk to donors. Mendoza wants him knocking on doors. Ciscomani wants him checking the couch cushions. Sadly, FEC rules say a $50 T-shirt isn’t a reportable expense.

tucsonagenda.com“Don’t ignore me again, John”The most annoying campaign pleas … Lesher's replacement is one of these three … And no “Steve Christy Day.”