Arpaio Rapidly Losing Popularity in Arizona

It looks like Sheriff Arpaio is rapidly losing his popularity in Arizona. According to the polls, he is down to only 39%. That's down from 80% in 2006 and 54% in 2008. It looks like the citizens of Arizona are finally catching on to the bad behaviors of the evil Sheriff and his goons!! I say, it's about time!

Phoenix BizJournal reports:

Sheriff Arpaio's popularity wanes

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s popularity is falling, according to a Behavior Research Center poll released on Tuesday. The poll shows 39 percent of respondents rating his performance as “good” or “excellent,” compared with 54 percent in July 2008. Twenty percent say the sheriff is doing a fair job, while 34 percent rate Arpaio’s job performance as poor.

The sheriff has been embroiled in controversy throughout the past year. A federal grand jury is investigating abuse of power allegations against his office, including intimidating county officials and political critics.

Arpaio had Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley, R-Mesa, arrested in a county parking garage last year. Stapley is charged with failure to disclose real estate and business deals. Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas also have indicted County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox saying she failed to disclose business loans received from Phoenix nonprofit Chicanos por La Causa and then voted on matters related to that group. Stapley and Wilcox deny wrongdoing.

Arpaio is embroiled in a battle on a national level as well. He is fighting with the Obama administration over enforcement of immigration laws, and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office continues to face scrutiny for immigration raids and crime sweeps, including a U.S. Justice Department civil rights probe of whether the raids unfairly target Hispanics. Arpaio denies wrongdoing, but uncharacteristically has declined to talk about the federal grand jury’s ongoing case in Phoenix. The poll indicated that Arpaio continues to be popular among Republicans as well as older, more affluent voters, but is unpopular with young voters and Hispanics.