Roxan Staff

In response to a Dave Michaels story in the DMN, Battle for Bachman: Couple seeks redistricting plan to empower NW Dallas neighborhood (7/31/01), Dallas Arena.com said:

Roxan and Randy Staff have been active in city/DISD politics and Republican politics, but never merged the two. Roxan was Steve Bartlett's campaign treasurer when he ran for Congress. Roxan and Randy have been generous contributors to many Republican candidates. Gary Griffith, on the other hand, has been a paid campaign worker/consultant.

Roxan and Randy Staff have been involved in city council and DISD politics for at least a decade, supporting Republicans and Democrats, because city council and school board races are NON-PARTISAN. Of course, someone needs to advise Federal employee Jose Joe May of that distinction. The Staff's were big supporters of Se-Gweyn Tyler for the DISD Board, because they did not want a high school dropout on the School Board. Both candidates were Democrats. That's when I first got to know them personally.

When a rift developed between most of the Board and Lois Parrott and Hollis Brashear, I bought into the conspiracy world of Lois Parrott. When Lounge Lizard Rojas called that press conference to belittle Brashear and Parrott (the tin cans episode), DallasArena.com blasted Staff and the other Board members who did not fire him on the spot.

Roxan Staff contacted me directly to state her side of the controversy and let me know the status and why the delay in terminating Rojas. I offered her space on DallasArena.com, but she declined. She just wanted to set the record straight.

Gary Griffith's campaign sent out a "Bad Apple" mailer full of false information. He knew it was untrue, his campaign staff knew it was untrue. The liars he quoted knew it was untrue. Apparently, truth is not important to Griffith. Guess that's why he can hang out with Mpossible.

Jack Feely:

It is pretty sickening that Griffith's cheap tactics were successful. Eventually he will get a taste of his own medicine.

The next election should see the production of an "anonymous flier" with his daughter whizzing in the street.
Thanks, Jack

P.S. Why are the priceless photos on BarkingDogs not available anymore?

Kirk Launius:

I linked "Citizen Extraordinare" on my neighborhood web site at: www.thehillside.net Thanks, Roxan, for running so courageously... and thanks, Sharon, for your wisdom.

Roxan and Randy were generous donors to Republican Mitch Rasansky's council race against Democrat Jim Graham.

At one time, Mary Poss and Roxan were close friends. Roxan was even campaign treasurer for Poss -- until Mpossible stabbed Roxan in the back. At that point, Roxan resigned as her Treasurer. The campaign owed no debt to Mary or her husband when Roxan turned back the books. That's the "non-existing "debt Allen Gwinn gets so excited about on www.Dallas.org.

As a DISD Board member and President, Roxan Staff treated Jos?Plata with the respect he deserved as the Oak Cliff representative. When Hollis Brashear was Board President (1st time), he was openly rude to Trustee Plata.

During the early part of the council races, we all had to trot out to various forums and candidate interviews, hoping to get endorsements and/or PAC contributions. At the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance Townhall meeting, there were candidates from every district on the panel to answer questions. Mary Poss did not attend, nor did Gary Griffith. That should have been a clue about some tactics the Griffith campaign would be using.

There was an anonymous mailer sent pretending to be from the DGLA to "gay" households in District 9 touting DGLA's endorsement of Roxan -- except it was not from the DGLA (even though it had their masthead) and the mailer only went to Republican primary voters.

Election day, Ken Zornes and I "worked" the Martha Turner Reiley Elementary poll for Roxan. I had my cell and call list and was phone-banking as I sat and stood wearing my Roxan Staff T-Shirt. Griffith volunteers were doing the same.

Ever been in a noisy restaurant and forced to yell to be heard by your companion, and suddenly everyone else stops talking and you are the only person yelling? That happened Saturday morning, but it was a Griffith volunteer who was talking loudly to a voter on the phone when the rest of the crowd got quiet.

The Griffith volunteer told the voter on the phone:

"You know she is endorsed by the DGLA? That's the Dallas Gay & Lesbian Alliance. Right! Cannon Flowers is endorsed her. Cannon Flowers is a gay man. ..."

I asked her if she was "gay-bashing" and she got defensive. Why mention the DGLA endorsement in a derogatory manner if not gay-bashing? Why identify Cannon Flowers as a gay man if not gay-bashing? I did not know about the anonymous "gay" mailer at the time, but this particular volunteer was high up in the campaign team and likely following orders to stress the DGLA endorsement to Republican primary voters.

Avi S. Adelman:

I can only hope that when the seating chart for the City Council Snake pit (formerly known as The Horseshoe) is drawn up, we will find Gary Griffith sitting between Ed Oakley and John Loza.

Then we will see how long this homophobic anti-neighborhood council member (sound effect - spit on ground in disrespect) can sit still without going crazy.

It may not be too bad for him, however. As much as he hates gay people, he and John Loza seem to be cut from the same political cloth.

When you link the anonymous "gay" mailer, a Griffith volunteer gay-bashing at a polling place and the Bad Apple mailer, you have a pattern of bigotry and deception that cannot be ignored.

The Republican machine that campaigned for Griffith is even more interesting. U.S. Congressmen Jeb Henserling and Pete Sessions addressed Memorial Day rallies and encouraged voters to support Gary Griffith over long-time Republican contributor and activist Roxan Staff.

* We understand that Henserling is now denying campaigning for Gary Griffith, but actions speak louder than any words from "Pete Sessions, Jr."

Two congressmen involved in a city council race?

Early in the campaign, Congressman Pete Sessions actually called people to get yard sign locations for Griffith -- some who did not even live in District 9. Griffith was a paid staff person in the Sessions campaign against Regina Montoya Coggins. Had he not won the council seat, it was expected that Griffith would be the next GOP County Chair, which explains why Nate Crain got involved in a city council race -- a non-partisan city council race.   True, the Dallas County GOP Chair campaigned for one Republican over another Republican in a non-partisan city council race.
*Check out comments in GOP vs. Roxan.

Sessions refuses to live in the district he was elected to represent.

Pete Sessions has time to be home from D.C. to meddle in a city council race but can't find time to move into the district he represents, even though he gave his word before the election that he would. That's why the mess in Austin is so important to Sessions. Drawing his house into my congressional district is part of the redistricting fight. If Sessions gets to stay in his East Dallas house, East Dallas has two congressmen, and NW Dallas/Carrollton/Farmers Branch have no one in Washington looking out for our interests.  He's too busy meddling in city council politics.

Kenny Marchant, Republicans in Dallas/Carrollton/Farmers Branch want to talk with you.

Republicans who got behind Gary must have forgotten his connection to Mary Poss and her connection to Ross Perot's Presidential race that resulted in Bill Clinton being elected. Mpossible is no Republican -- she's a Perotista.

Gary Griffith had a liberal Democrat on his paid staff who has picketed against Judge Scalia and other Republican interests.  Some of the tactics used in this runoff campaign are reminiscent of past campaigns where she was involved. She hates Republicans. Since Roxan Staff was the only TRUE Republican in the District 9 runoff, she hates Roxan.

You are known by your enemies. The pack of ruthless politicos behind Griffith include Democrat Lois Parrott. Ironically, Roxan called and asked me to support Lois in the School Board race. Roxan believes in good government, and thought Parrott more qualified than her opponent. Parrott is now a Joe Thug May ally and a Gary Griffith supporter, and used this election to pay back Roxan for imagined slights.

Lois Parrott backed Joe Thug May for 2nd VP on the School Board.

Roxan Staff lost nothing Saturday. She ran a decent, positive campaign until she had to respond to outright lies and "anonymous" mailings from Gary Griffith. Saturday morning, Roxan Staff was much loved and well respected. She is much loved and well respected this morning.

With the new information developing of dirty campaign tricks by his campaign, the people who backed Griffith may not feel so proud of themselves today. Oh, the hooligans are probably still hooting and cheering, but the decent people who bought his act have to be embarrassed.

Roxan Staff has always had balance in her life. She has a strong, loving relationship with her husband and two children, both now in college.

Roxan Staff lost nothing on Saturday. She is still a strong, smart woman who has her priorities in order.