With the announcements of James Derouin and Nan Nesvig as candidates for Mayor and City Council member respectively, the select few remaining Manross supporters have already started their expected nasty, negative diatribes in the Scottsdale Republic to tear down good candidates which are not based on facts or actual circumstances, but instead on whimsical pipedreams, fiction, and bald faced lies designed to discredit honest, ethical, and caring candidates.

These are the same people whom you seldom if ever or never see at board, commission, city council, or other meetings which concern anything but their own pet projects or immediate areas of residence.

If any of you noticed, the "Dreaded Activists" north and south, are very up on most issues within the city government and many know far more, and have lived in Scottsdale far longer than most members of the city staff. Test them if you don’t believe us.

Now to discredit the misinformation and lies with true fact (Gasp) for some letters to the Scottsdale Republic;

Solange Whitehead in a letter to the Scottsdale Republic would have you believe that Mayoral Candidate Jim Derouin would sell off the Preserve. She states:

"Jim Derouin has been a vocal proponent of selling parts of the Scottsdale Preserve for development, No further research required".

That is the farthest from the truth based on the transcript of the May 17, 2004 Horizon program on Channel 8 (PBS). (Click here for full written transcript of the program.)

She states that on the program: "Derouin campaigned on television against the Preserve in 2004. Fortunately, he is out of touch with Scottsdale and the residents handily passed the preserve tax enabling the city to raise millions of dollars for preservation."

It should be noted here that the last time (4^th or 5^th) the Preserve funding was on the ballot it passed with a much smaller margin then it had in the past indicating that the voters have about had enough without seeing other less expensive avenues to accommodate the process of accumulating the necessary land while still maintaining the financial health and vitality of the rest of the city.

Derouin’s actual statements (below) to moderator Michael Grant took the entire city into consideration as any fiscally reasonable, honest, ethical, and sane person should always, do as follows:

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Host: Michael Grant

Topics: · Prescription Drugs;·

• Election Preview;

In-Studio Guests:

• · Attorney General Terry Goddard;

Starting with that portion of the transcript concerning Jim Derouin:

Jim, what do you think is bad about this?

"Well, Mike, I don't think the preserve is bad. My wife and I live adjacent to the preserve.

My problem is the lack of city leadership with respect to disclosing to the citizens what the real purpose is behind this whole effort. It is not tourism, it is not preservation, it's to dampen residential development north of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The second problem is the failure to disclose the total cost. If you go by the most recent auction of state land department land in the state of Arizona and North Phoenix, it went for ^$360,000 per acre. When you multiply that by the 19,000 acres you are attempting to purchase, that's a tax bill, transferring tax in excess of ^$6 billion."

Is that a fair comparison? Everyone was stunned by those numbers but everyone was in agreement that that Desert Ridge parcel that moved at those numbers about 10 days ago was a very special and uniquely positioned parcel. Can you take that and multiply it by 19,000 get a correct result here?

I think you can. But let's take one-third of that, $100,000 you're still talking $2 billion. The question becomes is Scottsdale so wealthy that it can afford to take $2 billion and use it for a sole purpose without spending any of it for streets, parks, downtown revitalization, or the development of the McDowell Corridor?

Jim, I'm not sure that I tracked your second point. You are saying this is a thinly veiled effort to prohibit development along Frank Lloyd Wright?

This is what this is about, decrease density north of Frank Lloyd Wright. Does that lower density north of Frank Lloyd Wright at the cost of several billions of dollars benefit the southern part of the city? The problem I think is planning and management. There are ways of managing and mitigating density north of Frank Lloyd Wright without having to pay $300,000 per acre in order to take the land out of the market.

Jim, I want to make sure I understand the point. You're saying the city is buying it rather than using zoning techniques to say only one house per acre or whatever the case might be?

Precisely.

End of Derouin's portion of the interview........

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We think that Derouin’s answers and conversation is the perfect example of a responsible, thinking, and a visionary person who loves and cares for the city and wants to do the right thing by ALL residents.

It should be pointed out that by using police power in the form or restrictive zoning, heavy developer fees including paying for all infrastructure, donations to the city for providing and building dedicated Preserve entry points with adequate parking, and restrictions on water availability based on the 100 year supply rules, the land could be put into the private domain which could highly restrict density while putting the land on the property tax rolls which would help reduce our property taxes, while still allowing full Preserve access which is a win-win situation.

Any land owned by the city, county or state such as the 42 acres of SkyFlop and the land owned by the city at West World pays ZERO property tax to support its existence.

It’s too bad the current administration and a few selfish others can’t be classed at the same high level of honesty, ethics, competence, and compassion shared with Michael Grant by Derouin.

Robert Taylor in the Scottsdale Republic on Sept 26^th would have you believe that Derouin is a "No Growth" advocate which couldn’t be farther from the truth.

It is our position that Derouin, more than most, fully understands that this city needs to continue to grow by stimulating the retail sector and the renewal process but being an environmental attorney, he doesn’t feel that height and density are the answer because they attack an already over burdened city infrastructure including streets, sewers, water delivery systems and other necessary utilities which already need to be upgraded.

This city grew and became popular because of the well cared for open space provided for families by the lot sizes and way the homes were build in the original city as well as the Art Galleries in the downtown area, not the bars. To add unnecessary height and density does absolutely nothing but increase the costs to the residents due to aging and failing infrastructure, make parks and other city facilities and services less available due to increased use by the increased population, and adds nothing significant to the retail revenues which pay the city bills.

Scottsdale’s financial base can only be provided through sales tax by Arizona Law, not property taxes which most don’t seem to understand. When you have a project such as the proposed 26 acre Los Arcos Crossing (east of SkyFlop) which goes from 200 apartments to now wanting approval for over 600 apartments plus townhouses as well as reducing the available retail area by about 75% to 110,000 square foot plus asking for a subsidy to build the infrastructure, you are reducing the amount of sales tax by the same 75% while considerably increasing the costs to the taxpayers for infrastructure building, upkeep, and repair.

Mr. Taylor would have you believe that candidates Derouin and Nesvig including their supporters do nothing but complain and bash Manross and company without any plans for the future.

Candidates Derouin and Nesvig have platforms that include bringing open government, honesty, ethics, financial stability/accountability, and livability back to the city which will increase property values universally throughout the city which is a great thing for everyone.

They will demand, as the taxpayers have been asking for many years, a definitive General Plan which clearly states what can go where and why without costing the taxpayers what developers should be paying for such as the Booster pump for the new downtown condos or the possible ^$10 million taxpayer dollar repair/rebuilding of the sewer system at the Waterfront project.

They want to immediately stop Dolan’s project by project approval of development projects with little to no regard for the surrounding residential areas, or citizen input to the staff, the DRB, or the Planning Commission.

The need to increase retail sales tax revenues are one of their top priorities WITHOUT crowding the city with out of character buildings, high rise buildings over the allowable 36 feet, and densities which bring nothing but added problems and infrastructure stress to an already taxed systems.

Derouin and Nesvig like to think "out of the box" when it comes to saving open space to the point of considering engineered parking 3 levels underground and aboveground in the same building with a height not to exceed 36 feet above the ground. Would it cost money? Of course, but the value of the remaining land saved would be worth far more and could be properly developed to compliment the city with even more retail revenue through more venues which would bring in more property and sales tax revenue without the height and density the current administration seems to be in love with.

Derouin and Nesvig also want the city to "live within its means" which it certainly isn’t now.

We have a city manager who is currently costing the taxpayers a cool 10 million + for what she says was a "learning experience" for just one of her many screw ups with the mayor and council majorities full backing. We predict the council majority will vote on this spending fiasco during an "Executive Session" forced by Manross and Dolan to "save face" and keep the truth from the taxpaying public until after the election so it isn’t a election issue.

Derouin and Nesvig are vehemently against this payoff and have openly and publicly said so. If those involved would allow themselves to give depositions, the payoff could possibly amount to considerably less, but then there could have to be a score of resignations and legal actions.

Does this sound like candidates without any positive plans for Scottsdale’s future? Where do the other candidates stand on this issue? Who knows?

So much for Mr. Taylor’s misinformation and failed fictional discussion without appropriate and pertinent facts.

Sharon Young in the Sept 29^th Scottsdale Republic apparently questions the need for attorneys on the city council and in particular questions Nan Nesvig’s qualifications to be a city council person. If there had been an attorney on the city council, do you really think they would let many of the things go by that have buried this city in legal and financial problems?

Nesvig, not being a politician, was the admitted victim of naiveté concerning her prior try for council being that she trusted what she was told about campaigning. It was a hard lesson to learn but she has learned volumes and grown from the experience being that after it was all said and done, she was actually short less than 50 signatures of which 80% of those were most probably legitimate but the county possibly hadn’t processed the registrations that Nesvig had turned in, that being said, it is now all history.

Prior to that experience, Nesvig had been active in a number of school, church, and city causes but became even more involved with the city process with the advent of some of the sour decisions by the mayor and council majority coupled with some very questionable city attorney opinions and the plethora of secret "executive sessions" yielding questionable actions and city expenditures.

Ms. Nesvig is working for an Orange County CA law firm in the capacity of an in-house attorney, with oversight by the firm's managing partner, utilizing her knowledge, skills and background in the law, as she prepares to take the bar exam.  This work-study program allows her to conduct business alongside firm attorneys, appear in court with them and even speak in front of the judge during hearings and trials with approval.  Once Nan is licensed in CA, she can practice in any Federal court, regardless of the jurisdiction.  We have contacted the firm that she works for and they consider her an invaluable team member who has impeccable knowledge of the law in a variety of practice areas. They permit her to telecommute at her convenience, providing whatever time is necessary to devote to Scottsdale politics as well as spending quality time her husband and children, including her church and other volunteer activities.

For Ms. Young to cast such negative aspersions while not having any facts or contacting Ms. Nesvig for factual information when Nesvig’s phone number is readily available smacks of contempt and sensationalism, and is quite unacceptable and unprofessional in our opinion.

It would seem that Nan Nesvig is as much, or probably with her legal and direct city experiences, much more qualified to serve as a council person protecting the city and her residents as any whom have so far signed up to vie for one of three seats up for election.

Susan Lewis in the Sept 24^th Scottsdale Republic apparently thinks that the Activists in this city are all negative in nature and number about a paltry 10 according to her diatribe.

We’re sorry, the only negativity we ever see is the Manross supporting naysayer’s in the local newspapers such as Susan Lewis who constantly deride and harangue anyone who suggests changes to make the city a better, more open, honest, and ethical place to do business and live.

Being that Ms. Lewis apparently bought into Scottsdale just five years ago solely to take financial advantage of a red hot real estate market, strongly suggests that she really has zero loyalty to the city or it’s residents which is quite sad. Those of us whom have been here 15 to 50 years who number in the thousands, not just 10, are the ones who vote and truly care about the city, where it is headed, and its future because we are loyal residents who know implicitly this city’s rich history along with it’s current and future needs.

To say that the Activists are against growth and progress means that Ms. Lewis must live in a cave or be paying too much attention to the current administration who want to sell out the city to the developers who want to rape, pillage, and burn what it took decades for caring citizens to nurture and grow, then blow town for still another unsuspecting city.

It would seem that Ms. Lewis needs to pay a lot more attention to the heartbeat of the real city of Scottsdale instead of the useless, go as the wind blows, blowhard propaganda spewed by the current administration whom doesn’t have a clue about the city’s direction except for their personal legacies which seem far more important to them than how the city grows smartly instead of helter skelter.

Dave Bachmann in the Sept 17^th Scottsdale Republic seems to want all of us to "Play Nice".

Sorry Dave, when the city has a set of leaders who deal in secrecy, slight of hand, and a plethora of secret meetings as well as gross financial errors which cost the taxpayers tens of millions, we think it’s time someone spoke up and that, my friend, IS NOT negative.

Candidates James Derouin and Nan Nesvig have stated their causes and they are all positive but are promoting exactly the opposite of what the current administration has provided for the taxpayers over the last few years.

Being "politically correct" is a nice thought unless it is used to hoodwink the populous, then it becomes a deceptive act of "nice" gone desperately bad which is very detrimental to any city.

Dave suggests that candidates "should be for something. He claims we have lots of citizens (and a couple of council members) who are good at being against things. Tell us what you're for and how you'll make things better".

Gee, it seems that the candidates, the couple of council members, as well as the Activists ARE for many things, but I guess you aren’t listening, watching, or reading real stuff Mr. Dave.

Dave suggests that citizens and candidates "shouldn’t criticize the sitting mayor or council members. While this is tempting and more than a little fun to do, the votes you garner from criticizing those who have tread before you will be more than offset by the ill will you generate. We've already got enough mayor-bashing going on without you joining in".

As we read it, the Activists and some candidates are simply telling the truth about the current administration which is in the best interest of the city in our mind, and it SHOULD BE in yours Dave to make the city a better place.

Dave says "Find out what's really going on by talking to people who do not make a profession or hobby of criticizing our city. Most Scottsdale residents don't have time to write editorials or pontificate for three minutes at council meetings. They're too busy coaching Little League, volunteering at the senior center, attending PTA (isn't it PTO now?) and helping their kids with their homework. These are the people you should be talking to."

How can you expect the busy people you mention to know anything about the integral workings of the city when they are not involved and are too busy to get involved or even read a newspaper or two?

Come on Dave, let’s get real here! Nan Nesvig has a career, a family, volunteer work and is very much involved. Jim Derouin is a nationally renowned environmental attorney who travels nationally, is very busy with his wife, family and grandchildren, but still finds time to get involved, and reportedly will retire should he be elected Mayor.

There is no excuse for not being involved if you REALLY CARE about the city in which you live and in what direction it is, or isn’t headed.

Dave suggests "Finally, be a progressive politician. Look to the future. It's possible to be an advocate for reasonable development in Scottsdale while wanting to preserve its strong residential base. These are not mutually exclusive ideas. The West's Most Western Town is a slogan, not a political ideology."

Now, we don’t know if Dave means "progressive" in a political sense as the new word for a Liberal politician, or the normal sense of the word. Non-politically, we believe both Derouin and Nesvig have clearly stated a very positive and progressive approach to the needs of the city and its future. It’s only the current administration who continues to vacillate and slither around trying to make decisions which look and sound new but are no different or more in the city’s best interest than their old ones which have cost the taxpayers hundreds of millions we’ll never see again.

You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear and that’s what the current administration is trying to do before the '08 election. For every "accomplishment" they claim, residents can claim 4, count them four dismal failures which our great, great grandchildren will still be paying for decades from today.

Come on Dave, if you REALLY want to learn something about Scottsdale government, ask for an appointment to speak with Jim Derouin or Nan Nesvig. I’m sure they will be happy to meet with you to discuss any subject you wish to suggest.

We here at the Scottsdale Activist think it’s very sad that most of the negativity comes directly from the Scottsdale Republic. It seems to us that only the Scottsdale Tribune keeps coming up with important issues while at the same time questioning the ethics, legal faux paus, questionable zoning changes, and out of control spending on the part of the current administration.

The Republic is always "a day late and a dollar short" on important issues and even then, unless you know the issue, no one understands what’s they’re talking about.

Could it be that the Scottsdale Republic doesn’t want to see the obvious because they support the "Status Quo" which is burying Scottsdale in mediocrity and an infrastructure which is falling apart in the older areas of the city? Could it be because the Republic is "owned" by the current "spend it while we still can" administration and the developers who support the administration to cut them a deal they cannot refuse?

Other Candidates:

The dead silence and failure to put out campaign literature by the other candidates is very telling. The Scottsdale Activist has offered each and every candidate a place to have their platform printed for public consideration.

Derouin and Nesvig are the only candidates who have made an effort in placing information about their platforms in the Scottsdale Activist for all to see.

It would seem that with a weekly readership in excess of 10,000 website hits a week and climbing with an average of 20,000 voters at regular Scottsdale elections, it would be a great place for a candidate to place that information, unless of course, those candidates whose information is missing are tied to the practices of the current administration and are afraid to show their colors!

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If you listen to super legal eagle Lynne Legarde, Los Arcos Crossing is a super deal for Scottsdale but then you have to remember that she is trying to save the investment of the developer from total decimation.

Word has it that the developer is up to his eyeballs in debt and some of his investors have pulled out because of the glut of condos and the opening of the Tempe Marketplace.

That means that the only way the developer can save his skin is to build 600 instead of 200 apartments and reduce the retail space by about 75% to 110,000 square feet, and asking the city to bail him out by paying for the infrastructure. Only then is the project viable and able to make a profit by their own public admissions at citizen meetings.

Is it the responsibility of the city taxpayers to bailout developers who made bad decisions when the "speculating" on investment property?

That's like asking if the city should pay the mortgage on my home because the market went south and I now owe more than the market value.

We think not. We feel sorry for the developer because of his loss but we also feel that the taxpayers have zero obligation to pick up the pieces for him no more than the city would pick up the mortgage on my home, then allow him/me to reap the profits from a bad investment while the city receives none of the realized profit.

We have had reporters at all of the meetings where Lynne and her developer pitched the proposal for Los Arcos Crossing and she and the developer were almost run out of town at every meeting. 

In the publics mind,

• Any subsidy is out

• 600 Apartment are out

• Far more retail has to be included

The only way this project will get public approval is for them to go back to the original plan without including any subsidy at all.

BUT!!! You watch this insane, totally out of touch Council majority will approve the plan no matter what the public thinks or wants which is retail, Retail, RETAIL without a subsidy of any kind!!!

Manross and company owe both the attorney and the developer apparently, so watch it go flying through with a 4-3 vote when it gets down to the final decision.

S.O.S.D.D.

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The Scottsdale Activist would like to salute a very active and caring young lady who deeply cares and loves Scottsdale and shows it by being out there volunteering her time and services where ever they are needed, even during very adverse family situations.

She can be seen and heard at council meetings, has served on many boards and commissions, has been seen with Darlene Peterson repainting the "Cowboy" downtown, attends as many citizens meetings as her time will allow, and carries petitions for most any cause which will benefit the city or it’s residents.

Although we sometimes are at odds on some subjects and have some lively discussions, we would like to publicly thank Patti Badenoch for all of her help and her steadfast dedication to the betterment of the city of Scottsdale.

Thank you Patti for all you do for all of us and we publicly salute you accordingly!!

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We have seen the Bright Light east of the 101 near FLW Blvd and wondered what it was. Then we

found out it was the new covering for the out of code tent at West World.

We have a few key questions: 

• Who ordered the new cover?

• Who chose the color?

• Who "forgot" to tell or better yet ask the public what they thought about the "suggested" color?

You'd have thought that someone would have asked the residents, but then again, it's Scottsdale and the staff or council doesn't have to ask anyone anything according to this administration.

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As the day of departure gets closer, we get more excited by the minute!!!

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The explanation by City Attorney Robberson in the Republic of her declaration concerning  the open meeting law was just as vague and omnidirectional as her original statement:

Absolutely meaningless as usual.

The councils discussion on Robberson's ruling or lack of, was at best the pure indicator that this is an election year.

The queen of secrecy and slight of hand, Mayor Manross was more condescending than ever which made her look and sound even worse than she ever has looked or sounded; no real convictions unless she now sides with the majority or pumps up her supposed legacy.

It was also very obvious who is running for re-election and who wasn't by what they said.

What a sad state of affairs, becoming a charming chameleon so you can appeal to all voters, but only during the election season. We'll throw cold water on that situation with this article

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 ~ Sad & Ominous Prediction (repeat by request)

The Scottsdale Activist predicts that the City Council Majority, with the full support of the City Attorney including a trumped up legal opinion, will vote to pay Hualapai LLC what ever money Hualapai LLC demands to keep Manross, Dolan, as well as other city and state employees from having to give depositions concerning the obvious "hanky panky" that went on from the onset of the Hualapai Water Treatment Plant planning.

Currently, that dollar amount is in the vicinity of ^$10+ million dollars which is the value of the lease plus legal costs.

In addition, we predict that the vote to pay off this "Learning Experience" by Dolan will be taken in Executive Session so the public will never know who voted which way because those numbers will be forever kept secret as is the regular Modus Operandi of the secretive Manross/Dolan administration.

Because the amount of the payment will have to become public record, it will be slipped into a City Council Consent Agenda later in the year where interests in other issues would predict a very small public turnout, therefore no public questions or comments.

....... and so it goes with the current city administrations slight of hand operation which includes a massive smoke and mirrors show.................

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Over the summer it occurred to me that along with the decreasing number of apartments available in Scottsdale, there is a complete void in social services for long-time residents forced from their homes by developers who want to do condo conversions or demolish buildings.

Once again I am reminded of our community's shortcomings with the announcement that the SummerTree Apartments will be demolished to make way for, trumpets please, condos.

If you are an average citizen not in need of subsidies, and you do not have a few thousand dollars saved up, you are going to have a hard time dealing with the costs of moving.

More than 1,000 rental apartments have been taken off the rolls since the first of this year. SummerTree will put us well over that figure.

Moving costs and deposits cost renters between $3,000 and $4,000. That is money they have a difficult time coming up with if they have not had a chance to plan and save. Developers and landlords do not take that into consideration when they make their decisions to close a complex.

There is no requirement they provide services and/or funding to assist tenants with their move to meet the owner's timeline.

Certainly, some of my fellow tenants at OrchidTree Apartments were helped by volunteers from the community. They brought needed assistance and a touch of calm during a very difficult time.

While I was paid to help with some of those moves, much of what I was provided went to purchase supplies like tape, bubble wrap, packing popcorn, boxes and the like.

When you are older and being forced to move, it upsets your whole life. Your daily routine is important when you reach your 70s and 80, as is the "place" where you live, familiar places and people.

There are those in our community who choose to discount all renters as transient citizens or those who are no good, bringing drug abuse and crime to our neighborhoods. This is a cruel, offensive insult and anyone who associates with such comments should be ashamed.

Drug houses can be found in other parts of the community, single family, condominiums or apartments, million-dollar homes or low income too.

Desperate people do desperate things and they do not care who lives next door. Likewise, criminal activity takes place when no one cares.

The current housing situation here, and across the country, calls into question housing needs of all Americans, from all walks of life, all income levels and all basic needs. Healthy communities can and will rise to those needs.

Nancy Cantor
Co-Chair Scottsdale Coalition
COGS Board Member
42 year Scottsdale Resident

 ~Letters to the Editor ~

Why is the City of Scottsdale paying officers to patrol Maricopa county outside Scottsdale City Limits.

On Thursday this past week, on two different occasions a Scottsdale PD car was witnessed on 144th Street north of Rio Verde Dr, pulling over traffic on 144th Street. On both occasions, the officer and the car he pulled over were in the south bound lanes of 144th, meaning he was stopping traffic coming from father north and approaching Rio Verde Drive, yet about 1/3 to 1/2 mile from Rio Verde Drive.

Nothing wrong with this except, on the north side of Rio Verde Drive, Scottsdale city limits end at 136th Street, just about a mile west of where this officer was patrolling. The area were the officer was patrolling is unincorporated Maricopa County, and the residents here like it that way - unincorporated.

So why was a Scottsdale officer over a mile outside the city limits and stopping vehicles for traffic offenses? I know Scottsdale officers are not trained as well as other law enforcement departments, but that far outside city limits is a bit odd.

I think the citizens of Scottsdale who are paying for that officers salary have a right to know why he thinks he had some right to be patrolling well outside city limits?

Ray Wallage
Scottsdale,

~ Falling Back Into the Same Old Rut

Dear Gentlemen (of Code Enforcement),

First I would still like to thank Larry Jonas, our inspector for the job he has been doing in our area. As it has been noted by Councilman Ecton when he last visited the area with Martha, it was noted that the area has come along way in the last 5 years and people are re-investing in their properties and that there is either community pride coming back, or people are just becoming aware that there are certain things you are responsible for when you own property.

However after checking the tracking map I have to question a policy that we have chatted about before  and has to do with the amount of time being given for corrections.

The other council members in this e-mail are the ones who helped me in this issue and have shown support for the actions and issues we have brought forward and their is now the need for a response from this department as to why we are appearing to go back on the way we started to re adopting the problems from the past.

Leaving properties in this condition for months at a time, unless they are old and need help is an unacceptable practice to not only my community but to all communities in Scottsdale and needs to stop.

I did not go into the other case files as I could have, but I am pretty sure that if  you want me to start listing all of them with this issue you know I will do it and it will not look that good.

I believe you owe me and the council members an explanation as to why this is happening again and it is not Larry's fault as I see he is doing his job but the process is failing the community, not the inspector.

Regards,
Mike Merrill
Scottsdale

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Regarding the Scottsdale Republic letter to the editor, "Nesvig's qualifications deserve scrutiny",

Frankly, I don't care if a candidate is a high school drop out who  drives a garbage truck for a living.  I am more interested in the candidate's vision for Scottsdale, than I am in his or her resume. 

The status quo politicians have sold out to developers and I am looking for a candidate who will stop the current Mayor and Council from putting the interests of big-money developers over mine by ruining our downtown with increased height and density. I have watched year after year as our quality of life has deteriorated with traffic congestion and pollution. I can't even see Camelback Mountain anymore, unless I perch myself on top of a 10 story building.

Credentials don't matter to me.  A candidate, who is committed to putting the people (not the developers) first, is what I am looking for.

Chuck Wood
Scottsdale

Councilman Littlefield and Drake: 

I just finished watching your interview(s) on Channel 11 regarding "development" of Scottsdale. 

Councilwoman Drake, if you like what is happening in downtown Scottsdale and with the on-going push for light rail, why don't you move downtown now or move to Scottsdale Road where you think light rail should be.  Ya, right? 

Councilman Littlefield, your direction was positive.  Just keep pushing to stop this nonsense of destroying what is left of Scottsdale.

Lee Tannenbaum
Scottsdale

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Well I guess this week is going to be "development week" in the Land of Oz as we have a full slate of umpa lumpa being dished out by both the developers, attorneys, media, and of course the Generals of Mayhem.

Our first issue is yet again the "4333" building due to hit the halls of the Three Ring Circus this coming Tuesday and we think everyone should tune it to see this one.

It appears that Mr. Boyle has hired an attorney after he figured out he has not clue about what he is saying regarding development and he is not quite the "nice guy" he continues to claim.

Mr. Court Rich forgot that when sending an e-mail to the City Council it becomes a public document and we reviewed his claims to the City that there are no legal grounds for the City to claim the 8-foot easement that has never been abandoned by the City, at any time, since 1957.

The issue of Ordinance 46 in 1957, which abandoned a "portion" of the alley to merchants on both sides to build on, never stated that the City has ever abandoned the 8 foot utility easement, and only requested that the utilities be "buried" leaving the easement in tact for eternity, or until the city abandoned the easement.

Here is the where the great escape comes in as we all turn to the City Attorney for the legal opinion she is going to have to make on this issue. The hush, hush option that we understand the General of Legal Mayhem may try to get away with is that this issue, of the utilities, is not under the purview of the DRB.

Problem is, if she makes this claim, she is going to look as dumb as she did with the issue of telling the City Council they need to shut up and not respond to the public. Only idiots like the flaming (%$#@&%$) (Ron McCullagh) would make such comments that the DRB only reviews the architecture and designs of the project and as usual the flaming (%$#@&%$) has no damn clue what he is talking about.

According to the criteria, in legal terms stated in the City Codes, the following points make the flaming (%$#@&%$), along with the Flatulating Butthead (Wayne Ecton) look as dumb as they really are! And, that is a reason we need some attorneys on the Council so residents do not have to keep doing this (see below) for the Council.

Section 1.904 of the zoning law clearly states the following issues regarding the criteria the DRB may consider.

The Board shall examine the application to insure that all provisions of this ordinance and all other ordinances, master plans, General Plans and standards of the City of Scottsdale shall be complied with where applicable.

Ingress, egress, internal traffic circulation, off-street parking facilities, loading and service areas and pedestrian ways shall be so designed as to promote safety and convenience. Wait, does that say ingress and egress as well as loading and service areas? And is there not still the issue of the non-abandoned easement for utilities?

All mechanical equipment, appurtenances and utilities, and their associated screening shall be integral to the building design. Excuse me, but does that say the words "utilities"?

Sec. 1.901. Purpose.

The purpose of the Development Review Board is to review all aspects of a proposed development including, but not limited to, site planning and the relationship of the development to the surrounding environment and the community.

Now, I can only assume that our City Attorney, laboring under the present problems with her legal opinion of the Attorney Generals opinion regarding the open meeting laws, would not be so bold as to try to side step this issue by claiming the DRB has no powers regarding this issue. Nor should she say that the DRB should not have denied the application until the issue could have been resolved.

Instead the DRB decided to ignore all of these problems, and other problems that were raised with the application. Jeremy Jones, the Vice Chair of the DRB even made public comment about the problems with this application and still approved it (could it be because he wants his friend to move into that building?).

That is why the Council has every right to pull it back and review ALL the issues that the DRB ignored, and will get a chance to hear still another problem that has come to light. That one should cause the whole project to blow back in their faces like a clogged Waterfront sewer under severe backpressure.

If you happen to watch the Council meeting on Tuesday, the general public will get a chance to see whether any of our Council members up for re-election are worthy of another term.

Under city rules, they cannot continue the item since the DRB approved it and therefore they will be left with no option but to deny the project and wait for it to be re-submitted with a different format and, hopefully, a new design.

The picture one more time, please.

Remember these words that are part of the zoning laws and then consider the picture above.

Within the downtown district, building designs shall reflect traditional or southwestern design vernaculars, break the overall massing into smaller elements, express small scale detailing, and recess fenestrations.

That’s what I thought too!

Finally, I read today that the ARTS folks of downtown have had it with the way the City works them into the equation of rebuilding our Downtown core. Based on what we have that works and does attract tourists and residents, as well as putting Downtown on the map nationally and internationally, I have thought the City has ignored and/or underrepresented the arts folks Downtown for many years.

Finally, about 20 Downtown art galleries have formed their own group to represent the Downtown arts community and I applaud them for their move.

They cite the same concerns that other merchants have had, and residents, too. All of these citizens continue to express to the Council and planning people that we are destroying the charm and character of the Downtown. That is what made Downtown, and all of Scottsdale, what it is.

Things that have driven the Downtown tourism industry further and further into the hole of stupidity, such as allowing things like the "4333" building to even be considered as an entry feature, or the continued thought that we have an "entertainment district."

Fact is we have a drunk barf pit that abuts the areas we should have been protecting and nurturing such as Old Town and the Fifth Avenue Arts District.

The performing arts building has come under scrutiny by the Council for repairs the building needs and this is a building we, the residents, own. The Fifth Avenue Shops have been ignored, neglected and at times made to endure the City’s stupidity. Merchants who value their lives enough do not stay open after hours unless there is an event like the Art Walk.

The best comment sums up what I have been saying to folks for the last couple of years, and was made by Jim Clark, a member of the new group;

"I don’t think the City thinks there is a problem." "They provide statistics showing that a large number of people are coming into the area and they equate quantity with sales."

Then there was the comment "the areas revitalization, which is bringing additional condos and restaurants, shops and hotels to the area, has some long time downtown business owners concerned."

Well, glad to see the Downtown businesses are finally getting a clue. Under the present administration and leadership of this City, along with all the hype and misinformation from the City, and the Scottsdale Repugnant pandering instead of reporting, the businesses have finally got the clue that the city is bastardizing the Downtown and everything that made people come here.

I forgot to post the sales revenues for the last five years for Downtown in the last edition. So, here it is and you folks tell me if things look like they are working out the way the City Council and the staff portray it and would have you believe.

Problem is we all need to get rid of the present leadership and management of the City and prepare for the next 5 years of trying to fix what they have destroyed.

I guessed these folks thought that people were really going to pay 650K for a one-bed/one bath motel room because it was Downtown. And, did they think that anyone wanted a walkable community when the weather exceeds 100 degrees for 6 months of the year?

I mean really, who the hell thought up this great plan and why do 4 council members not see the light?

Well, on Wednesday it became official that a developer has moved to South Scottsdale with another great plan to help revitalize the southern section of the City, and guess who is going to get to help pay for their generosity?

You betcha Ozites! Open your wallets to another scheme to help a developer who paid too much money for property and cannot afford to build the rest of the site on his own. I bet financial backing under the current market conditions has to be a bitch for him.

We the taxpayers will benefit by providing our money to ensure that there is a pedestrian link between the Greenbelt and the SkySham project and we also get to help them rebuild the infrastructure on their site so they can hook it up to our aging infrastructure and we can pay again to fix the infrastructure around the site, just like at the Waterfront.

The project attorney is quoted as saying "we like to talk about this as an investment in South Scottsdale infrastructure that’s needed to make a project like this work.

I say," BS and kiss my Rumplestilken like arse!" Invest your own damned money if you are so confidant your project will pass a vote!

We will get over 600 rental units and supposed condos with a few mom and pop shops, all above ground parking that eats away at any open space and multiple 5 story buildings

The mouthpiece for this stupidity also claims they want "sit down" restaurants not fast food and we want to have shopping, but yet the retail is supposed to only amount to 110,000 square feet.

This is crap that the City planners still do not understand. The South has been asking for RETAIL not more homes and congestion and we want REAL RETAIL instead of having to travel to another City to shop.

What part of this is it that the powers that be are missing, or are we just dealing with a bunch of dim bulbs for developers and City planners?

Again, this mouthpiece rattled my chains by making comments like the 150 million dollar project must include high end housing, about 600 condos, apartments, and town homes, to attract retailers who are still wary of the neighborhood.

Well kiss my native Scottsdale arse!

What, because the City wouldn’t provide the proper police protections for the community? The City ignored property codes in the south for well over a decade. The City allowed the former Los Arcos site to sit for over a decade in a blighted state and then zoned the area as redevelopment. Is it our fault that people seem to have a perception that we do not have money or that we cannot "shop till you drop?"

Funny they never met my wife and her friends when they go on their shopping sprees, but they go out of the City as there is nowhere for us to shop in the South.

Here is a thought for the mouthpiece and her developer buddy, go back to the drawing board and return with a lifestyle retail center on the 25 acres and make it 3 stories high with no housing and a movie theater with no subsidy. If you build it we will come and spend our money there, anything other than that and we all get to go to the ballot box and kill the stupidity of this Nimnal’s plans.

Now, let’s remember the comments I made about the General of Economic Disaster and his desire to "help out" as his comments were "the requested amount would depend on the projects calculation of water and sewer needs and street improvements." Or, the even better comment, "We’re willing to talk about it and find out what it is and if we think it is something "reasonable" to facilitate a major redevelopment, it may make sense".

The City may also consider selling them the 3.5 acres we were told. The residents had included that parcel in the site design for the last project called SkySham! And, we may not get back what we paid for it.

Hell, as bad as this entire pile of development crap sounds, we may be able to get another 100 year lease with them to pay back the money they want to use to build this failure. "Your tax dollars at work," should be posted on a permanent sign at every entry point to this project or maybe any entry point to Downtown or the South.

Don’t fret folks, this property will be rezoned from commercial to residential by a majority of our "fearless leaders of stupidity," and I will guarantee it. They do not have the brains or the balls to deny the rezoning and make them come back with a commercial retail project for the site or tell them to build on what you are zoned for.

That, of course, would go against everything we have been telling these morons of the Emerald City. You’ve destroyed the area, not us! We are now stuck with fighting for a reasonable change, rather than the direction you are telling staff to take us.

By the way, we do not want a big box program that subsidizes the world’s largest flam retailer and we do not want to give them a subsidy or a lease that says storefronts can remain dark for up to 4 or 6 years before the city acts.

I guess, since the City has screwed this up for so long in the south and downtown, now it is likely we will continue having to go to Tempe to shop now that they got their project done.

Yep, Living in the Land of Oz is real and here, every day, so stay tuned and don’t touch that dial as there is no better comedy hour than this one we live in.

 ~Wait, let’s take a look at the numbers

New home sales tumble to lowest point in 7 years and Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, was quoted as saying "this is hideous, just hideous".

Sales in the valley were down 23.3 percent since August of last year and permits were down 15.3 percent from last year. While there were still 25,675 new home sales from January to August of this year, it was still a drop of 21.2 percent from the same period in 2006.

Median home sales prices in August dropped 7.5 % from the year earlier showing the largest drop in percentage terms in nearly 37 years, the average sales price dropped by 8% since the August of last year showing the largest drop in 17 years.

On a brighter note KB homes, one of the nations largest homebuilders, took a loss Thursday citing "a deep deterioration in the housing market" and warning that the slump will last into next year.

Personally, I believe the national market experts are correct when they say it will be years before the housing market recovers due to the glut of speculative housing.

Makes you want to rush right out and buy one of those high dollar motel rooms being passed off as condos with association fees that run around $350.00 per month.

It should also make some of you wonder if our planners and leaders have a freaking clue as to what is going on in the real world and what is going to happen with all this glut of condos that cannot sell.

Well, at least a powerhouse, like Toll Brothers, was smart enough to see this and canceled their plans for phase two of their downtown project.

Michael Merrill
F8713@aol.com

St. Louis Globe-Dispatch 

 ~National Anthem triggers rioting at Busch Stadium

April 17 2007 

By Staff Reporter Craig J. Cantoni 

The 50,000 fans at last night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros got more than they expected.  They got a political lecture along with their baseball.  They also had the game cancelled when the riot police and National Guard were called to the stadium. 

It all began when the fans stood for the National Anthem, expecting Country & Western star George Gay to sing his famous rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”  Instead, they heard him exclaim, “Happy income tax day!” 

The crowd erupted with a mixture of boos, cheers and applause. 

Gay then said, “Before singing, I’d like to remember all of the St. Louisans who are not baseball fans but who were taxed for this stadium.  Without their subsidy, a family of four might have to pay more than the current average of $300 for tickets, beer, soda, hot dogs, and nachos covered in cheese.  A round of applause, please, for the generosity of the non-fans.” 

With that, the stadium thundered with applause. 

“And let’s not forget President George W. Bush,” Gay continued.  “No, this stadium wasn’t named after him, but the self-acclaimed conservative did make millions from the subsidized Texas Rangers.” 

The boos were deafening. 

After letting the boos continue for five minutes, Gay yelled, “QUIET!  QUIET, PLEASE.” 

Then he said, “For those of you in the stands who will be getting a refund check from the IRS, or who get an earned income tax credit, or who are supported by the government during the year, please sit down.” 

About half the fans sat down. 

“Those of you left standing,” Gay went on to say, “are supporting those who are sitting.  Look at your seated neighbors.  No doubt, they are emaciated and dressed in rags, too poor to afford enough calories, decent clothes, and medical care for their clogged arteries.  If you have a heart, you’ll buy them a hot dog and a beer.” 

Nervous laughter rippled through the stadium. 

Gay continued, “By my guess, it looks like 25,000 fans are left standing.  About half of you, or 12,500, paid almost nothing in income taxes, thanks to the generosity of the remaining 12,500 who paid about 84 percent of all income taxes.  But at least all of you who are standing paid something towards national defense and other federal services, even if it was a pittance, unlike the 25,000 who are sitting and paid nothing.”  

Gay’s next words triggered the riot:  “It seems to me that people who don’t love their country enough to pay taxes should stay seated and not join us in the National Anthem.”  

He got out only four words of “The Star-Spangled Banner” when fights broke out in the stands and cheese-covered nachos rained down on the field, covering the grass, base paths, bases, and Gay’s clothes and guitar. 

Stadium officials say it could take days to remove the cheese.  National League officials are considering a ban of nachos and the National Anthem at games.  And Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is co-sponsoring a bill with Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to ban political speech within 60 feet of a baseball stadium.  McCain says that the bill has nothing to do with the fact that he married into one of the richest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the nation and sells millions of gallons of beer at baseball games in subsidized stadiums.   

Mr. Cantoni can be reached at ccan2@aol.com . 

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~ Information You Can Use

Just click on the logos below to go to these websites.

Send our Brave Troops "Something from Home", Click on  Links below.

Gathering of  Eagles Website was launched 2/9/07. Click on the Logo above for more information on how they are protecting America's Memorials.

~ UPDATE!! A "Must See" for All Americans

Every American should check out all of these websites to learn more about what the American population is about to have to deal with.

This is NOT for Children.

I don't normally allow anything but Scottsdale information in the Scottsdale Activist but after receiving many emails about this and viewing it, I think that it's imperative that every adult at least look at what's offered here if for  nothing more than their own education and to have everyone stop and think about the future of our country. Click on the link below,

 www.obsessionthemovie.com

If you don't have Adobe Flash, install it from the bottom of the page that comes up after you click on the link above. You should be able to view all available links within the main page.

The website below is of great interest as seen from a Lebanese point of view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8fa9yKQeTY

The website below gives some history of Terrorist attacks:

http://patriotfiles.org/civilizationcalls.htm

This website tell you what REALLY happened:

http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened

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~ Arizona Tax Revolt

~ Prop 13 Arizona

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~ View Past City Council Meetings

We can now access the city council meetings by clicking on the following link:

If you have any problems, check your firewall and other safety features which could block access to the city site.

~Continuing Light Rail Information

The Scottsdale Citizens Transportation Study Committee invites you to view their website for more questions and answers at  www.norailforscottsdale.com .

================================================================

Simply click on the links below to get all the information you'll ever need concerning Light Rail.

     Goldwater Institute Report

     American Dream Coalition

    The Public Purpose

If you have any questions about light rail, send them to editor@scottsdaleactivist.com and we'll get the answers to you as soon as we can.

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~ For Continuing Information on Photo Radar,
Click on the Logo below.

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 ~Are Red-Light Cameras Fair to Drivers?

These modern-day robocops make ticketing easier and can be huge moneymakers for local governments. But critics question their accuracy and fret over privacy issues.

Click on the link below , then scroll down to read the article:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/AreRedLightCamerasFairToDrivers.aspx

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The Scottsdale Activist is very pleased to announce an effort on the behalf of the residents and taxpayers of the city of Scottsdale to promote open, honest and accountable city government. The Scottsdale Legal Defense Fund (SLDF) has been created to take legal action to hold the City accountable when its actions are contrary to state law, the City Charter, City ordinances or the public interest.

The most necessary ingredient to make the SLDF work will be confidential contributions from concerned Scottsdale citizens who are willing to help their community.  By contributing, we can change the way City Hall does business and insure that our tax dollars will be spent wisely.

No funds from the SLDF will or can be used for any political purpose.

Contributions shall be kept confidential as permissible by law and can be made in any Washington Mutual Bank to account number 3114165786 for the Scottsdale Legal Defense Fund. Branch locations are listed below. Contributions are not tax deductible.

The SLDF has retained the law firm of Miller LaSota & Peters, PLC, in connection with the patently illegal action taken by the Mayor and Council appointing the most recent Scottsdale City Attorney, while ignoring the residency requirement of the Scottsdale City Charter even though the new City Attorney’s contract (according to Scottsdale Republic reporter Laurie Roberts) requires that she reside in Scottsdale.  The City Council action was based on a legal opinion which was reportedly rendered during a closed door Executive Session of the City Council by a subordinate to the then acting City Attorney, who was subsequently appointed to the City Attorney position by a vote during a public City Council meeting. The opinion has been requested as a public document under state law, but the City has not yet provided it. The SLDF will take other appropriate legal actions based on the conduct of the Mayor and Council.

Washington Mutual Bank Locations at which contributions to the SLDF can be made are:

72^nd & Shea                    7337 E. Shea Blvd #120                480-609-8524
Hayden & Chaparral     7908 E. Chaparral # C-113            480-949-0069
Horizon                            14854 N Frank Lloyd Wright         480-614-6660
Scottsdale Ranch          10155 E. Via Linda Blvd #131       480-767-2060
Kierland Village              6501 E. Greenway Pkwy #133     480-315-2905

There are many other branches throughout the Valley.