Volume
'08-04
Posted Late Saturdays
January 26, 2008
The Scottsdale Activist
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Table of Contents Pick the Article in this Table of Contents that you wish to read, then Just Click on the title, there is no need to scroll the site to find what interests you. ~Guest Editorial by Nancy Cantor ~ Weekly Editorial -- Staff ~ Living in the Land of Oz with Mike Merrill
~Council and Mayoral Candidates Information ~ Shout and Spout - Candidate Questions? Exec Session? Jan Dolan?? ~ Thought for the Week -- The Wall Street Journal ~ Quote of the Week -- Charles Krauthammer ~ Food for Thought - Take It or Leave It ~Other Stuff of Interest ~ Information You Can Use
~ Look up Prior Editions? Click on a date to open. |
~ Guest Editorial by Nancy Cantor
~Secrecy in Government = Intimidated Employees
Over the last 20 years I have been involved in many different phases of service to the City of Scottsdale. Never once did I just automatically say, "Yes." There was a lot of thought and conferring with my husband, family and others who had chosen to serve.
I would assume that anyone running for office, seeking public support for their service, would do no less. More importantly, one would hope that those running would take a close hard look at the recent history and all of the positive and negative stories being generated about out City and because of our City.
One would have to hope, too, that each and every candidate first defines Scottsdale by all of the people who live here and all of the people who make the wheels turn in our community. The dollars that make your City run are important, too, so integrity and wisdom as to how those dollars are spent is important to everyone.
Over the last five years many have brought to my attention situations and issues confronted by our City and its employees at all levels, top to bottom, bottom to top. Many of the problems I have seen and experienced first hand.
Probably the hardest thing to swallow is the constant denial that our City has problems. The employee voice is intimidated. The resident’s voice is scorned.
When leadership constantly denies the existence of problems, yet has no sound method of resolving issues and no sound policies and procedures for communication within the employee structure, whether one is elected to office or hired, the fears and frustrations of employees grow to the extreme.
Should some of those employees also be residents you can add another layer of desperation. As we all know desperate people do desperate things.
For example, questions over the City Manager that
arose surrounding the Charter Officer Review Policy have caused serious
concerns that no one on the City Council has thought to consider. Why
would any staff member openly discuss their concerns with the Mayor
and/or Council when there has been such glowing support from Council for
everything the City Manager has, and is, doing? And, while their has
been such open ridicule for anyone, especially their fellows on the
Council, if they criticize the City Manager?
Since being appointed to the Scottsdale Housing Board, I have noted many
times, that other board members and commissioners often speak of the
frustrations with communications: lack of feed back from Council, Mayor
and City Manager; and lack of opportunities to confer with other boards
and commissions working in closely related areas. These are just two
incidents.
While a Council Member may show up at a board or commission retreat once a year, it is usually to give a brief speech and then leave.
Of course this glaring area of lack of communication and lack of working together must include the Planning Commission and the Development Review Board.
Denial is very easy, but it allows the smoke of smoldering problems to intensify and stifle the good works that can be done and that are so desperately needed in our city.
I can say with equal chagrin that the need for constant microscopic scrutiny chases good people from public service.
Open discussion without fear of punishment, sound policies to enforce communication make for a well functioning government, and organization and effective delegation of responsibilities within the government employee structure are all in need of a lot of serious attention in Scottsdale.
Nancy Ann Cantor
Chair, Scottsdale Coalition
During the next couple of weeks, we would ask each of you to send us the questions you would like to ask the candidates for both Mayor and for the Council. Just make sure they are civil, to the point, and not accusatory. We want them to answer question, not dodge away from them.
Send your "Questions for the Candidates" to editor@scottsdaleactivist.com . Your name is not necessary, but if you give it, it remains totally protected and unpublished.
Once we have your questions, we will try to put together a composite of those questions in a multiple choice format with possibly 25% being essay questions. The trouble with essay questions is that historically, candidates don’t like to answer them for fear of being "trapped".
Currently, the only candidates who have provided material to the Activist is Nan Nesvig who is running for a council seat. Please encourage your choices to send us their campaign materials so every one who reads the Scottsdale Activist has a chance to get information about them.
We suggest they give us a (1) one page Bio and a (1) page flyer with their campaign statement, goals, and future vision for Scottsdale listed. We also allow an article under "Candidates Corner" should they wish to send us an article(s). We do not critique the Bio or Campaign Statement, but we reserve the right to critique their article(s) as we feel necessary when facts are wrong, half right, or misstated.
What other publication offers such an open forum for candidates?
Here we go again folks!!!
The "3 Monkeys" Manross, Dolan, and legal puppet Robberson will use Municipal Property Corporation Bonds with an emergency clause to avoid a public vote to pay the additional $48 million taxpayer dollars totaling a whopping $82 million for the Toll Brothers property which is very illegal because only dedicated Preserve revenues can be used to purchase Preserve properties. There is NO WAY that Manross & Company will allow that property to slip away from Scottsdale under any condition being that the Preserve is the only possible legacy Manross has left so watch for them to try to slip this one through on us!!!
To see attached proof of how they will do it, click here
.The Hualapai Water Treatment Plant law suit, Sky Flop’s terrible design and lack of the action promised, the Skin Club Ordinance voter reversal, and the still obvious downtown Waterfront "Odor Problem" are all costly Manross failures at best, so watch for Manross to disassociate herself from all four issues in the next couple of months by blaming others.
The way things are going for "Mother Mary", she will have to dump Dolan and possibly some of Dolan’s Generals very soon to save her third campaign for mayor from becoming an embarrassing major disaster which will heavily affect any further political aspirations Manross might have including any rumored well paying directorships for the ASUF at SkySong or elsewhere in the ASU system.
No matter how much we want and need the Preserve to be completed, to finance it dishonestly and illegally by using non-Preserve funds is just another way the "3 Monkeys" have screwed over and fumbled away prime chances to craft sensational deals costing the taxpayers of Scottsdale over a hundred million unnecessary tax dollars because they simply don’t know how to negotiate.
This is still another classic example of abuse of office by this inept, sly and sneaky administration. Then of course they paid (as has been stated in the Tribune and Republic today) $600,000 per acre for a similar property and yet they tried to screw Toll Bros. for just $88,000 per acre because they didn’t properly bid on the property in the first place.
This is also how the Hualapai fiasco will be handled;
Look for the court to demand that Manross be deposed in person and you will then immediately see the "3 Monkeys" ask for a Secret Executive Session to pay the full amount plus all legal fees asked for by Hualapai LLC. This secret vote will again have a 4-3 council vote to pay off Hualapai LLC (who legally and openly bid on and won the property honestly) allowing the "3 Monkeys" to keep Manross from having to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about why she signed the lease without council approval against the City Charter by again using a Municipal Property Corporation Bond with the emergency clause as illustrated above.
The 80 acre West World land boondoggle, Hualapai Lease fiasco, and the SkySong disaster are the major factors behind the massive escalation of our city debt directed by the "3 Monkeys".
We need to ascertain what legal fees have been incurred fighting the above cases for 4 years using external legal resources instead of city legal staff, also the cost of staff time. The outside legal figure alone is over $2 million taxpayer dollars.
All of these unnecessary costs have been incurred on behalf of the tax payer all because the "3 Monkeys" cannot negotiate their way out of a wet paper bag.
~ West World 80 Acres; But Wait, There’s More….
When the City Council purchased the 80 acres of land north of Bell Road for $48 Million, it was financed with 30-year Municipal Property Corporation Bonds using the emergency clause to avoid a public vote. Later they purchased another 70 acres of land next to WestWorld, also financed with Municipal Property Corporation Bonds again using the emergency clause to avoid a public vote.
Click here to see the actual document on the 80 acres.
The price of all of this land comes to a staggering $80 Million taxpayer dollars which we don’t have available… anywhere!! Even worse, if we keep all of this land for the life of the bonds the interest costs will total $69 Million, for a grand total cost of $149 Million Scottsdale taxpayer dollars. That’s more than the subsidy for SkySong…….. so far!
As they say in those cable TV infomercials, "But wait, There’s more!"; When the city purchased these parcels, they financed them with what amounts to balloon payments. The annual principal payments for the 80-acre parcel started out low at $200,000 and remain level or increase each year up to $3,625,000 in 2035. The annual principal payments for the 70 acres start in July 2012 at $950,000 and then increase each year up to $2.5 million in 2031. Since the growth in city revenues is predicted to slow down over the next few years, the last thing our budget needs is big escalating real estate payments, especially with Jan Dolan being both City Manager AND City Treasurer with possibly the ability to, shall we say, "adjust" where the taxpayer monies are spent.
The Council financed these purchases with escalating bond payments because they knew that the city could not afford to keep all of this land and never intended to keep it. As Councilman Ecton correctly pointed out in a local newspaper column, the city only purchased the 80 acres as a hedge in case we were not successful in purchasing the 70 acres, which is more desirable to the city because it is adjacent to West World.
Now with the costly court decision on the Toll Brothers property, the pending full payoff of over $10 million on the Hualapai fiasco to save Manross from being deposed in person by the court, maybe this will light a fire under the council to sell the 80 acres on which we don’t need to continue making huge payments.
~ Letter to Council
Woman Betty Drake
This article starts with a letter to Drake after receiving an accusatory letter from Drake.
Sent: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 7:21 pm
Subject: RE: Dolan Executive Session
Betty,
With all due respect, you have no idea how badly these people have and
are being treated.
Of course no one will confess to anything you asked them, would you
under the current circumstances? I certainly wouldn't and I HAVE owned
businesses, worked in the corporate world as well as the government
world on both the management side and the hired hand side and these
things do happen all the time unless there is a compassionate management
team whom the employees feel comfortable talking with or, until someone
or the controlling body has the cajoñes to do a real, independent
investigation and actually look and listen to the results, then act in a
way which frees up the workplace so employees feel they can
again function fully with workable, reasonable communications between
the management team and the employees. You don't work well or
efficiently when you are under pressure as our city employees are.
I have many names but I have given them all my word that I would never
divulge them to ANYONE for obvious reasons without their written and
personal face to face approval to me. What about the letter from Charles
Sawyer; there's a name, has anyone tried to contact him?
No!! Because you are all afraid your world is going to collapse around you in an election year when the truth finally comes out!! This has been going on progressively since Jan came on board and will continue to escalate until she and her style of management has been thrown out of Scottsdale once and for all, or the city as we have known it goes to hell with no real chance of getting back to the basics the residents and voters want.
Hasn't it occurred to anyone on the council that REAL independent investigation complete from front to back, top to bottom just might clear up or bring to the forefront what's actually been going on in the last few years? I seriously doubt it for many obvious reasons, political and otherwise. You already have had an independent study that called the city 'Sick" which has been buried somewhere in the bowels of city hall for what ever reason (but we know why, don't we!).
I challenge all of you to ask for such a complete and unabridged independent investigation to clear the air. Now!! What do you have to lose??
I would also ask permission to print you letter as well as my response in the next Scottsdale Activist. Do I have it??
Respectfully,
George Knowlton, 480-326-2475
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Betty sent a response to which I asked permission to print said response, which she refused as you can see by her note below. Gee, I guess it’s OK for them, in my opinion, to act and look stupid many times, but we can’t show what they write to prove that fact to the world now can we?
Basically she didn’t address any of the points I made in my letter, which was sent prior to the Council vote on Dolan’s request for a Secret Executive Session. She coyly did berate the employees in an offhanded way for writing things in anonymity when in her mind they should stand up and speak out, and then went on to accuse certain local well known people of personally making up all of the letters that were sent to the council from the employees.
What?? First, she says the employees should stand up and be counted, then she accuses other locals of writing the employee letters; how does that make any sense at all?
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George,
You do not have my permission to reprint my letter. I see that you
have already shared it with others. I would like to think that we
could talk about these issues in good faith and work together to try to
untangle things. I am very disappointed by the extreme reaction
and nasty emails I've received re: my letter. I think we share
some of the same concerns but will be very reluctant to communicate with
you about these things in the future.
Betty
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Betty,
Thank you for your prompt response. I will respect your wishes and not print your letter in the Activist per your request. That doesn’t preclude us from referring to it editorially without any quotes or passages therein, or parts of passages from it being cut and pasted into the editorial.
Yes, I did send your letter to those I felt you had seemed to defame and I feel I had the right, responsibly and impetus to do exactly that when I knew that all parties you accused by name were all totally innocent of your allegations.
Your letter feebly attempts to dump back on me, our staff, and others with totally false accusations and others who have been asking for an investigation for months thereby totally ignoring all of the employees and their charges which you claim to care so much about.
Sadly, all of the things that are important to the employees were totally ignored by you, McCullagh, Ecton and Manross as well as the department directors apparently under direct orders from Jan Dolan. Frankly, while you were all probably swallowing Dolan’s line of bull still again hook, line and sinker, still more employees were most probably being threatened!
Obviously and unfortunately, we have no idea what transpired during the Secret Executive Session but we will assume that Dolan had it all well scripted as always. Jan Dolan has shown herself to be very cunning and conniving in our opinion and knows how to play the game and play all of you like a quartet of hick town ignorant fools which probably brought still another 4-3 vote.
All of your faces will be very red with mass embarrassment when the employees have decided that enough is enough and their lawyers come at you with names, places, dates, times and city actions against them for which they will deserve more than adequate compensation in the form of your dismissals, resignations and other things that won’t cost the taxpayers a thin dime, plus the reinstatement of employees who wish to be reinstated with full back pay and full reinstatement of their benefits which would be so richly deserved.
Charles Sawyer’s letter came with his statements and signature, yet none of you bothered to even mention his letter or its ramifications or even suggest that it might be grounds for an investigation.
Gee, we wonder why that is?
What is Dolan so desperately hiding?
What exactly is Dolan hanging over your
heads?
What does she know about the Council Majority
that the Majority wouldn’t dare let see the light of day?
What is she holding over Manross’ head that
could implicate all of you including Robberson and her legal
department?
Could SkyFumble and Hualapai be a big part of
it as well as all of the heavy spending on non-essential, hated
round-a-bouts, traffic calming, so called "neighborhood entry
islands", secret upzoning and density meetings by one or two
city officials at a time with developers and their hired guns?
How about the unmarked mid-block crosswalks and unmarked school crossings which fly in the face of public safety?
There are scores of us who feel very strongly and our opinions are that there is mass collusion and secrecy going on daily within the walls of city hall to which none of us are privy, nor are Nelssen, Lane and Littlefield for obvious reasons on your part.
Respectfully,
George
News Flash!!
We also just learned today (Saturday), but haven’t been able to confirm, that Senior Inspector Denée Evans as well as Field Manager Malcolm Hankins would be participating in a newly instituted program which is a Manager Job Rotation Program.
Malcolm will be apparently moved to the Fire Department under Chief McDonald and replaced in Code by Brent Stockwell, and we don’t know yet who will replace Denée Evans as she apparently replaces Brent in city hall.
Brent is a very good guy and easy communicator who works hard and is a "Get it done" kind of guy while still having compassion and understanding for those with whom he works. This should make everything 1,000% better for morale in Code Enforcement as well as real production which was, in our opinion, lagging badly under Hankins.
We’ll monitor the situation closely to see how it works.
=================================================
Mr. Keagy has promised us an answer next week on the Carriage Hills Subdivision problem concerning the illegal use of pre-emergent’s, pesticides, and herbicides by a certain individual in a NAOS/ESLO designated piece of land, including use in a known wash, in the North Scottsdale area as well as the illegal planting of non-native plants in the same NAOS/ESLO areas in the same subdivision approved by the HOA Board of directors.
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What follows below is a continuing dialog between Code Enforcement and a very concerned citizen who has been trying for months to get resolution to a couple of ongoing problems. It seems like these problems may finally be on their way to resolution thanks to Raun Keagy actually getting involved and directing the required action.
The progression of communiqué’s is from top to bottom.
============================================================
From: Michelle Stevenson Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 6:20 AM
To: Evans, Denée
Subject: RE: RE: complaints
Denée, I have been really busy with the auctions, but was hoping to get an update on my complaints.
Thank you,
Shelly
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From: Evans, Denée
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 1:56 PM
To: 'Michelle Stevenson'
Cc: Keagy, Raun; Hankins, Malcolm
Subject: RE: RE: complaints
Hello Ms. Stevenson,
The cases that were issued thirty days to comply are still active. The compliance date of 2/8/08 has not passed but I have been in communication with the actual property owner of the 16275 N Greenway Hayden Loop address. By the way, as is often the case, the County Assessors web page had outdated and incorrect information. I did not mention that to you last time, but that is why I was trying to contact the current owners. In any case, the new owners have also sent the dealership a letter to remove the vehicles and fencing from the lot.
As for the property located at 8445 Frank Lloyd Wright, I do not see any permits on file nor have I received any follow up correspondence regarding this matter. I left a phone message with the responsible party this morning inquiring about their actions. With regards to my next actions for that location, I have been acting as directed on how to proceed with the enforcement. I will bring this matter to Mr. Keagy's attention and await further direction. As soon as I know what the action plan is I will forward the information to you. Have a good week.
Denée Evans
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From: Keagy, Raun
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 10:29 AM
To: Evans, Denée; 'Michelle Stevenson'
Cc: Hankins, Malcolm
Subject: RE: RE: complaints
Thank you for the update Denée. As directed, please issue a Citation for the property at 8445 E. Frank Lloyd Wright for non-compliance.
Ms Stevenson: feel free to share this with any interested party.
Raun Keagy
Citizen & Neighborhood Resources
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"Evans, Denée" <DeEvans@ScottsdaleAz.Gov> wrote:
The representative of 8445 E FLW has been issued a citation
with an arraignment date of 2/18/08. Since they have posted no
trespassing and no parking signs on the property, it is now their
responsibility to have any vehicles left on the property towed away.
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Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:49:36 -0800
From: shellystevenson
Subject: RE: RE: complaints
To: DeEvans@ScottsdaleAz.Gov; RKeagy@Scottsdaleaz.Gov
CC: MAHankins@ScottsdaleAz.Gov
Thank you Denée.
8445 is the vacant parcel along FLW and Northsight that was illegally scraped and had bushes and trees graded, correct? They now have cars there too?
And the Greenway-Hayden property has the Van Chevy overflow inventory stored on it.
Can you clarify who received the citation? And which cars you are referring too?
Thank you for getting involved Mr. Keagy, I will share this with those who are as concerned as I am.
Shelly
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To the Scottsdale Activist:
It appears Mr. Keagy reads your website! Thank you for putting pressure on them. It’s too bad it has to take a GM of a department to give the minions direction and tell them what to do, what a broken inept organization.
Obviously Denée has no idea what she's doing and is even confused in her explanation to me about who she actually cited. She's combining the facts on one property and trying to ignore the Van Chevy parking on Greenway Hayden loop......
It never ceases to amaze me how these characters keep their jobs, just think if they actually had to produce a profit and loss statement for stockholders.
~ New Manager Job Rotation Program
We just got word that there is a new program call the city Mgr Job Rotation Program which is apparently just now being put into operation within the city of Scottsdale. (The term job rotation can also mean the scheduled exchange of persons in offices, especially in public offices, prior to the end of incumbency or the legislative period.)
We’ve heard directly from city hall that the first to be moved was Brent Stockwell to Code Enforcement to replace Malcolm Hankins who is apparently moving to a position under Fire Chief McDonald. Brent is a good, team player, hard worker and will be a strong addition to Code. We have also heard that there are a number of other changes city-wide with another from Code (Denee Evans) apparantly replacing Brent Stockwell in the City Council/Jan Dolan/Manross offices. We haven’t heard if anyone will be replacing Denee.
Our understanding is that these are 6 month programs with the ability for the participant to return to their old position if they can’t hack the new position. We hope they achieve what was planned for all of them.
With that being said, I’ll bet that with Brent now in Code, there will be many changes for the better, with much improved morale unless his hands are tied by Dolan and Keagy.
~Letters to the Editor
letters@scottsdaleactivist.com
~ A "Good Fit" for Scottsdale,...... or the Third Reich
I am a current city employee of around 2 decades and would like to remain anonymous, at least for now, for the exact reasons the 60 and the 600 didn't want to sign their letters. I hate to admit it, but the hard truth is that much of what they said is definitely true, and maybe even all of it is true. I don't know about the specifics, but the generalities are a known fact.
Here is a question I'd like to offer you as a "question of the week". What does it mean..."to be a good fit for the city now"? I once knew what the answer was, but now I'm not sure?? The rhetoric still sounds the same, but the reality doesn't match that anymore. The city still claims that a "good fit" in the organization is VERY important and possibly even the MOST important single thing of a new employee. The confusion is...what are we suppose to "fit" in now? The hard working and honest Allied Forces or Hitler’s murdering Third Reich?
Which one they (the powers that be) want us to be a "good fits" for now is a very important factor to me right now and I honestly am not sure anymore what the "good fit" is. They still beat the same drums and fly the same banners as the Allies, but much of the practical practices definitely match up far better with the fear-based tactics of the Hitler Youth and Hitler’s SS.
The reason this is so important to me is, within the last year or two, the city hired a new department manager and he is an excellent fit in a Nazi mentality and methodology. However, if we are still for the ideals that America/Scottsdale were founded upon...then he is the PERFECT example of what a "good fit" definitely IS NOT.
This is not just my opinion, but also the majority of those in the department in which I work and many others having any interaction with that manager in other departments.
There are many complicating factors of why this won't be dealt with by the proper channels. Consequently, we (the staff) must try to do something...or learn the Hitler Salute and how to goose-step high and efficiently. However, in the many discussions we've had...someone brought up the valid question...how do we know he IS what the city wants to be now and it's all of us existing long-term employees that are no longer the "good-fit" and it's actually us that must simply assimilate or be terminated for no logical reason. So, before we try to prove he is not a good fit for the city, we thought we would try to confirm what a "good fit" means or the powers want it to mean.
I'm sure you can word it in a single concise sentence, but I wanted to give you at least a little bit of background on why this question is very significant for the health of the employee’s morale as well as the city’s, and the answer may have a significant impact on our next course of action.
I'm sure you understand why we don't want to try to ask this question ourselves and run the risk of being personally escorted, one by one, into the showers of Dolan’s Scottsdale Gulag.
From a loyal, hard working but confused Scottsdale employee on the front lines,
~ Letter to Mike Ryan of the Republic
Mr. Ryan:
I just finished reviewing, and replaying your interview with Jan Dolan (Scottsdale Republic). This, for another individual who missed the program. The comments were unanimous that it would be a mistake for you to give up your day job. You certainly will never be competition for Charlie Rose or Edward R. Morrow. The main thrust is that you 'soft balled' the session, and did not elicit any real information or answers.
As an example, we heard not a word of how and when SkySong will yield benefits for Taxpayers. I believe most businessmen will tell you that this will not happen in our lifetime, even though your Editorial on December 19 spoke of a 'long term, five year dividend'. The deletion of the apartment complex as part of the project is truly representative of yet another expensive failure.
Based on the outlook for the commercial market over the next ten years, this project is a loser for everyone but Michael Crow. You did not mention the obvious comparison to The Galleria. The Galleria was pushed by, among others, the odious Economic Vitality Manager, Dave Roderique.
You allowed the nominally inept and seemingly incompetent Ms. Dolan, to pontificate about the persona of our city. Frankly, the 'most western of western cities' is quickly becoming a not very successful copy of La Jolla and Beverly Hills. The juxtaposing of cheap modern against native desert is an embarrassment; something a Jan Dolan would be comfortable with.
You did not discuss the giveaway Grants extended to the disappearing auto dealers on McDowell, nor the unfortunate reach for the same, by the developer of Scottsdale One. Barrett Jackson was mentioned. And this only pointed out, by word and body language, how a businessman, no matter how scheming and smarmy, can use the city to his advantage.
I could cite more missed opportunities in this broadcast, including the acceptance of misleading and ridiculous statements from Scottsdale Superintendent of Schools, John Baracy, or more of the love fest we endured. I will once again state the obvious. You have been bought by Scottsdale politicians using the power of city ad dollars, broadcast time, and the clear ego-gratification of what will amount to your 15 minutes of fame.
Sincerely,
Steve Rivero-Lowen
North Scottsdale
~ Sad, Pathetic State of Affairs
Looks like another flaming defeat for the Manross-Dolan team. The jury’s decision in the Toll Bros. Condemnation case is another in a long list of City of Scottsdale miscues under the leadership (?) of Mayor Manross and Jan Dolan.
After acting with an arrogance which can only be possessed by the shallow minds currently running City Hall, an independent jury largely agreed with Toll Bros. So, now the City must pay significantly more that it originally expected, plus millions of additional dollars in legal costs and fees – all because of poor planning and inept execution by the Jan Dolan and our crack legal team.
The sad part about all of this is that it did not have to happen this way. If we had a City Manager and a Mayor with even minimal leadership abilities, this situation would never have happened. Add this to Hualapai, the SOB ordinance, the continuing, festering Barrett Jackson debacle, and you have the capstone of the Manross era as well as her legacy.
What a sad, pathetic state of affairs for our community. I think it is passed time to clean house on the Council and in the top appointed leadership positions. Enough pathetic, frustrating stories have come from City Hall. Let’s throw the bums out!!
Tom Raleigh
Concerned Scottsdale Resident
Dear Activist,
We are Scottsdale AAWC water customers who dealt with the horror of the second TCE elevation in our water source in three months. AAWC raised our water rates 42% last year. The water pressure issues that we endure on a daily basis are numerous. Yet, when we question whether or not it is possible to challenge their rates or the quality of their water provision, we are told that there is nothing we can do about the situation.
Why don’t ADEQ and EPA intervene? Why hasn’t the Corporation Commission fined them for a second offense of TCE elevation in the water to their customers? No one will provide us with any answers. It sounds like a cover up to us.
Just last week Councilman McCullagh made noises concerning merging the Scottsdale AAWC customers into the City of Scottsdale water customer pool. While that’s all well and good, we recognize this as simply the Councilman’s ploy to gain sympathetic votes from the public. IN reality, he was not there with a handful of concerned citizens pleading with the Corporation Commission when AAWVC raised our rates, nor was he any kind of watchdog for our citizens when we were fed to the wolves so to speak later on down the line. He has showed up just in time to mop of the mess. How convenient. How pathetic. How ignorant of him.
Of course, we’d like to have 100% safe water provided to our home. And if at all possible and if Scottsdale can deliver that promise, then yes, we’d like to become City of Scottsdale water customers. But it is sheer political grandstanding and taking advantage of the vulnerability of the AAWC Scottsdale water customers by McCullagh that has us thinking that maybe we’ll take our chances with AAWC and contact the authorities who will actually do something about this mess, It is clear to us that we can not trust anyone at City Hall to actually help us
McCullagh and the City Council don’t give a hoot about us unless it personally benefits them and earns them votes as candidates. If he did care about us, he would have done something years ago when we began to suffer at the hands of this privately held entity.
Troy and Jen Sautini
Scottsdale
~ Letter to Councilman Littlefield:
Councilman Littlefield,
I must congratulate you. Clearly, you have woken some of our citizens up. This, to the fact that there is at least one Councilmember who stands up to be counted. The criticism leveled at you is from those who are comfortable with the nonsense put forward by our incapable Mayor, inept and incompetent City Manager/Treasurer and several useless fellow Council members.
It is easy to gain a photo opportunity by railing against the horrors of lap dancing and the lack of taste in the naming of a restaurant, but it another to confront important issues.
Since you are one of the two, possibly three Council members who understand your role, perhaps you will address:
The removal of Jan Dolan from both posts: It is
incomprehensible that this city has kept someone like this in a key
post. Many city workers understand that their managers and superiors
should exhibit some talent and judgment, not idealize themselves as
hacks. Perhaps, they were mortified at her
statement in an interview that, 'we are just experiencing a
(business) slowdown'. I suppose reading a paper like The Republic
leads to brain freezing, coupon clipping, and news of
Barrett-Jackson and other advertisers.
The removal of John Baracy as Superintendent of Schools. This clown still insists that conversions of rental units to condos leads to a significant decrease in student population, and bizarrely believes that smoke and mirrors will hide the fact that an override or bond issue does cost the taxpayers an increase in their taxes. This because they already fund two other overrides. Further, his efforts at student recruiting are pure hucksterism and is inappropriate at the least.
Keep up the good work, many of us our pleased at your efforts.
Sincerely,
Steve Rivero-Lowen
North Scottsdale
~ Lisa Haskell is Alive… & Well???
Disclaimer: We have left the letter just as Lisa sent it to us so don’t blame the Scottsdale Activist for all the grammatical, punctuation and other errors you find herein.
I was just informed via the email train that I have once again received an honorable mention on the pages of the Scottsdale Activist. Now I know what it must feel like to receive an Emmy or a Pulitzer. I am truly flattered that after all this time you still find me " newsworthy " I must warn you that flattery will get you nowhere. Apparently you don't subscribe to the theory that you get more flies with honey than - Oh well. Not important. Sadly, I am afraid I must correct several of your statements not to mention your grammar. Your crack team of investigative journalists seem to feel that in addition to being a pseudo activist , a misfit, an idiot, a shill , just to mention a few of the nicer things you have called me over the years, I have now committed the unpardonable sin of commisserating with the enemy, one Dave Bachman. I don't think I can be demoted for this- can I ? Afterall , I have been stripped of all the perks associated with being an " activist " ( Not On Bob Littlefield's Christmas list - just his @#$% list ) Although I have never had the pleasure of meeting Mr Bachman, it sounds like we might have a great deal in common - a loathing of spin, innuendo, smear campaigns, and abusive folks with overinflated egos. At least you haven't accused me of drinking my lunch at AZ88 - yet. I haven't done that since college and I usually leave the drinking to those that have mastered the art .
Finally, if you are going to persist in insulting folks that you disagree with , perhaps you should learn to do it in a more " grammatical " way. You state that , " They ( referring to Mr Bachman and myself ) could commiserate with one another and neither WOULDN'T need anyone else " Say what?? HMMMM This smells like Mr Merrill's work although commiserate is more than one syllable - his usual limit. Good grammar is necessary if you wish to deliver your insults with panache and style you see - adds credibility too. I doubt you spend many sleepless nights worrying about things like credibility however. You also state that I know better than to contact the Scottsdale Activist- whatever that means. I simply have the good taste not to. I also know better than to read the Scottsdale Activist. I don't read the National Enquirer either and for the same reason. Tell me, is that your " sister " publication? Just curious as they seem to have a blatant disregard for the facts as well. Thank God you don't have any pictures of Britney Spears or you would be unable to tell these two litter box liners apart.
Now, this should give you something to hyperventilate about for at least the next three issues. Maybe you won't have time to do your usual hatchet jobs on those that have the audacity to disagree with you. You see, it's not that you haven't done some ground breaking work. That article you did on the unwestern trolley logos was an uncompromising piece of journalism. Thanks again for all you do to make Scottsdale a better place to live, work and play. Convincing folks that the sky is falling 12 months a year must be a full time job for 2 volunteers.
Please feel free to provide Mr Bachman with my
contact information so we can start commiserating as soon as possible.
We should make up for lost time. Since most affiliated with the
Scottsdale Activist seem to feel that the city is a hopeless mess , we
can only hope that your mother ship will beam you up as soon as possible
and take you to a planet free of the blight of height, density, traffic,
light rail, traffic calming, politicians, city staff and pseudo
activists. Did I forget anything? Oh yeah - developers and subsidies. By
the way, what is your definition of open and responsive government,
something you profess to support? You see, browbeating those you
disagree with by verbally flogging them on the pages of the activist
and labeling them as misfits hardly seems to fit the definition of open
and responsive government. Apparently a misfit is anyone that fails to
agree with you. If so, I am guilty as charged and proud of it.
Lisa Haskell, pseudo activist, misfit, shill and proud resident of
Scottsdale ( south side )
Oh , by the way, regarding the employee morale situation, if there are indeed a significant number of employees with legitimate grievances it is long past time to put this issue to rest. The anonymous letter that supposedly represents some 600 employees would have more credibility if some of these people would come out from the shadows, a point made by the Tribune as well . Afterall, it would be difficult to retaliate against some 600 employees. I find it hard to believe that MS Dolan, who seems to spend much of her time at AZ88 at least according to your recent report, would have the time or the courage to fire 600 employees. This wouldn't look good on her evaluation- would it? There is indeed strength in numbers and with 600 employees behind this effort , their voices would have to be heard. I am sure the papers would support that. Possibly the Human Relations Commission would be able to assist in some way as they seem to be very concerned with the rights of women, the gay and lesbian community etc. They should be equally concerned with employee morale if it is as bad as these anonymous individuals claim it is. In any case , it is long past time for these people to step forward and give faces to these as yet unidentified individuals. Anonymous letters will solve nothing. Oh , I know you claim to have a letter from Mr Sawyer but does Mr Sawyer have a first name? It's not Tom is it? Can we look forward to seeing a letter from Huck in the future.? As in Finn . I won't be reading your response to this as I suffer from fragile self esteem.
Lisa Haskell Pseudo activist/retired shill ( Didn't pay well enough )
Editors Note: After we picked ourselves up off the floor numerous times from overpowering waves of uncontrollable laughter, we have to admit that we are glad to know Lisa claims to not read us yet knows so much about what issues we report on weekly which she calls "a blatant disregard for the facts".
If what we print is a blatant disregard for the facts, why haven’t we been taken to task by those about whom we report those facts?? The answer is very simple: We DO have names of these employees, but, like any respectable news organization, have promised not to divulge them to anyone without their permission for obvious reasons. If we didn’t have the names, we wouldn’t print the articles.
If the information we print wasn’t acceptable, wanted, or believable, why would we have seen over 51,000 hits already this month with yet another week to go in the month?
We would be happy to give Dave Bachmann your email address, but it doesn’t work when people send things to it. If Dave want’s it, he can ask and we’d be happy to send it to him privately, God forbid we should make it public.
Sure, we admittedly make grammatical and punctuation errors as any writer does, but none can compete with the number included in the single note above by Lisa.
We started to correct all of her grammatical errors as well as those in punctuation and other mistakes in her note to save the college degreed Lisa Haskell any embarrassment, but thought, what the hell, let Lisa’s work stand (or fall) on its own. Run spell check on her letter and see what YOU come up with!!
And, by the way Lisa, the Enquirer has broken many major national stories that the liberal press wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, and has been upheld by many court cases or favorably settled out of court!!... and yes, they lost a few too but far less than they won.
Didn’t think we’d print your letter did you Lisa!! Surprise!!!
We’re happy to have you as one of our contributors, and you even signed your name!!! Thank you for being, as Dave Bachmann puts it, a "devoted reader".
Regarding Dave Bachmann: We saw an article written by Dave in one of the local newspapers which actually impressed us. Maybe Dave is beginning to see what those who contribute to the Scottsdale Activist have been seeing for months and years.
For whatever the reason, Dave wrote a great article and we congratulate him for a "job well done" on a very thoughtful and thought provoking piece!
Staff Comments:
While it may be a bit hard to believe, Ms. Haskell and her associates, who manage to be quoted in other community publications, frequently, have been complaining about the same issues that the "pseudo activists" have been complaining about for over the last five years.Oddly, one of those publications prints anonymous phone calls, emails and letters and this same publication does nothing to check facts or give responsible parties a chance to voice a counter point before publication.
The First Amendment gives everyone the right to speak, publish and print opinions. Responsible publishing requires at least some investigation which the Scottsdale Activist does.
Those of us working with the Scottsdale Activist have never claimed to be professional journalists. We do not mind being called "Activists," as that is certainly what we try to do, activate the citizens and voters.
If being pro-active in order to find positive solutions to major issues facing all of our community, now and in the future, is negative to Ms. Haskell and her associates, so be it. If wanting the "decision makers" in our City government to be held to the highest standards possible in response to all of the residents who pay taxes and live in Scottsdale and are concerned about Scottsdale's future in 10, 20, 30 and more years from now, is offensive then so be it.
Ms. Haskell fired the first shots at "activists" almost five years ago by writing emails in the same tone that she now takes activists to task for writing. She fired off emails and then, and still does, blocking any option for response.
In a community the size of Scottsdale and with the intense passions of disgruntled neighbors, and allowing that communications in this City works about as good as a couple of tin cans and string. We will probably see a lot more of the "circle the wagons" mentality focused on how and why denial, denial, and more denial concerning facts brings about further division in the community and even less efficiency within the City government.
Living in the Land of Oz by Michael Merrill
Well from last Sunday until Wednesday I was resigned to my bed with a temperature that ranged between 101 to 103, so when Thursday rolled around and I could finally eat something and get out of bed I had to re-read an article in the paper that I thought must have been a dream or an illusion that came about by a high fever only to find out that it was a real article and not some nightmare brought on by a fever.
It appears that the Arts group of Oz wants our three ring circus to help them during the "downturn" in the economy and if nothing else wreaks of another form of subsidizing private businesses. The problem is even more than just subsidizing a group of private businesses as they are asking for so many things to be considered and adopted for "their" private enterprises that it would actually be something that the three ring circus would actually consider. One of the first questions that popped into my head was "who was actually behind this issue" and through the fog in my brain popped out the faces of none other than High Rise artsy fartsy Ecton and Mother Mary Manross as being the actors in the shadows.
I am not sure if it was just me, or if it was the fever but one of the highlights to the article stated "coalition plans to protect art scene from development". But I became confused when I read further that this group of yahoos of art want the city to eliminate height restrictions in their area and if they had a clue what the hell they were talking about, it could be easily noted that if you remove the restrictions, you watch how quickly the developers will destroy the arts scene in the area. Reading the article itself proved that either the reporter was not even sure what was going on or that Mother Mary and the Flatulating butthead wrote the article as none of it made any sense and leaves the yahoo group looking as stupid as the article made them look.
Consider this; they claim they want a formally designated boundary for the arts district which the city already has. The designated area according to the city is West of Scottsdale Road, from Main Street to 3rd Avenue and this has been on the books of the city for I can’t tell you how long, so have they had their head in the paint thinner fumes to long to not have figured this one out?
Once the boundaries are established, which by the way already are there and have been, they want universal signs and infrastructure upgrades so visitors can find and move around the area easily. Well excuse the hell out of me but we already have signs that point you in the direction of the arts district and if you want new signs and infrastructure just who the hell do you think is going to pay for it other than the taxpayers because just like the developers who don’t pay for any of the havoc they have been creating in downtown, neither will these 20 art dealers pay to have all the work done that they want, no, they want us to pay for it for them.
Now to "encourage" loft spaces, boutique hotels and other compatible uses, they want the city to eliminate height restrictions in the district and that has to be one of the stupidest things I have ever seen being brought forward under their stated goals. If you wanted lofts than I hate to have to be the one to tell them that under their current DO zoning they can get as high as three stories and that is what "lofts" are usually meant to be, a second or third story with lofts usually being a second floor unit.
They say the ultimate goal is to have their plan incorporated into the city’s downtown plan while the rest of the downtown plan was required to go through a much more extensive public process and now they want to back door their idiotic ideals and plans.
To tell you the truth this has all the hallmark signs of being put together by than none other than Mr. "painted manhole covers" Ecton and is so stupid and ridiculous in nature, thought, and lack of common sense as to their stated goals, it will probably get loads of compliments and accolades from the three ring circus that pretends they know how to run this city.
After 20 years of this group being formed, this has to be the worst thing that any of them could actually want for their area as it would kill the arts district within a very short period of time and is tantamount to having lawsuits filed against the city left and right by other business owners. It appears that we could also be sued on so many different levels because 20 art dealers think they know what is best for "all the businesses" in the area and if you look at the size of the area. It also appears that these 20 dealers want to make it so that if you are not an "art dealer", you should not be able to open your business in their little niche of the city.
I mean really, could you imagine the field day developers would have if the city removed the height limitations and made some type of new zoning overlay for the existing arts district boundaries?
That entire area would be gobbled up by developers in a heart beat and the arts district would be gone as the developers got to build more high rises with no restrictions.
Personally I think the "arts association" needs to stick to what they know which I would presume is art because their plans for the area are not even worth the canvas they are trying to paint it on. What they should be more concerned about is the fact that people do not want to go downtown anymore because of what has already happened with the great planning the city is already getting away with in Downtown. Downtown has been consistently losing its charm that has brought people down there and the further actions by the DRB, The Planning Commission, and the Three Ring Circus at developers requests is going to do nothing but make matters worse for the arts district.
~Another Blow Hole spouts in Oz
I can only pray that once the election is over and if we do indeed get a reform group elected, that the first order of business is to revamp our boards and commissions with the DRB being first on the list and the Planning Commission being the second and the immediate removal of all of those sitting on those two entities.
This week the Planning Commissioners of the Emerald city made it clear why, like the DRB, they all need to be removed from their seats when they approved the rezoning and character plan amendment for the Hanover project. Commissioner Hess was quoted as saying "I wish it were a lot more innovative and creative" and also stated "I think it is a missed opportunity" and then goes on to vote in a 6-0 vote to approve the project. Again in this city we have decided that under the comments of the DRB and now the Planning Commission that we will approve anything that comes our way when it does not comply with any of the stated goals or requirements that our printed in our general plan or zoning ordinances.
Now I am not going to go into the written language that most of us already know regarding the intents and purposes of the general plan or the zoning ordinances, and I am not going to go into the issue that if they ever tried to do this up North COPP and Howard Meyers would be rolling in their Preserve views, instead I will rant about how we need to get rid of all of these motherless fools who predominately live up north and protect their section of the city from such developments. Developments that do not meet the standards of our city seem to abound in the South and Downtown but would never have been okay for the North and these motherless fools spout off continually about how this is a "missed opportunity" but since it is in downtown or the south we will approve it anyways.
Lets take a shot at all the missed opportunities that these "appointed by the three ring circus" individuals have left us with over the last 4 years or more now.
Los Arcos- since I refuse to call it anything
other than Los Arcos since its miserable failure of inception,
we were given this great project by both of these boards again
with the problems of lack of architecture and missed
opportunities.
The condos on Earl- another grand design of
nothing but one big nasty looking building with absolutely no
design value, architecture, and violated so many different
design standards that even Buckaroo Betty objected to the plans
while Beanie Boy Lane approved of it.
The "4333" building and its space ship
projection as the entry feature into what the developer even
called the "historic downtown area". Only to see the building
right next door to it, the former Red Dog Saloon came about as a
building that holds to the history of the downtown. Another
great feat in planning and how to mesh the new with the old
under our screwed up elected leaders.
The 4020 building which was brought back from
the DRB for review by the council and still ended up looking so
out of place in its surroundings even after our supposed leaders
approved it.
The queen mothers castle that now sits on the northeast corner of Camelback and Scottsdale road where the buildings corner roof projection is a replica of an ancient castle tower.
And now we have the Hanover project which requires a character plan amendment because the developer could not come up with a building design that actually fit in with its surroundings and we have to rezone the property because the present zoning and character of the area does not accept buildings that are 5 stories high.
These two commissions of total Butt Nuggets have actually approved another project that does not conform with the present downtown plan and have also approved it knowing that the updated downtown plan has not even been brought forward for adoption. They also should know by the comments posted on the city website regarding feedback on the downtown plan, that the majority of attendees stated that these actions and projects that the city keeps approving are not what they believe is best for downtown.
The next stop in this fiasco is of course the developer loving, resident and merchant hating council of this city. A group of some the most clueless and spineless leaders who have ever been seated as our supposed elected representatives, people who are supposed to be the ones protecting the city from bad developments and their impacts. People elected to office to uphold our zoning laws and their intents and purposes but who instead have continually and repeatedly bastardized the area to the point that Oz has lost so much of its past value and charm that repeat tourist will continue to reject the area and new tourist will scratch their heads and ask why they could not have gone to anywhere USA to see the same thing.
The council will approve this "missed opportunity" the same as they have approved all the other "missed opportunities" and this should again stick in the minds of residents and merchants come election day when we as voters do not "miss the opportunity" to run their candy butts out of office.
~Another flat out lie by the Wicked Witch
Did anyone find it funny to read the article by Robert Leger regarding the Barrett- Jackson "negotiations", and did anyone find it funny that once the online comments started regarding his article that basically called Manross a liar that the article disappeared from the web page in the usual quick fashion they always do when Manross starts taking hits?
Did anyone find it funny to read the next day how Lesley Wright wrote about the same issue but never made Mary look like she was lying and instead tried to make it look as though Lane was the one who got stood up by placing the item on an agenda for discussion? Funny how the Oz Repugnant always turns an about face when it comes to their chosen hero to run the city and then think we are all too stupid to figure out what they are trying to do.
Fact is it was made clear that there have been no negotiations held by the Mayor and Barrett-Jackson and there has been no movement forward to a long term or even a short term contract between the two. The Mayor though tried to pretend that negotiations were progressing nicely and even though the other side has never had any negotiations with her and even made note of that to the press, the Mayor, still living in her own little world thinks that she has the issue well in hand.
Fact is the Mayor lied outright to every resident in this city which I am sure does not shock anyone as she has been pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes for the last 8 years but for some reason most of the voters have been too dense to figure it out.
I am going to love to hear what the Mayor has to say when and if the Jackson group decide to expose the facts publicly that Mary has not done one thing to further the efforts to retain the Barrett-Jackson Auction since she proclaimed all the things she was going to do to get the negotiations back on track and get everyone to the table. At this point the only person who has been noted at the table was the Mayor herself and all of her imaginary meetings and team members.
I wonder if she loses in the election if she will still run around pretending she is the Mayor or whether the folks in the nice white suites will cart her away in the straight jacket that has her name all over it ?
~Welcome back to the great PUD
Well there are rumors flying again that the illustrious department of stupidity in planning and development is back to work on trying to get the Planned Unit Development fiasco back on track. Let’s remember that PUD is a past zoning tool that came about after World War II and is nothing new and is defiantly not something the city should be considering under the current regime of misfits that are running this city.
The late and great plan for PUD is being sought for designation to be used in the Downtown area and soon will also be being looked at for the airpark redevelopment. The great push for this new zoning is that it will finally make it legal for developers to build huge and massive projects on parcels of land that are less than 10 acres. It is also noted to give developers special bonuses for height and density, reductions of setback requirements and other lovely little deals so that they can build what? Transit Oriented Development.
As usual though, the push will be for the planning department to get this in front of the council for approval before the next election knowing damned well that if a reform government is put in place they will no longer be able to help their little developer buddies get what they want. Don’t think that for one minute that our present leaders would not jump at the chance to once again subvert the residents and voters wishes by adopting this for downtown before the downtown update is completed and voted on or even to have it done and in place before the general plan update is done. Many residents have been noted in the Big Top at meetings of the three ring circus asking the city to place a halt to some of these fast paced development issues that they keep approving until both of the updates are completed. Do any of you see the council even thinking about that one?
Fact is, if the council majority along with the planning department and Jan Dolan get their way, the PUD zoning will be in place well before the elections take place and then there will be no stopping what the developers can get away with in downtown.
Since this issue is raising its head yet again I will be refreshing readers of why we need to put a stake through the heart of this so called zoning tool because once they get it in place for downtown and the south, it will indeed be a tool they will use up north and in the airpark to increase heights and density once they are done destroying the southern section of the city.
Michael Merrill
F8713@aol.com
~
Council and Mayoral Candidates
Information
Any candidate is welcome to send us information as long as it concerns their position on issues and is kept as short and to the point as possible. We will not go out looking for candidate information, it's up to the candidate to supply us with the information at editor@scottsdaleactivist.com . We get enough diatribes from the Dias as it is. Pontification is discouraged, just the facts please. The Scottsdale Activist does not endorse candidates for election but will suggest options for Ballot measures.
Please send information in MS Word format so it is easily added to the website. If we find we are getting too much information from any candidate, we will limit the amount posted by removing the oldest posting first.
Just click on a candidates name to bring up information tendered to the Scottsdale Activist for public distribution.
If there is information in the file, the name will be underlined.
~ Jim Lane
~ Lisa Borowsky
~ Joel Bramoweth
~ Suzanne Klapp
~Richard Mueller
"It’s getting lonelier all the time at the top for
America, which with a corporate tax rate of 35% is one of the few
developed nations left with a rate of more than 30%... Foreign leaders
have learned that, in a world of easy global capital flows, high tax
rates chase away investment and entrepreneurs."
—The Wall Street Journal
"These are hard days for democracy. That is not a
reason for giving up on it... For the spread of democracy today, we need
to practice our own brand of syncretism and learn not to abandon the
field when forced to settle for regional adaptations that fall short of
the Jeffersonian ideal."
—Charles Krauthammer
~Shout and Spout ~
~When the city council or its member(s) refuse to follow up on an a complaint received anonymously, it is the same irresponsibility that would be shown if the Office of Homeland Security refused to follow up on a threat of terrorism received anonymously. Ignoring these complaints only exemplifies the ignorance of those responsible.
~ If the stupid council passes something this year that we don't like, can a new council majority reverse that action? Editors note: generally yes if the project hasn't been approved or the money hasn't been spent. Look what happened to the police helicopters, we voted for them and the bonds were there, but do you see them flying around the city fighting crime? NO!!!
~ So the ugly buildings at SkySuck are supposed to be "LEEDS" green certified……… Yeah, that’s going to happen. If you know anything about "green" buildings, you know we’re looking at still another Manross lie to add to the dozens she already has perpetrated on an unsuspecting public in her career. How far will the Manross-Dolan puppet Frank Gray go on this one before he admits there’s no way those buildings are anywhere close to having even one green element in or near them?
~ Dolan is a user and a loser. I have SEEN her drinking alcohol and the employees are right, but then who would believe a lowly employee who's only trying to help the city get back on track. Should I open my mouth?? Sure, I'd be fired or transferred to BF nowhere in a matter of minutes with a scarlet letter in my file.
~ We are so sorry to see that Jim Derouin isn't going to run for mayor or the council. He would have won either the mayoral or council race hands down and would have been one of the best elected city people we could ever ask for. We hope he will try in a couple of years.
~ Sorry, Manross or Lane? I'll be voting for Lane who is the lesser of the 2 evils unless I decide to only vote for council people. Neither Manross or Lane do anything for me and they haven't done anything for the city except expand height and density while increasing the city debt. They both voted for SonRise School and the Earl Street Condos, etc, etc, etc. No good choice here.
~ The Setup deal the council majority did with Dolan and the Secret meeting was the last straw for me. I've been a Manross supporter for decades, but she really screwed up this term. Lane will begrudgingly get my vote.
~Manross/Drake etc. think they can keep all this stuff the employees allege quiet just like Ecton & Co kept quiet about who was behind the Nesvig challenge in 2006. Wrong. The Council is failing in its primary duty to ensure that the City is run efficiently and that patently is not happening. Would any of these employees be prepared to give their names to a Council member – say Bob – on continued condition on anonymity? That way it can be raised again at Council and more credibility can be established as to the validity of the complaints. If names were to be released then those people ought to be more secure actually because any action against them will only prove their point.
~Why is it that Manross and Dolan just don't get it? .... or do they but couldn't care less? Manross cares about nothing more than her legacy. You used to tell us that and I didn't believe it, but after what's been going on, it's very obvious isn't it?
~ I worked under Mary O'Connor in Tempe. She was a disaster then and has graduated to a super disaster under Dolan from everything I see and read as I drive through your town. I truly feel sorry for the city of Scottsdale if you don't get a new majority on the council to turn things around before it's too late. If you don't, Scottsdale residents will be the biggest losers in the valley.
~ Lane or Manross?? What a joke!! They vote almost the same all the time. The only difference I can find is that Lane is a little more frugal and Manross has zero ideas how to save the taxpayers money. Manross has spent more money per capita than any mayor in history and between she and Dolan have lost more money in stupid schemes than any councilperson. mayor or city manager in the city's history. Lane will get my vote as I back up to the voting machine because he's the only choice over Manross.
~ I'd love to recall "Queen Mary", but in reality, it would be better to have Lane or anyone beat her on the first ballot to slap her back into reality and kick her out of the political process for good.
~ Bob Littlefield is probably one of the best Councilmen we have had. Brash? Yup, but right on the mark. He has a handle on what the citizens want. Becker? He doesn't care about Becker and his recall, because Bob has enough friends who will make sure he's re-elected even if Becker spends the $80,000 to try to get the signatures. Henry!! Why don't you just resubmit your land plans and see what happens? You might be in a position now to get what you ask for.
~ Being a retired metallurgist, I knew this day was coming where the rails were going to part and I'm laughing my ass off over it. Light rail was totally ill-researched from day one and they still don't get it and won't. This is the most screwed up city/county in the entire USA. Hopefully, we'll get some new council people who know up from down for a change.
~ Bravo Bob Littlefield for a great Council Corner. You are right on all accounts. Becker is a spoiled brat and wouldn't know a gift horse if it kicked him in the face, Go Bob, and Henry, Please go away!!
~Henry Becker is a certifiable egotist with far too much money for the amount of brains he's showing. Henry!! Stop this stupid recall thing. Sadly, you cannot win and all you are doing is turning the rest of the city against you. Re-file your plans for your property and see what happens, what do you have to lose???
~By the time Manross, Dolan, Gray, Shearer and O'Connor get done, Scottsdale will be a second hand also ran. The Arena is gone, as is Rawhide, etc, etc, etc. We'll probably lose Barrett-Jackson soon to due to the stupidity and total ignorance on the part of all 5 of them.
~ Derouin was the perfect choice with Nesvig the only other candidate now who has shown us anything. It seem like we see her at many meeting in both the north and the south, is extremely sharp on city issues and isn't afraid to discuss what you want to see in a council person. She is a spark plug and will get things done. That's more than we can say for the council majority we're having to deal with today.
You remember when Bell Rd. (especially through Glendale) was considered the edge of civilization. There was nothing there but tumbleweeds and prairie dogs. Now, it's where you go to run all your errands. Or if you were traveling eastbound on Bell Rd. , the sign that said, "Scottsdale-21 miles".
Your parents took you to Legend City. The only theme park Phoenix had.
Mornings were spent watching "The Wallace and Ladmo Show". When it was over, it was time to leave for school. "Ladmo Bags"
You remember when Beardsley Rd. was seldom traveled, two land blacktop. Now, it's the eastbound frontage road for the 101 freeway.
Before there was Target, there was Gemco. Now, most of the old Gemco stores are Targets.
You watched Star Wars at the old Cine Capri.
You remember stores like Yellow Front, Woolco, Woolworth’s 5 and dime, Newberry's, McCrory's, TG&Y, FedMart, Sprouse Reitz, Wards and Yates.
You remember Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor. No Farrell's trip was complete without getting to see two waiters run through the restaurant with a sundae resting on a stretcher, while lights and sirens whirred in the background. Don't forget the trip to the candy store.
You saw a concert at Compton Terrace. When it was attached to Legend City.
Your Dad subscribed to the Phoenix Gazette (afternoon paper) and the Arizona Republic on Sunday.
You remember when you got your building supplies from Foxworth-Galbraith, O'Malley's, Entz-White, Angels, Handy-Andy, or Payless Cashways.
You remember the Phoenix Suns were the only professional sports team in the state, and they played their games at Memorial Coliseum, the "Mad House" on McDowell.
Your groceries came from Alpha Beta, AJ Bayless, Lucky's, Neb 's Market or Smitty's. Smitty's even had a little coffee shop attached to it.
A night out consisted of family dinner at the Lunt Ave. Marble Club.
You at breakfast at Sambo's or Bob's Big Boy.
You remember when houses were built with carports instead of garages. Roofs were covered with wood shakes or asphalt shingles instead of concrete tiles.
Your aspirin and cough syrup came from Skagg's, Revco, Thrifty's or Drug Emporium.
Your shoes were from Buster Brown.
You remember when CBS was on channel 10...ABC was on channel 3...and channels 5 and 15 were independent. Now, CBS is on channel 5...FOX is on channel 10...ABC is on channel 15...and channel 3 no longer has a network affiliation. NBC and PBS are the only ones that stayed on their original stations.
You remember when channel 15 broadcast pay TV at night (It was called ON-TV).
You woke up to Bruce Kelly in the morning on KZZP. Before that, Jonathon Brandmeier and his "loons"!
You remember the only real rock and roll stations were KRIZ and KRUX in the 60's.
You rode the "Tico" to Park Central.&n