Volume
'08-07
Posted
Late Saturdays
February 16, 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 ~ 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 - HanUnder Project? "Bait & Switch"? Toll Brothers?? ~ Thought for the Week -- President Abraham Lincoln ~ Quote(s) of the Week -- Various ~ 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
~ Kindly Remember Who You Represent
Before I sat down to write this editorial, I took a long walk in my neighborhood and thought about all of the people who have left the employment of the City of Scottsdale in the last 18 months.
Wow! Many key people with years of experience and a comprehension of the City’s history are no longer here.
Don’t misunderstand, please. I did not agree with all of them all of the time, but over all they were what maintained the continuity needed for a city this size to function in the absence of committed leadership which is sorely lacking.
We could be headed into even more fractious times I am afraid.
Property rights are not just the privilege of the wealthy or developers. If you own your single family home in South Scottsdale, it is your castle, your investment and it should be respected with the same force as anyone, anywhere else in Scottsdale.
It is time that the Planning Commission and the Development Review Board remember that they are appointed to represent all of us, not just the developer coming into the City or the attorney’s that represent them. All of their decisions should be made based upon what is good for all of us now and not just 20 years from now. It’s quite apparent they obviously don’t have a crystal ball either.
I have written many times criticizing both of bodies, and will continue to do so because no one on either the Planning Commission or the Development Review Board has shown an ounce of respect or care for the residents who must live with either entities decisions.
Planning Commissioners should be contacted and should be required to respond to concerns of the community.
They are
David Barnett, DBarnett@ScottsdaleAZ.gov;
James Heitel, JHeitel@ScottsdaleAZ.gov;
Eric Hess, EHess@ScottsdaleAZ.gov;
Kevin O’Neill, Mr. O’Niell does not provide contact information;
Jeffrey Schwartz, Mr. Schwartz does not provide contact information;
Steve Steinberg, chairman, Mr. Steinberg does not provide contact information.
For those Planning Commissioners who do not provide contact information, they can be reached by calling
As for the Development Review Board, and this one is important to contact because many of the cases that go before the DRB, as it is referred to, do not have to go through the same hearing process required by cases that go to the Planning Commission and do not require the approval of the City Council.
This board hears cases that sometimes impact our mature single family residential neighborhoods and with the changes being made to planning and zoning codes it is going to be more important than ever that the neighborhoods be aware and express their concerns.
The Development Review Board is currently chaired by Councilwoman Betty Drake (council members rotate the chair position so check to see whose is current) she can be contacted at
BDrake@scottsdaleaz.gov or (480)312-2550 or fax 480-312-7885;
Jeremy Jones, vice chair, provides no contact information;
Steve Steinke, provides no contact information;
David Brantner, provides no contact information;
Michael D’Andrea, provides no contact information;
Michael Edwards, provides no contact information; and
Michael Schmitt, provides no contact information.
For all of the members who do not have contact information you may contact
The hearing schedules for this commission and these boards are subject to change, but the link to the Planning Commission Hearing Schedule is:
And the link to the DRB Hearing Schedule is:
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/documents/BoardAgendas/DRB/2008_+Hearing_Schedule.pdf
Don’t hesitate to call any of the phone numbers provided above to check on the time and place for meetings.
The final presentation voice on projects is the City Council and it is very important to make sure that each and every Council person understands issues and can address questions individually.
If any Council person cannot discuss a project clearly and provide answers in a timely fashion before Council meetings where they must vote, they really need to step down and find another place to spend their time.
That goes for the Mayor and the City Manager, too.
Contact information for Council is:
Betty Drake, (480)312-2550 or bdrake@scottsdaleaz.gov;
Wayne Ecton, (480)312-2550 or wecton@scottsdaleaz.gov;
Jim Lane, (480)312-2550 or jlane@scottsdaleaz.gov;
Bob Littlefield, (480)312-2550 or rlittlefield@scottsdaleaz.gov;
Ron McCullagh, (480)312-2550 or rmccullagh@scottsdaleaz.gov;
Tony Nelssen, (480)312-2550 or tnelssen@scottsdaleaz.gov
Mayor Mary Manross, (480) 312-2433, and (480) 312-2738 (fax)
or
mmanross@scottsdaleaz.gov and
City Manager Jan Dolan, (480) 312-2800 or jdolan@scottsdaleaz.gov
Speak up. Be heard before decisions are made that require initiatives and referendum, litigation, and conflict and anger in our community, and in our neighborhoods.
Appointed or elected officials must respond to the residents concerns respectfully and in a timely fashion.
That is what good government is about. ………………..Isn’t it????
~ Master of "Bait & Switch" Working Scottsdale;
Who is Mark Jacoby and Who is Paying Him?
This is a very important article which can save you and your signature from being used by someone else to do unsavory things which you never thought could happen. For your own piece of mind and honesty of the system, Please read on.
Fortunately for us, someone who knows the in’s and out’s of the political process was approached by a signature gatherer in a parking lot a few days ago and asked to sign some petitions. This person became suspicious when the signature gatherer told her all she had to do was fill in the top petition and then sign all four (4) petitions (on the same clipboard) with the signature gatherer telling her that he would fill out the other sheets for her.
After she heard the spiel, she got very suspicious and asked what they were for. The top two petitions were for two (2) referenda for holding the line on property taxes; however, she then found that the bottom two (2) (with headers covered), were recall petitions for Littlefield and Ecton. When questioned about the rather apparent and obvious "Bait and Switch" tactic of putting the recall petitions under the popular tax relief petitions, the signature gatherer told her that these two guys needed to be recalled because they had lied about almost everything to the citizens they represented and everyone wanted them out of office, which is a total lie about both councilmen, love them or hate them.
At this point, our suspicious friend promptly scratched out her signatures on all sheets she had signed as did those who overheard the conversation, and she then admonished the signature gatherer for mass misrepresentation.
We called the specific center where the signature gatherers were working to find out if they had given permission for these people to collect signatures in the parking lot. The manager of the large operation said absolutely not and would have them removed immediately. They do allow signature gatherers only if they ask permission, are unpaid volunteers and are known customers of the specific center where they have chosen to collect signatures.
After this unsavory episode, we decided to do some research. The first thing we discovered was that these signature gatherers were reportedly working for a known and notorious signature gatherer company either owned or managed by Mark Jacoby of California.
We also found that his reputation for alleged unethical and possibly illegal "Bait & Switch" tactics with petition gathering is legendary nationwide as reiterated by a number of statements from a number of websites found under "Mark Jacoby" on Goggle. We didn’t go into depth on the search because what we found answered our questions.
Below are some of the notes we found on the internet:
Angela McElroy, a college student from Florida, who was paid by a professional signature gatherer, told lawmakers ''Mark trained me personally in bait and switch tactics . . . The fraud was looked upon as a game," she said. ''I felt horrible for lying to so many people." Her boss, Mark Jacoby, is in fact a subcontractor, hired by Arno Political Consultants, based in California. She revealed the details of bait-and-switch tactics that are allegedly standard practice for the thirty or more petitioners she worked with and even describes an instance where she witnessed another worker forging names and addresses directly from one petition to a totally different petition in order to increase his earnings being that these people are paid per signature gathered. McElroy reports threats of violence from her former employers and has had officials listen to phone messages that confirm her claims.
McElroy's former employer, YPM LLC, a signature gathering company run by Mark Jacoby, has partnered in Massachusetts with JSM, Inc., run by Jennifer Breslin. Both companies have been investigated for fraud in other states and appear to be working as subcontractors for California based Arno Political Consultants.
Why hire Mark Jacoby?
Now that we have uncovered who and what Mark Jacoby really is and does through the words of others, the question is who hired him to do this "Bait & Switch" dirty work here in Scottsdale?
Being that the top petitions on the gatherers clip boards were on the tax initiatives, we checked with both the Prop13Arizona and Arizona TAX revolt people info@Prop13Arizona.com & http://www.arizonataxrevolt.org/ only to find that they never have hired or authorized the hiring of any signature gatherers because they say they don’t need them being that both initiatives are grass roots efforts! (For more information, click on their website links in the Activist)
Both organization leaders were very upset that anyone would use their petitions as a "Bait & Switch" Scam at any time anywhere. They want everyone to sign their petition sheets, but not under these underhanded and unethical conditions and circumstances.
These two honest, upstanding grass roots organizations have asked that we make it perfectly clear that they ARE NOT involved in this obvious "Bait & Switch" scam and abhor anyone who perpetrates anything like this on honest, unsuspecting voters. These two organizations want nothing but the best for Arizona and her citizens.
These "Bait & Switch" gypsies, who collect these types of signatures, are paid up to $4 dollars per signature, and you wonder why they cheat with 20,000 signatures possible?
The only reason we can figure that Mark Jacoby and his slight-of-hand gypsies were hired is that all other local legitimate signature gatherers are too honest or have been hired by the incumbents and council candidates due to the untimely death of Cal Holman who was a very good and honest signature gatherer and was working for a number of candidates and incumbents, causing precious signature gathering time to be lost.
Henry Beck is Behind the Recalls. Is he the Man Behind Mark Jacoby?
Would Henry Becker stoop to the level of hiring someone with Mark Jacoby’s apparent nefarious reputation to get his recall petitions signed? Only Henry Becker knows that for sure, but this is Henry’s recall so who else would be paying Mark Jacoby?
If it is Henry, we would like to think that he hired a "Bait & Switch" artist like Mark Jacoby not knowing of his sinister way of doing business. But if Henry did hire this "Bait & Switch" hooligan, he needs to call him off immediately and get him the hell out of Dodge!
Although neither the Attorney General nor the County Attorney usually take public corruption seriously, both being too busy running for office themselves, but Henry should fear an investigation into Jacoby’s fraudulent record and his conduct in Scottsdale on Henry’s behalf because they ARE running for office and don’t want the same thing happening to them.
If Henry has hired Mark Jacoby, he will have totally lost all respect in the City at large. But, then, does Henry really give a rat’s damn? We hope so, but only Henry knows for sure…….
Questions:
How many of our city council candidates and
incumbents know the real background and success rates of those
who are collecting signatures for them?
From which local "hired gun" did they get the
names of the signature gatherers they are paying to get
signatures for them?
Who are the local "Hired Guns" with whom they
would consult?
How much are they paying per signature?
The more paid signatures a candidate needs to fill the requirements to be on the ballot reflects directly on how well the community supports their candidacy.
The Key:
The key is to know what you are signing and look at everything you sign. If you find it’s something you don’t agree with, don’t understand or isn’t what you thought it was, draw a solid line through every line you signed so they can’t electronically copy your signature to something else. Most of all, don’t listen to the line of flagrant bull crap these creeps try to use to sway your opinion and don’t sign anything you don’t fully understand.
Secondly, according to the Election Laws, any and all recall petitions must have every single signature verified by the county (or City) before a recall can be certified which makes getting the necessary signatures required very hard, and you can bet we will make sure they are properly handled and verified.
Third, the Activist intends to file an election law complaint with the appropriate offices calling attention to the fraud going on in Scottsdale. We’ll see where the trail leads.
George Knowlton, Editor
Scottsdale,
480-326-2475
~ Consent Agenda? …..A Secret Agenda!!
Once again Scottsdale city government is trying to hide an important decision from the citizens by burying it in the Council’s Consent Agenda. If you check out the agenda for the February 19th City Council meeting you will find on the consent agenda item 17 and 17A. "City of Scottsdale v. Toll Brothers AZ Construction Company, Request: Direct the City’s attorneys whether to pursue an appeal of the judgment in City of Scottsdale v. Toll Brothers AZ Construction Company." You can see the details of these items at:
#17 http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/asset19629.aspx
#17A http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/asset19739.aspx
Why are these items important? Because this appeal is not about getting the city a better result from a bad decision, it is about Manross and Dolan putting off the day of reckoning on this item until after the city elections in the fall, hopefully (for Manross and Dolan) until after Manross is safely re-elected.
The history of this debacle is complicated but the basics are this:
In 2002 the city decided to not bid on an 800-acre parcel of State land, half of which is supposed to be in the Preserve. Not only is this land supposed to be in the Preserve, but it is the land where the city plans to put the gateway to the Preserve, the Desert Discovery Center. At the time Manross and Dolan said the city did not have the money to buy the entire 800 acres, so they let Toll Brothers buy it (for $85,000/acre) and condemned the part that is supposed to be in the Preserve.
Fast forward to January, 2008, when a jury awarded Toll Brothers an astonishing $214,000/acre for the 383 acres that is supposed to be in the Preserve. That means that Toll Brothers essentially got the entire parcel for free, since they only paid $66.3M for the entire 800 acres originally.
About the original claim by Manross and Dolan that the city did not have enough money to buy the entire 800 acres? If that is so, then where did the city get the money to pay Steve Ellman $42M in 2004 for the lot at Los Arcos (twice the appraised value of that land) and $80M in 2007 for parking at WestWorld (both of these costs are before interest charges, which will double these numbers).
So, wouldn’t it make sense to appeal this outrageous judgment in the hopes of getting it lowered? It would, if there was any hope that an appeal might result in a lower figure. But the land the city purchased for parking at WestWorld cost about $400,000/acre. If a new jury sees that comp they might award Toll Brothers more than $214,000/acre ($82 million) for the 383 acres adding another $34 million above the $48 million the court has already set as the price Scottsdale must pay.
The taxpayers would be thrown from the frying pan into the fire.
The truth is that this appeal isn’t about saving the taxpayers money.
It is about Manross and Dolan trying to avoid being held accountable for a monumental multi-million-dollar screw-up and move any court decision well past the September ’08 election so Manross doesn’t have to explain herself prior to the election.
Hint to mayoral hopeful Jim Lane: if you really want the voters to see why Manross needs to be replaced you should pull this item off the consent agenda to force a public discussion and vote.
We’re very concerned about the way the council majority and the mayor try to put things on the Consent Agenda with little to no discussion rather than allow them to be heard on the Kiva floor so the public is fully aware of the possible massive consequences actions such as the one below can cost the taxpayers.
Bottom Line:
Two cases involve massive unnecessary amounts of taxpayer dollars.
In the Toll Brothers case, an unadvisable appeal will allow the Court to raise the amount the city owes Toll Brothers above the already $48 million to as much as $214,000 per acre ($82 million) as well as paying all legal costs for both sides which could amount to a total of over $450,000 dollars which will all come directly from the Preserve Property Acquisition coffers.
In the Hualapai case which will be heard in June ‘08, the taxpayer dollars are on the line for the entire amount of over $10 million dollars plus still more legal costs after still another major screw-up by Manross and Dolan. If Manross can convince the Court to extend the court date on this case beyond the September election date, she will avoid personal verbal deposition and the good chance for a charge of malfeasance in office which is a felony and will force her out of office by law. Would such a charge be a reason to lie? Not if you are a good and honest Catholic! It could be a little harder to convict her if she has just been re-elected.
Is it really worth all of the probable problems these kinds of moves can make just to help minimize the election self-inflicted problems of one Mayor Manross at massive taxpayer expense?
~ Poorly Designed Hanover Project
This project is simply an over built, over hyped, too tall, too dense, "Plain Jane" under achieving development which doesn’t deserve consideration by the city council until it shows that it decides to be an outstanding addition to the downtown area such as the Yari Brothers project by listening to the residents instead of the "Hired Guns" who, in the words of many, have misrepresented to the developers the stated sentiments of the majority of area residents.
This project has the potential of being another very positive "Signature Project" for Scottsdale if properly designed and presented to area residents and the downtown business owners for approval as the Yari Brothers did prior to presenting the new design to any city entity.
Maybe it’s going to be the time to expose who the local "Hired Guns" representing these projects really are.
If this "Hire Gun" (yes, we know who you are) wants to start being totally truthful with the developer as well as those they contact concerning the projects they represent, we’d be happy to print the project particulars in their entirety to help promote the project if it fits the area and has the residents approval.
We doubt seriously that this known "Hired Gun" would ever allow that to happen for fear that the real truth about the project would kill it immediately. It would be DOA because it doesn’t match the needs of the residents or the area, would be asking for height and density increases in the form of zoning and general plan changes and doesn’t take into consideration the reasonable wishes and considerations of the area residents. If the Yari Brothers can do it, everyone can do it.
We are now getting many complaints about a new project on Pima across from the old golf course and on the west side of Pima just north of the Pavilions Shopping Center which is currently "The Inn at Pima" property which has been represented by the same "Hired Guns".
Those area residents are furious and want the project stopped in its tracks for the same reasons as the Hanover Project. So what’s new with the projects this "Hired Gun" represents?
We’ll have more on that unfortunate proposed development next week.
~ Community Council of Scottsdale Meeting
The Community Council of Scottsdale will meet on Feb 21st, 7:00pm at the Granite Reef Scottsdale Senior Center, 1700 N Granite Reef Rd. Public welcome.
The subjects: "Working Class Housing" at Belleview and 72nd St.
"Update on the Los Arcos site".
The speaker for Working Class Housing will be Brian Swanton, CEO of Community Services of AZ.
Questions expected: Is this subsidized housing? How will it affect the neighborhood?
The update on Los Arcos will be by David Roderique, soon to depart Manager of City of Scottsdale's Economic Vitality and Development Dept.
Questions expected: Why so slow in development? What is next?
Public invited and there will be a chance to ask questions.
Jerry Lennemann, President. 480 945 7557.
We're hearing more and more about the serious discontent with the current administration and how they are allowing really stinking and stupid projects to be passed by the DRB, Planning Commission and City Council for construction.
Because of the discontent, there are a number of groups organizing for referendums to offset coming council votes should they approve any of the projects listed below as they currently are configured.
Hanover
Waterview
Orchidtree
Centrovida (formerly Los Arcos Crossing)
The Inn at Pima
You would think that the council would take a second look at what the resident are saying but apparently in their minds, the resident know nothing and therefore are not included in the decisions.
Of course McCullagh couldn't give a damn because he owes every developer in town according to his Campaign Financials so, as usual, he'll approve every single one that comes up as he has all along.
We wonder what the city government and their developer buddies will do when the residents win the referendums which will force the changes or abandonment of the projects for lack of funding?
~ Ethical: To Be or Not To Be?
In today’s Scottsdale Republic in Lesley Wright’s column, the question to be or not to be ethical again raised its dirty little head.
From the Lesley Wright column, it appears that Carla has been secretly receiving compensation of both a salary and benefits from the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy under her agreement with the Conservancy to resign her seat. She apparently resigned her seat over what was determined by the city legal staff to be a conflict of interest if she voted on certain issues based on the new, highly regarded Scottsdale Ethics Code.
The resignation was Carla’s conscientious choice which we found refreshing in city government for a change although we don’t find the secret agreement too appealing after we heard about it. Was that secret agreement really fair to others as well as the taxpayers?
Carla has reapplied for her seat but "the Conservancy Board not so subtly suggested that she might still have a conflict since she would have her Conservancy buyout checks through March and her Insurance through June".
Interestingly enough, the city legal department apparently somewhat sidestepped a prior opinion and allowed her to be eligible to retake her seat even though she was being compensated with city funds, and being that anyone serving on a board must apparently sit out one full term before being eligible for reappointment.
We want to make it perfectly clear here that this editorial IS NOT about Carla because she does have infinite wisdom and necessary experience with the environmental needs of the Preserve even though our position is not particularly in agreement with by others.
This editorial is really about the way this city goes about its arbitrary enforcement of the City Charter, Ethics Code, and city Regulations and Ordinances and other written legal positions used to keep the city legally responsible and even handed with all operations with any city control or financial contributions, otherwise referred to as being as close to "blind justice" and non-discriminatory as possible.
As we understand it, city employees are not allowed to serve on boards, commissions and committees. Volunteer citizen members of boards, commissions and committees are admonished about serving on more than one entity at a time. In addition, based on the Ethics Code, they are admonished about working for any company doing business with the city of Scottsdale, especially a company or entity which could come under the jurisdiction of the entity to which they are a member and would have a Yea or Nay vote over any action involving that company or entity.
That said, we find it interesting that many members of the DRB and Planning Commission do work for or own companies who do business with the city of Scottsdale, yet they are allowed to remain on said entities and even vote on issues involving those companies. There are members who have designed public buildings for the city without a peep from the legal department about a conflict of interest while serving on their board or commission.
What we are seeing is the slow but steady chipping away of the Ethics Code through questionable legal decisions which was so arduously and diligently put together by so many dedicated volunteer citizens who really care about the ethics in our city‘s government.
Isn’t it time we stopped these slight of hand of legal decisions, bad decisions about who represents the citizens vs. who they work for, or lack of enforcement of the ethics code, rules and regulations thereof?
~ The "Dumbing Down" & the Inequities Abound?
We have been advised through a number of sources both inside and outside the city circles that after Ralph Noriega was promoted to Field Engineering Manager of the Inspection and Land Survey Services, the supervisory position he vacated was obviously open with Noriega being the one to suggest or even choose who should be appointed as his successor.
It has been suggested that of the three candidates who were basically qualified for the position, all were inspectors but two (2) had been there for a combined total of 30 (thirty) years! At least one of the two reportedly holds a Bachelor's degree in a field directly applicable to the open position and both have paid their dues ten fold according to many and are noted as being highly rated and qualified employees. We’re told Noriega does not possess a degree while his subordinates do. What’s so very wrong with this picture? (This situation kind of reminds us of the Malcolm Hankins hiring in the Code Enforcement department; although originally a degree was required, all of a sudden that qualification disappeared.)
The candidate chosen had only been with the City for two (2) years but happens to be Ralph's obvious favorite and, you guessed it, was promoted to the supervisory position over the other two far more qualified and tenured candidates!!
Why does top city management and the city manager allow this type of rather obvious discrimination to occur? We thought the city was an equal opportunity employer who promotes the most qualified candidate to the coveted open positions? Can anyone stop this kind of unmitigatable and discriminatory turn of events that seems to have taken root within the hiring and promoting process within the city?
As a side note, Mr. Noriega, reportedly a married man, might watch very closely with whom he eats lunch, enjoys one on one closed door meetings, and other extra curricular activities according to many. Stories abound and we’re told we should personally check into or possibly try to witness those occasions for ourselves. With a nice high pixel, long range digital camera perhaps?
We would happily retract all of the suggested situations noted herein if Mr. Noriega can factually and in writing prove otherwise.
The situation above again vividly points out the "dumbing down" of the employee hiring requirements under City Manager Jan Dolan and her close advisor, Assistant City Manager Neal Shearer.
We’re trying to figure out why they would do this unless they are trying to save the salary dollars and use them for other pet projects the mayor wants completed before she is unceremoniously voted out of office in September.
Our Founding Fathers fought for the right for all citizens to have a voice in their government, local, county, state or federal as did every member of the military (dead and alive) over the 230+ years this country has existed.
Many now say "my vote won’t count anyway", or "I voted for what they claimed they would do, but they lied to me, so why vote?", "We have been lied to so many times that I no longer believe anyone who runs for office, SkySong being a prime example of bald faced lies, cover-ups and massive unnecessary over the top spending."
We have all heard these cries for honesty, open government, prudent spending, and more public input into the decisions made by the city council.
BUT, none of these examples of poor governance are an excuse to sit on your hands and not vote!!
By not voting, you are allowing the candidate with the most money or establishment "friends" to simply buy the election!
Our current administration is very good at beating down the competition with well placed anonymous lies or half truths to the point that many voters have refused to vote which allows the current incumbents to win over the honest candidates who Do Care, Do want to help, and Do need your vote to get us out of the political malaise and misdirection the City of Scottsdale, under the current administration finds itself.
Before you decide to sit on your hands again and not vote, think of who you are helping and who you are hurting. Not casting a ballot helps those you despise while casting a vote while maybe even holding your nose, benefits those who have worked so hard to get things done to affect change in our city.
You may not like either candidate for mayor, or some for council. But, sometimes it comes down to the fact that you MUST vote for the lesser of the two evils to at least try to get the city moving back in the right direction again.
You would think that based on the city’s apparent legal position on the Adult Shop, they have concluded that Zorba’s is an undesirable business for Scottsdale. That’s funny; Zorba’s pays property taxes, sales taxes and other taxes and has one of the cleanest police records in the city with apparently no more than 3 non-business related calls in over 30 years!
Almost all bars and entertainment venues in downtown Scottsdale have far worse police records in just one week. Some of the big name bars in Scottsdale have far worse records on any given Friday evening! Restaurants with or without bars have more problems. Motels and hotels have worse records. How about movie theaters?
Kindly tell us what businesses that deal in entertainment, food or drink have a better record? I doubt you will find any in Scottsdale.
We think it’s truly a shame that a business run as cleanly and orderly, and is as well kept as this should be targeted by an unrealistically prudish mayor and her band of yes-uh-huh-fine go along Council majority.
We may not agree with the business inside, but we don’t feel the council, city legal department or staff has the right to try to legislate morality unless it is illegally affecting those patrons inside the walls, or the neighbors outside the walls of the place of business.
You cannot legislate morality any more than you can run the "Pink Taco" out of town because it offends ever prudish "Queen Mary".
Drop the unrealistic rules you have imposed on this business and refer back to the settlement agreement from 1995 and be done with it.
When will they ever learn?
~Letters to the Editor
letters@scottsdaleactivist.com
~An Open Letter to Henry Becker
Henry, I've known you for a number of years and have found you to be a basically honest and a sincerely concerned and generally a good citizen. I've also heard you say on numerous occasions that the current administration is totally ruining the city with a total lack of vision and selfish stupidity.
With that being said, I also know that you have taken conversations out of context and used them against your so called enemies who really have done nothing to hurt you or yours that couldn't have been worked out by reasonable adult discussions. You also hold grudges which don't help anyone but hurt only you, no matter what you say about it.
If you REALLY want to help this seriously faltering city as you have claimed many times in the past, you'll take down those signs and work with me and the majority of the citizens to replace those who are coming up for election instead of running a BS recall effort against those who have done the most to help you and the rest of the down trodden residents with an apparent "Bait and Switch" scumbag who has nothing short of a nefarious reputation and charges nationwide for fraud. This Recall effort is turning the remainder of the city against you which is very sad in my mind because I know you can really be a very nice, caring and compassionate person from personal experience.
You then need to sit down with the honest and sincere intent and total commitment to work with the residents and the city to get your property developed in a manner acceptable to you and the residents; yes the resident do have a say in what is placed next to their property just as you say you have that same right.
You need to remember that money doesn't buy happiness or power and that has been proved over and over for hundreds of years, but real conversation and the sincere want to help will win over all the money available in the long run.
Are you going to continue to sit and cut bait Henry, or do you really want to go fishing for the big ones?
Instead of using your fortune to hurt those that have already been hurt by a useless and rudderless administration, why don't you use your fortune to help cleanse the city of the nasty fungus that is enveloping it more and more every day?
If you would like to talk about what you CAN do Henry, give me a call. We've talked before and we've got to put a stop to this nonsense for the betterment of this city which was once a great city and can be again, with your help.
Will you help us with this Henry?
George Knowlton,
Scottsdale
480-326-2475
Mr. Roderique:
It has come to our attention that you will soon leave Scottsdale Government to take a post in Phoenix.
This is perhaps the best news coming from city offices in some time.
Your job performance and understanding of forward thinking, from the standpoint of city progress and growth has been abysmal, at best. The fact that you championed The Galleria and SkySong will cost the Taxpayers of Scottsdale many millions.
These, of course, are not your sole failures, but simply the most egregious. It has been felt by many who watched the debacles you were party to that the only way you kept your job was by being a loyalist of our clueless Mayor, and inept/incompetent City Manager/Treasurer.
We can say with certainty our good fortune in seeing you go will be detrimental to Phoenix. I further understand that you have been, or will be interviewed by Michael Ryan..... we are sure that you see this as a career enhancer since Mr. Ryan has never, to anyone's knowledge, ever asked a hard hitting, focused question that may jeopardize advertising revenue for The Arizona (or Scottsdale) Republic.
Steve Rivero-Lowen
Scottsdale
~ Arizona Republic Insensitive
Only a newspaper run by committees and with a parent company headquartered out of state could have run such a story on its Sunday front page. I'm referring to yesterday's Arizona Republic, which, with its half-million circulation dropping like an anvil, is owned by Gannett.
Writing about the great condo deals in downtown San Diego, the front-page story essentially encouraged Arizonans to look into the deals for their summer getaways.
In other words, the hell with the Republic's hometown, where the residential real estate market has been devastated, where the commercial real estate bubble will soon burst, where condo developments and conversions are going belly up for a lack of buyers, and where developers and contractors, including some of my friends and acquaintances, don't know how they're going to escape personal bankruptcy.
What's that great ripping sound? It's the sound of Republic subscriptions being torn up by the tens of thousands of readers in the construction business. The paper must have a death wish.
Regards,
Craig J. Cantoni
Scottsdale
Living in the Land of Oz by Michael Merrill
~Shame, Shame, We know your names
Well Ozites, I have to say I really never realized just how blatantly and with total smugness, and the "screw you attitude", is all bottled up in one Oz council member who goes by the name of Ronald McCullagh; and how it all can go ignored and unreported.
Recently Mr. Ron had 2 (two) complaints filed against his finance reports submission. One filed by the George Knowlton and one filed by yours truly which both seek specific and separate actions.
George is looking for an amended statement which is fine as it will confirm what you are going to read about who his donations are coming from.
Mine seeks that the city attorney take action against Mr. McCullagh for knowingly violating State campaign finance laws regarding the submission of his documents
And let’s just take a second look at his filing and the fact that he has very little financial support from Scottsdale residents. In fact, many of his contributors are not even in this state which would not be so bad if they were not almost all tied to large developments and developers.
To see McCullagh's Amended Campaign Financials Click here
Let’s take a quick peek at some of his contributors.
Mark Solomon, Philadelphia PA.
Morey Goldberg, Cherry Hills NJ.
Paul Silberberg, Wynnewood, AZ.
William Landman, Philadelphia, PA.
Peter Miller, Bryn Mawr, PA.
Now let’s take a quick peek at the company called CMS Companies which operates in 33 states or territories as CMS investment resources Inc. founded in 1981. It is located at 308 East Lancaster Avenue in Wynnewood PA. It would seem that Paul Silberberg (above) actually lives in PA and not Arizona as noted in Mr. McCullagh’s report.
Now CMS company’s web site will show two things. One, CMS is a huge company made up of a lot of little companies. Unless you are a member, you can not find out squat about their membership or the "family".
http://www.cmsco.com/index.html
I found it odd that Ron would be able to hold such company with people like Mark Solomon Chairman of CMS and Morey Goldberg who is Vice President, Registered Principal, CCO of CMS. Or maybe we should wonder about the other two, Paul Silberberg who is President of CMS, or that William Landman who is also listed as Vice President according to its FINRA report. I guess we should not forget about Mr. Miller who holds many titles at CMS if you clink on his link below to the federal elections committee reports.
http://www.finra.org/brokercheck
Now these boys are heavily into campaign contributions, being involved on both the State and Federal levels and having contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars if not, in one case, over a million easily. You can see who they supported by these links.
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/new_jersey_cherry_hill_08003.asp?cycle=08
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?zip=19010&last=MILLER&first=PETER
So the question that comes to mind is: What are these people doing in local elections and donating money hand over fist to see McCullagh back in office?
Could the persistent rumors of his getting help from, maybe, a city manager who put him in touch with these people be true?
Could Ronnie be one of the "family" that no one can find out about?
How could Ronnie have gotten to know such people?
Well I found this on the CMS website which could explain the matter of what CMS is doing in Scottsdale (although I would think that big wigs of this caliber had people to take care of such business and that they would not have to meet with the lowly likes of just a simple council member).
"CMS sponsored partnerships have been investing in real estate since 1981. Over the past twenty-five years, we have focused on multifamily housing, which has the capacity to produce stable cash-on-cash annual distributions, as well as attractive overall returns.
Other successful niches we have pursued include acquiring, upgrading, upflagging and operating previously-underperforming hotels; condominium rehab and development opportunities, particularly in Scottsdale, AZ and Providence RI; and medical office buildings on hospital campuses.
CMS seeks regional high performance real estate entrepreneurs who have a defined niche and works with them to build a long-term mutually profitable relationship. This approach has allowed CMS to take advantage of the local real estate knowledge, access to high-quality transactions and experience of our strategic operating partners in building CMS's real estate portfolio. This approach has also enabled us to avoid "one off" deals that may look enticing up front but may not yield any long term relationships or benefits to our investment strategy."
Or maybe it could be their involvement in acquiring luxury hotels?
"National Hospitality Holdings and CMS Companies Form Joint Venture to Acquire Upscale to Luxury Hotels and Resorts"
I found this merger funny because the two companies have the same address down to the same suite numbers?
I have yet to research the links that National Hospitality Holdings has to Scottsdale so I will have to get back with you on that as this was just announced on the 4th of this month.
CMS is obviously into everything in this city and Ronnie Boy is collecting money from its movers and shakers for some unknown reason. Surely Ronnie would not be discussing upcoming projects they have planned in Scottsdale? Or is Ronnie one of those with whom CMS has a "long term relationship" in Scottsdale?
Let’s move on to another developer who has contributed to Ronnie boy that we may all remember.
David Hovey is none other than the Optima project and, if I am not mistaken, a project Ronnie boy voted on--making it an interesting ethics issue. It is a sin to take a donation from Henry Becker, but it is okay to vote on projects and take money from developers whose projects you approved?
Yes, David also donates to State and Federal elections.
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?zip=60093&last=Hovey&first=David
Then we have some local ties that some should find disturbing like a former Chamber President who, according to the Arizona Business Journal, thinks he took Scottsdale taxpayers for a ride while collecting a rather handsome commission of $1.4 million to be exact. His name is none other than Tim Bray.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/1996/09/02/story1.html
Now since we already know that Virginia Korte has donated to Ronnie’s campaign and since Ronnie is in with deep pocketed developers and a person who has never seen a subsidy that he didn’t vote for, does it really surprise anyone to see the chamber kicking in for Ronnie Boy?
I found the name of Michael Lieb interesting also and the ties he holds to developments in Downtown Phoenix; he is better known as the "infill king" as proclaimed in the Phoenix Business Journal.
Michael is also a promoter of what else? Transit Oriented Development which the city is now working on obtaining through none other than the new Planned Unit Development text amendment and we all know how this is tied to Ronnie’s love for light rail.
Central Ave Corridor Summary
Michael Lieb, Lieb Realty.
Dan Lare, URS Corporation.
Jim Lodge, Northwind Phoenix ... 411 N.Central Avenue, Suite 195 • Phoenix, AZ 85004 ...
www.valleymetro.org/.../Transit%20Oriented%20Development/Central%20Avenue%20Corridor%20Summary.pdf
Then of course we see the next developer name appear and it is none other than Bob Karatz who is better known for his time with a company called Westcor.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/0811sr-biz0811shoppingON.html
I find all the links to developers in Ronnie’s campaign report funny as I do how many projects over the last 4 years have come through the council for votes.
Today, Friday the 15th I received the amended report of Ronnie’s campaign finance report and it is a list of who is who in development, banking, the Scottsdale Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce, and Scottsdale Health care. Nearly all supporters of high density, tall buildings and big subsidies and many who have had items on city agendas and that Ronnie has voted on.
Ronnie Boy’s problem for the next year now is whether he will excuse himself from voting on any of his contributors’ items on an agenda and, if he does, it will look even worse than Betty Drake as he will excuse himself more than she ever has or will need to. Funny, Ronnie strongly advocated the City’s new Ethics Code and felt strongly that Betty Drake’s conduct was the poster child for it. Now Ronnie will challenge Betty for the title of "Most Conflicted Council Member" in the history of Scottsdale.
I cannot believe that Ronnie is so silly as to not find a way to hide all of this like the Mayor does as there are people from Vestar, Westcor, DMB, and countless others with ties to everything that Scottsdale residents have decried over the last 4 years. I found it really funny that he listed Steve Evans of ASU as a real estate investor and self employed, but yet there are still many, many inaccurate accountings in his report.
For South Scottsdale residents who remember the fiasco of the Earl Condos, you can note that even Jekel and Howard donated to his campaign after they got their projects approved by a yes vote from Ronnie—suggesting that Ronnie may have been bought well before the contributions came in.
So, who in the Land of Oz really believes that Ronnie Boy is not appearing as one of the most crooked politicians this city has ever had the displeasure of knowing; and now that you know who is supporting Ronnie and what has been going on in this city, do you really think that we should vote his weasely ass back into office?
Do any of you think that Ronnie will stand with the community when CMS, DMB, Vestar, or even Westcor want to move into your community?
Do any of you think that with the lack of ethics in our city government already that Ronnie the Weasel will remove his sorry butt from the dais when the vote comes forward for his supporter’s projects? Yeah, Right!!
And they have the audacity to call us little old residents of the city the "special interest groups"?
~Approve our project first……….. then we will fix it
Okay now I have heard it all when it comes to stupidity and you watch our three ring circus drool over the project other than Bob and Tony.
Now maybe I have been living in Oz for way too long now, but I read this article online and when I came home from work and looked at the paper to refer to the article, I found it was not in the paper and thought maybe I was asleep in the poppy fields and maybe it will be in tomorrow’s paper; but here is the link, just in case.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/0215sr-hanover0216-ON.html
Now let’s skip the fact that our illustrious reporter forgot to even mention the bigger issue involved here which is amending a "character area plan" in order to appease developers already noted for piss poor architecture by two city boards.
Let’s talk about the fact that we are now going to create yet another precedent for developers to drool over again because our council is a bunch of freaks. Consider the fact of changing a "character area plan" for a developer could actually result in, say, taking the Cactus Corridor Character Area and amending it so we can place transit oriented developments all up and down the road because we have already allowed it to happen elsewhere in the city.
Or, maybe we can take a place farther up North that has a "character area plan" and we decide that we want to place 5 story hotel in it? Why? Because we already set the precedent in another part of the city and it reminds me of Ronnie Boy’s comments from his last platform for election where he made comments about growing pains and poor planning and it makes me want to just beat him with the 4X4X6 stupid stick of Oz. Not just slap him, but literally beat him to a pulp with it!
Here is the great comment from my friend John Berry: "Berry said the developer would address that issue head-on once approval is given."
Now call me stupid, but watch the council act so stupidly as to actually subvert the already mounting issues regarding planning, zoning, and development in this city by saying, Oh yes Mr. Berry, we would be happy to change everything for your clients project and again set another precedent for you to use and we love the crappy architecture and you just get back with us if you decide you may want to change the plans and follow our rules.
Why the hell would we approve another bad project that does not fit into the area it is being placed in before we even know what changes to the designs will be made; and since the plan is now approved why should they change the design?
Why in this world would we change or amend a character area plan when we have not even completed the downtown update with a project that does not even qualify for approval under the old downtown plan, the one they have been ignoring for the last 4 years?
Why is it that the plans state that taller buildings will be stepped back to the middle of the property, but when you look at the designs, there is a freaking 5 story building abutted against the sidewalk on 5th Avenue?
I loved my friend (yes I still think we are friends) Bob Vairo’s quote about the city process we have all screamed sucks:
"To allow Hanover before the downtown plan is complete would mock the integrity of the city's public outreach process."
Then I read "The developer also will have to respond to complaints from city planners that the design is somewhat conventional and does not bring innovation with revitalization."
And a response from Berry of: "Berry said that all of the issues will be addressed." Yeah, after you approve my project I suppose?
Hell at this rate Henry Becker should apply for his plans as he has a great shot at getting it passed under the current history of these 4 council members, the DRB, and Planning Commission.
I think we should all get together and sing the council’s favorite song as they approve the project and it is titled: "I think we are missing an opportunity here but will approve it anyways." I think that if the council is going to approve all of this stuff before the general plan is done and the downtown update is completed, that it should have to pass with a Super Majority Vote.
Was that thumping sound I just heard the mayor and her 3 henchmen hitting the floor gasping for air at the thought of that?
Seriously Ozites, this city has gotten so screwed up and out of whack with reality it is mind numbing.
Michael Merrill
F8713@aol.com
~
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"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged."
-- President Abraham Lincoln
"The government solution to any problem is usually at least as bad as
the problem."
—Milton Friedman
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—Bernard Baruch
"In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant."
—Charles de Gaulle
"If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would
promise them missionaries for dinner."
—H. L. Mencken
"We’d all like to vote for the best man but he’s never a candidate."
—Kin Hubbard
~Shout and Spout ~
~ Hanover Project? PEEEEEUUUUU, Whose cruel joke on Scottsdale is this ugly mess? They need to take a lesson in planning and resident pre-approval from the Yari Brothers.
~Between this unethical and illegal "Bait & Switch" recall petition thing, Manross's misleading website, and Ron McCullagh’s obvious solid attachment to monied developers .....I must say I am mighty peeved......aren't I polite? And sadly, nobody with a badge cares. Arizona is such a great place where there are no rules upheld, just the rulers who make up the rules as they go with the help of their lap dog legal eagles, then change them again when they don’t get what they want from the set of new rules they just made up.
~ Loved your expose on the SkySong property. Can't say I didn't expect it after who planned it and who's building it. ASU got a free ride and they know it. Manross, Ecton and Dolan were far to stupid to play with the big boys like Michael Crow who took them and us for all they could: $160 million and climbing. Welcome to the Manross Legacy!!
~ Gee, I thought McCullagh was smarter than that. I can't wait to see who his contributors really are and who they're tied to locally. I'll bet I can easily guess.
~Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I left the kids for a few hours and went down to Tempe Marketplace to look around. This could have been the SkySong complex, no issue. We would have stayed longer but the kids were getting hungry and we had to go home. We did a little shopping, mostly window shopping and thought. Scottsdale is so bent on catering to special interests and haven't a single clue as to what our city really needs. This project would have been ideal on McDowell for the 42 acres of Sky Flop plus the 12 acres for Centrovida plus whatever else they'd planned to do in that area. Of course, it would have been a smaller version of it but it would have definitely revitalized the area. Instead we have overcrowded downtown areas, useless unoccupied towers and overpriced condos, not enough open areas or parking spaces, average, run of the mill architecture and a bunch of BS we call development. I was, to say the least, embarrassed that I lived in Scottsdale. We are supposed to be so progressive, so cutting edge and what do we have? Garbage architecture which lacks luster, glamour, creativity and above all else, appeal. Did I mention that the Marketplace was absolutely packed with people just walking around and enjoying the outdoor seating at restaurants? It was the same great experience at Mesa’s Riverview Plaza at Dobson and the 202. Those projects made you just want to be out in it and enjoy it all. Scottsdale has become a big "Zero" in comparison.
~SkyDiaper is nothing more than a major rip off that Manross is totally responsible for and will pay the price come election day. Geeez, how stupid can you get?
~ If I find that Henry Becker is behind this Jacoby guy, I’ll make sure he never gets anything he wants in this city. I have big money too Henry!
~Well people, if ever there was a reason for "bail out time" this weeks edition of the Scottsdale Activist was more than I could take. My stomach is in acid reflux. I am sad, in the sense that maybe I could have raised an eyebrow or two being there, but also relieved that in this little town (second biggest in the state to boot) there seems to be some recognition that if growth isn't controlled the beauty of the place will be lost. And yes, there is beauty in high desert vegetation, mountains that are not "built on" and a low slung building height with lots of soft neutral tones and few "glitzy signs or buildings" around the area. Anytime you need an "eye break" from the mish-mash and mess our old beloved Scottsdale has become, come see us.
~ We took some winter visitors to downtown Scottsdale Saturday night to enjoy the weather and see the sights. Our guests asked what has happened to downtown Scottsdale? All the height and density are a direct turn-off to them and we had a hard time finding a parking place. They were going to buy a home here but have now decided that Scottsdale has gone the wrong way and therefore no longer want to live here. Too much flash in the pan glitz and nonsense with no solid plan for good family entertainment and living experiences. Who wants their kids to be bumped off the sidewalk into the street by a drunk "20 something" who doesn’t even live in Scottsdale?
~ Raun Keagy isn't going to say a word about anything unless Dolan tells him exactly how to answer you, period; so build a bridge and get over it. Dolan runs this poor excuse for a city government including gullible and stupid Manross and until we get rid of Dolan, Manross and a couple others, we'll have to continue to suffer the consequences of our votes in '04.
~ Thanks for the Critical Update. These people are slimy and I don't trust them as far as I can throw city hall on a good day.
~ "Mother Mary" thinks her legacy will be the Preserve. She didn't start it, Drinkwater did and she has "screwed the pooch" because of the total mishandling of the Toll Brothers and other properties. Wake up Mary, your ship has sailed and taken your legacy with it, sinking as it slowly sails out to the endless sea.
~ Why don't they just call downtown the "bar district" as they do in other resort cities? I never see the galleries open late anymore because of the bar traffic and the drunks. What a shame to lose so much over a bunch of drinkers who probably don't even live or pay taxes here.
~ Of course PGD America is going to flip the Los Arcos Crossing property. They can't make as much money if the build on it. Everybody but the "3 Monkeys" and the council majority saw it coming while we get ready to bend way over to pay the price for the "3 monkeys" stupidity.
~ I quit shopping Scottsdale because I have to drive way up north to find the stores I like to shop, so now I jump a short hop across the Salt River and shop Riverview or Tempe Market place where there are a plethora of eateries, shops and big box stores which we could have had in Scottsdale, except for the lack of vision and commitment, plus extraordinarily ineffective and slow decision making by our current leader(?)ship.
~Here’s Innovative Transportation….
We are all looking for innovative, energy efficient and cost effective transportation system for Scottsdale which doesn’t need to be government subsidized..
Check out what we found:
http://www.ultraprt.com/heathrow.htm
~Beware!! The Lemon Wedge in your Water Glass
You know that little wedge of lemon they put in you water or iced tea at most restaurants?
You might want to reconsider allowing them to do that for you. Click on the link below to see why......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeye8wnBJoU
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,
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
~ Arizona Tax Revolt
~