Above is the supposed contact list for the DRB and Planning Commission. If these links fail to work, blame the board members for participating in the super-secret government run my Manross and Dolan.

If you have any questions concerning any planned projects, don't hesitate to contact the ones above who make the decisions.

"Splitsdale?" Certainly there are distinct differences between areas in Scottsdale. Demographic, political, and economic differences can be tied to geography, as they are in the oft-repeated discussions of "North vs. South" Scottsdale. However, I believe the real divide in Scottsdale is in philosophy. On one side are those who believe that there is something special about Scottsdale that must be championed. On the other side are those who build legacies and bank accounts from selling off, and from giving away that special something.

The former group bought homes here, built small businesses here, and raised their families here because of what Scottsdale was, and because of what it is today. The latter group has a radically different vision for Scottsdale. They speculate on land deals with virtual assurance of windfall profits because of the City government’s rubber stamp policy of approval regardless of ever-increasing traffic congestion and other strains on City services and infrastructure. Long term quality of life is not among their concerns.

Predatory real estate development knows no boundaries; it doesn’t recognize any North-South divide. Neither do politicians who speak of "business constituents," when what they really mean is "big business campaign donors" and "developer contributors."

I don’t blame big business or developers for asking for the moon. However, the job of our elected officials and our City staff is to watch out for US. Their job is to say "no" to ill-conceived subsidies, cash, or sales tax kickbacks; or height, density, and other zoning exceptions. Their job is to craft policy for smart, thoughtful, respectful progress.

There are very good reasons for the zoning that is in place all over Scottsdale. Major zoning changes and exceptions for individual projects are bad for the long term health of ANY community. We need consistent land use policy that places residents (who live here NOW, as opposed to buyers the developers hope to attract) and their quality of life as the top priorities.

"Splitsdale?" We must work together to protect and nurture what remains of our civic character and heritage. Everyone who lives in Scottsdale and loves our community has to recognize that encroachment on ANY neighborhood erodes ALL our neighborhoods. We must recognize that we can benefit from combining our individual strengths. We have to recognize that the success is not about personalities, but about shared passion.

Most importantly of all, we must identify and put into words what it is that makes Scottsdale special. That is the starting point; the beginning of the most important conversation Scottsdale will ever have.

The enemy of unity is slipshod public policy. We must remind our elected representatives that their first and foremost responsibility is to the residents, citizens, and taxpayers of Scottsdale.

Change is inevitable. Intelligent change is not. That requires our attention, our resolve, and our recognition that Scottsdale is worth it; and working together is a small price to pay by comparison.

After a slow but determined start, Tom Giller and his loyal (and growing) band of persistent volunteers continue to successfully gather signatures to refer the City Council's February 19 vote (with Mayor Manross and Council members Drake, Ecton, McCullagh and Lane voting in favor) to allow, with enthusiasm, 65 foot heights in the Hanover Project at the NW corner of Indian School Road and Goldwater Boulevard. 

In a city now known for dirty politics, Texas based Hanover, showing its appreciation for the warm support of the Mayor and her City Council majority, has fought pro-referral petitioners with every dirty trick in the book costing them a reported ^$50,000+ to date thus lowering the bar for Scottsdale politics even further by using Lee Petition Management as their dirty tool.

To learn more about the nationally infamous company Derrick Lee runs (Mesa-based Lee Petition Management), click the link below:

Concerning the concerted effort by Texas based Hanover to kill the petition drive,

First, it attempted to tie up every signature firm in the Valley so that none would be available to help refer the Council's action by apparently offering up to ^$10 per signature not to work for the pro-referral petitioners.

• Second, using Lee Petition Management as its front, it attempted to lure away pro-referral petitioners by attempting to hire them for other clients.
   

Multiple complaints were made to the Scottsdale Police Department which, it turns out, started the week totally ignorant of Arizona Revised Statute §19-116 which prohibits the precise conduct that Hanover is using Lee Petitions to conduct. 

After a quick education, the City Attorney and Police Department are, we are told, putting together, rather belatedly, a policy to enforce the law and press charges against one of more of Hanover's goons.  It’s about time. Why the Police Department was not aware that it has the obligation to protect its citizens from Hanover's campaign of intimidation is a good question.  Maybe Chief Rodbell is too busy getting his picture taken with, and worrying about the protection of, movie stars who visit Scottsdale.

Regardless, as the week developed, and as attempts were made to get the Mayor and Council to disassociate themselves from and condemn the "Hanover Intimidation Campaign," it was discovered that Lee Petition Management, Hanover's front organization, is gathering campaign signatures for Council member Betty Drake, and possibly others.  Betty, an elected official who never saw a conflict that she didn't like, once again found herself in the middle of a conflict.  One wonders if "Conflict" isn't Ms. Drake’s middle name.

Councilman Ron McCullagh, a pro-Hanover voter, strongly and publicly disassociated himself from the Hanover Intimidation Campaign; while Mayor Manross issued a "can't we live together" statement which, in effect, condoned Hanover's conduct.  This is no surprise as Mary certainly would not risk alienating her core constituencies even if they do trample on the law and the Constitution.  Councilman Ecton, another pro-Hanover vote, uttered nary a word.  Maybe, in his prior life, he used similar tactics against opponents of his corporate employers and, thus, feels comfortable with them. 

Councilman and mayoral candidate Jim Lane, another pro-Hanover voter, while not making a public statement, made his displeasure known and made valiant efforts to get Hanover's goons off the streets.  Whether because of his efforts or the late blossoming efforts of the Scottsdale Police Department to, rather unusually, enforce the law, the Hanover Intimidation Campaign changed character to some degree as the week progressed. 

Rather than surrounding and threatening citizens, Lee Petition Management began to flood areas where pro-referral petitioners worked in an attempt to dilute their presence and turn-off potential signatories who entered and left libraries, senior centers, malls and other public areas.  Hanover's agents traveled in what can only be called "wolf packs"; in vans that could be directed from one site to another in attempts to disrupt the activity of pro-referral petitioners.  As candidates for elected office showed up at libraries to get signatures for themselves, their presence was reported back to upper level superior goons by phone; and the candidates were interrogated to confirm that they were only carrying petitions for themselves. 

As The Activist goes to print, this cat-and-mouse, whack-a-mole game continues.  One can only conclude that the Hanover Project must be very profitable in order to be able to afford spending ^$50,000+ God know how much more to keep Scottsdale voters from having their say on the issue. 

Doesn't this all bring home the urgent need to:

Whatever happened to the concept of public service in Scottsdale?  Whatever happened to democracy in Scottsdale?  It is clear that politics in Scottsdale is dirty, underhanded and sick; only people power can clean it up and restore a good name to public service in this "destination city."

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By signing the Hanover Referendum Petition, you are merely stating that you, the voters want the right to make the decision about whether the Hanover Project (or the Hanover Company's bad manners) is good or bad for the city in the voting booth, not the DRB or City Council; Nothing more and nothing less.

Why would any decent developer send out their "stinky goons" to intimidate you and therefore deny you the right to vote on this project?

Only Two Reasons:

Huge Profits & GREED with no regard for the residents or taxpayers!!

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~ Taken Out of Context !!!

Daft! The whole issue of "Which Way Scottsdale" is being taken out of context and the Chamber and the Scottsdale Republic and those responsible - developers and the likes of John Little, are trying to dress something up to be a winner, when it is in the wrong race.

Please tell us how the current direction for Downtown Development is sustainable? What elements does it incorporate to address those who work there and would like to live there? PLAY??!! Yeah baby, lots of bars and restaurants to play in seven days a week and 24 hours a day. What else is there??? No food markets, etc, etc, etc.

And while we are at it, let’s talks about, "the city's transformation from sleepy bedroom community to leading employment center." Not quite. Kidder, the Chamber, the developers and the Mayor (she asked for the job to lead) and the City Manager, have yet to address workforce, affordable, young professional housing for this "leading employment center." Not only have they purposefully ignored it, but they are jeopardizing their federal funding for housing rehab, emergency repairs and disabled housing programs.

I read this week that 3,000 units of affordable/market rate (for the Valley)/young professional rental housing has been lost to condo conversions. NONE of that has been replaced. The Mayor has been silent to the issue of loosing the sales tax for rentals, $9 million and forcing Scottsdale residents, including senior citizens who have lived here all of their lives, to move to other communities.

Kidder, a transplant from Massachusetts, and a former history teacher, leads the charge to ignore our city's history and residents and the contributions so many have made, to line the pockets of today's developers.

We might approach the subject of what the heck has the Chamber done to help with the development of South Scottsdale? They got hundreds of thousands of dollars from the tax payers to promote the "Motor Mile," which is now closing up shop to move to Mesa and Chandler. 

Watch for the next round of high-rise luxury condos to arise on the abandoned auto dealership sites. As of 2006 the Chamber had nothing in place to help promote the southern area for the businesses SkySong was hoping to attract. That might mean they supported the idea of having moderate income people living in Scottsdale to help make the businesses viable. Can't have that, now can we.

Craig Jackson and Dick Bowers summed up the mess pretty well:

It would seem to me that this is no way to run a city or make meaningful decisions which should be meant to lead to sustainability for many years to come.

G. M. (Dodie) Geist,
44 year resident of south Scottsdale

~Investments and Support for Manross???

Mercy me!  Get a handle on that ^$3.3 billion dollar investment thing.....Break it down as Michael Merrill did for us in a previous edition of the Scottsdale Activist, when the figures were first publicized.

As to the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce, the Sierra Club, the AZ Republic, John McCain, HOA’s and Jim Bruner and endorsing the Mayor, well we all make mistakes, but those listed above don’t have to live with or pay for the mayor’s major and massive financial blunders.

The woman won that election based upon the SkySong development, which we now know to be seriously problematic from "green building" (not even close) to serious violations of contract agreements with the City, AND the fact that the bonds for the Preserve and Public Safety both passed on a ballot months before the election.

Heck I even voted for her, but she has failed miserably to do the real work necessary to bring the community together and create solid long range planning.

I guess you got the drift as to who I’m NOT voting for the coming election.

Tom Sadvery said, "The study (HDR consultants report) was not as comprehensive as I had hoped," the CEO of Scottsdale Healthcare, cites congestion as the biggest challenge the three-campus hospital faces.

Harken back "truth seekers," to a City Council meeting in December of 2006, when Councilmen Littlefield and Lane tried to get the Council to agree to broaden the scope of the study that HDR Engineering, Inc. had contracted to do according to the RFP issued by the City. Former Transportation Working Group (20 plus residents meeting with the consultants several time over the year and half the study was done) met with Mayor Manross and Councilman McCullagh along with another activist, to find out why they would not allow the scope to be broadened to chose a road other than Scottsdale Road. No answer was ever given.

 "One of the major issues we face is how to deal with east-west arterials," he (Sadvery) said. "How do people get from the freeway to downtown to live or work?"

Mr. Sadvery was one of four people who spoke to the issue that December night before the City Council, insisting that Scottsdale Road be the focus of HDR's study and not allowing them to broaden their research.

Others speaking at the meeting represented the Chamber of Commerce and previous Transportation and Planning Commission members who are developers.

If you don’t believe it, check the minutes of the meeting.

If we are going to examine "Which Way Scottsdale" lets really do the necessary investigative journalism required instead of sitting on our derrières and reporting hearsay and presumptive but incorrect rumors as fact.

Many have been trying to figure out what has gone so wrong with Scottsdale over the last few years.

While some business owners (not the vast majority) and high roller developers are shouting with joy over what’s happening for them in the city, the residents are not.

It dawned on me after reading the articles in the Scottsdale Republic by John Little (Executive Director of the Scottsdale Downtown Group), Fred Unger (Developer extradonaire), Rick Kidder (President and CEO of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce) and Robert Leger (Opinions Editor for the Scottsdale Republic) what the problem really is.

Did you notice anyone missing from that powerful group? You’re correct! Not one everyday resident was represented, at least until they added an article by John Washington and that was probably because John is a downtown resident in one of the oldest sections of the city, is the Chair of COGS, and has been involved in trying to stop the encroachment into residential areas by developers, city staff, the Planning Commission, the DRB with votes of confidence from the city council majority.

While I was reviewing the "Which Way Scottsdale" report, it was obvious who was represented and who wasn’t in that report. During the discussions, those in attendance said Grady Gammage Jr. mentioned many times that the residential areas were the fabric of the city and needed to be part and parcel to the overall plan for Scottsdale’s future and needed to be maintained as they were with reasonable upgrades and infrastructure improvements but without new zoning, height or density changes so as to maintain the family integrity and image of Scottsdale as "open" and "family friendly".

Grady’s comments are not mentioned in the "Which Way Scottsdale" report.

Under Mayor Drinkwater and those preceding him due to their above-board and honest approach to running the city, we were lulled into a false sense of security. We didn’t worry because we knew everything was above-board, honest and open which allowed the residents to comment on projects prior to any structured city review.

That type of city government started to disappear under Mayor Campana, and has been totally eliminated under the smoke and mirrors operation of Mayor Manross.

SkySong was supposed to be a World Class development, but we didn’t get the details until after the ink was dry on the contract which socked the taxpayers for almost 200 years and tens of millions of dollars instead of the 98 years originally indicated. SkySong’s nothing more that a black financial hole into which the city continues to throw taxpayer dollars and will into the foreseeable future. The same happened with the Hualapai fiasco, the Toll Brothers land, the 50 acres the city seized from CGP-Aberdeen, and the premium price paid for 80 acres at West World which all include non-recoverable taxpayer dollars.

Like the reality of a child’s first days of school, the innocence and naïveté of Scottsdale residents and taxpayers has finally been abruptly punctured by the stark reality of secrecy, back room deals, smoke and mirror campaigns, through a total lack of vision on the part of the current administration and the unnecessary expenditure of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

For What???

Now do you think it’s time for a massive change in city government?

George Knowlton, 480-326-2475
Scottsdale

We heard recently that a "person of position" living in the Carriage Hills Subdivision in North Scottsdale was telling residents in their subdivision that she or her husband were personally told by Raun Keagy that Code Enforcement was not going to enforce the native plant portion of the city ordinances.

After hearing this nonsense, I called Mr. Raun Keagy, Interim General Manager of Code Enforcement and asked if he in fact had made that statement? His reply was short, simple and as I expected. The ordinance will be enforced as required and as outlined in the letter to the HOA board members including the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and one other member, as well as to Robert O’Kelley of Cuellar Realty Services, the management company for Carriage Hills to make sure everyone clearly got the message.

When the incident of the 44 Notices of Violation (?) were sent out by Inspector Michelle Bruce, and then were rescinded by Mr. Keagy for lack of actual violation evidence (no private property was inspected), I had to find out more.

What I determined was that for whatever reason, apparently the president and another member or two of the board decided that by causing the majority of the properties in the subdivision to be in violation of Code Enforcement rules, under the rules of the HOA, the HOA could then dictate how the properties were to be landscaped or taken care of. I was incensed that any HOA would apparently perpetrate such an underhanded action against their residents.

I decided to check when the NAOS/ESLO ordinances which were put into force (1981). I came to find out that they went into effect PRIOR to the subdivision being developed which disallows any lame excuse from the HOA that they didn’t know about the ordinances.

After digging still deeper, I found that up until this incident, the HOA president, Mr. Dave Froelich had been using a pest control company to keep that portion of his property within the NAOS/ESLO ordinance area totally denuded which is strictly against NAOS & ESLO regulations and can be punishable under the ordinances.

It appears from aerial photos that the chemical agents used for the denuding process (including pre-emergent’s) have flowed with rain and flood waters down the natural wash into other owners properties located below Mr. Froelich’s property which in my opinion should be handled legally by those affected residents with Mr. Froelich being ordered to replant the areas denuded by his failure to follow the rules within the ordinances using his own personal finances.

Digging even deeper after previewing some of the properties in question, I noticed oleanders and bougainvillea outside the allowed contained yard areas which are again strictly against those same ordinances, including palm trees and other non-native trees which grow taller than 20 feet and are also disallowed by ordinance.

Below is the letter from Mr. Keagy to the HOA:

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

Mr. David Froelich, Pres. La Posada Ranch HOA
22610 N. 90^th Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85255

It was brought to our attention that a number of properties located within the Carriage Hills Phase II subdivision are not in compliance with the stipulations depicted in case #31-DR-94. It is recommended that the association review the enclosed stipulations discussing landscaping requirements items 1 through 16, specifically addressing the planting of non-native plant materials. After careful review of the requirements, a survey by the Board should occur for each lot to identify any discrepancy with the stipulations.

Non-native plants are limited to enclosed yard areas (enclosed by a solid wall); however, non-native plants with the potential of reaching over 20’ in height are not allowed in any location on the property. Non-native plants, such as oleanders and bougainvillea not located in an enclosed yard area will require removal.

Please bring the noted discrepancies to the attention of the responsible residents and/ or property owner.

Please remember that prior to modifying any portion of a dedicated NAOS easements, permission must be obtained from the City of Scottsdale. All areas calculated as undisturbed NAOS shall be left untouched except that additional plant materials, indigenous to the site only, may be introduced to NAOS as approved by project review staff. The HOA and its board members is not an authorizing agent for non-native plants in this subdivision.

This letter is intended to provide general information. If you need additional guidance on this matter, please feel free to call Daryl Workman, Planning Inspection Coordinator at (480) 312-2681.

Respectfully,

Raun Keagy
Interim General Manager
Citizen & Neighborhood Resources
City of Scottsdale

Cc: Daryl Workman
       Robert O’Kelley—Cuellar Realty Services

      file

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

Now that you’ve read the comprehensive, descriptive and very well written letter from Mr. Keagy, here is the wording taken straight from the HOA Board’s letter to their residents after receipt of Mr. Keagy’s letter:

I think it’s very clear that for whatever reason, Mr. Froelich and the HOA board did not see fit to forward Mr. Keagy’s letter to the subdivision residents to clarify the situation instead of glossing it over as in my opinion, they obviously did.

In doing even more research, It was determined that sometime in the past the HOA Board, in direct violation of city ordinances, code enforcement and other legal rules and regulations, told their residents that they (the HOA Board) had agreed to allow those plants disallowed by the NAOS/ESLO ordinances which they cannot legally do!

So now here’s the problem:

Many residents have planted non-native plants in areas where they are strictly forbidden and they will be ordered by the city to remove the offending plants and trees as soon as reasonably possible.

To further exacerbate the problem, the HOA never informed the residents that they couldn’t plant or cultivate those specific plants or trees, nor did their Realtors^®, or the landscape companies who handled their landscaping needs.

Try contacting the Community Organizations Institute at http://www.caionline.org/ . They can suggest legal ways to effect some results for you.

Check with your lawyer as to whom should pay for the removal of the offending plants keeping in mind that the HOA decided to allow them and most HOA’s have Error and Omissions and other insurance which may cover such problems.

You can also check the following city website for actual plant lists which the HOA apparently and conveniently also forgot to mention:

The city will demand that all offending non-native plant and tree materials be removed as soon as reasonably possible with firm deadlines. The ordinances will not be modified nor will exceptions be made in any case no matter the reasons or removal costs.

The ordinances were written and voted into force by the city council a number of years ago (1981) to protect that portion of the city which was seen by residents as a visionary move to preserve the area well into the future.

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...In other, more election-related Scottsdale news, there is a group called Height and Density, that was formed to fight Council approval of a high-density, high-height development project, the Hanover Project. HAD is working on collecting enough signatures to force the Council's decision to a referendum.

The Hanover Project is helmed by Eric Kenney of Hanover RS Limited Partnership from Texas. They've formed a counter group, Citizens for Smart Growth. That counter group has reported two major expenditures thus far - ^$10K to retain legal counsel and more than ^$7700 to hire a signature gathering firm, Derrick C. Lee's Campaign Finance Co. LLC, aka Lee Petitions.

That's where it gets interesting. Turns out that Lee Petitions does more than collect signatures; they try to intimidate and suppress those who dare to oppose their clients.

Lee Petitions has a colorful history, including fraudulent signatures (AZ, CO, and MT) and heavy involvement with Nathan Sproul, the man who would be an Arizona version of Karl Rove.

One of the other organizations involved with the Hanover Project in Scottsdale? Technical Solutions, the lobbying firm owned by erstwhile Republican Congressional candidate in CD5, Susan Bitter-Smith.

Guess she has a decision to make, if she really wants to win the Republican nomination in CD5 - respect the voters in the district, or keep her industry clients happy.

If you have time, money, want to sign HAD's petition, or just despise bullies as much as I do, contact Tom Giller at  480-227-4150, 480-994-1181 or 480-326-2475.

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 ~Letters to the Editor  

Thank you for your notice regarding the Hanover project downtown. I went out this past weekend and signed the petition to refer this issue to the ballot.

The arrogance and lack of respect for basic values like democracy displayed by these people should shock every decent citizen of Scottsdale into the reality of what’s really going on in their city. When I went over to the Village Inn to sign the petition, I was bothered by a number of seedy characters representing The Hanover Company.

Watching over the process was an intimidating "security" guard. What are these people so afraid of? This is a rezoning issue, for Pete’s sake, and they bring in scores of non-Scottsdale residents to scare us off from deciding what we want for our City.

Further, I want to know who is really behind this effort. I don’t believe that a huge company, based out of Houston, would be able to come to Scottsdale and know about election attorney guru Tom Irvine or the signature gathering goon Derrick Lee. Isn’t this the same Derrick Lee who is collecting candidate petition signatures for Scottsdale Chamber candidate Suzanne Klapp and Councilwoman Betty Drake? Clearly someone intimately involved with our local politics is behind this.

I want to know who feels that it is necessary to completely obliterate the rights of our own residents in order to protect their own turf. I hope someone connects all of these dots to see who the real slime ball behind this nonsense is. They are showing some very unethical stripes.

Please tell everyone you know to sign this petition. It’s time to take our city back from the goons, the seedy ones we see harassing the petition gatherers as well as the well dressed ones operating in the shadows of the City Hall Kiva.

Tom Raleigh, Disgusted Scottsdale Resident

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 ~ An End to Height & Density

After spending a few days on the streets, getting signatures for the Hanover referendum, I am finding an overwhelming response from people who are sick and tired of high rise development ruining our City.  This is a bigger issue that just Hanover. You know that the greedy developers will be challenging the signatures in an attempt to prevent the referendum from getting on the ballot.

If the people are able to vote on this issue, we may see 80% of the citizens saying they want an END to height and density in Scottsdale.

Once this issue is on the ballot, the candidates will be forced to discuss it, so we can weed out the crab grass candidates in the election. By defeating Manross, Drake, and McCullagh, we can return our City back to its long time residents who still have a love for Scottsdale, despite what the recent government has done to ruin our scenic views.

Hopefully this election will teach the Mayor and her co-conspirators a lesson. 

Paybacks are a bitch. It's not nice to screw over the citizens of Scottsdale.

Susan Wood
Scottsdale

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Well Ozites, while I thought we did a great job at presenting our case to the city in regards to Ron McCullagh’s violations of Campaign Finance Laws, it appears we may have been wrong. Or were we, really?

Below is the letter we received on Thursday from the City Clerk’s office after they had long discussions with the City Attorney. I think when you read the letter that you will see that even the city was not convinced that Ronnie Boy was being truthful about his amended statement. It is even noted that the city did not receive the required documentation to support Ronnie Boys claim of a "good faith effort".

The city decided it would not penalize Ronnie Boy since they received his amended statement, and I, personally, believe that yet again the city attorney not only missed the mark, but missed the noose that Ronnie Boy hung around his own neck.

In the "Weasels" letter to the city which asked for clarification on his attempts to obtain the required information for his filing the Weasel made this comment. "Others preferred I only use their names and addresses".

Since the Weasel only used the names and addresses on 90% of his filings, his comment in the letter provided enough information to the city to determine that not only did he say okay to those 90% but he purposely cloaked their information until he was caught.

Now forgive me since I am not an attorney, but since the Weasel made it clear he was requested to lie, and since the Weasel complied with the lie and even submitted the report knowing he was in violation, our city attorney never put two and two together and claims everything is resolved.

Well excuse me for disagreeing with the city attorney as Ronnie Boy was to stupid to figure out that his comments proved he was lying and knew he was lying but even worse is our city attorney was to stupid too or knew damn well he was lying but decided to take no actions since he amended his statement.

And you wonder why in this city there is no use in filing such complaints against sitting council members as the city attorney is paid to protect them with our tax dollars even when the evidence is obvious that he was guilty.

Welcome to Oz!

While the Weasel got away with his lying and scheming ways yet again, at least he got a hefty warning and he also got a clue that even though the city staff is there to protect him, they also think he was lying and a Weasel.

Now we will use this to make the public aware that Ronnie the Weasel is continue to work at deceiving the public about what he really is, a true Politician who really does not give a big rats butt about you the resident or taxpayer.

~ I told you to hold on to your wallets!

Okay, I told you all to keep a hold of your wallets but I think that the city already got most of yours, and mine!

On Tuesday the City of Scottsdale will exceed the ^$1 BILLION DOLLAR mark in bond debt when they approve ^$330 million in Municipal Corporation Bond sales. ^$100 million for Bond 2000 projects now that we are in 2008 and projects have that have not been done that the residents voted 8 years ago are all of a sudden an emergency (more on the emergency in a minute). Glad to know that has only taken the rudderless leadership of the city 8 years now to decide to do something about the issues we voted on nearly a decade ago and in the worst market conditions there could be for selling bonds.

There is another emergency at hand as they also are selling ^$110 million in Excise Tax Bonds for none other than what I warned you about before. Water and Waste projects that I told you would not go to your children’s debt load as it is going to be done over the next 5 years and we are all going to pay for the city ignorance.

The water master plan calls for ^$18 million in 2008 and ^$29 million in 2009 while the waste plan calls for ^$41 million in 2008 and ^$60 million in 2009 and I told you that we were all going to start paying for the Manross legacy sooner than you thought. This is bonding for only 2 years and if you add it up, does not even cover the next two years so watch the rest of it get covered by increases in your water and sewer rates again.

Do you remember the report said that it would be paid for from development impact fees and if you did remember, do you again feel that someone is lying to you? Yep, it is those fiscal conservatives you voted into office and the sad fact they do not have to have a public vote on this one either, the sad part is even if you wanted to refer it to the ballot, you cannot because the are using the "emergency clause" to do it which says you cannot refer the issue to a ballot so again do you feel cheated by your elected officials?

Okay, on top of the ^$330 million we are getting ready to incur, you also have Scottsdale Healthcare seeking an industrial development authority bond to the tune of 175 million and again with the emergency clause enacted by your leaders so they can avoid a possible interest rate change.

Yes taxpayers, you read this right and I called it from the beginning and we are already looking at over a HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN MORE DEBT.

Since I saw this coming and as I SAID BEFORE, in a few short years Scottsdale will become another Mesa and other cities with these huge Bond Debts and since we are using the emergency clause to do this, again you have no say in the matter.

According to the laws of the State the city has to follow this format to declare an emergency.

§26-31126-311.  Local emergency; power of political subdivisions; state agency assistance

A.  In addition to the powers granted by other provisions of the law or charter, whenever the mayor of an incorporated city or town or the chairman of the board of supervisors for the unincorporated portion of the county, shall deem that an emergency exists due to fire, conflagration, flood, earthquake, explosion, war, bombing, acts of the enemy or any other natural or man-made calamity or disaster or by reason of threats or occurrences of riots, routs, affrays or other acts of civil disobedience which endanger life or property within the city, or the unincorporated areas of the county, or portion thereof, the mayor or chairman of the board of supervisors, if authorized by ordinance or resolution, may by proclamation declare an emergency or a local emergency to exist.

Do any of you see this problem existing in this matter? I didn’t think so.

I also think the mayor has to declare an emergency exists and I would love to hear her eminence explain that one to the public.

Michael Merrill
F8713@aol.com

For the first 19 years of my business career, I fought for equal rights in the workplace, instituted voluntary affirmative action programs, fired scores of employees who showed racial bias, and even went on week-long "sensitivity" retreats with people of color to openly discuss our respective opinions about racial issues.

Then in 1990, Roosevelt Thomas launched the diversity movement with his landmark article in the Harvard Business Review, "From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity." Reduced to its essence, the article’s explicit message was that companies could increase their profits if their workforce, especially their management ranks, had the same racial representation as their customer base and the nation at large. The implicit message was that employees would be more productive if their managers were of the same race, that sales people could sell more if they were the same race as their customers, and that advertisements would be more effective if they were segmented by race.

Reacting with my emotions instead of my intellect, I initially bought into the concept of diversity. Later, when my intellect had caught up with my emotions, I realized that the nation and I had been sucker punched by the concept. As I will discuss momentarily, the bruising of the body politic that resulted from the sucker punch can be seen in the current presidential race.

The diversity movement turned the old idea of equal rights on its head. The old idea was that employment decisions (and voting decisions) should not be based on race. That’s why, for example, when I worked as a human resources executive for a large international insurance company, I ended the practice of assigning black insurance adjustors to black neighborhoods and white adjustors to white neighborhoods.

The diversity movement essentially reinstituted the old practice of race-based employment decisions, but in more odious and insidious forms. For example, there is a growing belief that neither black nor Hispanic students can be taught effectively by a teacher of a different "race." (The word "race" is in quotes because, contrary to the conventional wisdom, Hispanic is not a race.) Likewise, even the US Supreme Court has ruled that race can be considered in college admissions, because, according to diversity theory, a college education is better if the student body consists of the "right" mix of races.

The absence of the right mix of races is now taken as a sign that an organization or political entity is racist, engages in racial discrimination, or is unenlightened. However the opposite is more often true: The right mix of races is a sign that racial preferences (a.k.a. discrimination) were used to achieve the desired racial mix.

The Obama phenomenon is due in large part to these two diversity beliefs: (1) that only a black can fairly represent blacks, and (2) that the election of a black president would be a sign that the nation is not racist, doesn’t engage in racial discrimination, and is enlightened.

Unfortunately, the diversity movement is based on intellectual fraud.

First, there is ample evidence that racially homogenous (non-diverse) countries and their industries can be quite successful economically and can export and sell products to different races in other countries. Japan, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland are examples.

Second, as written in gore throughout the twentieth century, racial and ethnic tensions within nation states, and at the borders between nation states, have often led to war, persecution and genocide. In that sense, diversity is a killer. This is described in frightening detail by the New York Times bestseller, The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West, by the scholar Niall Ferguson.

Third, the idea of diversity backfires on the people it is supposed to help. Once the case is made that race should be a determining factor in business and politics, then racial majorities can make the same case for choosing one of their own over minorities. If blacks should be selected to sell to blacks, then, using the same logic, whites should be selected to sell to whites.

Fourth, the racial categories used in the diversity movement are bogus. For instance, the category of "Hispanic" artificially lumps together different races, different nationalities, different continents, and different ethnic groups and sub-cultures. A black Cuban is not the same as an aristocrat from Spain, regardless of the artificial label that is arbitrarily stuck on both of them by diversity aficionados.

Likewise, the category of "white" lumps together widely different nationalities and ethnic groups, many of whom have been at each other’s throats for centuries.

As an aside, it is an insult to my ancestry for diversity aficionados to consider me an "Anglo," which is a label that they use interchangeably with "white." Being Italian, I probably have more blood from Africa than from England. Besides, my ancestors know how to cook, unlike Anglos.

Of course, DNA analysis shows that the genes we have in common with chimpanzees far outnumber any genes that we do not have in common with each other. In that sense, race is an artificial construct based on appearance and culture.

Is Barack Obama black or white? By appearance, he is a black, albeit with a fair complexion. By parents, he is both black and white. By culture, he is white, having spent his formative years in white Hawaii being raised by whites. Then why is he considered black?

Personally, I don’t care what race he is. But I do care that he is a statist. There is no way that I will be sucker punched again by diversity and vote for a statist to show that I’m not a racist.

An author and columnist, Mr. Cantoni can be reached at ccan2@aol.com.

~ Special Meeting Announcements

As part of the Downtown Plan Update process, community representatives are invited to attend a preferred Downtown Plan public workshop from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the Granite Reef Senior Center, Room 1, 1700 N. Granite Reef Road.

Participants will help evaluate and discuss the policies that will affect the future of Downtown Scottsdale for the next decade. 

Topics will include:

Scottsdale's Downtown has seen more than ^$3.3 billion in private and public investment since 2003.    To maintain this momentum and to ensure the Downtown is positioned to meet the challenges of a changing and dynamic economy, the city is updating the Downtown Plan which provides the vision, the design guidelines and the framework for any policy changes that will be implemented in the next 10-15 years.

Community participation is vital to ensure that the vision for Downtown Scottsdale is adequately represented in the plan.  An area will be provided for children so parents can fully participate in the workshop activities.

March 19 Workshop registration is encouraged by March 14:

http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/downtown/updates/PreferredPlanWorkshop.asp

or call Advance Planning at (480) 312-7990

An overview of the Downtown Plan update process to date is available on the city's web site at:

http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/downtown/updates.

The Web site will be updated regularly to reflect community findings/input as the process proceeds. The update process is slated to conclude with formal adoption of the Downtown Plan in the spring of 2008. 

Meeting Date and Time:

We will invite the other candidates for council and mayor in April and May. Some that were invited did not return our phone calls.

Candidates in attendance will be:

Open to the public and a chance to ask questions.

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation.. His face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
 
Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
 
"Oh, that's my trouble tree, " he replied "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again.." "Funny thing is," he smiled," when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."
 
God Bless, life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

 ~ You're Home Door Locks Safe? NOT!!

It seems there is a new way for people to break into your home without breaking windows or breaking down doors by simply unlocking the doors with a "Bump-Key".

To learn more, Click here to see a CBS News Video..

~ Information You Can Use

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

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

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

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

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

This is NOT for Children.

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

 www.obsessionthemovie.com

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

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

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

The website below gives some history of Terrorist attacks:

http://patriotfiles.org/civilizationcalls.htm

This website tell you what REALLY happened:

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

(Return to Top)

~ Arizona Tax Revolt

~ Prop 13 Arizona