Days…it’s down to days before Scottsdale’s biggest election of its history.

By Tuesday at bedtime, we will know if the residents of Scottsdale want to make a positive change in our Council members to effectively guarantee them a better future, or if they want more of the same status quo: closed, secret government, fiscal irresponsibility, uncontrolled growth which brings with it traffic congestion and additional tax of our infrastructure along with steeply escalating property and sales tax percentages.

Each day that passes and everywhere that we look around Scottsdale, we see the handiwork of the political insiders and special interests that who are STILL driving Council’s decisions on development in Scottsdale and tying up our city’s valuable financial resources to complete their pet projects.

These same political insiders meet with our Council persons on a regular one on one basis without public representation to twist their arms and secure their votes. Oh what little our citizens know of what goes on behind these very secure closed doors in the bowels of "Queen Mary’s" City Hall.

OrchidTree, Solis/WaterView, SkySong, Los Arcos Crossing/Centrovida, and Hanover are just a few of the projects that those same insiders, who are slowly turning Scottsdale into a replica of Southern California, right down to the traffic, have had a hand in.

Their destruction of our neighborhoods, their vacillating rhetoric and faux dog and pony shows in front of Council (who have already made up their minds on the subject), and their deep pockets are constant reminders to all of us of just what damage they could do to Scottsdale’s future, if left to their own majority vote.

We all know that, along with their tangential alliances lying in wait, those politicians will pounce on the next or any threat to their majority vote on Council. These political insiders and special interests can’t and won’t play fair. They have never played fair one day in their lives. They are well financed, well represented, and are well connected…. At least they think they are.

Tom Giller and Nan Nesvig entered the council race with the sole purpose of doing what they set out to do from the very beginning; openly represent the voters, citizens, businesses and neighborhoods of Scottsdale so that their voices are heard and their votes will count at City Hall. Jim Lane has said unequivocally that we need a real change of direction to get the council back to respectability, financially responsible and open to the public. All three have put the Preserve and the infrastructure at the top of their agenda for issues which need to be completed.

We are just a few days away from what could turn out to be the most significant City Council election in Scottsdale’s history.  As usual, the local media are completely clueless about what this election is really about.

If you knew nothing except what you read in the Scottsdale papers you would believe that this election was about height and density, pitting the anti-height-and-density team of Nan Nesvig and Tom Giller against the pro-growth incumbents and their Chamber allies. 

But, the big increases in height and density that the current Council majority has approved over the last few years are the symptom, not the disease.  The real problem (the disease) is the fact that the current Council majority consistently favors developers and other special interests over residents and neighborhoods, whatever the issue. 

Last week the local establishment newsletter (disguised as a newspaper named the Scottsdale Republic) printed an editorial ("Neighbors should have say, not veto," August 27th) with the theme "The desires of neighborhoods are important, but they must be balanced with the needs of an entire community." 

What makes this claim laughable in our current situation is that Scottsdale neighborhoods do not even have a voice, much less a veto, with our current Council majority.  I cannot remember a single instance over the last two years where, when a developer was pitted against a neighborhood, our current Council majority decided in favor of the neighborhood.

The editorial cites as a victory for neighborhoods the City Council decision to take the option of widening Chaparral Road off of the table.  But in that case there was no developer involved.  In cases of developers vs. neighborhoods the developers are batting a thousand with this current Council majority. 

And it is about to happen again -- the current Council majority appears poised to move an electrical substation (that even the power company says does not need to be moved) into a neighborhood that unanimously does not want it, just to enhance a developer’s profit. 

So, if you vote for Nesvig and Giller on Tuesday, you will not really be voting for less height and density (although that would be one outcome of their election), you are really voting for a City Council majority that puts the interests of the residents and neighborhoods before the interests of the developers and other special interests.

Here is your real choice in this City Council election.  Vote for the incumbents and their Chamber allies if you want to continue the business as usual (mostly out of the public eye) practice of giving developers and other special interests whatever they ask for, no matter what it costs Scottsdale residents in terms of a reduced quality of life and taxpayer dollars thrown away on corporate welfare.

Or, vote for Nesvig & Giller if you would prefer a city government that is open, responsive to the residents and fiscally responsible.

Ditto in the race for Mayor - vote Manross if you want business as usual, vote Lane for a city government that is open, responsive to the residents and fiscally responsible.

The choices couldn’t be clearer. 

Please vote for Jim Lane for Mayor and Nan Nesvig and Tom Giller for City Council on Tuesday.

Vice Mayor Bob Littlefield
bob@boblittlefield.com

This is an important election for Scottsdale and one we can ill afford to lose. I know, as you all do, that without a major change in the approach to governing City Hall, the "powers that are" will simply have their way with our City. As the president of the Chamber said to me in the mayoral interviews, the Chamber would be ok with a mayor who had an ability to say no, just not to them. 

Those of you that know me well know, I am a pro-business guy, and being even this close to being the "anti-establishment candidate" is completely foreign to me. I simply expect better process, not only from City Hall, but from business and politics. 

We will have better government, we deserve it.  

Please accept my sincere thanks for all your efforts to end the reign of Mary Manross and to help me become your next mayor. 

Best regards, 

W.J."Jim" Lane
Scottsdale City Councilman
2008 Mayoral Candidate

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 ~ Thank You! To my Fellow Citizens,

The end is near. After nearly a year of campaigning, I am ready to hear what Scottsdale’s citizens want to see in their future and who they want representing their interests.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who have supported my City Council campaign. It has been a wonderful experience for me getting to know each of you, listening to your concerns, resolving your issues with City Staff, as well as serving this community the best way that I know how – by just being involved!

I am so very appreciative of your efforts to get me to this very important point: the final vote! I know that I could not have done it without you. To all who helped with, participated in, donated to, or otherwise supported my campaign, from the bottom of my heart and beyond, I thank you. You are the very best supporters a candidate could ever ask for!

Now let’s get out there on September 2^nd and make positive change in Scottsdale’s future.

Most Sincerely,

Nan Nesvig
Candidate for City Council

nannesvig@aol.com
www.nannesvig.com

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I offer Huge "Thank You’s" to everyone for putting up with candidate signature petitions, yard signs, mailers and the annoying phone calls necessary to get the word out.

Also, to all of those volunteers who gave so freely of their precious time to help the cause.

Democracy is annoying at times but in Scottsdale many are paying attention. I can tell because so many people have told me that they are upset with our governmental process and thankful for those of us who, along with them, try to voice these concerns.

I’ve met many new people throughout our community who know how vitally important this election is if the residents and neighborhoods are going to have a say in the future of how we grow and who we are.

Change is inevitable and embracing change to refine qualities and define character is important, but letting special interests and self-serving bureaucrats determine the direction of that change is not what any of us want in Scottsdale.

Sincerely,

Tom Giller
City Council Candidate

votegiller08@cox.net
www.tomgiller.com

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 ~ Cruelest Manross Joke of the Year!!

We just received a communiqué and had to add our comments prior to the communiqué itself after we cooled off somewhat from reading the outright and bogus misrepresentations by Mayor Mary Manross.

Now, below is the communiqué which should tell you precisely how much of a false story teller and BS expert Mary Manross really is. (The italicized notes are the editor’s opinion based on reviewed city records)

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

Mayor Manross to speak on Sustainability at one of the World's Largest Technology Conferences Oracle’s OpenWorld, is a 45,000 person technology event to be held September 21-25 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. Oracle, the world’s largest enterprise software company, is headquartered in Redwood Shores, CA. This year, reflecting its commitment to developing practices and products that help protect the environment, Oracle has designated "The Green Room" for customers, partners, universities, and government representatives to focus on the effects of sustainability. They will host 20 sessions dedicated to all things green in the 700 person auditorium.

"I am very honored to be invited to speak at one of the largest IT conferences in the world. Our record in Scottsdale is something to be proud of and I am eager to share our successes to encourage others to adopt these fiscally and environmentally smart energy initiatives" said Mayor Manross. (She has done NOTHING to encourage this in her own city of Scottsdale)

On opening day Mayor Manross will be a panel member of the session "The Changing Urban Landscape: City Officials Discuss Green issues". (Manross has NEVER publicly discussed Green or Sustainability for Scottsdale, she has BS’ed her way into this conference) Other panel members include representatives from the State of California, the EPA, and the Mayor of San Jose, CA. Keynote speakers for Oracle’s OpenWorld include: Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle, Mark Hurd, CEO of H.P., and Paul Otellini, President and CEO of Intel.

Under the leadership of Mayor Mary Manross, Scottsdale has become recognized as a leader in green building and sustainability. (All lies and hyperbole, no written facts available to establish her leadership in the area of Green Building and Sustainability) Scottsdale was the first city in America to adopt a LEED Gold Certified standard for all new municipal buildings, and was the first city in the nation selected for the EPA’s rigorous Environmental Track program. This year Scottsdale formed an Office of Environmental Initiatives, In 2007 Mayor Manross received the national Mayor’s Award for Energy Efficiency at the annual conference of the U.S. Energy Association in Washington D.C. In recent months Mayor Manross has been a speaker at the Solar Energy Development Conference at the University of Arizona, the Sustainability Town Hall at SkySong (a non-green, class "B" cheaply built, economy office building) in Scottsdale, (where she said absolutely nothing more than Hi, How are you doing and Welcome to Scottsdale) and as a guest speaker at a special session of the South Lake Tahoe City Council.

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 ~ Campaign Sign Disaster

It has come to our attention that campaign signs are being removed by Code Enforcement without the candidates being informed about the violation PRIOR to their signs being removed as publicly promised.

Still other signs are being removed by private parties not knowing that it is a punishable and convictable federal offense to even touch said campaign signs without the owner’s knowledge and permission.

This entire mess, which incidentally, is strictly against the 1^st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, was brought to you by Mayor Manross and the Council Majority including "Craven Weasel and Flip-Flopper" Ron McCullagh.

Did you know:

The Mayor and Council Majority knew full well what they were doing when they adopted this ordinance but never sought to have it made public. The City Attorney even warned them during the discussion at the council meeting that the passage of this ordinance could bring expensive law suits which they would stand little to no chance to win.

So you ask, where are those Law Suits? Very simple: Only a candidate for public office can file such a Law Suit concerning campaign signs and no candidate has the money or cajoñes to file the suit even though they know they could win.

In winning, they will have lost any chance of winning any election because of the failure of the voters and citizens to understand the gravity of the U.S. Constitution and how precious the 1^st Amendment really is to ALL of us, and then support the suit against the sign ordinance.

If the council had instead accepted the plan we put forward, (click here) none of these problems would exist and the signs would be neat, orderly and then gone as quickly as they appeared WITHOUT infringing on the 1^st Amendment Rights of anyone.

Many citizens today couldn’t care less about the rights of others, just listen to the lazy #$%@&’s when they have to stand in a long line and the excuses they make to get to the front of the line; typical "it’s all about me first".

Manross and Company said enforcement would be easy because they just wouldn’t be allowed except on private property knowing full well that Rights of Way encroached well into the yards of most private properties with in the city of Scottsdale which would eliminate almost all signage.

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I’ve always enjoyed Robert Leger’s take on Scottsdale politics…. Except when he gets it totally wrong, as he did in his editorial of August 22.

The issue before the Council was whether or not to deliver a letter indicating our opposition to moving an SRP substation from its current location on Camelback & Scottsdale to 68^th Street and Indian School Road. The only beneficiary of this move would be a developer wanting to build on the current substation site.

This development might be a positive thing for Scottsdale – additional tax revenues, new jobs, another option for our visitors. The outlook was not so bright for the people living at 68^th Street and Indian School.

The letter to SRP called for in the resolution which I supported, did not stop this new development and most certainly did not deprive anyone of their right to be heard or due process. Quite the contrary. It would have simply indicated the Council’s opposition to the move because there had been no process at all. And it was a response to a significant intrusion into an established residential neighborhood whose residents had never been heard. The letter, far from denying process, was just an opening salvo that would have guaranteed due process to everyone.

In fact, neither the developer nor SRP have done their due diligence. Let’s take a look at the facts Robert Leger ignored:

Far from trying to thwart due process, my support of Vice Mayor Littlefield’s resolution was an attempt to guarantee a full and open discussion of the pros and cons of this substation relocation. And include the residents of 68^th Street and Indian School in the process.

I suspect Mr. Leger, the Mayor and the Council members who opposed this communication to SRP would have been significantly less sanguine about moving the substation had they awakened one morning, picked up their newspaper and discovered an SRP substation was about to relocate into their neighborhood.

We just got a robot-call from Jamie Drinkwater Buchanan supporting Betty Drake as the "voice of reason on the City Council," saying she will "continue my father’s legacy of civility…" blah, blah.

Mayor Drinkwater’s wonderful legacy of civility and future vision for Scottsdale will never be usurped or even closely encroached upon by anyone currently in Scottsdale elected public office.

Jamie, with all due respect, no one could love, admire and highly respected your father, as well as his family more than we do.

Please, don’t spoil it by using his name to support any candidate for Scottsdale elected office, none of them are deserving of such a highly respected endorsement.

Being that you don’t live or vote within Scottsdale city limits Jamie, and have no idea what’s really going on deep within the bowels of City Hall which your beloved father would consider abhorrent and terribly destructive for Scottsdale at best, please leave the endorsements to those living and voting in the city who DO know what’s really going on!

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 ~Regarding Non-Native Plants in NAOS/ESLO Areas

Members of the DRB and Planning Commission: 

You will soon be asked to allow, non-conforming, non-native plants to illegally remain in a NAOS/ESLO community in North Scottsdale (Carriage Hills Subdivision).  We in the area strongly oppose this request. 

You would not allow these plants in the McDowell Mountain Preserve, why should they be allowed in the foothills. 

We wanted to alert you to the latest development with regard to the Carriage Hills at La Posada Ranch HOA and the non-conforming native plant issue that has come to the attention of the Code Enforcement Department with thanks to the Scottsdale Activist website.  As you are probably now aware, the development has numerous properties in violation of the city's ordinances due to illegal planting of non-conforming native plants and the installation of non-native plants.

In the near future, the Carriage Hills at La Posada Ranch will be meeting with the Scottsdale Planning Commission and Development Review Board requesting that the non-conforming plants that have been illegally introduced and maintained on lots in our neighborhood should be allowed to remain.  We and many in the Pinnacle Peak area strongly and vehemently oppose any action which would allow this to happen under any condition. 

We are requesting your assistance and support in this matter.  It is vital that the Hillside Overlay, the ESLO and the NAOS ordinances be preserved and maintained intact along with the plant lists in Development Review Board Case #41-PP-86. 

Prior to moving and ultimately buying in this area, we all viewed the Hillside Overlay, the ESLO and the NAOS Ordinances as direct promises and firm commitments from the City of Scottsdale, that if you buy property in this area, these ordinances would service to ensure that we would be surrounded by native, Sonoran Desert, flora.  This was clearly an inducement to buy, an fair and valued enticement.

From 1994 to the present, every time we noticed a non-native plant being introduced, it was brought to the attention of the HOA.  Each time we brought it to their attention, we were given the same answer, "they (the city) had added that plant to the approved list". 

We now find the HOA had absolutely no authority to approve these non-native plants, and therefore the president and board members present and past should be held personally and financially responsible for allowing such a travesty to knowingly happen under their watch.

Interestingly, it is members of the HOA board, both past and present, are some of the major violators of these explicit ordinances.  You may recall that the President of the board caused his NAOS drainage area, on his property, to be sprayed with both a herbicide and a pre-emergent herbicide (detailed Code Enforcement Documentation available on request) fully against NAOS & ESLO regulations.  We say, "caused", because he asked and received payment for this spraying from the HOA members despite clear violations of the Ordinances and failing to advise the HOA members accordingly.  

In this case, the President of the Board is a licensed real estate agent, he should be fully aware of the limitations imposed by the City of Scottsdale Ordinances and should be prosecuted accordingly.

Allowing these plants not in compliance with the city ordinances to remain in place will set a disasterous precedent stretching all the way through North Scottsdale.  All of the communities of Troon, Troon North, Desert Highlands, Legend Trail, and Desert Mountain to mention just a few, will be affected. 

Why has Scottsdale worked so hard to preserve the environmentally sensitive lands through NAOS, ESLO and Hillside Overly, only to allow, at the whim of a select few, (an indignant HOA president, HOA boards, and the developer) to ignore the explicit ordinances. 

These forward thinking and visionary regulations were established as a way to preserve the unique native Sonoran Desert Environment with the insistence of long time citizens such as Jane Rau and many others.   Why should this small, knowingly non-compliant faction be allowed to circumvent the entire, in-place system after all these years? 

Looks like that Manross promise has gone out the window, like all of her others.

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The Director of Code Enforcement Raun Keagy and I have been having an ongoing conversation about the vacant Lund Cadillac property at Scottsdale Road and Mayo Blvd across from Schumacher Mercedes Benz, which is and has been in violation of multiple city codes and ordinances for a while.

It seems that time has run out on Lund and we need public pressure to get the box trailer with the illegal 40 foot ad as well as construction equipment removed from the premises ASAP. A regular citizen would have been hounded and fined into oblivion if they had been the owner of this problem situation.

Have different standards been applied here because of the social, location and economic status of the owner(s) based upon heavy pressures from a few elected officials of the current council majority?

 Hmmmmm……..

If Lund does not plan to commence building their new facility immediately, all articles associated with building currently on the property need to be removed and the land returned to its natural state immediately.

When I questioned the status of the permit, Raun’s last reply was:

We know that with the election and all the campaign sign violations (reportedly, city resident Susan Bitter Smith is far ahead in the parade of Sign Ordinance Violators on a daily basis), Raun may have not had a chance to deal effectively with this problem.

In addition, Lund has allowed a contractor who isn’t working on their project to use the vacant land without a permit from the city. Are they charging the contract for the use of the property?

It’s time the same standards are applied to all who do business with the Code Enforcement and/or Planning Department of Scottsdale without regard to their financial or social status in the community.

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When Mr. Leger came on the scene a few years back, the Scottsdale Activist did a background check and found he came from a decade’s long and brilliant, award winning career as a conservative and conscientious journalist in Springfield MO.

In that venue, he was highly respected and seen as one who was very quick to stand up for the common man (and woman) and was always seemingly "fighting city hall" to make sure the interests of the common man were fully taken into account by the city government as well as the school district.

What has happened to the once brilliant and compassionate Robert Leger? Have his former conservative values, his concerns and ideas of the common man been replaced by very biased, liberal, non-investigative editorial style? If that is true, it is truly a shame because he was one hell of an investigative journalist once upon a time.

This man was loved and revered by those in Springfield whom he helped stop the government and school district from doing things that weren't in the best interest of a city and school government that wasn't listening to the common citizen.

It would seem that Mr. Leger has unfortunately succumbed to the headiness of coming from a small venue and being put in change of a much larger venue where there is a "Ruling Party". The problem here is that, although his parents live in Scottsdale, he lives in Fountain Hills, not Scottsdale which means he doesn't have the direct connection and concern he had in Springfield. 

Mr. Leger has never spent any time with the masses in Scottsdale who need to be heard like those he listened to so intently in Springfield. Instead, he "drank the Kool-Aide" and got caught up with the supposed "Royalty" and massive amounts of big money and what it was doing in and to Scottsdale without checking with the common citizens; no checks and balances here.

He was probably wined and dined by the city's self anointed "royalty". Could it be, as it is with many others, that it was most probably very strongly suggested what was needed to make sure he knew who he was to support and who were the "problem people" in the city. Could it be that acceptance of those issues were one of the conditions of his employment?

Have you ever seen Mr. Leger at any citizen organized group meetings like COGS, CCS, SC, or COPP? Has he ever come down on the floor of the Kiva before or after a meeting and just chatted or mingled with the "Peasants" as Manross and the Council Majority consider them? Have you ever received a phone call from Mr. Leger like he used to do on a regular basis with the citizens of Springfield?

I seriously doubt it.

Maybe it's time for Mr. Leger to get off his high horse, spit in the eye of faux royalty and monied developers, and get back down to his roots with the masses where he is sorely needed. With his help and expertise, the story of the masses could finally be brilliantly told.

The story and desires of the masses is very simple and is NOT no growth as he would have you believe:

Is this to much to ask of a city that used to be the number one destination for tourists, vacationers and families who like what they see and want to move to Scottsdale?

We think not.

Therefore we ask that Mr. Leger do some soul searching and rethink his current attitude/direction and take another look and start listening to the residents instead the out of touch Mayor and Council majority along with their monied friends and developers.

If you can't mingle with the masses, how can you accurately and fairly report or editorialize on anything going on in any city?

Please Mr. Leger, Take stock of your current situation/position in the community, then go back to your roots where you were a brilliant investigative journalist and a great addition to the community.

Respectfully,

George Knowlton, 
Editor of the Scottsdale Activist

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 ~It’s a Serious Question of Ethics........

Just who IS behind the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to "Buy or Control" the City Election?

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The email below was sent from one of our members who lives in the area of 68th St. and Indian School Road where the developer of WaterView/Solis would like to move the SRP substation from Camelback and Scottsdale Road to accommodate his seven star hotel, condo and office project.

That substation is an electric infrastructure issue and SRP says it does not have to be moved. They say they do not have to do anything to upgrade until 2014.

As things stand, right now, Scottsdale has not taken a serious look at infrastructure issues for the area South of Indian Bend Road because we have not completed the long range planning for our neighborhoods or the Downtown. We don't know what we are going to look like, how much growth in population to expect or where that growth might be located.

We have asked to meet with staff to discuss infrastructure and apparent assumptions upon which some of the water/water treatment facilities in a Master Plan passed in March 2008, by Council, were based. As well, we have asked for information on APS and SRP projections and recommendations for utility distribution to accommodate potential growth.

We will have members of the Steering Committee with us and we will tape the meeting so that we can provide a sound report to all of the Scottsdale Coalition members.

Before the alley is abandoned and any plan is undertaken to move the SRP substation, we must know how infrastructure is to be addressed to serve the existing residents and neighborhoods and future growth. We send the email mostly unedited except for contact info.

Subject: SRP SUBSTATION

Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:25:24
 
I just received my little postcard for notifying me that the City is moving ahead with the alley abandonment at the canal and 68th Street. Of course there is no mention of the intended eventual use to the site as substation, nor that this will probably determine the utility corridor will eventually be put down 68th Street which will need to be widened to accommodate the redevelopment of OrchidTree which the new Downtown plan says the
"community" wanted to be part of downtown and rezoned "high-density residential". Wasn’t Susan Bitter Smith and Technical Solutions the ones who claimed the "Community" wanted to be a part of downtown? And this is called "public outreach"?

The staff contact for the alley abandonment is Greg Bloomberg 480.312.4306. Planning staff is still taking comments (complaints) on the Downtown Plan until September 15 at which point they will push it through unless we push back.

This is business as usual here in Scottsdale and we need your help trying to change the system.

Please vote for Nan Nesvig, Tom Giller and Jim Lane
to stop the bleeding on September 2nd, and spread the word.

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We CAN NOT continue to have business as usual at Scottsdale City Hall.

We do not, cannot, continue to have communication blocks within City Hall, from department to department, or office to office, or staff member to staff member.

For the last 8 years we have seen a great disconnect take place and the mature neighborhoods are beginning to see serious problems that leadership should have been on top of, but they have fumbled terribly.

Sound growth and long range planning hinge upon the choices made at the ballot box this year, right now.

As demonstrated in talks and presentations with our planning staff, residents have noted that we have not looked seriously at Southern Scottsdale in over 20 years.

The recently disclosed concerns of Salt River Project that they have been trying to get our City government to attend to the electrical infrastructure issues for delivery of power for Downtown and the Southern Scottsdale Community Planning Area (everything from Indian Bend Road South, including the Downtown Area and it compatibility with surround neighborhoods), shows over a years worth of no response from the Mayor, former City Manager and Council.

Note the problems delivering water to the newly built high-rise condominiums in Downtown and the sub-standard sewer capacity for the Waterfront development, commercial and residential.

Way too many residents could care less about this part of the community. They need to remember that whatever gets done, especially in the current haphazard manner, in the South, can set precedent for what will happen in their own neighborhood.

Since 2003 we have had false promises to individual residents and neighborhood organizations from many elected to serve. They thrive on voters not being aware. They thrive on lack of information. They depend upon voters going away after the election party.

No one wants to stop growth, that is patently absurd and an insult to the intelligence of voters. It is also a ploy that some of those in the development and business community of Scottsdale artfully use to manipulate residents and promote discord thereby diverting attention away from the lack of smart planning, completely devoid of good government.

We have serious infrastructure issues whether water and sewer capabilities at the Waterfront or delivery of electrical power through out the southern part of Scottsdale.

No matter where you live in Scottsdale you pay taxes and our City government spends them. How, where and when dollars are spent should be the overriding consideration in this election.

A sound future for Scottsdale depends upon your vote this election.

We cannot continue the way we have.

Sadly, consider that of the 400 people the Chamber of Commerce polled, 31% of them did not even recognize the name of our Mayor.

That is a scary statistic.

As a Post Script, The Scottsdale Republic REFUSED to run this letter because it "is considered an endorsement ". How stupid and political can you get?

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Funny thing that when I opened my e-mail today I found a letter from one of the many friends I have at the State level that also believes (like everyone else in the e-mail string) that my actions and conclusions are correct and the Republic overstepped their boundaries. Of course I had to take out the name of the State Officer to ensure the Republic did not get as biased with them as they do with our local elections. The part in red means that others in the State came to the same conclusions and their names were removed also.

Mike Merrill

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Hi Mike,

I just received the email from Steptoe and Johnson re: your lawsuit.  It is so funny (not the lawsuit), I was just thinking of you yesterday and wondering what new cause you were fighting for.  I was going through email and cleaning up files and came across your files, both the email file and the paper files.  You should be happy to know that you have entire internet and hanging files that have you name on them and then divided into the issues that you have been involved in. 

Now I have something new to add. You are a brave man to take on all of the issues that you do, I think that it is great that you are on top of things.  Most people have the attitude that "someone else will take care of it", or "It's not worth our time, we will never win".  Watching Scottsdale is quite a job for you.

Keep us up on how things are going, this is very interesting. 

~Letters to the Editor  

 ~The "Establishment" is Full of Political Whores

I read an editorial in the Scottsdale Republic which noted that Tuesday’s election was too important to ignore. I whole heartedly agree, but my reasons are completely different.

I’ve seen the small group of political insiders who control politics in Scottsdale try to frame this City Council election as referendum on height and density. Frankly, this is simply hogwash.

This election is all about whether or not the citizens and local businesses in Scottsdale get to have a voice in decisions made in Scottsdale.

The Chamber and the Scottsdale Republic would like you to believe that the "Activist" community is nothing but a small group of complainers who want to push Scottsdale back into the 1950’s. I don’t want Scottsdale to go back to the 1950’s, but it might actually be better than a Scottsdale more like Chicago in the 1920’s and 1930’s life we have now.

Let me explain.

First, the "establishment" tries to tell you that the "Activist" community is small. I think it’s the Establishment that’s small. Small in numbers, small in intellect and small in ethics.

You see, you can put all the people who matter in the Establishment camp in a very small room. Remember back to the last election when there was a serious scandal which resulted in current candidate Nan Nesvig getting dropped from the ballot through a lawsuit brought by Tom Irvine?

Remember the Hanover referendum which was bounced (after getting over 3,000 valid signatures) on a technicality – through a lawsuit brought by Tom Irvine?

Remember the Unjust Dust referendum which was tossed (after getting 3,000 valid signatures) through a lawsuit brought by . . . oh what’s his name . . . Tom Irvine?

Remember who wrote the letter defending the Chamber and their "mailer"? Ooh, this is a hard one . . . TOM IRVINE!!!

These events are all connected, driven by the same small group of political insiders. So, I’m thinking that the Establishment is, indeed, the group that’s small in numbers. What they have is strength in Dollars. That’s the benefit of being an incumbent, or running a Chamber organization with has lots of members who really just want the sticker on their window as opposed to watching how Rick Kidder and Virginia Korte are spending their money.

Interesting how Kevin Osterman is now involved.

Interesting how all these people attend an annual Christmas party/fund raiser held at the home of Susan Bitter Smith.

Interesting how they all hang out together on every project, every event, every everything.

Second, the Establishment wants to scare you into voting for their candidates because, supposedly, the other candidates want to take us back to the past. I watched the forums, read the mailers and the candidate websites.

Not one of them said they were opposed to development or the revitalization of South Scottsdale. Mayor Manross, the Chamber and the Scottsdale Republic don’t want you to know this because they are all about doing or saying what ever it takes so that they can stay in power.

So, this isn’t about height and density, this is about having a City Council which should be representing you and not a bunch of career political whores and insiders who profit from their unethical decisions.

Please vote on Tuesday if you haven’t already, and cast a vote for a real future and not a continuation of Chicago-style politics.

Give a voice back to ALL of us instead of this small group of Kiva Room political whores.

Tom Raleigh,
Scottsdale Voter

As a reader of the Scottsdale Activist for some months I appreciate your attention to green building, energy conservation, and sustainability issues.

Having been involved in energy engineering in Scottsdale for a short while, I am always amazed to see your Mayor Manross' name listed among leaders in the area of sustainable development.

While living in Scottsdale for the first few years of her term I know for a fact that she couldn't have cared less about sustainability, or green building.

As an international consulting engineer in the development of air separation plants, gas processes and small distributed power generation plants, I find that there is little effort to encourage developers to pursue LEED certification for their projects that Scottsdale must count on for growth.

Once again, I see she is to attend an international event to speak as an expert; in what exact area if I might be so bold as to ask?

Name withheld by request
Colorado

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I hope everyone is having a safe and fun holiday weekend.  

With the Scottsdale general election right around the corner (this Tuesday, 2 September), time is getting short for making a difference. 

I want to share with you something I experienced personally that is very relevant to our election. During the past few months I have been increasingly involved in Scottsdale city issues, and have spent a lot of time advocating for individuals and neighborhoods. Increasingly, my efforts have been met with public disparagement at the hands of incumbent politicians who’s very duty is to represent that same group of folks above all others. 

Back in May, I had an unpleasant exchange with one of our incumbents about just such an issue. Recently, some more information was revealed that shed some light on this issue. This may be one of my last blog posts about the election before we vote, and I feel it is important that you have this information to consider in casting your vote on Tuesday. 

An otherwise-well-respected journalist who heard this same information said to me, "So, a politician told a lie. Who cares?" 

I do.  

I think you do, too. 

http://www.scottsdalecitizen.com/blog.html 

http://www.scottsdalecitizen.com/issuepapers/dust.html 

John Washington
www.ScottsdaleCitizen.com
480.229.1831
john@ReactionResearch.com

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We are registered voters in Scottsdale using the absentee voter system but spend 4 months of the year in Wisconsin so we need to keep up with things via the internet, thanks to the city website, the Scottsdale Activist and the on-line Scottsdale Tribune, we do know exactly what’s going on at home. If our crazy Governor would have left the Primary date the same as it was, we would have been there to raise hell personally.

We have followed all campaigns since the beginning and found that only Nan Nesvig and Tom Giller have kept their original message with Jim Lane right behind them although he needs to step out and be a lot more demonstrative and direct in his campaign.

With that being said, we need to tell you why the others don’t measure up in our outspoken and street-wise opinion.

No one wants to admit to being a political Sell Out or Suck Up in Scottsdale, but let’s face facts, those designations truly do exist. These titles are worn with ignorant pride and dignity, as if they were earned much like a Boy Scout’s merit badge.

Some of our politicians choose to work very hard at being suck ups while others marry the natives at the very first opportunity to screw the public who trustingly voted them into office. Noses in the air, these unscrupulous individuals apparently sleep quite well at night, knowing that they have sold out to the highest bidder, citizens be damned. What pathetic excuses for human beings, let alone elected officials.

If ever there was a grandiose Queen of Suck Up’s and Sell out’s, it’s our very own Mayor "Queen Mary" Manross. A laughing stock among other mayors and dignitaries in our state and others, "Queen Mother" Mary has become the Jan Dolan that lives on at the Kiva. With no actual concern for how many toes she steps on or how many lives she offends, or how terribly she runs (ruins) a city council meeting, our esteemed Mayor shucks and jives through her pitiful mayoral existence without so much as a prayer of knowing what the hell she’s doing.

If it’s a developer who can help earn her yet another term behind the Dais, she’ll sell out. If it means that the Scottsdale Republic prints positive info about her, she’ll suck up. No need to worry about the "puppet" Mother Mary, she has so many strings attached to her by others, she doesn’t know if she’s coming or going and can’t even fall down for the attached strings. "Queen Mary" should be nicknamed the Queen of Hualapai for her illegal multimillion dollar screw up.

Four more years of this Manross puppetry? We pray you don’t think so, we need to come back home in a couple of months to something reasonable.

We don’t need to rack our brains to highlight the next Sell Out and Suck Up – it is Ron (the Craven Weasel) McCullagh. Ron "I’m a big supporter of neighborhoods and fiscal conservation" just recently voted against the 68th Street and Indian School neighborhood with regard to the SRP substation. Worse, Ron is attempting to condemn the private water entity AAWC for what? To bring our Scottsdale people back into our own water system! This will cost our city millions upon millions of dollars and tie us up in litigation (millions more) for years to come. We have enough problems with out own water system, we don’t need another loser.

Ron has refused to put a cap on subsidies in Scottsdale and handed out money to development individuals at an alarming rate. Conservative you say? Prove it!! Look at Ron’s campaign contributions to understand the true magnitude of his selling out and sucking up. The vast majority of contributors are developers, architects, Scottsdale Healthcare, the Scottsdale Area Chamber, the Scottsdale Republic; sell out, or suck up. He makes our list right underneath "Queen Mother" Mary.

Betty Drake – urban planner and developer sell out and suck up extraordinaire. Ms. Drake has recused herself at least 22 times in two years on the Council and those are just the occasions when someone brought it to her attention. If there is a project being built in Scottsdale, Betty is probably profiting from it in some manner. Her urban planning company vets all the contracts especially when she votes (which is always) for the project. Like Ron, Betty is subsidy happy; she knows that by giving developers money to build here, she will get some of it in return somewhere in the near future, although maybe not on a Scottsdale property. Is that Ethical?? Wow Betty – and you call yourself ethical? Sell out, or Suck Up?

Marrying the natives was patented by Wayne Ecton who obtained the COPP endorsement during his last election and promised a fiscally conservative approach to management of our city’s monies and no sooner had the ink dried on his election, he sold out. Of course we all know that being a part of the pro-establishment sell outs and suck ups is a much easier going and Wayne, who sits in his Main Street Condo purchased for reportedly less than HALF the value of the property (could that have been in a sweetheart deal between he and the developer? Is that even legal?) and Wayne has never lifted a finger to respond to citizens concerns as a public official. Wayne has our vote as most egregious Council member for his continual bad attitude toward actually serving the public. Did he really cut off the water to an entire town of natives in Africa as he boasts publicly when he worked for ALCOA?

And in the candidate corner…

It wasn’t difficult for us to separate the good from the bad guys in this race. True colors always show through when pressed for info and our assessment, as evidenced by the feedback we’ve received through the Scottsdale Tribune website, and Scottsdale Activist which tells us they have again reached over 60,000 hits so far this month (we never check the web for the Suck-Up Repulsive for obvious reasons). That tells us that the Activist is dead on the money with their articles as is the Tribune on most occasions.

Newcomer to all things Scottsdale is Lisa Borowsky. For someone who reiterates how much she cares about Scottsdale and its future, but is also a Scottsdale native, one has to wonder where she been for the past 43 years? Apparently she cared so much that she did not attend any city or local organization meetings, no workshops, no city sponsored programs, no demonstrations, no referendum pushes, no Council meetings (and apparently she’s still not attending these!), no nothing! Yet she walks into the election process just short of a year ago and announces that she is a viable candidate for Council? Did you just cock your head to the side and say HUH? Yep, we did too. How did she get the Repulsive’s endorsement? Sell out and suck up? She has shed her pro-public service demeanor, what little she embraced, and crossed the line to the dark side, all in the name of popularity and electorate appeal. And you thought she was just a dumb blonde? Not! With a manager who we hear and read is Lamar Whitmer, need we say more? No, Lisa and Ecton are somehow politically related. We know this to be true now.

Sweet little Suzanne Klapp has been a tried and true Chamber Chick selling out and sucking up for years. If ever there was a candidate who isn’t right for Scottsdale office, it’s Suzanne. Not only does she know absolutely nothing about our city or its residents, she is completely controlled by the special interest Chamber with her every move, right down to Susan Bitter-Smith and Donna Regan running her campaign. Suzanne may be a nice lady but her true colors of selling out and sucking up shine brighter than a thousand suns. A slightly younger version of the grand Dame "Queen Mary" Manross, but far more ethical, Suzanne ranks right up there on our list of sell outs and suck ups. Like Manross, she is consumed in puppetry through Kidder and Korte. The citizens, businesses and neighborhoods be damned. Did you ever hear Suzanne mention what she would do for the residents of Scottsdale? Neither did we.

Council Candidate Joel BramOweth is a nice and sincere guy but can’t decide if he’s going to sell out or suck up but he seems to have mastered both qualities during this race. First he endorsed Nesvig as the best candidate out there, then he flip-flops and endorses Klapp and McCullagh; right there a big red flag. He spews rhetoric at every opportunity which usually ends badly with the words YES TO NEW TAXES or higher density! Joel would do anything to be a member of the club but unfortunately, no one really wants his money or his membership. We know this for certain, if Joel were elected, we’d be in even bigger trouble than we are at this very moment in Scottsdale. He’d give his keys to the city away without so much as blinking.

Why do these people feel the need to fit in to the "Establishment system" to the point of selling out or sucking up to the special interests in this city? We ask ourselves that same question over and over. The best that we can figure is that their insecurities are driving their bad decisions. It’s tough to do the right thing all the time and to be ethical, upstanding and represent the interests of the people who you vowed to serve. It’s much, much easier to sell out and suck up, reap the rewards, popularity and benefits of that membership and of course, glide through your day with ease and promise of benefits to come from everyone but your resident, home owning constituents.

To those who choose to travel the paved, easy, sell out and suck up road of life and politics, we say go ahead. One day your excuses, poor reasoning and decisions will break down and then, who will rescue you? Our Scottsdale citizens are an upstanding group of nice intelligent people but they don’t and won’t service sell outs or suck ups. Neither will the real voting public.

VOTE September 2nd. Vote IN the good guys and gal like we did:  Lane, Giller and Nesvig, Vote OUT the sell outs or suck ups.

Vote September 2^nd for a better Scottsdale.

Names withheld by request
Scottsdale & Wisconsin

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Mr. Leger

After receiving your last e-mails responding to the one-sided nature of the "Our Views" and "Your Views" I have identified (scroll down to view below), I almost actually believed that perhaps the reader's opinions in the "Your Views" might be a true represented of the letters you have been receiving-those in your "inbox".

You have received several, if not many letters from Scottsdale residents within the last two days supporting items/candidates that, again, would be a threat to those "special friends" of yours. At this time, the excuse of not having other letters to print is a non-issue.

To allow one out of four of the "Your Views" today to be in this under-represented category is better, but still reflects bias. There is no excuse for what we see today.

Thanks for throwing out a bone. Just keep in mind, Scottsdale residents are not that gullible. Your actions will inevitably play a toll on the overall credibility that your newspaper carries.

Sincerely,

Mary Waddle
Scottsdale

----- Original Message -----

From: robert.leger@arizonarepublic.com
To:
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 10:25 AM

Subject: Re: Fw: Scottsdale Republic-What is your role?

A P.S.: You also wrote that the Republic must have "a place in their hearts for the
incumbents running for re-election." We quite pointedly did NOT endorse incumbent Betty Drake. If I were doing what you accuse me of in the rest of your letter, I would be not be running letters favoring her.

Robert Leger/PNI    08/26/2008 10:17 AM

To:
Subject Re: Fw: Scottsdale Republic-What is your role? (Document link: Robert Leger)

Ms. Waddle:

Thank you for your note.

You raise a question about the election letters that have appeared in the Scottsdale Republic, writing: "Today, as well as most of last week, the "Your Views" have been very one-sided/out of balance with printing of letters bashing anyone who represents a challenge to your "special friends"." I can't run letters I don't receive.

What you see in The paper is a fair representation of what I am receiving. Actually, it's not fair. I have far more letters supporting Manross/McCullagh/Drake that have not yet been printed. Every letter supporting other candidates has been printed. Unless something comes in today, I don't have a single letter in the inbox supporting Lane, Nesvig or Giller.

There is no bias on my part. What you see in the paper reflects what the candidates are able to generate. If you want to see more letters supporting your candidates, your anger should not be directed at me. Persuade your friends and others who share your feelings to write letters. As with all other election letters, they need to be under 200 words and they need to get to me no later than 9 a.m. Thursday. Earlier is better. I will not print any election letters after Saturday.

Robert Leger Editorial Page Editor, Scottsdale Republic
Assistant Editorial Page Editor, Arizona Republic
www.azcentral.com
602-444-6805; cell 602.478.3406; fax 602.444.6875

Original letter from Mary Waddle

Dear Mr. Ledger,

Your use of the opinion section appears to be extremely corrupt. I have only recently started to pay attention to the "Your Views" and "Our Views" in the Scottsdale Republic and am extremely disappointed in what I believe I am seeing.

I e-mailed you last week to express the "rats nest" I see with relationships/alliances between different city entities, including the Scottsdale Republic. This ongoing activity on the part of your newspaper just confirms my concerns.

It doesn't matter what a person's position is. People just want fair representation, especially with such a widely circulated newspaper.

Put your personal feelings aside and act according to what you preach. Remember the e-mail you sent me, "in order to keep it fair to all candidates...". Perhaps try to balance the "Your Views" each day to reflect a more objective position on part of the Scottsdale Republic.

Today, as well as most of last week, the "Your Views" have been very one-sided/out of balance with printing of letters bashing anyone who represents a challenge to your "special friends". Anyone paying attention can see it-check out today's paper for instance. It is obvious that the Scottsdale Republic has a place in their hearts for the incumbents running for re-election.

That's fine, however, please re-evaluate if you want to be a source of information for the people, or use your position to manipulate information to the benefit of specific individuals and their campaigns.

I'll be watching in hopes that this turns around. At this time, I do not believe that this way of doing business is what the Scottsdale Republic truly represents. Please do not prove me wrong.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Mary Waddle
Scottsdale Resident

  Living in the Land of Oz

You have to love the Saturday article by Lesley Wright that was headlined "Activist gone wild" regarding the formal compliant that was lodged by yours truly against the Oz Repugnant. The only problem is that she did not have enough space to really tell the story of why the complaint was filed, and in reality did anyone ever think that they would tell the whole story?

The whole story was that I never expected to win anything against the Repugnant and is why it came as no shock to me when I got the response from their high profile and high dollar "First Amendment" attorney David Bodney of Steptoe and Johnson and trust me when I say I have no problems with the attorney as he did exactly what he was hired to do and I hope it cost the Repugnant a pretty penny to have this attorney write what he did. The problem is this is not a First Amendment issue and it is an election law issue but as we all know, the print media in its own right always claims the First Amendment whenever anything comes up against them and it is getting a little old.

I want to take just a brief second to tell you why I still say I am correct in filing the complaint and that it is not a case of "activist gone wild" as Lesley Wright claims, but then again since she is part of the print media she will also disagree. The thing in question is the same thing that Attorneys always split hairs on and argue in court and it is called "language". The word "endorse" is defined as "to sanction, approve, or support. The word "campaign" is defined as "a series of planned actions, as for electing a candidate and the problem arises in election laws because it is illegal for the Repugnant to "campaign" for ANY candidate running for a public office.

Did anyone read in the articles written by Fountain Hills Leger and if you did, did you ever see the words appear in any of their comments that said we "endorse" these candidates for office? No, what you heard were the words that in the English language fall into the classification of campaigning for people running for public office and those words were "vote" "re-elect" and "we recommend voting for". Now the problem is that all of a sudden and as usual the Repugnant claims this is a first amendment issue for them and skipped the fact that the first amendment does not allow them that much freedom as to attempt to unduly attempt to influence the outcome of an election. The rebuttal from Mr. Bodney are based on Federal and State Elections cases and still show there has never been any precedent or court action that spells out if those laws apply to local elections which are a whole different breed of animal where a corporation such as the Repugnant is still bound by election laws.

The law is still clear in this case if you can remove the first amendment hoopla the media always tries to use when they are wrong and know damn well they are. Corporations such as the Repugnant are not allowed to "campaign" for people running for any public office, unless of course they choose to form a political action committee first and they can "endorse" any candidate they choose. The actual articles themselves spell out clearly that this is not what took place with these folks and what they are doing is actually campaigning for their choices for public office and that is what made their articles a violation of election laws and for me to file a formal compliant against them. If Lesley wanted a better headline it should have read as follows, "The Oz Repugnant illegally campaigns for officers for public office and gets caught" as that would have been the correct headline.

As for Lesley’s final comment about picking fights with people who buy their ink by the barrel and have first amendment attorneys on speed dial I say who gives a rats patoot, and lawyers and ink never scared me as much as those who flaunt their lawyers and ink to do things illegally.

~ How quickly they change their tunes

Okay, reading the candidates stand this week in the media I cannot help but giggle as I continually see the changes in responses from our pool of candidates. Let’s take first one of the people our group endorsed in Buckaroo Betty who now states that we can allow height and density in some specific areas. But her entire time in office she has supported increases in height and density in so many areas it appears that anywhere is good in her plans. Let’s also look at the fact that even in the new downtown plan update there is still no area designations as to where this can take place.

Come on Betty, let’s say you get it straight for once and admit that we have no specific areas slated which can help a developer who want to or have to increase heights and density so you will continue to approve those matters no matter where they want to build them, unless of course it is up north. Also you need to give up that scare tactic of urban sprawl because we are at build out and have boundaries that are already built out meaning that we are not creating urban sprawl and is like stating that Tempe of all places needs to build higher and denser to combat urban sprawl, it just does not pass the test or definition.

This also applies to the great craven weasel of the west named Ron McCullagh who now states "cautiously consider any changes to zoning for height and density" which again means if I am re-elected I can lie as well as Mary Manross because he also has yet to find a developer who did not give him money to run for office as the developers step child and he also does not give a rats patoot where it happens as long as it is not around his house or up north. Then he has the audacity to make the statement of revitalizing south Oz as his highest priority and he sounds just like his mentor Mary the Fairy when she states that her next term will be devoted to the same thing and for the last 4 years they have done nothing, except Mary has done nothing for the last two terms.

Sometimes I want to just take a good hard slap at this guy and see if I can knock that gold tooth right out of is mouth. If I did I would place it on a pole in south Oz and consider that tooth as his tribute to knowing anything about how revitalization works. This man is the biggest liar and most two faced person I have ever encountered since we got rid of Osterman.

Oren Davis and Joel BramOweth have both been so far all over the map that I am not sure what either one of them stands for as every time they open their mouths something different comes out. The other repugnant endorsement Lisa Borowsky is also in that class but not as bad however her latest comments show that in the issues of city growth and how it should be done that she is also going to be a useless person that will have to be trained over the next four years to understand the issues. Her remark about height and density and how infrastructure must be addressed at the same time is the process we use now and what has led us to the point we are at now. The reality is those infrastructure issues need to be addressed first and before you start adding more stress to the system.

Now Suzanne Klapp says we must keep height and density away from neighborhoods and keep it along high–traffic routes, so my question to her would be to show us where these parcels exist unless you plan on doing what I suggest, placing it up and down Pima and Scottsdale Road along the preserve. Talk about the tourism money we could start raking in then??????

The only two who have pretty much kept to what they said when they started? Nan Nesvig and Tom Giller.

~ Sign theft and the Liars of Code Enforcement

You know what kills me is the continual lies that come from code enforcement of Oz and when a city office decides to campaign for there own candidates in the same style as the Oz Repugnant.

Recently again we have had the issue of code enforcement picking up signs illegally and against what rules they stated they would follow when they pulled up residential signs for Mayor Candidate Jim Lane. Now this time they have done it to Council Candidate Nan Nesvig who had signs placed on property owned by Richard Funke and who even gave Nesvig written permission for her signs to be there. The signs were not in a traffic triangle and were not a hindrance to motor vehicle traffic but yet the code enforcement Nazis decided to pull them anyway.

Funny thing is that the papers reported that code enforcement stated that from now on they would give property owners two days to remove or replace the sign so that it applies with this stupid Council Majority crafted law that the Craven Weasel finally got passed and is what he spent an entire term trying to accomplish.

So Mr. Keagy, please explain to us again why we should not believe that the mayor or her husband are yanking your chains when your department states one thing and then you go and do another and especially during election time?

Here is an upcoming option to consider Mr. Keagy, if the city does elect a change in direction as well as leadership, I am personally coming to the first city council meeting with a citizens petition to overturn the current sign ban and force the city to figure out how to enforce the rules and the changes that need to be made that the editor of this web site brought forward and removing the craven weasel incumbent protection act he finally got passed and we will restore political free speech in this city, maybe we will even use the Repugnant attorney to state our First Amendment rights.

Michael Merrill
"The Brutal Critic"
F8713@AOL.com

~ Miscellaneous but Important City Information

Do you own a Southern Scottsdale Business ? (that would be anything south of Indian Bend Road)  Please check out this website and sign up for one of the repeating forums Sept 11th at various locations--hosted by the city.

www.scottsdaleaz.gov/planning/areaplans

Can you host candidates in your home? Candidates need the opportunity to speak with you and your neighbors. Door-to-door isn't the best answer in 110F heat. Would you gather 5 to 15 people and invite a candidate?....or invite 2 or 3 and stagger their arrival and departure times?  We recommend that your priority be "new faces" rather than incumbents. Council meeting history already informs you on the incumbents.  Give the 5 new faces a chance to share their positions on issues in your informal setting.  Thanks! email cogsaz@cox.net if you need any contact phone numbers.

New Issue Brewing?  The City of Scottsdale has no formal noise ordinance. As new residential projects are approved in the downtown core, as existing neighborhoods nearby are impacted, and as new liquor and nightclub licenses are approved----abusive noise levels are an increasing problem for local residents.  We have one COGS member who reports that a nearby club plays live music until 2 AM with their doors open.  The level of noise is unlivable---and unsleepable in their home. They have received no enforcement from the police department. 

Thursday August nights ==DOGS AND JAZZ... From 7 to 9 PM on 7111 5th Avenue bring your dog and hear good jazz music. There will be dog fashions, gift items, ladies' jewelry and an "animal rescue" raffle. For more information call 480.970.1894 or www.classy-jazzy.com.  ...and finally....Free Fridays at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art 10 am to 5 PM

CITY BUSINESS.........

The Museum of the West public hearing schedule.....September 9th City Council decision. Further information

http://www.scotsdaleaz.gov/projects/projectsinnews/SMW.asp and

http://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/cases/casesheet.aspx?caseid=35143   

Camelback and Indian School Road construction continues....82nd Street will close briefly at Indian School Rd...Camelback Rd east of Scottsdale Road will reduce to one lane in each direction from now to October for a new water and sewer line. 

Southern Area Business Focus Groups...If you own a business south of Indian Bend Road, please attend one of these 6 to 8 PM events: September 11th at Kerr Cultural Center.  Call 480 .312 .7990 or www.scottsdaleaz.gov/planning/areaplans

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 ~ Candidate Endorsement Announcements

 Check the Candidate section for the latest endorsements for Council and Mayoral candidates. You might be surprised who has endorsed who and who hasn't been endorsed.

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 ~ Council and Mayoral Candidates Information

Information is added to the candidates list as the candidates send it to us. We do not solicit such information, but will will include it if offered by any and all candidates for Scottsdale elected offices at no charge.

~ Congressional Candidate Information

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By Craig J. Cantoni
August 29, 2008 

Intelligent life looks at the chart, engages the reasoning part of the brain, recognizes the statistical flaws in the chart, and makes cogent remarks about income gains.  Intelligent life is almost always on display at www.cafehayek.com, which is an outstanding website on economic matters.   There, bloggers recently exchanged observations about the chart.  Excerpts are below the chart.  Warning to Democrats:  Read at your own risk, for you might come to the realization that your patron saint Obama is a nincompoop on economic matters.  (Yes, McCain is also a nincompoop, but Republicans don't see him as a patron saint.) 

Incidentally, while reading the comments, you might want to compare them to the sophomoric way that your daily newspaper would have covered the chart. 

~ Information You Can Use

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

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

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

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

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

This is NOT for Children.

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

 www.obsessionthemovie.com

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

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

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

The website below gives some history of Terrorist attacks:

http://patriotfiles.org/civilizationcalls.htm

This website tell you what REALLY happened:

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

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~ Arizona Tax Revolt

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~ View Past City Council Meetings

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

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

~Continuing Light Rail Information

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

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

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

     Goldwater Institute Report

     American Dream Coalition

    The Public Purpose

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

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

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 ~Are Red-Light Cameras Fair to Drivers?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are many other branches throughout the Valley.