Once again the Scottsdale City Council is being asked to open the public purse and compromise our citizen-inspired design standards to subsidize a rich developer to build a shopping center. As usual this project is being hyped as "world class, iconic and visionary" in the hope that you, the residents of Scottsdale, will not notice that you are about to be fleeced again.

This time the project is the plan by DMB Associates to build an upscale shopping center at Scottsdale Road and Loop 101. DMB wants your City Council to give them a height variance and a $50 million subsidy to build "the next Rodeo Drive" on that site.

Scottsdale is a great place to do business; we do not need to pay people to do business in our city.  We certainly do not need to pay anyone (especially the richest developer in the state) to build a shopping center on what is one of the most high-visibility and lucrative locations (Scottsdale Road and Loop 101) in the valley! It is clear that DMB’s only justification for asking for a subsidy is that the Scottsdale City Council has been passing out money for years -- why should they not get their cut too?

The height variance is another bad idea.  Four years ago DMB asked for (and received) a substantial increase in height from the Council based on their promises that this would be a "signature" project. Now they are back asking for even greater heights!

This request by DMB is a perfectly predictable consequence of the Council (with Councilman Nelssen & I dissenting) allowing the ASU Foundation to "bait and switch" us on the apartments at the old Los Arcos site.  Having set the precedent that we will redo a deal, no matter how generous, it must seem perfectly logical to DMB that they can now get the Council to improve on the concessions that we gave them four years ago.

If we give in on this deal expect to see other developers come back and ask the Council to renegotiate their deals on projects that we have approved over the last few years. Scottsdale citizens in all parts of the city who have fought for concessions from developers so that they could get neighborhood support for their projects in front of the Scottsdale City Council can now expect to have those concessions (and their efforts) "renegotiated" away.

The suggestion that we can waive the height restrictions "just for this one project" defies common sense. The development community is watching this request with keen interest; if the Council gives in on this one than we will be deluged with requests for taller buildings all around that site.  How can we say to the next developer "we will do this for DMB but not for you?" Equally illogical is the suggestion that Scottsdale should compromise our height limits just because Phoenix is allowing greater heights on their side of Scottsdale Road. Why should we compound the mistake that Phoenix is making by emulating it?

Last week Scottsdale Republic Columnist Laurie Roberts quoted me as often saying "the fix appears to be in." That is certainly true in this case. Although DMB has presented this project to us as a package deal our City Manager has agendized the City Council to vote on the height variance and the subsidy at different meetings! This is clearly a ruse designed to divide-and-conquer opposition to the project and to grease the skids for its approval. 

I am sure that whatever DMB ends up building at the One Scottsdale site will be a quality project. But they should build it with their own money and within the height limits that you, the citizens of Scottsdale, elected us on the Council to enforce.

Councilman Bob Littlefield

 ~ On the Scottsdale Activist's First Anniversary 

On the First Anniversary of the Scottsdale Activist, I thought it only proper to reflect back on the initial reasons that prompted this free, citizen driven website. 

At the time, we were coming up on the appointment of a new city attorney and on a spring election season and it seemed like every time we turned around, something else new concerning the city attorney appointment, SkySong’s 198 year lease and the steadily increasing subsidy, West World’s illegal tent, Code Enforcement, Freeway Photo Radar, the deteriorating park system, costly and non council approved round-about’s, etc. was coming up leaving the perception that the city was corrupt and off on their own little journey to spend the taxpayer’s money and appoint people as only they intended, not as approved or "vetted" by the public.

More directly, it seems the city manager, then acting city attorney, and our infamous mayor along with her scallywag majority and management staff were doing things behind the taxpayer’s back which were only coming to light after the fact when nothing could be done to reverse their backroom decisions. 

"They" always proclaimed that there was a record of the processes……… Sure there was; somewhere, but God only knew where or how to find it. Because of these and many other issues, a small group of us from many corners of the city decided we had seen and heard enough and we needed to bring the perceived corruption out from the bowels deep within city hall and out into the light of day for the citizens to see for themselves. All the while, there were serious questions about the possible lack of ethics by a select few within the entire city organization, starting right at the top. 

Removal of Osterman 

As time went by and we uncovered issue after unsavory issue. It was apparent that there was a lot more going on under the table and behind closed doors then we ever could have imagined. One of our first goals was to make sure then Councilman Kevin Osterman was not returned to his seat on the council due to his total lack of attention to the southern and central portions of the city, along with his apparent "blind trust" for his "Commanders in Chief" the mayor, city manager, and their staffs.  

When the Ethics Task Force was finally to be formed, Osterman apparently collaborated with the mayor and council majority to deviate totally from the accepted way citizen panels were chosen by making a motion at the mayor’s nod which allowed the council majority to "pack" the task force with one member each from the council and with the mayor picking the chairman. This was an unprecedented action in city history and an abuse of mayoral/council power in the opinion of many.

Thanks to some very ethical and responsible members of the appointed task force, they saw through the intent of the mayor and council majority to stifle discussion about the actual need for the ethics code, and therefore the task force came through with a superior and strong Ethics Code which the citizens of Scottsdale are very proud of and many valley cities would like to adopt themselves.  

As of this date, from what we’ve been hearing, the ethics training still isn’t completed for all entities within the city. Some are saying that what they are being taught and told does not follow what others have been told, nor does it seem to follow the training guide they were handed. This is another serious issue which we are continuing to investigate.

City Attorney Robberson 

In one of Osterman’s last efforts to support his "commander in chief", he along with the mayor and the council majority, allowed the assistant city attorney to be appointed as the new city attorney after she apparently had her subordinate write a legal opinion which allowed her, a designated Charter Officer according to the her own employment contract to wangle her way around the city charter, to live outside the Scottsdale city limits which was and still is totally against the Scottsdale City Charter according to public opinion and an opinion from a highly respected outside legal firm. This was still another unprecedented action in city history and an abuse of mayoral/council/city attorney power in the opinion of many.

Included within the cloak of secrecy this administration seems to thrive under, all of the discussion on the city attorney appointment was done behind closed doors during an "Executive Session" which, under state law the contents and discussions cannot be divulged under any condition under serious penalty of AZ state law. 

The undoing of Councilman Osterman was by his own negative actions along with a concerted effort among many different citizens and groups, and with the help of the Nesvig Scandal apparently spearheaded by Osterman giving his disk of the Nesvig campaign signatures to an "unnamed recipient" whose name has still have never been divulged. With all of those issues, we were able to unseat Osterman and replace him with Councilman Tony Nelssen who has proven to be a true friend and champion of the everyday citizens city-wide. 

Nasty Tanks, Roundabout’s, Subsidies, and West Nile Mosquitoes? 

There are many more issues which still need more exposure including but not limited to the completion of Greyhawk Park as promised, and the upgrade of other parks.

The immediate halt of all construction on any and all roundabouts/traffic circles, and traffic calming devices until there are full city public hearings and input including full disclosure of the costs and funding (both installation and annual maintenance) of these and other and future traffic calming devices and locations. 

We ask for the elimination all subsidies for "One Scottsdale", PDG America, and CSA which the mayor denied knowing anything about until we uncovered documentation proving that she knew everything since April of ’06, then found that she signed contracts in June with CSA without the knowledge of the council. Just those three (3) developers listed could request up to an additional 150 million in taxpayer subsidy dollars, before interest, after we have already agreed to invest over 130 million tax dollars into SkySong. Do we really need to give away taxpayer money when we are the number one address to have when relocating or visiting the state of Arizona?  

When the Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau and travel agencies worldwide suggest that Scottsdale is the place visitors want to visit, why then do the citizens of Scottsdale have to help buy the location they come to visit with precious tax dollars that could well be used elsewhere??? 

We still have two (2) of the nastiest brown unfinished 24 foot tall tanks plopped in the Cattle Track historical section of the city unwittingly approved by the city council that were suppose to have been finished by last January according to John Berry, their zoning attorney of record and as represented to the city council by Mr. Berry.  

The tanks and necessary delivery equipment apparently only still isn’t finished, but the reoccurring pools of stagnant water on the tank site and adjacent street are apparently, according to the neighbors and acknowledged by Code Enforcement, spawning swarms of mosquitoes (West Nile Virus has been noted in the immediate area) which the city of Scottsdale nor Arizona American Water Company are seemingly either unwilling or unable to do anything about in order to solve the horrendous and possibly deadly problem.  Would one simple lawsuit solve that problem? I'll bet it would!

The real disturbing issue here is that 85% of the processed water from this ugly tank farm goes to Paradise Valley customers and with the expert help of John Berry, the  plant and tanks were plopped in a historic Scottsdale neighborhood when PV wouldn’t allow them to be in their town. Could it be that Scottsdale taxpayers and citizens have again taken it in the shorts with the professional help of one of Scottsdale government’s favorite zoning attorneys? 

…is not a bad thing and many times an absolute necessity just to make ends meet, unless of course, they are working their second job on city time, and/or using city facilities and equipment to do that work for their second job.

We have had a score of calls from employees in a number of departments who feel it is wrong for that to happen under any condition, yet they see it happening as a regular occurrence. It is very hard and disconcerting for employees to talk about these things but they feel that the citizens are owed a better shake for the tax money paid out in salaries and benefits to employees who are on the city clock. 

We have turned current information, sans any advising employee or citizen ID, over to the city manager and HR department hoping for them to get to the bottom of the problem and get them satisfactorily solved in a respectable period of time, hopefully without the loss of a city employee’s job, should it be found that these situations do, in fact, exist as we have been advised they do.  

Many of you may ask why these employees don’t go to their supervisors or department directors with the information.  We asked them that question and without a dissenting person, we were told that they didn’t dare speak up due to the retribution they were quite sure would come from the top (city manager and mayor) down from things that have already been said and intimated. They love working for this city in spite of its current problems and don’t want to be fired or have their chance for promotion be "pigeon holed" because of their actions to help clean up the city and its ethics. 

They were advised that the Federal Whistleblower laws would protect them to which they replied, "Oh yeah, that's really going to happen. These people know how to force you out without breaking that law".

Could it be that we have a serious problem with those at the top of the City Organizational Chart?

Code Enforcement 

For some reason, it seems that Code Enforcement has gone from the proactive job mantra they had been operating under in the recent past back to the reactive position they had worked under for years. A number of citizens, north, central, and south have been noticing neighborhoods again going down hill into disrepair with many levels of deferred maintenance in all areas of the city. Citizens make calls and it seems like it takes weeks for anything to show up on the city website "red dot" map and sometimes it doesn’t show up at all. 

We're also seeing a lot of rental signs around the city. Are these being checked for being properly listed with the County Assessor and County Recorders offices?

We know this department has gone from about four agents to about 15 and a field manager. So what has happened? No one seems to want to answer that question. There are some great, resourceful, and motivated people in that department that do the best they can because many of us have had friendly and fruitful conversations with them. Is the problem poor supervision or micromanagement, just plain mismanagement, or lazy employees? Do they still do monthly neighborhood sweeps to identify problem areas or properties? Is it a problem with morale due to unaddressed internal problems? Is there a lack of managerial direction, or lack of support from either HR or the city managers office?

We really don’t know, but we do know there is an obvious problem that needs to be addressed by the city manager immediately. 

We have heard similar complaints about HR, planning, transportation, and a few other departments. We have also been asked why the turnover is so high, especially in the planning department. Those listed in last weeks issue are the ones in which we HAVE NOT heard of having any problems. It would appear that the problems that do exist must be systemic in nature which means the problems are starting at the top of the Organizational Chart and working their way down through the departments.

If this is as true as it seems to be, wouldn’t it be correct then to say we need to possibly replace the entire upper management team of the city? 

In our minds, we feel the city will not be flushed clean until the citizens and voters take a much bigger interest in what’s going on. That can be done by getting involved. Getting involved can be as little as writing a letter to the editor, voting in every election, volunteering on city boards, commissions, and committees, to a full blown commitment to run for a city office to flush the bad blood from the council and mayoral positions. 

2008 is coming folks, and we need to lay the groundwork starting now. 

Mayor Manross and council members Drake, Lane, and McCullagh will be up for re-election in 2008. 

It is extremely important to watch every move they make, listen to every word they say, and note every vote they make to be sure it is in the best interest of the entirety of the city, not just one group or geographical area. It's time for the citizen watchdogs to get more active than ever.

It's also time to make sure the new ethics code is followed to the letter.

Count how many times a council person recuses himself or herself from a council or committee vote. We voted them into office to vote on issues, not to be so involved in the business of the city with their personal business so as to have to recuse themselves from voting.  When council members recuse themselves from a vote, they effectively cause the council to be off balance by reducing the council to be an even number instead of an odd number as required for fairness and to make a majority decision. A current council member has recused herself approximately 17 times since the notes have been taken on the subject. Is that the way we want out council members to act? Is that best for the city? Is it a good way to make positive decisions for the citizens of this city? Do we really want to elect people to the mayor’s chair or council position who must recuse themselves this many times in less than 18 months? 

Then we have  Councilman McCullagh who told us he was a fiscal conservative and who is turning out to be just the opposite as he comes up for election. He talks a good story all the way up to the time for the council vote, then quickly switches sides. He’s been "affectionately" called Councilman "McOsterman" and we really hope he changes his ways very quickly because in many minds, he's just another Manross puppet who needs to be replaced with a true fiscal conservative in '08.

You decide! 

Is the Scottsdale Activist Relevant? 

We started this website as a labor of love for the city of Scottsdale. We have always felt that this website belongs to the citizens and voters of Scottsdale and we have always said we would close the site down when it became evident that it was no longer relevant. Our first month, we only had 2,300 hits. We are now averaging almost 20,000 hits a month and steadily climbing which means in our minds that we are still very relevant and need to dig still deeper into the bowels of city hall and flush it out to try to help this city get back to be the respectful, open and compassionate community it once was before the Manross administration came to power. 

We will need your help to complete the above task. Tell us what you know and what you think!

We would like to thank all of you for reading, contributing, and being a part of this successful exercise in Freedom of Speech available only in the United States of America.  We also thank those who call or send in their anonymous Shouts and Spouts, letters, or notes to the editor rather than put their names on something which could cause retribution from their HOA’s, places of business, or from city hall itself. 

It has been expressed to us by many citizens how Manross calls them personally to either chastise or berate them for what they have written about her or the councils actions. That, all in itself is the sign of an out of touch mayor and someone without compassion or interest in and for her constituents and their views which, in my mind is a very disconcerting and a bad thing that is seemingly getting worse by the meeting.

As I have stated in the past, most editorials are now a combination of subjects compiled from many citizens who have learned to trust the Scottsdale Activist in making their points without using or ever divulging their names.

Please keep those calls and letters coming. This is your website and we print everything that comes our way unless it doesn’t meet the criteria expressed at the beginning of the website. We print things we may not agree with because fairness and openness is a necessity in Scottsdale.

We also try hard to keep everything totally relevant to Scottsdale rather than the county, state or our wonderful country due to space and more importantly, time considerations.

Again, Thank You All for Your Continued Confidence...................................

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 ~Light Rail Information (repeated by request)

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

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~ Home of the Week

 ~ Questions?

Many readers have asked why we don't expose those nasty, ugly rundown trashy properties we wish City Code Enforcement would cite and force to cleanup. We feel that it is much better to show the examples of homes that show pride of ownership rather than those trash piles and filth holes we all know about. If you have one of those "nasty" homes in your neighbor hood, email  rkeagy@scottsdalaz.gov  giving him all of the pertinent information including address, and you don't need to leave your name, unless you want to be contacted.

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

 ~Another Beauty!

Pride of Ownership in what's now considered South Central Scottsdale is spreading like wildfire. These homes are all well built solid brick homes and continue to age very gracefully, renovate extremely well, and easily maintain and "grow" their resale value.

This is another home still thought of as a 'Top of the Line" just as it was when it was built over 45 years ago. It's been meticulously maintained while maintaining the shade, shrubs, and grass which make this home the envy of the neighborhood. This jewel is hidden just off Hayden Road  in the Park Scottsdale area which contains many more lovely homes.

There are many wonderful and beautiful neighborhoods within the city of Scottsdale. Do yourself a favor and take the long way home sometime and see what other home owners are doing to improve their neighborhoods. How does your home compare?

If you know of an outstanding home which you feel should to be honored by having the picture displayed in the Scottsdale Activist, send the address to editor@scottsdaleactivist.com .

We have been asked why we don't include homes in HOA controlled subdivisions. We are looking for exceptional homes in areas where the homeowner has to be the driving force behind the beautiful home, not the HOA rules and regulations. We would definitely look at any home in a HOA controlled area that is exceptional and owner maintained rather than by a lawn or landscape service, but so far, we haven't been advised of any that meet that criteria.

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John Washington
Scottsdale
john@ReactionResearch.com

Future Owner of Temptations Speaks

Let me begin my introducing myself and my small business.  My name is Nancy Fencl. I have lived in Arizona for 45 years.  I have held an Arizona LPN Nursing License since 1983. I have an extensive background in business operations with emphasis on start up facilities.  My background includes a position at the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale supervising a staff of 40, along with establishing my department at the Mayo Clinic Hospital.   I have been involved in several other successful businesses working with advertising, event planning and catering.  I have held a Food Managers License for over 6 years. 

After long interest in the area and extensive research, I’ve chosen a location at the new McDowell Village, in south Scottsdale. McDowell Village is on the north side of McDowell and west of Granite Reef. I like this area tremendously, and it has a need for wholesome dining and gathering.  

Temptations Cafe is a 1,200 square foot, leased end cap suite.  The cafe will host a beautiful Espresso bar; serve a full breakfast, lunch and a light sunset menu.  We will also be selling gourmet coffee and chocolates. Our pastries will be made on the premises. We hope to attract many of the businesses in the area, as well as our neighbors, with our fresh "grab & go" menu options, unique ambiance, business delivery and a state of art website for on-line orders.  My goal is to bring a charming café, conducive to gathering, in a safe secure environment for all to enjoy.  I believe in order to promote change, one must set an example.  I would hope for the opportunity to run an establishment the community will be proud of. 

I purchased a number 7 Beer & Wine license in the first part of 2006 to compliment the offerings of the café.  I will not be using this type of license and have retracted my application from this location.  I will be filing for a restaurant license in the near future and hope this suits the location more favorably.  I believe that there is a renaissance all along Scottsdale’s McDowell Road. As a long time resident, it is exciting to see. 

I appreciate—and share—the concerns of the residents of the neighborhood. I am familiar with, and have a sincere interest in the area since I live close by. I would like to meet with any concerned neighbors to hear their input, and will do whatever I can, within the limits of business practicality, to alleviate concerns of this being just a bar.  I want to be proactive in and for the community. 

Since email is no substitute for personal conversation when it comes to conveying sincerity, I would like to offer my phone number to anyone who would like to speak with me directly: 

Nancy Fencl
Temptations Café

 ~ Will a Couplet from SR 101 to Camelback Help?

Dear Readers of the Scottsdale Activist,

I note concern expressed in the most recent issue of the Activist that there are no immediate plans to widen Chaparral;.

Please look at your city map carefully. The big population increase in downtown Scottsdale is between Osborn and Chaparral with the biggest increases at the Waterfront which is on Camelback.

The most logical, quickest and least expensive way to provide access to the 101 from Scottsdale Road is to extend Camelback across Pima to the 101.  I made this recommendation to Transportation along with my comments at the open forum on Light Rail several weeks ago.

I am asking the Activist to back me on this #1 Priority opportunity to head off traffic chaos on the completion of the huge condo projects surrounding the Waterfront in 2007.

Charles Poston
Scottsdale

~ View Past City Council Meetings

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

http://scottsdale.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

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

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Long ago and far away, in a land that time forgot,
Before the days of Dylan or the dawn of Camelot,
There lived a race of innocents, and they were you and me,
Long ago and far away in the Land of Sandra Dee.

Oh, there was truth and goodness in that land where we were born,
Where navels were for oranges, and Peyton Place was porn.
For Ike was in the White House, and Hoss was on TV,
And God was in His heaven in the Land of Sandra Dee.

We learned to gut a muffler, we washed our hair at dawn,
We spread our crinolines to dry in circles on the lawn.
And they could hear us coming all the way to Tennessee,
All starched and sprayed and rumbling in the Land of Sandra Dee.

We longed for love and romance, and waited for the prince,
And Eddie Fisher married Liz, and no one's seen him since.
We danced to "Little Darlin'," and Sang to "Stagger Lee"
And cried for Buddy Holly in the Land of Sandra Dee.

Only girls wore earrings then, and three was one too many,
And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney.
And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to see
A boy named George with lipstick in the Land of Sandra Dee.

We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice,
And when they made a movie, they never made it twice.
We didn't have a Star Trek Five, or Psycho Two and Three,
Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty in the Land of Sandra Dee.

Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp,
And Reagan was a Democrat whose co-star was a chimp.
We had a Mr. Wizard, but not a Mr. T,
And Oprah couldn't talk yet in the Land of Sandra Dee.

We had our share of heroes, we never thought they'd go,
At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe.
For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be,
And Elvis was forever, in the Land of Sandra Dee.

We'd never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead,
And Airplanes weren't named Jefferson, and Zeppelins weren't Led.
And Beatles lived in gardens then, and Monkees in a tree,
Madonna was a Virgin in the Land of Sandra Dee.

We'd never heard of Microwaves, or telephones in cars,
And babies might be bottle-fed, but they weren't grown in jars.
And pumping iron got wrinkles out, and "gay" meant fancy-free,
And dorms were never coed in the Land of Sandra Dee.

We hadn't seen enough of jets to talk about the lag,
And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag.
And hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea,
And rocket ships were fiction in the Land of Sandra Dee.

Buicks came with portholes, and side shows came with freaks,
And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks.
And Coke came just in bottles, and skirts came to the knee,
And Castro came to power in the Land of Sandra Dee.

We had no Crest with fluoride, we had no Hill Street Blues,
We all wore superstructure bras designed by Howard Hughes.
We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea,
Or prime-time ads for condoms in the Land of Sandra Dee.

There were no golden arches, no Perriers to chill,
And fish were not called Wanda, and cats were not called Bill.
And middle-aged was thirty-five, and old was forty-three,
And ancient was our parents in the Land of Sandra Dee.

But all things have a season, or so we've heard them say,
And now instead of Maybelline we swear by Retin-A.
And they send us invitations to join AARP,
We've come a long way, baby, from the Land of Sandra Dee.

So now we face a brave new world in slightly larger jeans,
And wonder why they're using smaller print in magazines.
And we tell our children's children of the way it used to be,
Long ago and far away In the Land of Sandra Dee.

"Little Darlin"

Sandra Dee
April 23, 1944 - February 20, 2005

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~ Just for Giggles 
 

Everything is farther away than it used to be – It’s twice as far to the corner, and they have added that silly little hill.

I have given up running for the bus – it leaves much earlier than it used to.

They’re making stairs steeper, and have you noticed the small print in the newspaper? There’s no sense in asking anyone to to read it aloud anymore, everyone who reads it either mumbles or in such a low voice, I can scarcely hear it.

The material in dresses is skimpy, especially around the hips and waist. It’s almost impossible to reach your shoe laces because the dress fits so tight. Also, sizes don’t run the way they used to – 12 and 14 is much smaller than I remember.

Even people are changing – they are so much younger than they were when I was their age – on the other hand, there are others who seem much older than I.

I ran into an old classmate today. She had aged so much, she didn’t even know me.

I got to thinking about that poor dear while combing my hair – in doing so, I glanced at my own reflection in the mirror.

Really now, they don’t make mirrors like they used to either……. do they??

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~ Here & There

~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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~TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS IN SCOTTSDALE

Nov. 2, 2006

The following is a partial list of road construction projects and traffic restrictions taking place in Scottsdale Nov. 3-12. For more information, contact mphillips@ScottsdaleAz.gov

PIMA ROAD, HUALAPAI TO THOMPSON PEAK PARKWAY
Significant road closures are scheduled in November to permit improvements to this section of Pima Road. Please note:
** The intersection of Pima Road and Hualapai Drive will be closed to all traffic through Monday, Nov. 6, for waterline installation. Full access to Pima Road will be permitted at Sierra Pinta Drive. Detours will be clearly marked.
** Pima Road, from the Loop 101 Freeway to Thompson Peak Parkway, will be closed the weekends of Nov. 11-12 and Nov. 18-19. Local access to Pima Acres will be provided.
** Northbound Pima Road, from Hualapai to Thompson Peak Parkway, will be reduced to one lane from 5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily through mid-December.
** Through early December, there will be no access between Downing Olson and Pima Road. Use 94th Street as an alternate.
For more information on the project visit:
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/capitalprojects/proj_report.asp?proj=S2104&status=S2104

OTHER PIMA ROAD RESTRICTIONS
Southbound Pima Road is reduced to one open lane, from Via de Ventura to Inner Circle Drive, through November to permit road work.

PINNACLE PEAK ROAD, MILLER TO PIMA ROADS
Pinnacle Peak Road from Miller to Pima roads will be restricted to one open lane in each direction between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 4-5, to permit street repaving.


McDOWELL ROAD RESTRICTIONS:
** Eastbound traffic will be reduced to one lane on McDowell Road from 69th Street to west of Scottsdale Road from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, to permit water line work.
** The westbound cub lane on McDowell at Hayden Road will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Nov. 17, to permit construction of a turn bay.
**Eastbound traffic will be reduced to one lane on McDowell Road at 74th Street from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Nov. 19 to permit water line work.

INDIAN SCHOOL ROAD, HAYDEN TO GRANITE REEF ROADS
Westbound lane closures will take place on Indian School Road, between Hayden and  Granite Reef roads, from 1 to 4 p.m. daily through Tuesday, Nov. 7, to permit work in manholes.

SIXTH STREET, MARSHALL WAY TO OSBORN ROAD
Sixth Street will be completely closed east of Marshall Way to north of Osborn Road
from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily on Nov. 16 to permit road work.

OSBORN ROAD, SCOTTSDALE ROAD TO 70TH STREET
Westbound traffic will be reduced to one lane on Osborn Road, from Scottsdale Road to 70th Street, from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 16 to permit road work.

THOMPSON PEAK PKWY, McDOWELL MOUNTAIN RANCH TO BELL
Southbound lane closures will take place at times on Thompson Peak Parkway from McDowell Mountain Ranch Road to Bell Road from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Tuesday, Nov. 7, to permit work in manholes. During those same dates and times, lane closures in both directions on Bell Road from the Loop 101 to Thompson Peak Parkway will take place.

DRINKWATER BOULEVARD AT RANCHO VISTA DRIVE
The southbound curb lane on Drinkwater Boulevard at Rancho Vista Drive will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily through Friday, Nov. 3, to permit utility line work.

MILLER ROAD, BELLEVIEW TO MORELAND STREETS
Bike lanes will be closed in both directions on Miller Road from Belleview to Moreland streets from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through mid November to permit water line installation. During those same dates and hours, northbound traffic on Miller Road will be shifted to the center lane.

124TH SREET AND SHEA BOULEVARD
** The median lanes in both directions of 124th Street will be closed immediately north of Shea Boulevard through Monday, Nov. 6, to permit construction of a turn lane in the center median.
** From Monday, Nov. 6, through Nov. 17, the southbound curb lane on Shea and the westbound curb lane on 124th Street will be closed form 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily for road work.

74TH STREET RESTRICTIONS
** 74th Street will be completely closed between McDowell Road and Belleview Road from Wednesday, Nov. 8, through Dec. 8 for utility work related to the SkySong project.
** Lane closures in both directions will take place at times on 74th Street at Shea Boulevard from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 17 to permit utility line work.

90TH STREET AT HELM DRIVE
Lane closures in both directions will take place at times on 90th Street at Helm Drive from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 16 to permit utility line work.

SCOTTSDALE ROAD RESTRICTIONS
** The northbound median lane on Scottsdale Road at Hummingbird Lane will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, to permit work in manholes.
** The southbound curb lane of Scottsdale Road at Third Avenue will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily through Tuesday, Nov. 7, for utility work.
** Northbound lane closures will take place on Scottsdale Road from McDonald Drive to Lincoln Road through Nov. 22 to permit utility line work. During the hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. one northbound lane will be closed. During the hours of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. two northbound lanes will be closed.
** The southbound curb lane on Scottsdale Road will be closed, from Rancho Vista Drive to Highland Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily through Friday, Nov. 3, for road work.
** The intersection of Scottsdale and McDowell roads will be reduced to one lane in each direction from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly through Tuesday, Nov. 7, to permit work on water lines.

HIGHLAND AVENUE AT SCOTTSDALE ROAD
Westbound traffic will be reduced to on lane on Highland Avenue at Scottsdale Road from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Nov. 22 for road work.

CACTUS ROAD RESTRICTIONS
** The westbound curb lane on Cactus Road at 100th Street will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 14 to permit utility line work.
** Lane restrictions in both directions of Cactus Road at 90th Street will take place from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly through Saturday, Nov. 4, to permit work on a gas line.
** The westbound curb lane and the eastbound center lane on Cactus Road at 102nd Street will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through Monday, Nov. 6, for work on utility lines.

HAYDEN/CACTUS ROADS INTERSECTION
The Hayden Road/Cactus Road intersection is reduced to one lane in all directions through mid December to permit road improvement work. As part of this project, Redfield Road from 79th Street to Hayden Road is restricted to one lane in each direction through November.
For more information on the Cactus Road widening project, visit:
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/capitalprojects/proj_report.asp?proj=S2103&status=S2103

CAMELBACK ROAD, 64TH TO 68TH STREETS
Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on Camelback Road from 64th to 68th streets through November to permit street improvements.
More information on this project is available at:
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/capitalprojects/proj_report.asp?proj=S0301&status=S0301

DOWNING OLSEN DRIVE, EAST OF PIMA ROAD TO 89TH PLACE
Downing Olsen Drive will be completely closed to traffic from east of Pima to west of 89th Place through early December for work on water lines. The recommended alternative route is 94th Street south to Bell Road.
More information on this project is available at:
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/capitalprojects/proj_report.asp?proj=S2104&status=S2104
 

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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.

Proposition 100; Bail for undocumented immigrants

– Would give Judges the authority to deny bail to illegal aliens when there is convincing evidence that they've committed a serious felony, class 4 or higher or Aggravated DUI.  Recognizing they pose a great flight risk and are already in violation of federal law of entering and remaining in the U.S. Illegally. We have thousands of illegal aliens that have committed serious crimes and fled to Mexico and the Mexican Government has refused to extradite them back to the U.S. (25 people killed each day by illegal aliens; 13 by DUI and 12 by stabbings and shootings). 

Proposition 101; 2006 Taxpayer Protection Act

- Would amend the Arizona Constitution to require, beginning in 2007, that counties, cities, towns and community college districts determine their primary levy limit based on the actual tax levy in 2005. This proposition would be a step forward towards controlling liberal governments by limiting the ability of a municipality to tax its citizens by basing the municipal tax increases on the previous year’s collections.  Even further, some municipalities have a maximum allowable tax levy growth of 21.6%, which is outrageously high.  This proposition would limit that growth to 8.3%. 

Proposition 102; Standing in Civil Actions

- Would amend the Arizona Constitution to prohibit an illegal alien from being awarded punitive damages in the courts of Arizona. This is a proposition that I worked on as part of my larger immigration reforms.  It was my intention to protect the rights of legal U.S. Citizens by not allowing frivolous law suits brought by illegal aliens to result in punitive damage awards.  We have to ensure that our judicial system is not allowing those who break the law profit at the expense of U.S. Citizens. 

Proposition 103; English as the Official Language

- English must be designated the official language of the state of Arizona. Like President Theodore Roosevelt once said, "We have one language here, and that is the English language, and we intend to see that the [assimilation] crucible turns our people out as Americans. Former Colorado Governor Dick Lamm wisely observed that "a nation needs a common language just as it needs a common currency." A common language promotes unity and understanding among the citizens of a nation. By making English the official state language we provide an even greater incentive for all immigrants to learn English, apply for citizenship, and become empowered and productive Americans, (this referendum is Official English not English Only makes appropriate exceptions for trade, tourism, communication purposes, emergencies, etc.) By making English the official language, we also eliminate the wasteful spending used to translate millions of state documents into hundreds of languages.  

Proposition 104; Municipal Debt

- Would amend the Arizona Constitution to allow incorporated cities and towns to exceed their debt limit by up to 20% for: public safety, law enforcement, fire and emergency service facilities, streets and transportation facilities. This proposition plain and simple opens the door for municipalities to potentially increase taxes.  It would allow cities to incur additional debt to pay for certain services.  This debt will have to be passed on and paid for by its citizens through increased tax rates.  

Proposition 105; State Trust Land Reform

- Would amend the Arizona Constitution to allow urban state trust land to be conveyed to a county, city or town for permanent conservation, and up to 400,000 acres of rural state trust land to be conveyed for permanent conservation to the county in which the land is located. All provisions are dependant on Arizona voter approval in November 2006 and the US Congress must amend the Arizona-New Mexico Enabling Act by 12-31-08. This proposition streamlines the process for selling and leasing State Trust Land, without creating any unneeded bureaucracy.  The money created from these transactions exist for the sole purpose of benefiting Arizona’s schools. 

Proposition 106; Conserving Arizona’s Future

- Would amend the Arizona Constitution to permanently conserve and protect 690,000 acres of land and provide a classroom funding stream though improved planning and management of trust land. All provisions are dependant on Arizona voter approval in November 2006 AND the US Congress must amend the Arizona-New Mexico Enabling Act by 12-31-08.  This is a proposition that might as well have been written by the Sierra Club.  The measure creates a new bureaucracy designed to grant environmentalist an enormous amount of trust land as low cost.  The more land that is granted to the environmentalist will directly correlate with a decrease in funds for the education community. 

Proposition 107; Protect Marriage Arizona

- Would amend the Arizona Constitution to define marriage as only consisting of the union of one man and one woman, and would prohibit the state and its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing any legal status for unmarried persons that is similar to that of marriage. This proposition protects the sanctity and tradition of marriage the enactment of this proposition would also ensure that independent cities or towns could not infringe on the moral will of the voters by enacting an immoral definition of marriage. 

Proposition 200; Arizona Voter Reward Act

- Would amend state laws to establish a voter reward random drawing every two years with a first prize of $1M or more. Voters who cast ballots in the primary or general elections will be eligible to win and the money will come from the Arizona Lottery and private donations.  This is an absurd measure that equates the civic duty of voting with the media ploys used on television games shows like "Who wants to be a Millionaire."  Voting is a privilege and right granted to each citizen of this country.  We should not patronize nor trivialize our civic duty. 

Proposition 201; Smoke-Free Arizona Act

- Would amend state laws to prohibit smoking in all enclosed public places and places of employment.  Prohibiting smoking in all public and private businesses establishment tramples the private property rights of the business owners.  The founding fathers viewed the right to own private property as one of the most important issues protected by the Constitution.  A government should not have the right to take the legal act of smoking and make it illegal to do on ones private property.  

Proposition 202; AZ Minimum Wage Act

- It would impose a state minimum wage of $6.75, and would create a new politically appointed "Commission" to oversee minimum wage and employment practices in AZ, which would have no term limits and wouldn’t be accountable to the legislative branch or the voting public.  The Commission would have full access to all records of any employer.  It would grant any labor union or special interest group the power to access employment records.  

Proposition 203; First Things First for Arizona’s Children

- Would amend state laws to use an increased sales price (an additional $.80) on tobacco to provide funds for early childhood education for children ages 0-5. This proposition is a further expansion of all day Kindergarten, an issue championed by Governor Napolitano.  This proposition would create a new source of revenue for state subsidized daycare.  The new source of revenue would be in the form of tax increases amounting to more than $188 million per year. 

Proposition 204; Humane Treatment of Farm Animals Act

- Would amend state laws to provide six years for the state to adopt more human practices regarding pigs during pregnancy and calves raised for veal.  This forces the agricultural community to adopt nonsensical standards regarding the way that they raise there privately owned life stock. This is an initiative pushed by out-of-state animal-rights activists, which would ban common practices used by livestock producers to house breeding pigs and veal calves (even though there is no veal production in Arizona), and subject farmers to as much as $20,000 in fines and six months in jail. 

Proposition 205; Your Right to Vote

- Would amend state laws to provide that all registered voters automatically receive a mailed ballot from the election official before every election and that a limited number of county-wide polling places shall remain open on election days for on site voting. This proposition is an attempt to circumvent the voter enacted and protected standards established by Proposition 200.  This is achieved by eliminating almost all polling places thereby negating the need for legal citizens to present identification when voting.  Mail in ballots are currently readily available to any registered voter who requests that they be sent this paper work.  Why would we want to make it more difficult for the already small percentage of people who do vote to do so? 

Proposition 206; AZ Non-Smoker Protection Act

- This smoking ban proposition is less costly for business owners and tobacco consumers than Prop. 201, because it would allow smoking in bars and does not include a tax increase.  It recognizes private property rights.  Signs must notify patrons and employees where smoking is permitted.  Still prohibits minors in smoking areas.  

Proposition 207; Private Property Rights Protection Act

- Would amend state laws to define public use and declare that the public benefits of economic development, including increased tax revenues and employment, shall not constitute a public use. This proposition is an effort to protect Arizona citizens from infringement and regulatory taking of private property like recently happened in Connecticut.  In that case the state government stole private property from its citizens for the purpose of increasing its tax base.  This proposition on the most basic of levels protects the rights of private property owners from the unlawful takings of land by dominating governments and additionally protects these owners from government facilitated attempts to diminish the value of private property.  

Proposition 300; Public Program Eligibility

- Would amend state laws to require recipients of certain state-funded services to be legal residents in the United States and would direct the entities that provide these services to report on the number of people who applied to participate and the number who were not eligible for those programs due to their non-legal status.  After the back door veto of 2004’s Proposition 200, by Governor Napolitano and Attorney General Terry Goddard, this proposition would once again allow the voters to demonstrate there willingness to protect social services by ensuring that only legal U.S. citizens have access to tax payer funded services. By offering these services to illegal aliens, it increases the burden on our state programs and robs our own citizens of services they’ve paid for with their taxes.  Above all, free state services for all takes away the incentive for illegal aliens to become citizens and legitimate members of American society. It is vital that we spend our tax dollars on helping Arizonans and not aid and abet illegal aliens. 

Proposition 301; Probation for Methamphetamine Offenses

- Would amend state laws to prevent a person convicted of drug charges involving methamphetamine from being eligible for probation under the Drug Medicalization, Prevention, and Control Act of 1996.  This proposition recognizes the methamphetamine epidemic that has swept the nation and closes loopholes currently available for those individuals convicted of methamphetamine related drug offences.  

Proposition 302; State Legislators’ Salaries

- Would authorize the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board to adopt a capital outlay budget which exceeds the District’s capital outlay revenue limit by not more than ^$11,800,000 per year for seven (7) years.

shoutandspout@scottsdaleactivist.com