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~ Hot Monday Update
~ Weekly Editorial -- Staff
~ Guest Editorial -- Nancy Cantor, Co-Chair Scottsdale Coalition
~ The City Budget, a Primer
~ Food for Thought - Take It or Leave It
~ Shout and Spout, Dolan is making more of a name for herself!!!
~ Thought for the Week -- James Taranto
~ Quote of the Week -- George Washington
~ Information You Can Use
Other Stuff of Interest
~ Look up Prior Editions? Click a on date to open.
~ Hot Monday Update
~ Cleanse City of Drinkwater Loyalists…….?
The latest Edition of the Scottsdale Activist has caused a firestorm of activity from a few current and many former city employees as well as some disgusted citizens.
The activity on the website has doubled and the response has been overwhelming against the Manross Administration and Jan Dolan in particular as the apparent "Manross Enforcer".
The overwhelming consensus we’ve received in the last 24 hours seems to be that under orders from Mayor Mary Manross, City Manager Jan Dolan has been apparently directed to "cleanse" the city government of Drinkwater Loyalists who continue to try to practice the open and honest government as required by Mayor Drinkwater with any means necessary.
According to many, Manross has been furious that certain things have been made public through the Activist and other mediums and apparently wants the "leaks" stopped under any and all conditions including the firing of employees who have been suspected if necessary as expressed in the letter about Hamilton and the Library.
The letter from former Drinkwater City Manager Roy Peterson and the anonymous letter exposing the anti-Drinkwater and anti non-computer users activities by Rita Hamilton apparently broke the camels back for many and has infuriated readers in the public sector.
We have felt all along that the deep secrecy heavily pursued and practiced by the Manross administration was because Manross could not gain the loyalty of the Drinkwater Loyalists because secrecy was not practiced or allowed by Drinkwater and Manross has not made any attempt to change direction.
Was Drinkwater perfect? No. Were there things that went on within the Drinkwater Administration which may not have been able to stand the light of day? Possibly! That being said, there has never been a public official in Scottsdale who received 94% of the vote in an election such as Drinkwater did, nor was as well respected and liked or loved by the city employees and the citizens as a whole.
Manross has never been able to garner even less than half the respect or loyalty given Drinkwater due to her apparent failure to understand the needs of the city and its employees including her desperate need and drive to have total control.
The hiring of Jan Dolan as her apparent "Hired Gun" has been devastating to the current employees who are running scared and can not or do not dare do anything for fear of losing their jobs and their state retirements as exposed in the letter concerning Rita Hamilton as well as the unexpected exiting of former HR General Manager Teri Traaen.
The employees combined question is simply "Who do these people think they are and who gave them the right to run the city in secrecy and like a Gestapo?" We have a simple answer: Citizen apathy at the polls, and the ability of Manross and Dolan to misrepresent the complete truth on a number of situations by bringing the facts out a little at a time as they have done on SkySong. Another would be the Hualapai Water Plant debacle in the north and now the "need" for more Bonding to do what they should have done with the taxpayer monies they squandered on many nonessential things which were never made public until after the fact in typical Manross-Dolan fashion.
Has the public had enough of this nonsense yet?
Time will tell…………………
~ Morale in Library System Rock Bottom
Important Preface to the anonymous letter below:
New Scottsdale Library Director Rita Hamilton’s reported description of herself and her qualifications:
My dynamic thirty-year library career has included positions of increasing responsibility in all aspects of library services. Many years have been spent leading change, creating teams, implementing new services, planning and designing new facilities, and finding ways to maximize resources. As the Cataloging Manager at the Tucson Public Library I implemented the online catalog and was part of the new main library project team. As Technical Services Manager at the Nashville Public Library, I implemented their first library automation system, and as Assistant Director in Nashville I served as project manager for a $115 million capital project, and directed design development and construction of a new main library, five new branches and three renovations.
At the Phoenix Public Library, I managed the operations of twelve branch libraries overseeing five renovations, development of teen services and expanded computer access. As Director of the Scottsdale (Az.) Public Library, I have produced a strategic plan, created a Teen Center through a collaborative design process with teens, and directed the design development of a new 20,000 sf branch library.
Editors Note:
Please note that all you read in the above description is "dynamic" and "I", "I", "I", there are zero "We", "Teamwork" or "Our" anywhere to be seen. What we DON'T see is why she hasn't stayed with any one job if she really was so successful in what she supposedly did!
Obviously, this person is very enamored with herself and doesn’t understand or care that here in Scottsdale we frankly don’t give a damn about Baltimore or anywhere else for that matter. All we care about is being the best we can be through innovation and forward thinking while treating our city employees with the highest of respect and dignity.
We also hold our departed Mayor Herb "Mr. Scottsdale" Drinkwater in the highest esteem and he has a very special place in the hearts of Scottsdale residents who knew and loved him. We expect everyone who comes here to treat his name, bust, or any other pictures, art work, or statues of Herb with reverence and respect or pack your bags and leave town (see bold print in letter below).
Also, please note the bold print in the letter below; Hamilton apparently has a special place for our elderly and non-computer literate library users. Just don’t throw anything at your computer screen after you read the comments about those citizens and "Mr. Scottsdale".
I have managed scores of employees for many years and came to learn very early that you are only as good as you allow your employees to be and how you help them grow using their own initiative, ideas, and innovation to make something better with your help and guidance.
If you screw over your employees with stupid rules of change without their input and without their "buying into the process", you are a total loser which it appears we again have in this case as was apparently the case with Teri Traaen by accounts we’ve heard since her resignation contract was signed. Apparently, both are or were "only" doing as ordered by none other than City Manager Jan Dolan.
Again we have a Jan Dolan approved appointee who works under City Manager Dolan who has broken the unwritten law of treating Scottsdale City employees with respect and dignity. She has made scores of enemies and there will be many more in the public sector after this letter see’s the light of day.
We think the employees have had about enough of Jan Dolan and her Henchmen and Henchwomen and it’s time for all of them to leave town, Post Haste!!!
As usual, our out-of-touch mayor claims that the council can do nothing when in fact the council is charged with hiring and firing Charter Officers at will and without reason if necessary. It is rather obvious that the mayor must agree with what’s going on or she wouldn’t hesitate initiating the immediate firing of Dolan.
We have plenty of reason for Jan Dolan to leave, of which this is only one example of many, and it’s time for the mayor and council to wake up and do the job we elected them to do: Fire Jan Dolan and all who she brought on board to get this city back on an even keel and calm down and keep some of the best employees in the state.
Should you doubt what we’re saying here, read the letter from former City Manager Roy Peterson who served under Mayor Herb Drinkwater which is included in this weeks Scottsdale Activist under " ".
~If You Think Morale Is Bad……….
If you think morale is bad at HR, you should take a look at the library system where people are also leaving because of the hostile environment. It got so bad last year that the library administration actually took a survey of morale problems and almost immediately dismissed every complaint as the employees' inability to deal with change.
Does that sound familiar?
We were subjected to three separate workshops on "change." Most staff members found these workshops condescending and patronizing. We are not against change. It just would be nice if the librarians who work with the public every day were allowed some input in the changes. Any objection has always been met with the charge that you oppose any change, that you are too committed to what the administration designates as sacred cows. If they were serious about the morale problems, instead of "accept change" workshops they would be offering ones on team work. One good example of this stampede to implement the new ideas of this administration is the proposal to get rid of all print reference and rely only on on-line sources. This is an idea that the library staff would have no problem with, but as professionals who work with the public we understand that this is not in the best interest of our patrons/customers. When we pointed out that a significant number of the public would not/could not use computers, the response from the newest branch coordinator was: "That bunch will all be dead in 10 years anyway." We were appalled at this callous attitude toward our loyal base.
Much of the low morale can be attributed to the new Manager of Innovation (yep, that's her title.) Almost every encounter with her starts with her statement: "At Baltimore, we did the following." On one of her first forays into a branch library, she immediately announced that the bust of Herb Drinkwater needed to be moved to a less prominent space. When someone pointed out the special place Mayor Drinkwater has in the community, her response was that every community had a Herb and the space was too valuable for a statue.
Exit interviews are no longer done and what difference would it make since no one is interested in listening to any concerns anyway.
I have lived in Scottsdale for many years and worked in a number of libraries and I am just sick about what is happening to ours.
The reason the communications you receive from library employees are anonymous is because they are afraid of retaliation from the Library Director. We hear that her "people" have called emplyees in and informed them that they were seen talking to someone and then questioned about what they were talking about. This is worst than a gulag.
Ask how much R. Hamilton has spent to subject all library employees to the "change" workshops. Maybe take that much out of the library budget next year.
Anonymous
~Stumbling To Profit… or Financial Disaster?
They say that one of the keys to life is the ability to make stepping-stones out of stumbling blocks. If this is the case, the City of Scottsdale is in the process of creating a virtually unlimited supply of future stepping-stones. The problem is that our current leadership at the City is mired in the creation of stumbling blocks. The current Mayor and City Manager do not possess the necessary skill set to adequately lead our fine city, to develop our revenue base without sacrificing its character. They don’t have the foresight to shape our future. If this rhetoric sounds familiar, it should. For years now, we have watched our rudderless city drift from one silly council and staff created crisis to the next.
The City spends a lot of time and money to fix things that aren’t broken: new park signs, traffic "calming" which doesn’t work, fake road-side furniture deemed "art," an industrial, arsenic treatment facility in the middle of a historic district, multi-story condos, a quaint downtown area to draw thousands of multi-millionaire bank-rolling individuals who couldn’t care less about our city, it’s future or it’s past. And yes, increased traffic as an excuse for mass transportation improvements…all in the name of progress. There is something so inherently wrong about that concept.
Our leaders no more know what they’re doing today than they did yesterday or the day before for that matter.
How many times must we say "It’s time for a leadership change!" and not be heard? Maybe we’re not shouting loud enough! What it takes is action. Last week, an entire neighborhood showed up at a public meeting to defend their turf against development of yet more unsightly condos, the Z-Lofts project, spearheaded by the Berry/Bitter-Smith team. Technical Solutions, Bitter-Smith’s group, was met with an icy cold reception as well as an "over my dead body" mentality from the neighborhood. Bravo to those who stood their ground. Our leadership doesn’t know what the heck they are doing! We need to guide them, be more proactive and take a stance on issues where we, as citizens, will be detrimentally affected. This was just one case – there are many more in the hopper.
It is hard to imagine Scottsdale of old these days. Streets filled with people who just enjoyed strolling through the Fifth Avenue shops and taking in the fresh air and desert mountain views, visiting with neighbors as their children rode bikes along the sidewalks, a friendly wave from passersby…that’s all gone except in the quickly shrinking older neighborhoods which are targets of greedy developers and non-caring city officials and staffers. Now it’s hustle, bustle, stress and gridlock…all in the name of progress, piles of profit and personal agendas.
Apparently, our city leaders are stumbling over those stepping stones that they so eagerly strive to create, the ones that are obviously misshapen, bumpy, defective, and corrupt.
~ Craig Clifford Not to Blame
It seems that many staffers and council members are trying to blame city CFO Craig Clifford for the numbers contained in the new city budget.
Please remember that he reports directly to Jan Dolan who sadly is both the City Manager and the City Treasurer so he doesn't stand a cold chance in Hell of coming up with what he REALLY feels the city can handle or what we should be spending.
He, as with Traaen and others, does exactly as he is told without exception which puts Craig in a very difficult and treacherous position.
Did he tells us that? Absolutely not and he would deny what we're saying here emphatically for obvious reasons.
Voters approved helicopters for the police department and other things but we never got them. Instead, we got street furniture, roundabouts, traffic circles, bad department directors and general managers, and on and on and on.
Wake up Council!! Can't you see the writing on the wall concerning the future financial condition of the city if the current spending spree of stupidity continues?
~ Loss of City Employees Continues
As reported in the Scottsdale Tribune and well known by anyone who works for the city or has any contact with the newspapers or city personnel, citizens leave for a variety of reasons but the most prevalent by far is "…..the work conditions in Scottsdale are unacceptable".
Where have we heard this before and why have we heard it so often?
Gee, isn't there even more evidence in this edition of the Scottsdale Activist?
Who is responsible for this problem?
None other than City Manager Jan Dolan who flatly refuses to take any responsibility for any of it.
~ John Berry Helps Rich Citizen Circumvent Public Alley Regulations?
We learned through a cursory check of alley situations on another alley question that John Berry has apparently conned Planning General Manager Frank Gray through some apparent loopholes into allowing a public alley to become a dead end, then allow the dead end alley to exist and serve only one private, very rich owner and his guest house while the city maintains it as it passes by a number of neighborhood backyards who from what we can discover, want the alley abandoned for security purposes.
We have to do more research but from what's been learned from the files so far is that the city is:
-
not allowed to have a dead end alley or close one off to become a dead end alley without the total abandonment of said alley with land being returned to the properties abutting the alley
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not allowed to have the city pay for maintenance on an alley that should be maintained by the private user(s)
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that a private alley cannot pass by or be adjacent to other private property without proper security and all other costs being paid for and maintained by the private user and with the 100% approval of those involved neighbors,
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There are apparently zero utilities or trash trucks that need alley access at this location
It appears that "Money" is buying a favor from the city through an apparently city favored attorney John Berry, which actions we the citizens of Scottsdale abhor and will check into post haste to correct.
When you read this Frank Gray and John Berry, be aware we will be very critical and very vocal if we find ANY inconsistencies in what the current law and legitimate (not twisted) interpretation thereto requires concerning alleys according to OUR attorney who also knows his business very well.
Frank: Isn't there an alley in South Scottsdale that you and I discussed and I have yet to hear a resolution, yet you are about to approve a private access to a guys guest house through a publicly financed and maintained alley passing to the rear of neighbors who are not in 100% agreement with the arraignment?
What's wrong with this picture Frank? Get a grip and give me a call !!!
~ Another Expensive Dolan Boondoggle
Just like the city thinking the Coronado golf course was a good place for the San Francisco Giants training facility, the leasing of the Hualapai Water Plant land from the State was one of those great moves, the Horseshoe Falls site at Marshall Way and Indian School Road also fails to pass the proper litmus test or the rules and codes for installing a pumping station for booster pumps to serve the downtown condo projects. Other sites are closer to the projects or located on the project sites and closer to the main water feeder line and would not involve "artsy" and expensive buildings to hide the system while using prime property to do it.
Many buildings were condemned by the city of Scottsdale for one purpose and one purpose only which was to realign Marshall Way so as to meet the city's desire to have the art gallery shoppers be given a smooth walkway from 5th Ave, to Main Street.
This is a heavily traveled pedestrian corridor. Placing four electric motors on this site with a very expensive "Artsy" building to hide it has a total negative impact on meeting the city's supposed true mission. It does not matter how pretty a building they can design to cover up these motors because they will need access for maintenance and/or motor and pump replacement which means the building must be designed to have parts of it removed from time to time.
Who really believes this is an asset for retail shoppers? Don’t the top city planners understand the concept of "highest and best" use, or are they bowing to the whims and fantasies of still another Jan Dolan boondoggle? It appears they either don’t understand or they have Dolan’s heavy boot mark stomped into their backs to gain compliance with her orders!
This is a very desirable retail site and a paper trail shows the staffers have acknowledged that fact, but someone (fill her name in here) has demanded otherwise.
Councilman Tony Nelssen pointed out at the DRB meeting that it is the obligation of this panel to consider the compatibility of this use to the surrounding properties. This obligation goes beyond debating the design and colors of the building. This city did not invest several million dollars to create this site for this use. Despite what Jan Dolan says through Ed Gawf and Frank Grey, there are other less expensive and less visible as well as more viable options for placement of these pumps.
We trust both the Design Review Board and City Council are wise enough and financially astute enough to move these pumps and motors to a proper location on the users condo sites which would cost far less and save a prime piece of city property for its "Highest and Best" use.
~ Unger's "Southbridge" Threatens More Height & Density
The Unger project, Southbridge, is an assemblage issue, just as the WaterView project is with more to come according to the property purchases recorded in downtown Scottsdale with the County Recorders office area by certain unnamed entities and persons here, but well known assemblers to those "in the know".
Remember that this City refuses to talk about "neighborhood assemblage", residential or commercial because they don’t want controls on Assemblage so the developers can have their way and make their HUGE profits.
Council & City Staff are not even aware of the policy statement they have on the books, not amended or rescinded since 1993. Mayor Drinkwater sought to deal with it in 1988, and the first resolution was approved and signed in 1989.
We have checked on this and major discussions and all of the ramifications need to commence to be discussed pronto before any changes are made or projects approved without exception. The Minnezona neighborhood speaks volumes to assemblage and that all property issues need to be attended to including property maintenance problems that council members all know about and decided to blatantly ignore.
~ Guest Editorial
by Nancy Cantor~ "Z Lofts" are Pure Schlock !
While I missed the open house on the Z Lofts proposed condos last night, many of my friends and neighbors in South Scottsdale did not. And I am hearing about it.
The commonly used term is "SCHLOCK!" I do have a
Yiddish dictionary should anyone care to browse through the multiple
definitions for that word, none of them are complimentary.
This projects' site plan is worse than Earll Dr. Are you all forgetting
the requirements for open space and set backs that "used to apply" to
building in all of Scottsdale and so very necessary now that we are
looking at these "spot/infill" projects in the most densely populated
part of the City?
Miller Rd., from McKellips Rd. to Camelback Rd., is so chuck full of higher density Residential development, some approved by this Council and the previous two councils. It is beginning to look like a concrete canyon.
Until there is sufficient planning in place to guarantee that the negative impacts on residential single family property rights and on neighborhoods, a moratorium needs to be put into effect.
Without it Council will approve these types of plans because they have no vision, and take no responsibility for quality redevelopment outside of luxury condominiums and boutique hotels that are multiplying like rabbits in the Downtown. (Forgive me rabbits! You are much better looking!)
Our infrastructure is not going to be able to deal with this type of development, whether we are talking streets, parking, water service (consider the problems with water pressure along the Waterfront developments), sewer systems (hail the odor around the north side of the waterfront buildings; bad today and the weather is getting warmer.) You aren't requiring landscape that will accomplish anything toward improving the environment and, so far, you do precious little (Planning Commission is very derelict on this one, too) to encourage solid green building? How "green" are the luxury condos that are being built in Downtown central?
The Earll Dr. project shows a lack of creativity, comprehension of the community surrounding it, no care for the property rights of anyone other than the developer, and no responsibility required by the developer, our Planning Commission, or Council as to now and future impacts.
"Z Lofts" must not be allowed to move forward.
Nancy Cantor, Co-Chair Scottsdale Coalition
nancyanncantor@cox.net
Scottsdale Resident for 47 years.
~ The City Budget, a Primer
~ Introduction to the Scottsdale Budget Process
by Councilman LittlefieldPart 4
In the five years I have been on the Scottsdale City Council this should be the most interesting budget cycle ever. That’s because, for the first time, the Council may be forced to say "no" to some significant spending requests, including some from favored special interests!
In prior years the City Manager would give us her proposed budget for the next fiscal year and the Council would talk a lot about fiscal discipline but then approve her budget with no cuts. In fact, the only changes that the Council ever approved were to add things to the City Manager’s proposed budget. I would oppose some items, and after he joined the City Council in 2004 Jim Lane also started questioning how much the city was spending, but we could never get four votes to do so.
But this year even our staff admits that there will not be enough money to build (much less operate) all of the projects that are on the drawing board. That means that even those of my Council colleagues who want to say "yes" to every special interest (a tried and true tactic for getting re-elected) are going to have to disappoint somebody.
Part of the reason for this is that Scottsdale’s historically fast-rising revenue growth will be flattening out over the next few years as Scottsdale builds out and the economy slows down. But the other reason is that our previous free-spending ways are catching up to us. Like a household that has bought too much stuff over the years our cash flow (sales and property tax receipts in the case of the city) are all committed to supporting our extravagant lifestyle. Just as a household with high expenses cannot borrow their way out of the problem, the city cannot bond their way out of this dilemma because that would increase our debt levels to imprudent levels.
A perfect example of this is the request for $30M to renovate the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (SCPA). In past years the City Council has been extremely generous to the arts – your tax dollars fund 1/3 of the Cultural Council’s budget, and every year that I have been on board my Council colleagues have not only approved all of their regular funding but have also approved every supplemental request that the Cultural Council has made for additional funding above and beyond that.
I do not have a problem with city funding for art & culture – I think that most Scottsdale residents are OK with some taxpayer money going to the arts. But in this case I believe that the arts are getting more than their fair share of the available tax dollars. That is especially true in light of the fact that if we approve the $30M to renovate the SCPA we will have to say "no" to things such as parks and fire stations.
The other thing that bothers me is the way that the Cultural Council extracts money from the city. Every year they come up with some "supplemental" budget request for money above and beyond their already generous allocation from the city. They simply refuse to live within the budget that the city gives them. Even if you think funding the arts is a good thing this is bad process and is one reason we end up overspending
This request for $30M to renovate the SCPA is a classic example of this. The city has already approved $8M for this renovation. Then we hired a project manager who, lo and behold, suggested another $22M in renovations. I guess it’s a good thing we did not hire two project managers or they would be asking for $44M more!
I am not suggesting that we cut off funding for the arts or even cut the $8M originally approved for this renovation. I am suggesting that they learn to live within their budget and stop asking us for more and more money.
|
~Letters to the Editor ~ letters@scottsdaleactivist.com
~ Fix It Immediately, or City Employees Unionize By: Roy Peterson Subject: Repairing the Damage The city council can no longer duck the issue. Employee unhappiness with their employer has become a public and thereby a political issue. That is apparently all the council majority will respond to. Is it a surprise to them that this has occurred? It shouldn't be. Some council members were alerted to these problems long ago. Perhaps they just don't know what to do. The Mayor says the council can't "get in the middle of that." But obviously she doesn't mean the council is helpless. If they were it would be a mockery of democracy since citizens only vote for council members. We, the voters, can only hold council members accountable for organizational health and thus, in our system, the council must hold its appointees accountable. The council needs to start by asking its appointees (City Manger/Treasurer, City Attorney, City Clerk and Presiding Judge) to recommend how they plan to deal with the problem and how the council will be able to measure their success ( such measures need to be independent of the appointee simply telling the council that they have been successful). Too bad for Ms. Traeen. She may have been part of the problem - or not. Maybe she's just the scapegoat. From the outside who can tell for sure? What we do know, however, is that the problem goes way back before Ms. Traeen ever showed up here. We don't know what direction she had from above nor what expectations had been placed upon her. Another surprise to the council majority I suppose is that some employees see unionization as an answer to their angst and anguish at being treated like robots by the city. If all the council responds to is political pressure, which seems to be the case, what better way to bring some of that pressure to bear on employee's behalf than to organize. My experience is most Scottsdale employees don't really want a union but if city management doesn't treat them fairly and honestly and the city council pretends that nothing is wrong then what options do they have? Two that I know of: They can quit or they can fight the system. Many had the luxury of quitting and have quit. Now some who perhaps don't have that option are looking at a union to help them to fight a system that they find deaf to their voices and demeaning to their humanity. Councilman Nelssen gets it. He said "If we don't have happy employees, then they're not doing their best at the workplace. That's just common sense." It's also common sense that pay isn't the sole answer. Sure, everyone wants to be paid more, but they also want to be treated like human beings. They want to work in an environment that respects their dignity and recognizes that they have a brain and not just arms and legs. They want to work in an organization that sees them as members of a team - an organization that clearly appreciates every team member's contribution toward the achievement of its goals. In other words, the culture that has evolved in the organization is itself dysfunctional. It's time to address that - it's been time to address that for awhile. Mayo Clinic recently was recognized as one of the nation's top 100 employers. Here's a local example from which the city might learn something. Why not give it a try. If the city knows how it will take a little time to turn things around, but short term results can be achieved almost immediately. Scottsdale is first in many ways. How about being first as the best managed city in Arizona? Why should we settle for anything less when the best also gives taxpayers and citizens the best value. Editors Note: This reminds me of a sign in my Mom's Kitchen: " If Mom's not happy NOBODY is happy!"
Okay, every body in unison now, "well here we go again!" I am considering making this my opening line in the future, as it seems we go through this on a weekly basis anymore and our discussion this week is out right property theft by a developer and the usual Okie Dokie by city staff. Some of you may have caught the article in the Tribune this week touting a new plan for a Downtown Hotel by non other than Spring Creek Development, which is run by non other than the highly touted Fredrick Unger. (Highly touted by staff and council that is) The problem with this is that the Tribune reporter did not expose the fact that Spring Creek Development does not own the required amount of property to have made this "pre-application" acceptable by city ordinances. The city ordinance states the following in regards to the process.
Not only does Spring Creek Development own well under the 75% of land area, but the "conceptual" drawing submitted to the city for his General Plan Amendment has outlined multiple businesses that he does not own as well as one, but possibly two city owned parcels. Even worse in this issue is that the city not only accepted the "pre-application", but also even touted it and placed it on the city web page. http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/projects/ProjectsInNews/SouthBridge/Default.asp Now I know this is going to come as a shock to the readers of the Scottsdale Activist, but when the jig was up and the city confronted with this, they are still refusing to remove the project from the city web page and have yet to reject the "pre-application". Another interesting note is the quote by Fredrick Unger of Spring Creek Development to the Tribune, stating that the amendment only applies to his properties, so I found it very interesting, as well as numerous downtown merchants, that the conceptual drawing on record includes the entire area of which Mr. Unger only owns 40%of the land mass at best. Now again I know this is going to come as a shock to readers of the Activist, but the city has yet to even respond to the flurry of e-mails even at the request of Councilman Nelssen, and an even worse note is that this could have gone unnoticed by everyone for a much longer period of time if it were not for the fact of Councilman Littlefield giving us the heads up to the plan as he knew some of us were going to figure out what was going on here in short order. As it has been stated before in the Wild Wild West, "I think Spring Creek Development speaks with forked tongue." As it has been stated before in the Kiva, "the city does have plans for your area, it is just that you are not included in them." Now, as I was typing this I received an e-mail from Ed Gawf who I can not say anything bad about as he has been the kicking post and fall guy for to many of the city screw ups and GOTCHA’s and I commend him for his dedication to trying to correct city blunders and do what he can for residents. "Mike, This is a follow up to my earlier e-mail on the Unger General Plan pre-application. Yesterday the Planning Staff informed Mr. Unger, that while legally a pre-application could be submitted that included property the applicant did not control, the Planning Staff would not support such a pre-application. We have received notification today that Mr. Unger has amended their General Plan pre-application to exclude all properties he does not specifically own. This pre-application was submitted at the One Stop counter without any knowledge by or consultation with city staff. The One Stop counter is an intake facility and all pre-applications after receipt are sent to the professional planning staff for review and comment. In this case the initial review resulted in our telling Mr. Unger we could not support or comment on the portion of the pre-application not owned by him. Therefore, be assured that this pre-app As you know we have begun a review and update of the Downtown Plan which will include significant community input and involvement. The final approval of any General Plan update or modification will require City Council action. On another point I can assure you Mr. Cummins and Mr. Gray are outstanding planning professionals and work very hard to represent the community and its various processes. Maybe we can chat about these things when we meet next week."Ed I love ya Ed, I really do, so maybe we can find out why it is that it was submitted to City on 03/02/07 and informed to the council about the plan on 03/05/07, objected to by concerned people on the 03/06/07 but not rectified until 03/09/07 after Councilman Nelssen suggested a city response was in order? The next time I want to find out where the lies are coming from Ed, I am going to come to your office and trace the footsteps that have to be all over your back by someone. I then sent the following note to the mayor as follows: Dear Mayor, I am still guessing, to some small degree, of what it is you wanted to say to me regarding the property theft issue regarding the General Plan Amendment by Fred Unger and Spring Creek Development. Feel free to send me another blank e-mail as I guess how this played out, but lets also take a brief look back at this issue in this area of downtown as it is unfortunate that none of our reporters in the local media have a clue as to what has transpired over the many years that Downtown and 5th Ave was attempted to be blighted by both you and the city staff at the request of Mr. Unger so he could assemble the land he needed for his dream hotel that he has been trying to build in this area for what, 15 years now? You should really know better than to give me the opportunity to put a bug in the media's ear about things that happened those many years ago and could even be the reason your response was blank? Don't forget Mary, there are still a few of us left that remember those days and still have many of the articles regarding this area and the repeated attempts by Mr. Unger to steal this land he needs but owners will not sell to him and the city has actually tried to help him obtain those parcels under various scams like the "redevelopment label" you are trying to use on the South now. Let me guess here and I bet I am pretty much on the money with this. Someone from planning tipped the papers to the submission from Mr. Unger who he probably had one of his employees submit through the One Stop Shop as he was not wanting the issue to be publicly noted so he could do what he wanted with as little attention as possible. Guess that plan went South quickly? After it was noted that is was no longer private when the papers called him to comment on it, he contacted you about it and in turn you probably politely told him he needed to call the council members and talk to them about the submission before it hit the papers or they may become ticked off that they were the last to know of such a plan. You know how the council always hates it when they are the last to know of things like this. I would guess that Mr. Unger contacted the council members to talk to them about his project and is why they have taken a back seat to commenting on the issue since we brought up the issue of such a dirty trick trying to be pulled at this day and age of the public mind set on these types of actions and the credibility at city hall. So, how many of you got that call from Fred? I see Betty made a comment to the papers so I would assume that Fred contacted her, but I wonder if Betty knew that Fred was trying to make yet again another land grab in the area? You know Mayor, it is a nasty little web of things that keep rearing its ugly little head from the past under your tenure as the supposed "leader" in this city and I am keeping track of them in the run up to the election and all your little developer friends are doing is nothing more than feeding the fire for the 08 elections. Ohh, I have to say I loved your comments that were posted about Mr. Kettle in the paper and I have to tell you I think Mr. Kettle has hit the nail on the head in much of what he said and if you look back over the last 3 years at what Mr. Clifford has been saying quietly to the councils, you will "maybe" understand that Mr. Kettle is very likely correct. By the way, screaming at me in your Black Berry and then hitting send is not the way the new technology works. Michael Merrill
My hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona is spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on a transportation study. Translation: Like municipalities across the land, it's going to try to get citizens out of their cars so that they can be dependent on public transit driven by city workers and supervised by city managers. The other day, I received the current issue of the nonpartisan Reason Magazine, which costs me about $24 for an annual subscription of 12 monthly issues, or $2 apiece. There, in addition to a chilling cover story about the authoritarian nature of Sen. John McCain, was a story titled, "How Traffic Jams Are made in City Hall: The bad logic and failed policies of transportation planners." The article has similar findings and conclusions to numerous authoritative studies that can be accessed on the Internet for nothing. The article shows how centralized, unelected transportation commissions and agencies are wasting money on mass transit to the detriment of where the real need and demand are: streets and highways. Staggering statistics are included on the slowness of mass transit, the projections of increased auto traffic versus transit usage, and the plans of local governments to force drivers to waste valuable time and fuel in traffic by not making the necessary investments in expanded highway capacity. Minneapolis and Atlanta are highlighted in this regard. By the way, guess where the commutes are the longest in the nation? Answer: Where there is the most mass transit: in metro New York. I'd be happy to give each Scottsdale City Council member a copy of the Reason article at no charge. But only on the condition that they stop wasting money on transportation studies in which the hidden agenda is public transit. Craig J. Cantoni
~ City Needs Office of Citizen Ombudsman Services Citizens will be tendering a Petition Request for Scottsdale City Council to provide for an Office of Citizen Ombudsman Services. The citizens of Scottsdale will submit the Petition requesting Ombudsman Services to be initiated in this City. This request is necessary because of the failure of some Staff Personnel failing and /or ignoring Citizen Inquiries requiring immediate answers and attention to Neighborhood and City Problems. The Office of Citizen Ombudsman Services shall be responsible for resolving any unanswered complaints. If the Ombudsman is unable to resolve a presented complaint, then this issue will be presented to the City Manager for resolution. If still unresolved, then the Ombudsman shall request that the City Manager have this issue presented to the Council as a Regular Agenda Item for discussion and Council Resolution. |
“Political correctness is not really about sensitivity and courtesy, which require mutual respect. Rather, political correctness entails intolerance for some prejudices but impunity for others.” —James Taranto
"We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times."
-- George Washington (letter to Philip Schuyler, 7/15/1777)
~ Food
for Thought, Take it or Leave it
~The Prophet of Public Education
By Craig J. Cantoni, March 4, 2007
This is the third of a series of articles about the remarkable prescience of Isabel Paterson, whose 1943 book, The God of the Machine, I first read decades ago and have recently reread. Long before other political philosophers, she understood the fatal flaw of Communism and predicted its demise, she saw the nexus between European-style collectivism and fascism, and she predicted the effect of American-style collectivism on the United States economy and national psyche.
In this article, we examine her equally prescient thoughts about public education.
To set the mood, let’s begin with the last paragraph of her chapter on the subject. She wrote, "The most vindictive resentment may be expected from the pedagogical profession for any suggestion that they should be dislodged from their dictatorial positions; it will be expressed mainly in epithets, such as ‘reactionary,’ at the mildest." She then asks why, if public education and public teachers are so beneficial, they "have to extort your fees and collect your pupils by compulsion"?
She wrote these words long before the National Education Association transformed itself from an apolitical professional association to a leftist union with 2.3 million members and a stranglehold on state legislatures and local school boards. Today, as I well know, anyone who questions the union’s claim about caring for kids is called worse epithets than "reactionary."
Amazingly, 25 years before the education establishment began to wholeheartedly embrace the theory of whole language as an improvement over phonics, Paterson warned about the folly of the theory, referring to it as "pictograph reading" and saying that it would hinder abstract thinking. This was from a self-educated woman whose only formal education was a few years of schooling in a log schoolhouse near present-day Glacier Park, Montana.
Paterson also foretold how "progressive" pedagogical theories would result in grade inflation and lowered academic rigor. To wit: "Another ‘advanced’ educational method does not mark examination papers for their accuracy; instead, grades are given indicating that the child has done well in relation to his capacities. That is, the teacher assumes divine omniscience, and pretends to know the child’s innate capacities absolutely, by some supernal means, instead of judging the specific result of a specific examination. The negligent child is advantaged, and the diligent, clever, and conscientious child is deprived of an earned benefit."
Decades before education policy started being centralized at the state and federal levels, Paterson wrote that "when school districts were mostly small, and school boards composed of local residents known to everybody, it was quite possible for the parents to know just what was being taught; and to have their wishes consulted in the engagement or retention of teachers and the choice of textbooks." Today, presidents issue diktats from the White House on what should be taught to children, and the American sheep accept this as normal, constitutional and good for their lambs, errr, children.
Regarding the near-impossibility of firing incompetent teachers, Paterson wrote that "parents are now helpless when it is admitted by a school board that a small number of teachers are mentally unbalanced. The parents must still deliver their children into the power of those teachers, on penalty of a fine." Today, only a couple of teachers a year out of a workforce of about 70,000 are fired in the State of Illinois for poor performance.
In the most chilling insight about American public education, Paterson titled her chapter on the subject, "Our Japanized Educational System." Remember, the book was published in 1943, which means that she was writing it directly after Japanese atrocities in China, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Bataan Death March, and Japanese loyalty oaths to the Emperor. She saw the similarities and dangers between the longstanding focus on the group instead of the individual in Japanese schools, and the "progressive" group-focused pedagogical philosophies that were taking hold in American schools.
With their focus on "the good of society," Japanese schools instantly and ruthlessly punished expressions of individuality, independent thought, and personal ideas about social justice that differed from state doctrine. "Even the language reflected this altruistic code of ethics, by avoiding the use of personal pronouns, and modifying them to a social meaning," wrote Paterson. Today in the United States, political correctness pervades the classroom, textbooks have been sanitized of everything that some group might find offensive, and state dogma is taught about the environment, the economy, diversity, and the common good.
Finally, Paterson said that the value of private schools is their diversity of thought and their inclination not to teach the "supremacy of the state" as a compulsory philosophy. By contrast, she gave this warning about government schools:
But every politically controlled education system will inculcate the doctrine of state supremacy sooner or later, whether as the divine right of kings, or the "will of the people" in "democracy." Once that doctrine has been accepted, it becomes an almost superhuman task to break the stranglehold of the political power over the life of the citizen. It has had his body, property, and mind in its clutches from infancy. An octopus would sooner release its prey.
In closing, if you think that Paterson was wrong about public education, then ask yourself why books like hers can’t be found in school libraries and why thoughts like hers can’t be found in textbooks. The wrong answer is to dismiss her as a reactionary.
An author and columnist, Mr. Cantoni can be reached at ccan2@aol.com.
~ Armed Robbery is More Respectable
By Craig J. CantoniImagine going to dinner in downtown Scottsdale and being robbed in the restaurant parking lot by an armed robber. Afterwards, you go home to find that your house has been burglarized. Later that evening the burglar stops buy and demands more money for entertainment expenses so that he can take the armed robber to dinner and try to convince him to form a partnership in crime.
That’ll give you an idea of what the City of Scottsdale does when it pays lobbyists with your money to lobby the state government. You can be assured that the purpose is to share the loot, not to reduce taxes or government power.
According to a Goldwater Institute report, Scottsdale spent $205,494 on lobbyists between 2000 and 2005. It also spent $2.5 million on "intergovernmental programs", a fuzzy category that can hide additional lobbying expenditures.
Similarly, the Arizona League of Arizona Cities and Towns receives public money to lobby the state legislature, often taking a stand that is contrary to citizen wishes. For example, the League has opposed eminent domain reform.
The Arizona School Boards Association also lobbies the state legislature, using dues from participating school districts. Among other issues, the Association has lobbied against school choice, which means that it has lobbied against taxpayers who support school choice. This subverts democracy and the U.S. Constitution, because it forces taxpayers to fund political speech that they oppose and don’t even know is taking place behind closed doors.
Incestuous relationships between Arizona governments have spawned more than 900 government-paid lobbyists, who now outnumber state legislators by ten to one.
The problem is exacerbated by revenue sharing arrangements in which a portion of federal and state taxes is given to municipalities for local boondoggles, after some of the money is siphoned off by bureaucrats.
Light rail is a case in point. When drivers buy gasoline, federal gas taxes are sent to Washington. There, bureaucrats put some of it in the Highway Trust fund as they’re supposed to do, take some of it for their salaries, and return some of it to build light rail. Of course, the federal government has no constitutional authority to fund an intrastate rail line, but when money and political power are at stake, why let a piece of paper get in the way?
Armed robbery is more honest and respectable than intergovernmental lobbying.
An author and consultant, Mr. Cantoni can be reached at ccan2@aol.com.
shoutandspout@scottsdaleactivist.com
~ You know, if our mayor gave a "rat's patoot" about what's said in the Scottsdale Activist, and I'd bet big money she reads it religiously, she would call the person in charge and try to get some things straightened out...... You know, COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC... Oh I forgot, she has ALL the answers as well as the rose colored glasses to see things her way. EXCUSE ME for thinking!! Maybe I need to stop for a "bite" at the Pink Taco so I can listen to the "Bite Me" music everyone is complaining about which illegally reaches the sidewalk and street.............
~ Dolan is "Toast", throw her out and get someone we and the employees can trust.
~ We are so happy the Activist exists. Where else would we get some of the inside information we get here. Interestingly enough, we assume no one in the city ever contests what is written which means it's all correct and cannot be challenged for fear of more unwanted publicity. Keep up the great work Scottsdale Activist!!! We need you!!
~ Well, we see that SkySlum is on it's way, to where we don't know because it looks just like any other "project" we've seen in the east. Isn't that where Crow of ASU came from? That figures.......... Our money, his junk pile and apartment tenants who we'll have to watch wandering aimlessly around day after day, after day..........
~ Derouin, Nesvig, Drake and Lane: What a great start to get the city back on track. It's too bad we have to wait until 2008 to make the necessary changes. Maybe we can at least get rid of Dolan, Hamilton, Register, O'Connor and those who cannot treat employees properly. Enough said............?
~ Dolan needs to move on and take her pals with her. She's done her damage here.
~ I met with the editor of the Activist and very abrasively asked why there was always so much negative stuff in it. It was rather interesting to learn from a very calm, polite, and well informed man that we have lots of good things about the city which came about due to previous administrations and good planning on their part, not the Manross administration. I also found out and agree that if the council and Dolan keep spending the way they are currently, it could all go to Hell in a hand basket. He gave me the key issues to research and lo and behold, this council and city manager are totally out of control and we WILL be broke soon if all of the unnecessary spending isn't stopped immediately. Although I didn't agree when it was discussed, I find it imperative that the city manager resign immediately and the council then appoint both a new city manager as well as an independent city treasurer as set out in the Scottsdale City Charter which needs to be followed to the letter.
~ Vote for a bond to bail out Dolan and company? No way in (heck)!! I'll donate to the candidacy of the Derouin-Nesvig-Drake-Lane Slate and especially to kill any bond issue the mayor dreams up.
~ Thank You Councilman Tony Nelssen for your words at the DRB meeting and to Councilman Littlefield for your words in the Newspapers. You are both "spot on" as we say in the old country. The other council members need to take a lesson from your refreshing points of view and ideas on curtailing spending. Councilman Lane shocked me with his vote on the Earll Drive thing being he is a "bean counter" and should have known better. I will not vote for him for anything until I see some semblance of order return to his positions. He seems to be intentionally drifting right into the hands of the Manross group with some of his decisions of late.
~ I just "researched" James Derouin, the person the Activist rumors as a possible for a run at the mayor's position. This guy is a real "sleeper". I'll respect him and keep the secret until he can be convinced to run for mayor, then once he decides, the info goes on the street and he'll kick everyone's (butt) big time because of his background!!!
~ Poor Lisa Haskell. Isn't there anyone or anything she likes? I personally have not met her or the "Activists" she continually knocks or the councilmen she runs down, but I agree with what the Activists are saying about light rail, density and height in Scottsdale. If the council would contain their spending and take care of the streets, parks, ball fields, libraries, water lines, sanitary services, and other necessities that already exist, our city would be more and more desirable due to the "open space" provided by NOT having high density as well as the pollution and congestion caused by such high density.
~ Fred Unger take note. The public is on to what you are trying to do and we'll stop you in your tracts, just stay tuned. I wouldn't spend too much money on your proposed project if I were you. The citizens have taken all they can take from greedy and innovative developers and lawyers such as DMB, Unger, and the Berry/Technical Solutions team.
~ Nan Nesvig is not only smart, well informed, well groomed, and presents herself very well, she would make the Dias look much softer and a lot less hard and intimidating than it appears now.
~ No more city money for the Cultural Council. They're like spoiled brats, the more you give them, the more they want. They need to "live" within their means or close up shop. Last time I checked, it cost the taxpayers almost $13 per person above what the patrons already paid to see whatever it was they went to see. Until the "performing arts" in the city venues can at least break even, they shouldn't be subsidized by the taxpayers.
~ I'm still very upset with Councilman Lane's vote on the Earll Drive Condos. After doing my own research, I see no reason why those condos should be allowed there under any condition. It's time Mr. Lane asked for a review of the project then downsize it to appropriate size and density.
~ The new dog park is great. Thanks to everyone involved.
~ Why is it that we the people up north want rustic designs for their public buildings, etc but get gaudy or multi-colored buildings, while those in the south want buildings that blend and they get rustic dark colors with rusty pipes and rocks held in with wire that doesn't blend with anything such as at the Hayden Rd water plant. It would appear that the city is as screwed up in this department as it is in the Code Enforcement and HR, and now we hear the library department has severe morale problems also. Would it help to turn the Kiva upside down and shake it up and down a little like they do with the printer in the Staples commercials?
~ YES!!! Your rumored picks for the 2008 election would win in a landslide. How could they lose with the likes of Manross and McOsterman running, if they don't quit first.
~ Stop the spending on anything except those things the citizens NEED like parks and a renovated and repaired infrastructure. After those things are in order, we'll discuss other things except those dumb things in the middle of the streets with trees in the residential areas. Whose stupid idea were those things anyway? The annual maintenance has to be horrendous. What about the risk management problems they present?
~ Welcome to Snottsdale, the mayor will personally issue you the required rose colored glasses at lunch time at the "Pink Taco", "Babes", or "Skin". Pick your poison.
~ Information You Can Use
~ UPDATE!! A "Must See" for All Americans
Every American should check out all of these websites to learn more about what the American population is about to have to deal with.
This is NOT for Children.
I don't normally allow anything but Scottsdale information in the Scottsdale Activist but after receiving many emails about this and viewing it, I think that it's imperative that every adult at least look at what's offered here if for nothing more than their own education and to have everyone stop and think about the future of our country. Click on the link below,
If you don't have Adobe Flash, install it from the bottom of the page that comes up after you click on the link above. You should be able to view all available links within the main page.
The website below is of great interest as seen from a Lebanese point of view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8fa9yKQeTY
The website below gives some history of Terrorist attacks:
http://patriotfiles.org/civilizationcalls.htm
~ 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=3If 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.
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.
~
For Continuing Information
on Photo Radar,
Click on the Logo below.
~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
~ Scottsdale Legal Defense Fund
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:
72nd & 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.
Hello All,
This seems to work well. Click on the link below to Check it out. Helpful hint! Just plug in your zip code and it tells you which gas stations have the cheapest prices (and the highest) on gas in your zip code area. It's updated every evening.
Be a good neighbor and pass this along.
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