• Welcome New Subscribers !!!

• This "Cool" Idea has "Scottsdale" Written All Over it!!

• Hualapai Water Plant Boondoggle Answers...

• Successful Lessons Forgotten............

• New City Charter Interpretation

• The 3 Monkeys Revisited

• Rick Kidder and Light Rail

• Private Enterprise Alive & Well in Scottsdale

• City Saved by Activists Now Being Ruined by Dolan

~ Food for Thought - Take It or Leave It 

• Writing checks, addressing envelopes and thinking about heads on pikes

• Smoke dope and believe polls on taxes

We at the Scottsdale Activist would like to welcome over 100 new subscribers to the Activist in the last 30 days!

It is the single largest number of new subscribers since the inception of the on-line Newsletter/Newspaper in the less than 2 years we have been on line.

We must be doing something right or the city is doing things terribly wrong or we wouldn’t be seeing 10,000+ hits a week and growing weekly on the website.

THANK YOU to all who contribute and all who copy articles and send them on to their friends. This is YOUR on-line news source so feel free to copy and distribute or contribute necessary information to help get the city back under control. We only ask that nothing be taken out of context, and that we are noted as the source of the information.

We don’t need to publish your name if you want to stay anonymous as many do, we hold many names because citizens feel they would reap retribution from certain people in the city management system should they try to have something approved by our out of touch city management.

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 ~ This "Cool" Idea has "Scottsdale" Written All Over it!!

Basha's Markets has done a wonderful job on it's new store that replaced the old one at Indian School and Hayden Roads. The new shaded parking areas, desert plants, flowering trees and other flora that bring the fauna to the site make this a very pleasant place to shop and a "Class Act" well suited to our World Class City.

It would be wonderful if many other businesses in Scottsdale saw the benefit to beautifying their places of business and offering shaded parking as Basha's has done.

Of course, with the Jan Dolan plan of "Project by Project" approval of plans, it doesn't surprise us that there aren't more businesses spending the amount of money necessary to make such a beautiful Oasis available to the residents of Scottsdale. When you don't know what the city has in store, why would you spend money that might

Until we can see a General Plan which is consistent and handled professionally as only a class act city can do, we will not see many more projects like this beautiful Basha's Market in the areas south of Indian Bend Road.

Thank You Basha's from the citizens and your customers in Scottsdale!

You are truly appreciated and a wonderful Scottsdale Citizen!!!

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As children, we learn many lessons. As adults, we are supposed to put those lessons to good use. When it comes to the City’s developers, however, there seems to be short-term memory loss with regard to those lessons. Perhaps they could use a refresher course:

A look at the current map for our City of Scottsdale yields a mass of 100 or more dots, indicating projects in various stages of development. 10% of those projects are City of Scottsdale projects. The other 90% belong to private developers.

One might ask, how the heck can the City keep their finger on the pulse of so many projects? The answer? There is no way they can!!!

The City of Scottsdale has a checklist for all development projects. If the developer merely states that he meets the criteria, their project passes muster and review without issue. Then, they are off and running without guidance, or supervision by the City Staff. A favorite position for developers is the Consent Agenda – blink and you will gain passage. Developers act like drunken sailors brandishing their wads of cash and their mile-high ideas in front of the Planning Commission, DRB and City Council. Giddy, they are armed with their elaborate dog and pony shows, wowing the decision makers with colorful slides and unrealistic promises of grandeur. They seek approval, acceptance, a wink and a nod, then off they go. Developers are rarely grounded in reality.

There is no actual cap on development in our City. In fact, the Manross plan for the City is: The more the merrier. I’m surprised that wine and cheese isn’t served at the development presentations!

When all of the beautiful Sunrises and Sunsets have disappeared due to high rise buildings and all available neighborhoods have been swallowed up into new condo and mass development urban infill projects, the developers, realizing their maximization, will go elsewhere to screw up some other city. But they leave in their wake an irreversible aftermath of total destruction consisting of slums and empty commercial properties.

Who is to blame for this destruction? Many are responsible. Few will own up to it. No one will fix it. But, we the citizens and taxpayers will have to live with it.

Some might say that we, the citizens, are sitting ducks awaiting the next developmental catastrophe. Until then it is our job to be the eyes and ears for the City Staff. Staff can’t and won’t keep tabs on the developers. The developers, with their short-term memory loss, don’t have the capacity to recall the valuable lessons they once learned as children and apply them to their individual projects.

Ignorance is bliss. Isn’t that just pathetic?

Welcome to Scottsdale politics……………

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It would seem that many Citizens are upset with the way our city is being run, or as better explained, totally screwed up with the citizens as the losers.

This became extremely clear after our article telling the truth about the Hualapai Water Treatment plant and the millions of dollars that City Manager Jan Dolan cost the city. The City Council majority saw no need to question the facts allowing millions of taxpayer dollars to go down the drain which could have very well been used in other places where it is sorely needed.

Below is how many feel about the City Charter as it is being used now a la Manross, Robberson and Dolan.

The New Scottsdale City Charter:

1.       Cover up any wrong doing.

2.       Cover up the cover up by threatening the City Council in case anyone objects.

3.       Never tell the truth.

4.       Never admit error.

5.       Never conduct business in the open.

6.       Never hold anyone accountable.

7.       Never expect competency.

8.       Reward incompetency.

9.       Accept insubordination from the City Manager and the City Attorney.

10.   Elect the meek to the City Council.

Doesn’t read very well does it? Welcome to "Dolandale", run by Manross, supported "legally" by Robberson, as well and other incompetents, and allowed by citizens who don’t get involved to save what’s left of the Scottsdale we once knew and loved.

See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil: This has been the Manross/Dolan Mantra on crime in Scottsdale for a while and they will attempt to hide the facts by only looking at the rosy side of things any way possible so as not to "tarnish" the city’s reputation. They keep saying that we don’t have crime in Scottsdale yet here is the headline and story in the Arizona Republic which says just the opposite.

Why is it that Manross/Dolan menagerie and others cannot see the problem and get to fixing it? I know that the Chief of Police is doing all he can with the officers he has, but this just proves that we need more officers, the helicopters we voted for in the 2000 election, as well as a house cleaning of the liberal crybaby Judges. They unceremoniously allow our courts to have an ever swinging and moving revolving door allowing the "perps" back onto the streets of our cities. This is a total disgrace to the system that used to be a fair and equitable justice system.

The Scottsdale Activist sends its heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the Hartline-Steffern family of Phoenix because of the senseless loss of Travis, no matter the reason.

Read the Republic article below for yourself………………..

 ~Rick Kidder and Light Rail

We think that it is very interesting that the CEO and President of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce would even suggest any railed transportation on Scottsdale Road being that the vast majority of Scottsdale business on Scottsdale Road will have nothing to do with any railed project.

First, we should note that the Chamber is the Scottsdale AREA Chamber of Commerce which means that a good percentage, possibly up to 45% or even more, of their members are not operating businesses in Scottsdale, but more likely in Phoenix west of Scottsdale Road.

We took a little tour of the Phoenix light rail system and took some pictures which are shown below. Note that streets like Washington which used to be up to 6 lanes wide is reduced to no more than 2 lanes. Also note the wires that will be above the roadway carrying high voltage with the appropriate danger signage. Also note that Central Ave as we knew it will apparently be down to a maximum of 2 lanes without parking instead of 4 lanes with parking.

The most distressing development was the number of vacant storefronts that we saw driving through the areas where light rail will be.

~ Private Enterprise Alive & Well in Scottsdale

What is great about Scottsdale transportation? The privately owned Trolley system!

Forget the cosmetics for a while, colors and logos being the dressing and so- easily addressed, but I digress.

Thank you Margaret Dunn for filling a need, efficiently and effectively planning the routes and picking the people and keeping the system on time should be a feather in your cap.

What started out as a service for winter visitors has become a means of connecting people to places in our community. During Spring Training each trolley carries, on average, 200 passengers. During the winter, visitor period trolleys average 166 passengers a day.

Many of the trolley drivers have long experience in public transportation including working for the Valley Metro Bus line, and working for private transportation services serving the tourism industry in Arizona and the Southwest in general.

These people know the community having spent year’s safely transporting people through our community. They pay attention to the history of Scottsdale and to the current trends and hot spots.

Thank you all for working towards reducing the number of automobiles traveling our streets, being a convenient mode of transportation, addressing the needs of a broader section of the community with the Neighborhood Connector, and treating your employees like a whole team, each one being valuable.

Their pride in their job is a reflection on you and your management.

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There seem to be a lot of people who are very satisfied with the way things are going in their Scottsdale neighborhoods. They are quite comfortable and they object to "activists."

Wonder if they ever thought about the fact that their property values are what they are because activists cared enough to help start programs like Block Watch, Scottsdale Pride, etc.

Activists did battle over the 101 alignment, the contamination of the ground water resulting in the Superfund clean-up that will continue for many years, preserving open space and environmentally sensitive land, and establishing property maintenance codes and enforcement, as well as front yard parking issues. Activists also pushed to be heard regarding the shopping center that exists today on the corner of Thomas Road and Scottsdale Road.

Unfortunately, when leadership is not vigilant and active through out the community, willing to bring the difficult problems forth and work for solutions, activists are automatically created by virtue of the fact they are willing to speak to the issue.

There has been a breakdown in our community between government and residents for many years. Since 2003 the neighborhoods of the Old Scottsdale Planning Area, coming from completely different ideas of where, what and how our mature neighborhoods should grow, have agreed that there has been deaf ears and blind eyes in City Hall.

Ten citizens asked for a meeting with City Manager Jan Dolan and many City staffers back in May of 2003, to discuss long range planning for the McDowell Road and Scottsdale Road corridors. We asked for standards or a statement of a vision for redevelopment that would protect the quality of life enjoyed by residents of those neighborhoods.

Dolan's reply, "No: We prefer to leave the process as it is and go on a project by project basis."

There are two problems with that stance. One, it flies in the face of the General Plan that requires "neighborhood planning." That would be the General Plan, and amendments, that we all voted on in 2002. The City is required by law to follow all of the General Plan, not just pick and choose what suits at the moment.

The other problem with that is those kinds of decisions give rise to emotional battles when residents are blind sided by new development, changes in zoning, and land use. Residents are left to shift for themselves to become educated on Planning and Zoning and their options to oppose projects. They don't have the dollars that developers and developer attorney's have to do the public relations, marketing and build support to oppose a project.

Most times we think that our City Council and staff are doing that for us. Well, they are not. They are just there to hear from both sides and approve or disapprove of the plans set before them. They are going to hear a lot from the developers because they have the money to hire experts to plead their cases, not just the attorneys, mind you, but marketing specialists.

Neighborhood groups and individual residents do not have those options. We have ourselves to rely on and the responsibility to present our points of view.

In 2003, many of us stood before the City Council and acknowledged that we fully expected changes to come to our neighborhoods. That is not rocket science. How those changes take place and to what depths those changes effect our neighborhoods are on the line right now.

The Planning Commission has not taken the time, or do they care to go out into the community to find out what the "non-master planned" part of the City really thinks and wants. There is a certain arrogance there that architects and developers know best.

If they are not living amongst us for any length of time, and from their zip codes it appears they do not, then they do not understand and apparently they do not care, what impacts the projects they approve, especially for the southern portion of the city, will have for the long run.

Editor, Scottsdale Activist:

Your April 8^th article on the fiasco surrounding the Hualapai water treatment lease made my blood boil.  There is absolutely no excuse for allowing a problem like this to develop in a city wherein so many of the residents are management professionals.  Any management consultant would focus on the lack of well-written "Policy and Procedure" manuals, a "Responsibility and Limits of Authority" document and a set of required periodic reports to the City Council.  I first recommended this to the City Council in May of 2000 as follows:

Obviously the City Council and the City Manager have never subscribed to these basic management techniques.  It is unacceptable that the city does not even possess a signed copy of a $10 M lease.  It should not take much digging to ascertain the names of the individuals that must approve a lease of this magnitude - assuming that the city even has a "Responsibility and Limits of Authority" document.  It is time we hired a competent manager to clean up this embarrassing mess.

PS:  This fiasco would make a great "case study" for the MBA program at Harvard University. 

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I’m typing this from the inside of a white elephant: my 3,900 sq. ft. suburban house in Scottsdale, a city where a debate is raging about high-density development and light rail.

The great suburban expansion of the last 60 years is nearing its end and is beginning to be replaced by the great suburban contraction. The expansion was fueled by cheap energy, a desire to escape the congestion and crime of high-density cities, the growing boomer generation, and government tax and zoning policies. The contraction will be fueled by high energy prices, a desire to escape the drudgery of yard work and home repairs, the ageing boomer generation, and government tax and zoning policies.

My wife, kid and I have 1,300 sq. ft. apiece, which is about the total size of my boyhood home in St. Louis. We never wanted so much square footage, but due to tax policies, we have a bigger house than we need. We also have a big monthly electric bill of $300, which will seem cheap in the years ahead.

We’d like to downsize and move into a townhouse. But because zoning has favored single-family homes over higher-density development, there is an imbalance between the supply of townhouses and the demand for townhouses. As a result, townhouses are selling for almost 50 percent more on a square-footage basis than single-family houses of comparable quality and features, although townhouses are much cheaper to build because they take up less land and share common walls and other infrastructure.

The era of big engines is also nearing an end, although you wouldn’t know it by the oil tankers driven by suburbanites. Oil will become increasingly more expensive to find and produce, and energy prices will be driven up even more by global warming facts and fiction. As a result, demand will increase for housing close to work places, whether in traditional downtowns or suburban clusters like the Scottsdale Airpark.

Demand also will increase for public transit, perhaps to the extent that riders eventually will be willing to pay the full cost of their ride instead of being subsidized by non-riders, as is the case today. But it will be a big mistake for Scottsdale to try to create demand and guess future commuting patterns by putting light rail in streets. A wiser strategy is to meet demand by using the existing infrastructure of streets and freeways to expand bus service as needed, preferably with private capital and private bus companies.

 By sheer luck and not by any great foresight or strategic thinking, these trends might benefit compact cities and compact European nations, which never had domestic oil fields and thus never developed as much of an auto-based lifestyle as the United States did. Compactness means lower domestic shipping and travel costs.

Am I painting a farfetched scenario? Perhaps, but keep in mind that few people in 1945 foresaw how quickly cities would be vacated and left to decay. The scenario might not come true, but my wife and I are betting that it will.

An author and strategic planning consultant, Mr. Cantoni can be reached at ccan2@aol.com.

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 ~ Spot Zoning and Forgotten Secondary Effects.....

It always amuses me when I watch the City Council approve spot rezoning cases without any regard to the "secondary effects" such as parking and traffic. 

Particularly amusing was the approval on Tuesday of the rezoning on 1st street near Miller Rd. allowing a 3 story building on a lot approx. 9,000 sf.  We heard from the Mayor and Betty Drake that this project complies with the downtown overlay and is "Just what we want in our downtown."

It seems that the downtown overlay does not have a component that addresses parking and traffic congestion.

I own a house 2 streets north of this property. My tenant had to make up no parking signs to keep people out of his driveway!  Any day of the week, the street is packed with cars, parked end to end on the street.

I guess it would have been too much trouble for these Council people to take a walk 3 blocks from their office at City Hall and look at this neighborhood before approving five 3 story buildings on a 9,000 sf lot. 

Just one more sad example of the ostrich burying it’s head in the sand.

Susan Wood
www.Scottsdaletraffic.com
Scottsdale

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Gentleman:

I just returned home from the Planning Commission Meeting held earlier this evening at the City Hall Kiva where the only Agenda items were the General Plan Amendment and the Rezoning request for THE CONDOS @ HAYDEN.

To say it was overwhelming would be an understatement, from the initial 04:00pm Study Session that was unexpectedly moved to behind closed doors, and commission members asking John Berry and his client and staff in, but not the "public". But taking initiative upon myself, I followed them in uninvited, not wanting to be excluded from any discussions involving these issues.

We have all made gains and experienced losses throughout this entire process, and didn't expect to "win" this evening, but did expect our issues and concerns to be addressed, for isn't that what this process is or, an exchange of ideas, or is it a rubber stamp session, and mere formality to get a project through the system?

We HAVE been surprised that this project since inception, and our initial introduction to it during the permit process for the Nursery School, seems to have had a GREEN flag and automatic approval from City Staff, and treated as if it were a done deal, since way before this meeting, or even the past Development Review Meeting.

Tonight, seeing the Kiva stacked with church members, and 99% of the audience being greeted by the project's attorney as though they were long lost friends, and he and his client speaking freely, and in confidence, with the board members prior to the meeting even beginning we knew we were fighting an uphill battle.

The majority vote in favor of this project was disheartening, but rest assured that the fight continues onto the next steps in the process.

We left like David and Goliath, but we all know how that story ended. Yet it would have been nice if even one person has showed some restrain and not overwhelming approved this project, and that some of you had sided with the little guy, instead of jumping on the pro-developer bandwagon.

We will see you again in the near future, and even if the outcome is the same, we are all entitled to our opinions and free to speak our minds, and fight for what we believe to be "the truth as we see it!"

One of our concerns, which I addressed to you via letter and E-mail, was the personal attacks directed at us by the developer, and his staff, but to have you yourselves question us was beyond expectation.

Speaking for myself, not everyone in Scottsdale, north or south, is wealthy, in fact a lot of us are in fact not wealthy, and some even live paycheck-to-paycheck, and we are the ones that staff your businesses.

I am a "renter", not by choice, but because I don't have the financial resources to place a down payment on a home. This home allows me to apply a portion of the rent to an account aimed toward achieving that goal, so that I can become an owner.

Does being a "renter" make me any less of a person, or a person without value, or a person without vested interest in this project? I don't believe so. I moved here BECAUSE it was affordable, but if you keep approving high-density high-dollar projects WHERE exactly will the little guy go, where will the people who work for you live without commuting to-and-from the West Valley? Is Scottsdale to become an exclusive city of wealthy homeowners, excluding an entire portion of the population?

The developer previously spoke of his high-end units, and how our property values would increase. In fact, they have already decreased due to the fact that the project (and blockage of the view) has to now be disclosed! The developer states that our units will increase in value to the owners renting them out, but what about the renters already here that do not have a Lease/Option? Will they be priced out of the neighborhood? And subsequently out of Scottsdale?

You asked how long I personally have lived in my unit, and I responded "three years". However, you ask no one else that question when in fact the other speaker from our complex has lived here 15 years, and seven others in the complex have been here since it was built in the '80's. We all know where you got that information from, and why you specifically asked me that question, and we thought you were suppose to be neutral, and independent?

Ironically, everyone is a "newcomer" to whatever community they live at one time or another, and they grew with the community and put down roots. Not physically owning the unit bears no difference on my thoughts, and in fact, my Owner knows of my involvement in the HOA, and the fight against the projects, and supports me 100%, and given me power-of-attorney to speak for him, so whether I speak, or my owner speaks, we share the same opinions, so an "owner" DOES speak for Unit # 10.

While "progress" is always inevitable, we are aware of that fact, but assume that what we said mattered, and that this project was NOT a done deal, but maybe we assumed wrong.

We do not believe this is the "very attractive project/thoughtful and well designed" project and all the adjectives you used to describe it, we believe it is the WRONG project for this site, and will continue to oppose it.

Marti McVey
Scottsdale

Ms. McVey,

Thank you for your long and thoughtful letter.  I always appreciate input and citizens spending time on projects that affect the city and more specifically their neighborhoods.  I personally got involved in the process 5 years ago when I did not like the way the process worked.  I do, however, have a couple of comments in regards to your letter that I would like to address.

Firstly, the 4:00 PM study session was never behind closed doors.  The meeting was posted as being in the conference room, the meeting was recorded and minutes taken, and the doors remained open during the meeting.  I do agree with you and voiced my objections to the location as I personally think that when we are talking about cases where specifics are being discussed, it should be in a more conducive forum for us to operate and more visible to the public.  While this may be a minor quibble, I want to be very clear that this was not conducted behind closed doors.

Secondly, I do not think this was a rubber stamp project at all.  In fact, Commissioner Schwartz and I voted against the original use permit primarily based on the potential for this type of development behind the church.  Rubber stamp projects end up on the consent agenda and are usually voted up or down without any staff presentation, conversation, or debate.  Two days ago, I don't know if the developer even had votes to get the project passed.  During the meeting Commissioner Schwartz brought up points that I agree with in regards to the flow of traffic, creating an additional entrance, etc. that the traffic department is strongly opposed to.  Over time, this Commission has had several disagreements with the traffic department over the proper flexibility to have on difficult projects.  Of all departments, traffic is the one that generally has the least ability to make on-the-spot decisions - which frustrates us and the citizens frequently.  Last night was no exception.

What you didn't see in the public meeting and in conversations with the developer before the meeting, is many, and sometimes significant changes that allow us to get more comfortable with the project.  For example, I requested that the developer consider burying power lines along the south side of the project, along the east side of the project and along the drive to the project.  These are all very expensive changes that the developer has no obligation to undertake.  After review, it appears that some of the lines were too expensive to bury for this size of project, however, they did agree to bury the lines along the east side and the north side of the church - which they did not have to do - and which will make for less visual clutter for you both now and in the future.  Additionally, the developer agreed to move the location of the dumpster to a more central location - away from your house - again, not necessary for him to do, not what he wanted to do, but concessions that he has to make to get more support.   The street work that was requested again is not necessary, however, to get a working project all these concessions are made and agreed to by both sides.  Many of these can't be made during the session as it would be a 10 hour meeting on every project.

At the end of the night, very few projects are perfect and this one is no exception - what we take into consideration is how this project affects the area, and what few see, is how other projects could be built in lieu of this one.  I personally think that while this is not a perfect project, I think some of the alternatives are worse, including a massive church, an fairly significant sized office building, or single family houses that could also go to 30' and potentially be of significantly lower quality.

Additionally, I am not interested if anyone that comes to speak is a renter or owner.  I am more interested in their arguments and if they sway me with logic.  An owner may be gone in three months just like a renter.  I look at the project on a project basis and whether it makes sense or not, how it affects the neighborhood, traffic, location, use, time of day, and a whole host of other non-tangible value decisions.

Having said all that, I am sorry that we did not agree on this project.  I voted the way I thought was best for the community.  I would however suggest you continue to speak up at both Council and at DRB - as you know, our decision is just a recommendation to the Council and many of your issues and concerns are best addressed at DRB - specifically, issues regarding color, texture, style, windows, and the "look and feel" of the project.

Best wishes and I am sorry that we did not agree on this specific case, but rest assured, your comments were taking into consideration in my personal deliberations.

David Barnett
Scottsdale Planning Commission

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Open Letter to Malcolm Hankins, Code Enforcement Field Manager,

I have yet to hear back from this department regarding the violations of not only the Downtown Zoning Codes, but also property maintenance codes.

Now this may have been an oversight on your part as Ron always knew to get back in touch with me and since there has been no city response to me on this issue we now face round 2 and some of you on the council should take notice as you know that not responding to me only makes me more angry about what appears to be political kindness to those who attempt to further blight the Downtown for their own possible gains.

Here is the slide show, one that will come to the councils door step in short order if you do not respond.

Now Malcolm, I am very distressed about what has happened to the look of this building and what the "city" has allowed to happen here and I want an answer from someone if this is an approved way to remodel your buildings in Downtown.

I want to know what the DRB has to say about this as I do not think this was a permitted activity for building designs in Downtown. Since when did the city start allowing people to just board up the building, leave it open for business and allow this activity just because it appears to have a "western" color of wood.

Here is the options I see by downtown codes regarding buildings, zoning and property maintenance.

Either have the boards removed and cover them with the approved methods of stuccoing over them or have this property owner, Fred Unger, apply to the DRB for approval of this eyesore, and I want an answer on this as to what the city intends to do about this blight condition.

Wait, we are not done yet!

The first two pictures Malcolm are of another un-approved accessory building that Mr. Unger has either built, or allowed to be built on his properties. Please tell me where the permits and reviews for this building took place or where I can find city documentation that these were legally approved by permits as I cannot find any permits for this activity. Also I believe SRP would have some serious problems as to how close this structure sits next to a transformer and I believe the laws require a certain amount of space to be provided around such transformers. Do I need to call SRP to have them come look at the issue since the city allows this to happen and turns a blind eye to these issue?

The last picture above has still not been addressed as I have yet to hear from your department on the permits and DRB process regarding the issue of accessory buildings and I know the zoning in downtown better than most so I am interested to hear what action was taken on this issue.

Wait, we are still not done Malcolm and it may have served the city better to have responded to my complaints from the beginning.

Now Malcolm, please note the 2 pictures above and tell me what is wrong with this picture.

Please note that some time ago, this portion of the roof collapsed onto the sidewalk and if you look at the issue you will note that there is another section that looks as though it is ready to do the same thing. Why has this not been cited by the city as an entire 8 foot section of the fascia is missing and has never been replaced or repaired, just painted, and half assed I would say by the pictures. The city better get their butts down there and have the rest of the fascia inspected before it comes down also.

Wait Malcolm, one more.

I want to know if the above pictures are an approved method for running wires between buildings by the downtown codes, the national electrical codes, or any other code?

I want answers from the last round of violations I sent you also.

Now, as for the council, I want to hear from someone regarding this issue of how one person can get away with so many building code violations, zoning code violations and property maintenance code violations?

If the city council cannot get those answers than I am sure that a regular Joe like me will have no chance, just like we had no chance when the developers over off Camelback got away with assemblage and blighting an entire community for their Hotel Project, Unger has been allowed to do the same exact thing and not one of you has raised a single damn question to this issue.

What say you know residents of Scottsdale; Does the city have a plan for everyone and we were never invited, or do Developers really get whatever they want in this city and to hell with the rest of us?

Respectfully,
Michael Merrill
Scottsdale

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Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten.

On the first day of school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she took all of the desks out of the classroom.

The kids came into first period, they walked in, there were no desks. They obviously looked around and said, "Ms. Cothren, where's our desk?" And she said, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn them."

They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades."

"No," she said. "Maybe it's our behavior."

And she told them, "No, it's not even your behavior."

And so they came and went in the first period, still no desks in the classroom. Second period, same thing, third period. By early afternoon television news crews had gathered in Ms. Cothren's class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom. The last period of the day, Martha Cothren gathered her class.

They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room. And she says,
"Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily." She said, "Now I'm going to tell you."

Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it, and as she did 27 U.S. veterans, wearing their uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. And by the time they had finished placing those desks, those kids for the first time I think perhaps in their lives understood how they earned those desks.

Martha said, "You don't have to earn those desks. These guys did it for you. They put them out there for you, but it's up to you to sit here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens, because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don't ever forget it."

My friend, I think sometimes we forget that the freedoms that we have are freedoms not because of celebrities. The freedoms are because of ordinary people who did extraordinary things, who loved this country more than life itself, and who not only earned a school desk for a kid at the Robinson High School in Little Rock, but who earned a seat for you and me to enjoy this great land we call home, this wonderful nation that we better love enough to protect and preserve with the kind of conservative, solid values and principles that made us a great nation.

"We live in the Land of the Free because of the Brave"

By Craig J. Cantoni
April 13, 2007

Most Americans don’t sit around wondering whether it’s time to storm Capitol Hill and put heads on pikes. So why have my thoughts turned to this? Am I wacko with violent, revolutionary tendencies?

Actually, I’m a straight-laced, law-abiding, hard-working family man who served his country as an Army officer, who buried his dad in a Veteran’s cemetery, who thinks that the U.S. Constitution is the most brilliant political document in human history, and who comes from humble, working-class roots.

As strange as it may sound, it’s that background that has driven me to Home Depot to price pikes. You see, I’m fed up with being severely punished by my government for doing all of the right things and being a good doobie of a citizen. It’s a bizarre fact that if I were the opposite kind of person, I’d think that the government is wonderful, for it would be rewarding me for doing all of the wrong things.

These thoughts came to me today as I got ready to mail the following 13 tax returns and estimated payments.

My wife and I had to file the ones below in separate envelopes to separate addresses:

2006 1040
2007 AZ 140
2007 1040-ES
2007 AZ 140-ES

Out 16-year-old son, who has never earned a paycheck in his life, had to file the ones below in separate envelopes to separate addresses:

2006 1040
2006 AZ 140

My 85-year-old mother, who no longer has the mental acuity to take care of such matters, had to file the ones below in separate envelopes to separate addresses:

2006 1040
2007 AZ 140
2007 1040-ES
2007 AZ 140-ES

And my dad, who died four years ago, had to file the ones below in separate envelopes to separate addresses, through the legal trust he left behind:

2006 1041
2006 AZ 141
2007 1041-ES

The mailings included nine checks totaling more than the cost of a new luxury car. The amount was in addition to the income taxes that the family paid during 2006, which totaled the cost of about three luxury cars. Then there was our accountant’s tax-preparation fee of $1,275.

Why did we have to pay so much in taxes? Because my family and I have always lived below our means, have always deferred gratification, have always saved for the future, and, as a result, have provided the capital that society needs to create jobs, improve productivity, defend the nation, and help the poor. Our reward is to be taxed, taxed, and taxed again, like an old cow that is milked, milked, and milked again until she keels over from exhaustion.

Meanwhile, many friends and acquaintances from the same socioeconomic background have done the opposite by living beyond their means and spending almost every dollar that they earn on cars, boats, vacations, gambling, cigarettes, booze, or the latest electronic gadget. They are looking forward to getting refund checks from the government. Naturally, they have already spent the money.

My mom did without many things during her life of working in clerical and secretarial jobs so that she could have a nest egg in old age. Now living in a two-room apartment in a retirement home, she is taxed by the government on savings that were already taxed when earned. If she had not saved money, she could be living at the expense of taxpayers through Medicaid.

My son has to file a return because his mom and I began putting money for college in a mutual fund in his name when he was born. By doing so, and by being otherwise responsible with money, we have eliminated the possibility of him getting a student loan at taxpayer expense when he goes to college.

Economists say that the tax system is system of perverse incentives, in that it gives people an incentive to live irresponsibly at the expense of those who live responsibly. I say that the tax system is evil, that politicians who support the evil are evil, and that it is not evil to do whatever is necessary to end evil. Hint: I’m not referring to voting, because it’s no longer possible to stop the evil in the voting booth.

Speaking of evil, the average American has no idea how evil the government has become under both Democrats and Republicans. The average family’s share of the national debt is $440,000, the Social Security Trust fund has been stolen, and the government keeps crooked books that make Enron’s fraud look amateurish. It is inevitable that the government will resort to printing money, debasing the currency, and robbing nest eggs. Meanwhile, due to government schools not teaching students the truth about government evil, most Americans know nothing about the looming threats to their financial well-being and are preoccupied with Don Imus, Anna Nicole Smith, American Idol, and the latest diet craze. We’ve become a nation of fat heads and fat asses.

Do you know where I can get some pikes sharpened?

Mr. Cantoni is an author, columnist and founder of Honest Americans Against Legal Theft (www.haalt.org). He can be reached at ccan2@aol.com.

By Craig J. Cantoni

With tax day four days away, my in-box is overflowing with emails from conservative politicians, pundits, and tax-reduction advocacy groups, all of whom have the same message: that the wealthy pay a hugely disproportionate share of income taxes, that over half of Americans pay virtually nothing, and that polls show that most Americans favor tax reductions and a major reform of the tax code.

Attached to one of the emails was a column by syndicated columnist Bruce Bartlett, who wrote in National Review (see link below) that polls show that Americans are even willing to give up their tax deduction for mortgage interest in exchange for lower income taxes.

Sigh! Such jabberwocky proves that the War on Drugs is a dismal failure. Bartlett and the others must be smoking dope to not see the inherent contradiction between polling data and tax data. If most Americans are receiving more in government services and benefits than they pay in income taxes, they are not about to go into a voting booth and vote to change the system--and thus vote against their self-interest--regardless of what they say in polls about the system.

Perhaps with enough puffs of peyote, I’d start believing that homeowners who are mortgaged up to their behinds, and who currently receive tax refund checks from the IRS, would vote to give up their mortgage deductions on the promise that income taxes will be reduced. And maybe with more puffs, I’d start believing that a retiree would say the following to his friends over their IHOP breakfast of three eggs, sausage, orange juice, toast, coffee, and three pancakes slathered with butter and corn syrup: "When we’re done here--Burp!--let’s get into my new Buick and drive to the polling place so that we can vote to stop getting free medicine. Belch! Please pass the butter and the Zantac"

But since I don’t smoke dope and don’t see things through a haze of hallucinatory smoke, I can clearly see the cause of high taxes: redistribution. As long as the current system of redistribution allows Paul to rob Peter through the tax code, Paul isn’t going to vote to stop taking Peter’s money.

Many smart people believe that taxes would fall if income taxes were replaced with a uniform sales or consumption tax. This only shows that many smart people are putting illegal substances up their nose.

The level of taxation is not determined by the method of taxation; rather, it is determined by what happens to the taxes after they are collected. As long as tax revenue is distributed unequally, those who get more back in government benefits than they pay in taxes will be less concerned about tax increases than those who get less back in benefits than they pay in taxes.

A pop quiz: Imagine a uniform consumption tax of 25 percent. Paul pays $6,000 in taxes and gets $18,000 back in government benefits, or three dollars back for each dollar paid in taxes. Peter also pays $6,000 in taxes but gets only $2,000 back in benefits, or one dollar back for every three dollars paid in taxes. Which of the two will scream if the tax rate is raised to 26 percent?

There are now more Pauls than Peters in the nation, and the number of Paul's will increase even more under a Democratic Congress. The Pauls may not be the brightest bulbs in the national box, and they may not be the most moral people in the pew, but they’re smart enough to know that the current system works to their advantage.

Unfortunately, the centers of influence in the nation, whether churches, schools, the media or the government, endorse redistribution and thus don’t tell the Pauls that what they are doing is theft, especially if they are not poor or disabled. And tax-reduction advocacy groups cloud the issue by smoking dope and talking about tax methods instead of the root problem.

If you can’t beat them, join them. Psst….Got any dope?

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

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~ Information You Can Use

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

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

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

 ~ Prop 13 Arizona

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

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

This is NOT for Children.

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

 www.obsessionthemovie.com

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

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

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

The website below gives some history of Terrorist attacks:

http://patriotfiles.org/civilizationcalls.htm

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~ View Past City Council Meetings

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

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

~Continuing Light Rail Information

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

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

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

     Goldwater Institute Report

     American Dream Coalition

    The Public Purpose

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

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

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 ~Are Red-Light Cameras Fair to Drivers?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are many other branches throughout the Valley.