Scottsdale Activist #80

The 50,000 fans at last night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros got more than they expected. They got a political lecture along with their baseball. They also had the game cancelled when the riot police and National Guard were called to the stadium.

It all began when the fans stood for the National Anthem, expecting Country & Western star George Gay to sing his famous rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Instead, they heard him exclaim, "Happy income tax day!"

Gay then said, "Before singing, I’d like to remember all of the St. Louisans who are not baseball fans but who were taxed for this stadium. Without their subsidy, a family of four might have to pay more than the current average of $300 for tickets, beer, soda, hot dogs, and nachos covered in cheese. A round of applause, please, for the generosity of the non-fans."

"And let’s not forget President George W. Bush," Gay continued. "No, this stadium wasn’t named after him, but the self-acclaimed conservative did make millions from the subsidized Texas Rangers."

After letting the boos continue for five minutes, Gay yelled, "QUIET! QUIET, PLEASE."

Then he said, "For those of you in the stands who will be getting a refund check from the IRS, or who get an earned income tax credit, or who are supported by the government during the year, please sit down."

"Those of you left standing," Gay went on to say, "are supporting those who are sitting. Look at your seated neighbors. No doubt, they are emaciated and dressed in rags, too poor to afford enough calories, decent clothes, and medical care for their clogged arteries. If you have a heart, you’ll buy them a hot dog and a beer."

Gay continued, "By my guess, it looks like 25,000 fans are left standing. About half of you, or 12,500, paid almost nothing in income taxes, thanks to the generosity of the remaining 12,500 who paid about 84 percent of all income taxes. But at least all of you who are standing paid something towards national defense and other federal services, even if it was a pittance, unlike the 25,000 who are sitting and paid nothing."

Gay’s next words triggered the riot: "It seems to me that people who don’t love their country enough to pay taxes should stay seated and not join us in the National Anthem."

He got out only four words of "The Star-Spangled Banner" when fights broke out in the stands and cheese-covered nachos rained down on the field, covering the grass, base paths, bases, and Gay’s clothes and guitar.

Stadium officials say it could take days to remove the cheese. National League officials are considering a ban of nachos and the National Anthem at games. And Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is co-sponsoring a bill with Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to ban political speech within 60 feet of a baseball stadium. McCain says that the bill has nothing to do with the fact that he married into one of the richest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the nation and sells millions of gallons of beer at baseball games in subsidized stadiums.

The vowel on the end of my name has attracted racist idiots and ignorant dealers in stereotypes all of my life.

One time, I was the keynote speaker at a conference of public school teachers. When the master of ceremonies introduced me, some blacks in the front row cracked jokes about the Mafia. Ironically, the theme of the meeting was diversity.

A former boss of German ancestry regularly called me an "Eyetalian," but didn’t refer to himself as a Kraut.

Much of the impetus behind the public school movement in the mid-nineteenth century came from the WASP establishment wanting to put "Papist" schools out of business and teach the King James Bible to Italian immigrants in public schools.

In the late 1930s, the mainstream media, including Look magazine, printed ethnic slurs about Italians. For example, it was written that baseball great Joe DiMaggio was not a typical Italian, because "he didn’t reek of garlic and put bear grease in his hair."

When former New York Governor Mario Cuomo ran for the presidency, concerns were raised about his ethnicity.

I say "So what" because discrimination by nincompoops doesn’t matter and has absolutely no effect on how I think of myself. Why should I care what a nincompoop says, especially one as pasty-faced, bigmouthed and ignorant as Don Imus?

The only discrimination that matters is discrimination by the government, because the government has the power to enforce discrimination at the point of a gun.

If the southern states had protected the rights of blacks at the point of a gun instead of enforcing slavery and Jim Crow at the point of a gun, the racism of southern white crackers wouldn’t have mattered in matters of importance. Blacks would have started their own businesses, banks, schools, and communities. And whites would have quickly broke ranks and hired blacks and sold goods and services to them.

Jews have proved this point throughout history. As long as governments didn’t take their lives and property, they thrived without being part of the establishment. The same with Italian Americans, who, in spite of the discrimination they faced, have thrived so much that they now rank as high as Jewish Americans in income.

Whatever he was called by nincompoops, DiMaggio could still whack a baseball. Whatever Italians were called in the local press, my grandfather could still buy a two-flat on Dago Hill in St. Louis and live in a community that continues to thrive today, unlike other parts of town that turned into slums long ago. And whatever I was called by my former boss, I had the satisfaction of quitting and then watching the business go bankrupt.

Race mongers like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have it backwards. They fake hysteria over insensitive racial remarks by the likes of Don Imus while endorsing government discrimination in the form of affirmative action, set-asides, quotas, and college admission shenanigans. In that sense, they are no different from the southern white crackers of yesteryear who used government power to favor their race.

~Shout and Spout ~

shoutandspout@scottsdaleactivist.com

~ We have beautiful bike paths all over the city but yet idiot bike riders would rather ride on Hayden where there are zero bike lanes and traffic is averaging 45 to 55 MPH while the cyclists are doing 25. Do they all have a death wish or do they feel they are superior to the drivers who are just trying to get to work safely and don’t appreciate the obstacle course they have to traverse to accommodate these disrespectful, self-centered, bicycle riders which shows the public the contempt these riders have for the motoring public at large.

~Why are our city officials so intent on losing our views of Camelback Mountain? All this building is ruining the character of our City! Instead of seeing the desert and surrounding beauty of the flora, you see steel, concrete and weird colors. This isn't the resort town Scottsdale, AZ. Since when do cowboys wear sequins, drive limos and chug martinis instead of beers?

~ Mary, Mary is quite contrary as the story goes, Jason Rose offered to humanize her and she blew him off (can I say it that way?) to lunch with the owner of the Pink Taco and others. The Lingerie Bowl would be a classic event to show that Scottsdale isn’t the prudish, snobbish city Manross’s actions paint it to be. Boy, she’s alienating everyone now isn’t she. Maybe she needs to lighten up and get out with the real people more. No group, action, or event is sacred or protected from her scorn anymore apparently except for her faithful but blind, deaf, and dumb doobie doo Council majority, City Manager "The Enforcer" Dolan, and City Attorney "I’ll Fix It" Robberson who interprets the laws to suit Mary, Mary. Could it be that Mary has just flat lost it and hasn’t a clue about what she’s really doing? Naa, it’s just that the clouds from global warming have reduced the view of reality from her precious ivory tower…

~I think that Gary Boyd is off his rocker! He complains and editorializes about what's happening in Scottsdale but he offers no plausible solutions to the problems. Instead, he says that anyone would be crazy to run for office here because this place is so screwed up. I hope that means that we will not be seeing him running for office - he just likes to hear himself talk and see his stuff in print! The wife and I will not vote for him! He is a Manross lover.

~The City and School District are two different entities BUT, have in common two leaders who believe in a "project by project" basis without any current/long range planning. ACCOUNTABILITY is sadly lacking in both Manross and Baracy.

~ Why is Craig Cantoni's stuff in every edition of the Activist? Does he have an interest in the publication? His stuff pisses me off sometimes. Editors Note: Mr. Cantoni is a very respected author and columnist and sends us items on a regular basis which we appreciate. Most writers "piss off" someone sometime in their careers. He is not a part of, or principal in the Scottsdale Activist. We put Mr. Cantoni's and other writings under "Food for Thought - Take It or Leave it" because they may not always pertain to strictly Scottsdale subjects as we request but are relevant to some readers. We encourage anyone who wishes, to send us items as long as they are not based on world, national, or state politics. We will eliminate and reserve the right to refuse items we feel don't fit the premise and spirit of the Scottsdale Activist based on our own judgment.

~The architecture around the water treatment plant on Hayden and McDonald is already starting to take on a post apocalyptic look with the iron rusting away against the cold harsh appearance of the building! Certainly a nice compliment to the surrounding dog park and neighborhoods, don't you think?

~ We saw the Mayor at the Culinary Festival this last weekend, Who was she sitting with? Where was her husband Larry? No Mary, the Pink Taco is not cooking here today! Oh Well, there goes dinner......................

~The city is lying to those people who live in Villa Monterey about not widening Chaparral Rd and removing their homes. If I were those people, I wouldn't trust them and I'd continue preparing for a fight. I heard Manross say that they have no intention of widening that road, but then, I have heard info at transportation meetings about "wait and see" what the high-paid consultants say about the overall plan. I'll bet you a sawbuck widening Chaparral is an integral part of that plan, and one of the first to be implemented.

~Isn't it time for the winter visitors to leave? After all, Al Gore says Global Warming is in full swing and we’re supposed to be hotter than ever already……. or are we? I’ve had to wear a sweater the last few days which is unprecedented for this time of year.

~Kudos to the staff at The Activist last week for their wonderful issue! This on-line newspaper is so hot that everyone is talking about it! You guys really do your homework and get the TRUE story, not tell people half-truths or complete lies like the City people. Thank you for a great read!

~We were walking our dogs past the new water plant on Hayden at McDonald and have the following questions;

We live in a "heat island" so why did the city use dark brown, heat absorbing paint instead of a light, compatible reflective color on the building and the stupid "flying diapers"?

Just how long will the wire mesh last before it rusts through allowing all the rocks to fall helter skelter all over the place?

It time for whoever is designing all this rusty stuff citywide was put out to pasture permanently, far away from "the West's Most Western Town"..

~I wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributes to the Activist. My wife and I look forward to this webpage every week. You all seem very well connected and understand what is happening behind closed doors at the City of Scottsdale. We now read it on Sunday mornings after church but before we read the local newspaper.

~I can't believe that the City Attorney Robberson used litigation as an excuse to keep quiet for the major financial disaster she and Dolan created at the Hualapai Water Treatment facility. Their incompetency is unnerving and costing our city millions of dollars! We need to get rid of them NOW.

~ Although many think the "Stink" in downtown is coming from the Waterfront Project, many of us know that the real "Stink" is coming from the city hall chambers and the City Managers office.

~Thank you Mike Merrill for watching out for the code violations! Jan Dolan clearly doesn't care what that department is doing - she throws money at projects like street furniture, which make no sense, while our neighborhoods go to hell. We are so appreciative of your insistence that the city take responsibility for their jobs! Now, can you get rid of Dolan for us too?

~Is there any organization to all this construction in Scottsdale? Everywhere I turn, another street is torn up and lanes are down to one where there were two or three. What's their hurry? And when the construction is done, the streets don't look any different except for the fancy bricking medians and more landscaping. All that for tearing up our streets? Who's in charge of this fiasco? Dolan? Yep thought so.

~We love that video on Dolan that is on the www.scottsdaletraffic.com website. Hits the nail on the head! Shows her true colors - the money-hungry, Gestapo style control freak that she is.

~There are so many things that I'd like to complain about at the City of Scottsdale and can't for fear of retaliation. As an employee of the City, I want to say thank you for giving us a place where we can air our grievances and not be persecuted for it. Things really are very, very bad at the City and getting worse every minute, but you already knew that! Things need to change and that starts with getting rid of key personnel and City officials. Help us do that! Vote them out.

~We would like to see Jim Lane return to the City Council in 2008 but we are hoping that he starts making better decisions about development in Scottsdale before then. We think that he is a smart guy but lately, he has been wavering a bit. That's just not a good position for him to be in.

~ ATTENTION CITY COUNCIL: If you want to stop the Union from organizing Scottsdale City Employees, fire Jan Dolan and Deborah Robberson immediately. Signed, Concerned City Employees who DON’T want a Union.

~ So Dan Worth (Municipal Services General Manager) says that the costs of paving have increased and therefore they have deferred maintenance on a number of city streets until a later date. If they hadn’t spent money foolishly on the "Dolan Abortions" as we like to call them (street furniture, neighborhood traffic islands, round-about’s, traffic circles, etc.), the money would be there for the streets now wouldn’t it?

~Tony Nelssen has certainly come into his own as a Council member. I'm glad that he is taking his responsibilities so seriously and helping to set this City straight. I bet Jan Dolan is wishing he'd never been born!

~We just need four votes to get rid of Jan Dolan and begin to dismantle the regime that is ruining our beautiful City. Any takers? Elections are coming up soon! We will throw money at any campaign where they vote to get rid of Dolan.

~Is it just me or is Debbie Robberson really a complete boob? Who hired her anyway? She always has that "deer caught in the headlights" look about her whenever anyone asks her a question - is she always that lost, overwhelmed and disorganized? How fortunate are we to have her leading the legal decisions in our City! No wonder Scottsdale city government is seen a joke!

~We used to attend the City Council meetings on a regular basis but stopped doing so months ago because they are so stupid. Manross sits up there in her center-of-attention chair and babbles incoherently from a script written by her PR people. All of the voting and motions are staged. Any deviation from the script is cut short by Manross. Rarely do we see any real discussion on issues. Our government is so pathetic. I'd be embarrassed to be part of that Council!

~Light rail or any other rails like street cars have no place in our city. If they want to build them, move them out of central Scottsdale and along the 101 freeway. It's only 2 miles from central Scottsdale and our trolley system can transport people to and from the rail stations. Any government official who wants to put this system right in the middle of Scottsdale Road obviously does not have our city's best interests in mind and is only thinking of themselves and padding their own back pockets and legacies which will follow them to their grave as the worst decision EVER made in Scottsdale.

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.

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

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:

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

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.

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.

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.

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