"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." --Nathan Hale

"[G]ather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime.... [L]et us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan." --General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868

General George Patton insisted, "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived."

Founding Patriot John Adams said: "I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the gloom I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth more than all the means...." Indeed it is!

Please pray for our American Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those, who have given their life in defense of American liberty, while prosecuting the war with Jihadistan.

As you may have noticed, the local papers are already starting to speculate about who will run for Council and Mayor in 2008.  For once I agree with the papers, this is important and we need to start thinking about the 2008 elections now.  That is because, for those of us who care about Scottsdale’s character and quality of life, the 2008 elections will surely be our last chance to reverse the special-interest assault on the Scottsdale we love.

The problem is simple.  The current administration claims that Scottsdale city government is neighborhood-friendly, plans carefully and values to citizen input.  However, actions speak louder than words and the actions of the Council majority over the last year show clearly that Scottsdale city government actually holds none of these values.

If Scottsdale city government were really neighborhood-friendly would we be considering destroying established neighborhoods to widen Chaparral, Thunderbird and Pima Roads?  If Scottsdale city government really planned carefully would we be approving all of the spot up-zonings such as Earll Drive condos?  And if Scottsdale city government really valued citizen input would we have ignored unanimous neighborhood opposition to reverse our earlier denial of SonRise’s school conditional use permit?

The bottom line here is that Scottsdale's unique character and quality of life are under assault by special interests who seek to "redevelop" Scottsdale into a denser, more urban place in order to make more money.  It’s as simple as that, and the only way we are going to reverse this trend is to elect a Council majority that really is neighborhood-friendly, values to citizen input and is willing to manage the growth that is bound to occur so that it happens without overtaxing our infrastructure, straining city services and eroding Scottsdale’s quality of life.

To accomplish this goal we need to make sure that the 2008 elections do not degenerate into a "beauty contest" where candidates talk about their resumes and mouth vague platitudes about "protecting neighborhoods" and "loving Scottsdale" without stating specifically what those words mean.  We need to demand specific commitments from each candidate about their positions on vital issues light rail, subsidized housing, and higher and denser residential development in the southern part of our city. 

In a recent editorial one of the local newspapers actually got it right when they said that the future of Scottsdale will be decided by those voters who make the effort to actually show up and vote.  The 2008 city elections will be a referendum on which vision of Scottsdale – that of the citizens or that of the special interests -- will shape the future of Scottsdale.

If you want your city to stay a special place in which to live you need to get actively involved in these elections.  You need to help the good candidates gather signatures, give them some money (the special interest candidates will have plenty of that!) and work to get them elected.  Otherwise, one day you will wake up to find that you are living in a Scottsdale that you did not ask for, do not want, and will not even recognize.

Councilman Bob Littlefield
bob@boblittlefield.com

It is difficult to imagine that the City of Scottsdale’s Mayor and Council members don’t recognize the depth of their own consistent failures, most recently set forth in the outcome of the SonRise school matter.

Focusing on that issue for just a moment, we have to sit up and take note of the utter incompetency that encompassed the recent decision rendered by our elected leaders. Further, we must be somewhat judgmental of the lack of backbone displayed by the majority of our leaders during the voting process. Since when does saving the taxpayers money all of a sudden come into play which is why, they suggest, they made that fateful SonRise decision? Dolan made a 16 million dollar error against the taxpayers with the Hualapai Water Plant but it wasn’t enough to get her fired as it should have been. It is quite obvious that our City’s leaders have overstayed their welcome in our governmental system. Perhaps if we begin taking down the party decorations, they will leave.

Poorly executed decisions, like the one made by a 5:2 vote on the SonRise matter are commonplace in Scottsdale. Although we’d like to, we can not solely blame the Mayor and Council members who voted to allow the school to be built on church premises, bringing with it additional traffic woes, congestion, and disruption to the quiet surrounding neighborhood. The primary culprit in this decision making process was Jan Dolan, the over–her-head, incompetent ringleader in Scottsdale’s city government.

Ms. Dolan is solely motivated by power. She has, on more than one occasion, stated that she is the CEO of Scottsdale, putting her self ahead, in terms of importance, of our Mayor and Council, the elected officials. She certainly has a much heftier salary and benefits package than the Mayor and Council as well as the ability to "run" both the Management and Treasurer positions.

For years, it’s been brutally transparent to those of us who watch the Dolan Dog and Pony shows at Council meetings, that Jan is the frontrunner on ALL decisions made by the City. Mayor and Council are fed what little slanted information Dolan wants them to possess, and sadly, they follow along with the process. Those who disrupt the process are ousted by Dolan. Recently, however, Dolan has been taking heat for her actions in the Barrett-Jackson fiasco, as well as the Hualapai Water Treatment facility.

In an attempt to "take back" her city and posture for the upcoming election, our esteemed Mayor has removed Jan from the negotiations with Barrett Jackson. But what our elected officials don’t realize is that their dumbfounded attitudes and lacksidasical approach to running this City have landed us in a "world of Dolan," one that can not easily be rectified or restored, to its original configuration. Was it poor judgment on the part of our Mayor and Council to allow Dolan to achieve such a powerful position? Was it fear of retaliation?

Many of us are stupefied each time we witness the antics and scripted Council meetings, knowing that regardless of what really matters to the citizens, the agenda belongs to Jan and Mary. There are more bad decisions regarding development in Scottsdale than good decisions looming large at this point in time. Dolan is like a fast moving tornado, taking with her all that’s in her path, capitalizing on good for the purposes of evil, and salvaging her last little bit of energy before her storm dies out. Too bad she can’t understand that the party is truly over for her. Or is it?

Our Council members, who have the ability to stand up to her, are too fearful to do so, leaving the helpless citizens with no recourse but to allow Dolan to ruin Scottsdale, as she purposefully did, Menlo Park, CA. Even those officials who near re-election are hesitant to draw first blood. Evil appears to be winning.

And what of the SonRise decision? The City was engaged in litigation concerning a legislative question and failed to consider other influential factors before rendering their decision to allow the church to build a school in a quiet neighborhood. Again, a bad developmental decision spurned by the personal special interests and lack of knowledge on the part of the council majority as well as and iron-clad, precedent setting plans as laid out by Dolan.

The disastrous precedent set was simple: a church can now do anything it wants in a strictly residential area, no matter how badly it disturbs the tranquility of a neighborhood. They can have 4 to 6 "straw" buyers buy 4 to 6, or any number of adjoining homes which back up to one another on 2 streets, have the "straw" buyers turn title over to the church (assemblage) and put anything they want on those assembled properties with the unsuspecting neighbors now unable to do anything about it thanks to the stupidity, ineptness, and inconsistency of this council majority.

Again, another spineless moronic move by the Council majority who lacked requisite information prior to voting on this matter thanks to the secrecy of Dolan and the legal twisting and manipulating of Robberson.

Again, the fate of Scottsdale as we once knew it hangs in the balance…and we live to see another day….. or do we?

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 ~ City Officials Screw Over Honest Businessman

Local business man and developer Richard Funke was the only property owner whose property was taken by Eminent Domain by the city who didn't "lawyer up" because he believed the city would live up to the verbal agreements and promises they made to him when they told him of their intentions. He now says that was a stupid and naive position and it has cost him dearly.

Since that time, the city has reneged, lied to, or redesigned everything they promised Funke would happen. They gave land to a former city councilman gratis, as well as others, yet the plans they said they liked and suggested Funke have drawn up (at his personal cost) which would have given the city over 190 parking spaces gratis were held quietly in abeyance or "still in review" and without comment until they sprang the ill-conceived and spendy place to install the booster pumps near Horseshoe Falls for the new condos downtown.

We have the following questions:

• Why was Funke denied the things promised when the city action was initiated?

• Why did a former councilman receive a piece of Funke's confiscated property apparently gratis?

• Why did the city lead Funke on for three years or more telling him they were still working on a design when in fact they already had designed what they wanted cutting him totally out of the process?

• Why isn't the city following the plans and the argument they used to gain possession of the property through Eminent Domain in the first place?

• Why  are the files so secret that no one seems to know where the original proposal is?

• Why was the presentation to city council vague and without any pertinent information insinuating that Funke was "very hard to work with"?

• Could it be that the city will be found to be in gross error and fully responsible for "making Funke whole" as they say when they find a person has been defrauded through deceit and secret dealings?

• Why has Frank Gray lied, on the record, about Funke's intentions and position concerning retail in the location where the city has stupidly decided to put the pumps?

• Why did the city say the plans were still being finalized, yet 2 days later announced that they would be tearing up Indian School Road to install the water lines as previously planned?

• Why isn't the city using the 2 other city-owned properties which are far better suited and would be cheaper to use?

• Why didn't the condo developers and builders provide space for the booster plant when they built the condos?

• Why did they call Funke "difficult" when in fact he was only looking out for his and the city's best interest?

We again point the "Fickle Finger of Stupidity, Greed, and total incompetence" at no one else but City Manager Jan Dolan whose ego has far out run her intelligence and expertise as far as we can see. She uses her legal puppet City Attorney Deborah Robberson to write legal opinions to suit the occasion as well as having her suggest, in a round about way, that maybe Funke needs to take his situation to court.

How would you like to be in Richard Funke's position? Why should any taxpaying citizen be put in that position?

We have seen Funke's proposals and they are very fair, to the point that the city still comes out winners on more than one count and they fill the needs and goals of the original reason for the cases of Eminent Domain in the first place.

How long are we going to put up with the way this city does business?

~ Homes on Pima Could Go…..Again!!

Engineers should never be allowed to do marketing or public relations work. They screw it up every time.

Last Thursday at Scottsdale Community College's Turquoise Room we were directed to the Open House for the widening of Pima Road. Darned if it wasn't like stepping into a "time-machine" and going back to 1986 and the presentations at the open houses for the building of the 101 alignment.

They could have dragged the same charts, designs and people to do the presentation out of some storage locker that the ADOT keeps in Downtown Phoenix.

Engineers do not think like regular people. They are so proud of the drawings, charts and graphics they come up with, it is like show and tell.

Folks, when you talk about anything having to do with Pima Road, you had better know the history of the road and both communities that sit on either side of it. It has not always been a comfortable co-existence. Residents of both communities have reasons to be suspicious of each other and of their own government representatives.

Please be aware that any attempt to make light of the very real deep and passionate concerns that residents put to you, will make your jobs 10 times harder. We have all lived through years and years of the chaos of city, tribal, county and state government trying to deal with Pima Road.

The seeds for the widening of Pima Road were sewn in a 1993, by Maricopa Association of Governments (with Manross in full agreement) and the Arizona Department of Transportation and a citizens transportation committee while finalizing the 101 Alignment. It would help if the City of Scottsdale were to publish the reasoning behind the "suggestions." It was not made public at the time, or got lost in the roar around the 101 Alignment.

Apparently, they told the City leadership that no houses would be taken. That was not the message received Thursday night.

Once again people who have lived for decades in Scottsdale, helped it grow and become a world class city, watched their kids grow up here, and invested their time and money here must live with the fear that their homes will be taken to provide for a roadway.

Of no less importance is the fact that the homes south of Indian Bend Road provide quality affordable housing for Scottsdale, that is work force housing and we do not need to loose any of it.

Nancy Ann Cantor, Co-Chair
Scottsdale Coalition

~ City Blackmailed by Church

What I watched last night made me sick.  You let a group blackmail the city with no fight.  Howard Meyers, Bob Vairo, and John Washington had more smarts than the city lawyers and staff put together.  I want to thank Bob Littlefield and Tony Nelssen for their stand.

Right on!! 

For those running again, Please don't give us the "I stand up for neighborhoods and I love Scottsdale" bologna. If this was a Sunday school fine, but this is a business no matter what they say. Even if you would have had to go to the Supreme Court this would have settled this issue one way or the other for the whole country.

To let this group of Christians say the other citizens are against churches was wrong and as my grandmother would say those Christians "Will go to Hell in a hand basket," for lying.  It's just like the tall buildings and density issue with the domino effect happening and down we go.

Darlene Petersen
Scottsdale

Today I write as a the Co-Chair of the Scottsdale Coalition, an activist organization concerned about long range planning and land use, made up of residents of south Scottsdale neighborhoods, most of whom have lived here for over 20 years, raised their families here, shopped in the local stores, voted in elections, served our children's schools and many, have volunteered on boards and commissions and special committees serving the City of Scottsdale.

It was with interest that I read the column by Human Services Commissioner Diane Fausel, someone I know who has served our City well over the years. The Scottsdale Coalition couldn't agree with her more. Our Scottsdale employees deserve the raise that Council voted to give them and, as we have said, they probably deserve hazard pay as well.

Though commissioners and board members are not paid they must sometimes face the hard questions and tough decisions and provide the research that, eventually, Council must vote on. These are positions critically important to any community. For our Scottsdale, the importance is intensified because of rapid growth, changing demographics and lack of developable land to address those who want to come here and enjoy the quality of life we have grown to expect over the years.
> Ms Fausel's comments regarding who on Council has contacted her over years of service is one of the utmost importance.

Communication within, around and between all levels of city government is just as important as the City communicating with residents. It isn't always easy, but to avoid misunderstanding and be able to address issues effectively it must be done.

That brings us to a letter to the editor in the same paper by Lisa Haskell, critiquing activists regarding SkySong. The Scottsdale Coalition is a partner in the SkySong Education Initiative along with ASU and the Scottsdale Unified School District. It was the Scottsdale Coalition that brought the other two partners together to create programs that are even now being carried out in the K-12 schools in the Coronado Complex of south Scottsdale.

Scottsdale Coalition Steering Committee members Sharon Oberritter, Jim Heather, Rita Saunders-Hawranek, Barbara Cawthorne, Annie Hickie, Paul Reich, Dr. Jose Burruel, William Scherer and I are proud to be part of the SkySong Education Initiative that is bringing ASU and the businesses at SkySong to the neighborhood schools to benefit our children and the community.

Nancy Cantor
Co-Chair Scottsdale Coalition

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This week the city brought out the "new plans" for the widening of Pima Road to a 4 lane reliever for the Loop 101.

I call it that as it is, the same plan that was brought forward many years ago that both the residents and the Indian community rejected last time.

What I find comical in this is that the city will not relent on the issues of Light Rail and Chaparral Road or even the issue of removing the designation of Scottsdale Road as a high capacity transit corridor, because of the "master transportation plan", but will move forward on things like the widening of Pima Road and the supposed "streetscape" of Scottsdale Road.

I stood before the council when they approved the funding for this project and asked them point blank if the issue would create changes in traffic issues along the corridor.

That night we were told it would not hinder the "master transportation plan" and the council approved the funding on that assurance.

I specifically remember hearing from Mr. Meinheart that the streetscaping pertained to sidewalks, curb cuts and landscaping, nothing at all about median changes.

Now we come to find out that yet again another lie has been perpetrated on the council and the residents and merchants of the city, by the staff, as there is a merchants petition asking to be involved in this plan as left turn lanes will be shorter or longer and access will be blocked or restricted to some merchants and other entrance/exit issues now exist.

What the hell happened to the great "public outreach" that 4 council members always try to shove under the rug as superior to surrounding cities?

Anyone smell the silent stench of future light rail planning?

The Pima Road issue is no different from this and even dates back farther than the new streetscape for Scottsdale Road.

Thursday I attended the open house meeting for the Pima Corridor plans to see what the city had up their sleeves and trust me on this one, it is the city who is initiating this move against the southern communities yet again with this plan, and it has nothing to do with the Indian Community development of the area in question.

Since the city transportation staff, all two of them, managed to make sure they steered clear of me the whole time I was there, I asked one of the consultants a few questions, like.

The nice man replied it was to relieve the congestion of the loop 101.

My next question was.

Do you realize that your plan abuts 8 miles of residential neighborhoods that already endure the noise from the 101?

I asked the nice man, if adding more and more lanes would not produce an un-realistic stress on neighborhoods in regards to noise and cut through traffic?

Then I told the nice man that I was a resident of that corridor for nearly 30 years and I really could not care if the loop 101 backed up all the way into Phoenix.

I explained to him that the count projections of the before and after charts on hand did not seem true, as opposed to calling them a flat out lies, the counts showed a decrease in the totals if they changed it to four lanes.

I told the nice man that sound mitigation sucked for the 101 as I can still hear the traffic and the pocket rockets (motorcycles) as well as the engine breaking from tractor trailers when I sit on my patio and that adding more traffic closer to my house for the purpose of relieving piss poor planning on the part of the State is not an acceptable solution to their problem for us who live there.

The nice man was not so interested in talking to me anymore, but never fear as I found another "consultant" to chat with, problem was , he had no answers either.

Excuse me, but I thought this was an "open house" where questions would be answered.

Instead, what we ended up seeing is the city, who is getting paid by ADOT to conduct this "study", show us not only what their intent was but to promote it in such a manner that it presented a done deal and residents better get used to it.

Let’s face it, the city is instigating this as it is clear the residents are not and even the Indian Community has been quoted as saying they want no more encroachment onto their land.

One factor in the decisions of the Indian Community was to develop the land along Pima to their benefit in the way of revenues, but to the large degree it is taking place to create a buffer between the city and the reservation.

Like the Indian Community, the residents of the Pima corridor want no further encroachment and also could not care if traffic backs up the loop 101 all the way back into Phoenix.

The papers and the city however are hyping up the construction on the reservation land as being the need to expand Pima and don’t want to admit the city needs to get this done so more people can flow into the airpark area and new North Scottsdale developments.

When you look at the cards the South has been dealt over the years and if you have lived in the South for any length of time, you know what is coming and the fight we will all have to deal with and our odds of success.

This issue will be updated next week after we attend another scheduled meeting next week to see if anything is different.

Michael Merrill
Pima Corridor Resident.

~Land Lease Spawns New Development

The recent 99 year lease of land in North Scottsdale off the Loop 101 and Bell Road has big development written all over it. In the Republic article, it stated that the buyer was unopposed in the 125-acre sale of the lease on the land. One of the on line comments that I read stated that Scottsdale sells off land and puts up parking lots. So true! We are no longer a resort desert community. We are turning into a cement monstrosity of towers and development higher and higher, denser and denser, bigger, faster, more congested, more insane.

How do developers know what people want when they visit Scottsdale? If you ask the tourism council, they will tell you that Scottsdale’s old western charm still lures people to our city. They continue that visitors want to sample the flavor of the West while also indulging in our nightlife and activities, primarily golf. They are not looking for Opus ^$1M condos, towers that block their view of Camelback Mountain, congested Canal-front ("waterfront" seems like such a stretch) stores and walkways or mass transit options that ruin the simplistic appeal of our downtown area. They want something different than what they left behind at home, in their big cities of cement and steel.

How could our City’s leaders be so stupid? They are not establishing our city as a frontrunner in tourism. They are ruining it for present and future generations of residents as well as driving people to more home style, lovely environments for vacations.

We might as well kiss our tourism dollars goodbye – build it and they will come? I doubt it. And if they do come, it will be for a quick looksie then they will run, as fast and they can, to someone else’s more pleasing backyard.

Jerry Halden
Scottsdale Resident

I don’t have a problem with, and in fact fully support all of the programs including the education of our children which some of our local churches are providing to their parishioners and those in need, but do they have to be conducted in designated and specifically zoned residential areas where the majority of residents don’t want, belong to, or attend that specific church, temple, synagogue, mosque, or some other House of Worship?

~Living in the Land of Oz

Could the rumors be true, yet again, that the Wizard of Oz (Jan Dolan) is considering taking that Balloon ride back to Kansas to follow the Yellow Brick Road?

Will the wicked Witch (Mayor Mother Mary) actually get dowsed with water and wither away in a bucket of the same sludge she and the Wizard have bestowed upon this once great city?

Will the Wizards trusted flying monkeys take flight with her back to Kansas and will Scottsdale be free to try to rebuild this city to the standards that have kept people coming here for years?

Well, probably not until we vote Mother Mary out of office in the next election, when the Wizard will see the hand writing on the wall that the Ozites have finally gained that fourth vote we need to run her butt out of the city on a light rail to Sky Harbor, from Tempe of course.

Has anyone noticed that the Wizard of Oz has not been appearing at many city meetings other than the council meetings?

Has anyone noticed that the Wizard of Oz is keeping an "extremely" low profile in almost all issues before the city other than her new massive budget?

She also seems to be ignoring e-mails looking for a response from her, and noticeably there are also certain staff members who also are no longer returning e-mails that are asking questions.

Yep, there is a rumor going around that the Wizard is looking to make a change in locations and on an adventure to see who will let her come and screw up their city like she has done to Scottsdale and Menlo Park CA. Problem for the Wizard, is that she must make her move before she gets the boot from the new council that will be elected as if she waits for the boot, she loses any chance to take that balloon ride with a load of endorsed lies of what a great and all knowing Wizard she really is, NOT.

Maybe she is like me along the lines of blogging as if anyone who reads the blogs or writes in them, it is becoming well noted that more and more Ozites are writing blogs about her needing to be removed and some of them have even made it into the mainstream media for a change.

 ~Jim Lane sadly proves he is no friend of communities!

I have to write this Oz note with a heavy heart as many people have now realized that they wasted a vote nearly 4 years ago for what many of us thought was going to be a good thing for residents of Oz.

Councilman Lane who sits on the board of Oz, has yet again let down the residents of this city as he has done before and in my opinion was the last straw, and he needs to be defeated in the next election of Oz.

Jim has a great business sense that is needed in this makeup of supposed leaders of Oz , but Jim has never been able to overcome his sense of business knowledge and his need for understanding communities over business in his decisions.

Not only was his vote of the SonRise issue out of step with community, but I can refer to a conversation that I had with him regarding Sky Swamp and his vote to allow housing on a project that residents had stipulations in to not allow such types of uses. During that conversation I lost all faith in Jim as to be a protector of community over business and his reasoning for allowing that to happen have fallen directly in line with his votes that have followed where community and business has clashed.

Future votes on issues of Density, Height, Infrastructure, Transportation, Developer Greed, and Community will prove to all that Mr. Lane cannot be trusted to hold what is best and right for the residents of this city.

Residents who have lived here for many, many years are already noting the voting style of Mr. Lane and his quest to become Mayor, and is the reason that what ever office he decides to run for, he needs to be replaced as there is precious little time to save Oz from those who get elected to office only to have their brains sucked out by the Wicked Witch, the Wizard of Oz, and their Monkeys.

Long ago I was told the brains were sucked out by aliens but since even the aliens (outer space) will not come here, it only leaves the Wizard and her Monkeys that can do it.

It appears that a few weeks ago Ron McCullagh, another loathed leader of Oz, attended a meeting of the Scottsdale Community Council and as I was told, paraded around with his same pompous attitude that he is better than and more knowledgeable about residents thoughts and wishes then those he pretends to represent.

However after Mr. McCullagh overheard that the formation of COGS and COPP that includes about 7 other community groups (COGS) such as mine and The Scottsdale Coalition, that there is a group now of over 3000 residents and community leaders. It was noted that after his "revelation" of this fact, his demeanor changed dramatically in his approach to a conversation with those at the meeting.

All I can say for Ron is he is a day late and a dollar short as the next election approaches and everyone is already lining up to help in defeating him.

Yep , we have hit rock bottom Ron, and like the Fetish Prom members would say, "stick a pin in him, he is done!"

I have to hand it to Tony Nelssen’s wife in her rage against the Wicked Witches machine.

Recently the papers have reported about a phone call that Marg made to the council members who voted for the Sunrise settlement and as usual with activist, this information has been let out to the media by what I can say is only one person, the Wicked Witch of Oz.

You got it! I will bet my last dollar that Mother Mary Manross alerted the media to the call that was left and even provided them a copy of it, and yes Larry Manross, we know it was you who used this message as you have been doing in the past to try to whitewash Tony or anyone else you thought was not worthy of sitting with the witch, however this time you lost as residents floated in Tony and even got Bob back over you and the witches lap dog Osterman.

You see Larry is a sneaky little person, full of lies and malcontent for anyone who opposes his wife and "their" views of how this city should be run, and Larry is well known for instigating problems during his wife’s elections and stooping to underhanded little tactics over the years.

Larry’s miscalculation in this instance is that he was not expecting the residents to champion Marg in this issue and slapped a whopping ding in both his and the Wicked Witches Armor.

Just because she is married to Tony has nothing to do with what she can say or do as a taxpayer and a registered voter of the Land of Oz. But your bigger worry Larry will be how to deal with me when election time rolls around as I am very aware of your past underhanded actions during elections and to tell you the truth, you are not going to be a match for the tactics I will use to make sure the Wicked Witch is not re-elected to her throne and that one you can take to the "Bank of Oz" where you will have a "Zero" account balance…………….

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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.