BY DON SORCHYCH | APRIL 25, 2012
AR is wrong again
Is Chutz used?
Once again, the Arizona Republic (AR) stimulated an editorial. It would be a red letter day if I ever agreed with them.
When I heard the Scottsdale Republic, namely Robert Leger, had sought four spokesmen to debate Yes and No for the property tax vote for fire protection, I already knew what their anonymous editorial would say. Here it is.
“Tax for emergency services would bring Cave Creek stability, equality.” To that I say bull dung!
This reminds me of the national primary debate. Since when does YES bring about stability? And equality is where you start and with the right administration guiding the country, you can exceed or secede from the starting point of equality. At least that is the way it was before the Obama administration.
On the “No” side, Dick Esser and Adam Trenk were invited, while Ted Ferris and Dan Baxley attended, representing the “Yes” side. According to Esser, most of the meeting was a raging conflict between Trenk and Ferris. I don’t know why people like Ferris end up in Cave Creek, but if you have been around a while you would remember Ferris, as President/CEO of the Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority, gave us what became the Cardinal stadium, erected at tax payer expense.
Even though Trenk won the debate with Ferris, Leger had his mind made up before the debate. How would liberals vote? To use taxes to fund all services.
Although Leger said about half pay for fire protection and half don’t, the fact is 55 percent subscribe, not the 45 percent peddled by the town and YES propagandists. The YES people sent a flyer stating 55 percent do not subscribe, which is not true. I am comforted the YES people are so worried they have to peddle propaganda.
Esser said when he walked in it was obvious it was a set-up favoring YES voters.
AR does not have a great record for predicting election outcomes and this is one of their miscues.
I have mailed my No vote, and hope you have too.
Opportunity?
The Democrat administration is fond of asserting they view crises as opportunities. So does the Cave Creek dark side.
The recently proposed Cave Creek resort called Enchanted Canyon is one such crisis. Two hundred twenty acres of residential property on the north east side of Cave Creek was purchased in 2006. The price paid was in excess of expected return for a subdivision. The developer came up with an up zone to commercial resort combined with residential, hiking trails and an equine zone.
The problem was it was surrounded by residential and planned traffic was a huge problem. Not only did the development cause huge resentment, a body of dark siders viewed it as an opportunity to unseat the current council and town manager, and replace them with activists of their choice.
Their spokesman was carefully chosen to not carry the baggage toted around by most dark side grumps.
A recent transplant fit the bill. A retired attorney from Pittsburg was drafted to be the spokesman. He had all the expertise expected of a six month citizen, but the dark side was full of tangled webs to whisper in his ear. They even gathered a war chest rumored at $44,000. The spokesman, Mike Chutz, said he donated $10,000.
Chutz wrote a furious letter when the Planning Commission meeting was canceled. He argued hundreds had made sacrifices to come to the Planning Commission to speak. In the letter, which had all the earmarks of Anna Marsolo, he falsely accused Town Manager Usama Abujbarah of overstepping his authority by canceling the meeting. Wonder if Chutz knows Marsolo doesn’t live here? Marsolo, by the way, forwarded Chutz’s epistle to Leger at the AR. And I received copies from other dark side busybodies.
Chutz made demands that the meeting be held. Why? Obviously this was the first of many volleys, the objective being next year’s election.
In a meeting with Vincent Francia, Francia laughed and said they got their way since the developer stepped aside; it looked like Chutz was seeking a fight.
So Francia agreed to let them have a meeting at town hall and he agreed to attend. It is estimated about 60 people attended the meeting. Chutz for some strange reason took off his shoes, put his feet on the table and announced he was in Cave Creek. If the dark side convinced him we are a bunch of yokels, he needs an education.
Many attendees wore blue t-shirts on which was written, “Protect Rural Zoning.” Lots of money for two wearings, but maybe they can recycle them for next year’s council meeting.
Francia gave more than he got by squelching favorite rumors of the group. For example, he said there was no road planned to Cahava Springs development. Morning Star Road would not be paved any time soon. No road was planned from I-17 to Spur Cross Road. Katherine Bosco’s property would not be converted to a fire station.
It is believed the war chest raised will fund candidates for next year’s council election. Some claim there is a list and I would love to see it. Whoever they are, I look forward to our candidates’ forum.
