CAREFREE TRUTH
Letters from Readers & Events: 10/29/14
(Lyn's note: Please feel free to send us any pictures you'd like included. If your photos are for sale, let us know and we will put them under that category. We have a special section for that purpose, and have just added some art as well. If anyone would like to buy a print of any of Herbert's photos, all profits will be donated to one of the local non-profit organizations.) Here's the link to this week's Pictures of the Week.
http://carefreetruth.com/Carefree_Truth/Photos_10-27-14.html
Desert Foothills Chronicle link:
http://www.desertfoothillschronicle.org/
City Sun Times link:
To: 'Carefree Matters'
Subject: RE: Carefree Proposition Facts & Fallacies
Dear John Traynor:
Thank you for your recent e-mail. Permit me to respond to some of your “Facts and Fallacies”. We obviously have a difference of opinion. You shared your views, allow me to share mine. Please see my comments below:
Arthur Gimson
Carefree Resident and Former Member of the Town Council
Subject: Carefree Proposition Facts & Fallacies
A good friend and a former 12 year Carefree Councilman, Bob Coady, recently asked me to share my views on Proposition 488 & 489. Before I do, I’d like to say that Bob was the shining example of what *elected* community service should entail – *caring about and listening to people*. He never worried about getting his name on a plaque or on a building, he was just a doer and he got things done. Bob knows I’m not the easiest person to get to know, but he knows I’m fair and direct. That’s why he asked me to share my opinion.
[Response/Comment] While I will always acknowledge that Bob Coady did a great deal of good work with his recycling activities, I do not believe that he is any more of a “shining example” than many others who have served the Town. Greg Gardner comes to mind as one who tirelessly gave countless hours. Glenn Miller is another example. There is not an event in Carefree that takes place without Glenn’s hard work. He personally handles most of the Christmas Lights strung through the 4½ acres of the Carefree Desert Gardens. For the past 4 years, he has always been helping with the set up and tear down of the annual Salute our Veterans event. Bob was a ‘naysayer’, always fast to condemn and criticize. The same could be said for some other past members of the Town Council.
I will agree with you that you are not the easiest person to get to know. I cannot agree with Bob Coady’s assessment that you are “fair and direct”. Like Bob, most of your positions on anything have been negative with seldom any constructive suggestions.
I’ve recently heard from someone that “they don’t need to be told how to vote.” Okay, I get it and respect it. Rather than *‘ask’ *you to vote against 488 & 489, I’ll simply provide some facts and, as always, you get to make the final decision.
Here are the claims, the facts, and the realities:
#1 – This is the 3rd time a Carefree Mayor and/or the Town Council has attempted to secure 4 year terms. Each prior time *they failed to convince voters.*
[Response/Comment] Times change; years ago State Legislators elected their US Senators. Many times ballot measures are resubmitted to the voters. It would be appreciated if you would substantiate your claim that this “is the 3rd time that a Carefree Mayor and/or Town Council has attempted to secure 4 year terms.” To the best of my knowledge, I am only aware of one previous ballot measure calling for 4 year terms. Please do NOT try and muddy the waters, Proposition 488 calls for staggered 4-year terms [my emphasis added], which is designed for overlapping terms of three of the six Council Members, allowing for continuity. As you may recall, in 2011, I was one of five newly elected freshmen council members; not a good situation as we were all having to learn for ourselves what had taken place on many issues being brought to Council’s attention.
#2 – Supporters argue that elections every 2 years are costly. The Proposition for Staggered 4 year terms actually necessitates an election every 2 years, *saving nothing*.
[Response/Comment] We must be reading different materials, I have seen nothing about staggered four-year terms to save money. Arizona Statutes provide for staggered four-year terms, which mandates an election every two years. The staggering of the terms provides the best opportunity to maximize continuity.
#3 – Supporters argue that 2 year terms are too short for elected officials to learn the job and then get the job done. Nonsense. To date David Schwan has been on the Council 10 years, Glenn Miller 8, Mike Farrar, Melissa Price, and Marty Saltzman 4, John Crane and Les Peterson 2. Ms. Price and Mr. Peterson were selected to be Vice Mayor in their freshman year on the Council, presumably because of capability. Mr. Saltzman has a history of being absent.
[Response/Comment] I suggest that you read my argument in support of Proposition 488 in the Publicity Pamphlet/Text of Ballot and you will see that I was one of 5 of 7 new faces on the Town Council in 2011. I speak from personal experiences.
#4 – Mayor Schwan argues that “continuity and long range planning” necessitate 4 year staggered terms. He said 4 year terms “are critical to the long term success of business and municipal government.” The reality is that during his 10 year political career (6 years as mayor) he has presided over the decline of Carefree’s business community and financial viability.
[Response/Comment] You were in attendance at the recent Forum on Economic Development and heard Ed Lewis talk about a possible 6-year time period that may be required for ASU to go through its review of potential involvement.
#5 – Vice-Mayor Peterson argues that *replacing the mayor and all council members* at the same time “could lead to a chaotic situation.” In point of fact the first time in Carefree’s history that 3 of the 7 members were replaced in any election was in 2009 when the mayor and two long-term councilmen withdrew from the general election after a dismal showing in the primary. Rather than face another defeat they simply quit on you.
[Response/Comment] I agree with Vice Mayor Peterson’s thoughts, nothing could be worse for any Town, City or business to have its entire leadership being replaced at the same time. That’s why it is important to have staggered terms for the Members of Town Council.
#6 – Mr. Peterson further suggests that Carefree lags behind many cities in the state in adopting 4 year terms. While that may be reasonably accurate it is far from compelling. Carefree is spending significantly on an image of being different, trying to evolve into an art and cultural destination. What other motive would Mr. Peterson have to advocate *‘sameness’* for Carefree?
[Response/Comment] I fail to understand your linkage of 4-years terms, to allegations of significant spending on an image of “trying to evolve into an art and cultural destination.” The only “sameness” being advocated is that the vast majority of Arizona municipalities have 4-year staggered terms. Obviously, those towns and cities must think it is the best way to go.
In his humble opinion, Mayor Schwan says “A four year term for the office of Mayor is Carefree in the best form of government.” That is a direct quote, from a 6-year mayor who singlehandedly has angered a noteworthy large scale commercial developer along with just about every business owner and commercial property owner in Carefree. He, along with staff and possibly 2 other council members, reportedly “abused and were rude to ASU leaders during talks to bring programming from the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts to Carefree.” (Sources: Carefree Public Forum of 10/6 and an article by Sonja Haller, The Republic | azcentral.com 1:53 p.m. MST October 10, 2014) While most of the nation and surrounding communities in Arizona have been rebounding after the recession, consumers and customers have been avoiding Carefree in increasing numbers during his tenure as mayor, as reflected by business closings, empty storefronts, and declining Sales Tax revenue.
Why did the town delay mailing the Election Publicity Pamphlet until October 20th when it was due by October 9th? They know the majority of voters in Carefree vote early. Keeping differing opinions out out your hands favors their cause. It seems fairly clear that arguments in favor of Propositions 488 and 489 are shallow, frivolous, and blatantly self-serving.
[Response/Comment] What a very sad allegation that you make that the Town delayed the mailing of the Election Publicity Pamphlet. Had you taken time, as I did, to learn why the pamphlet was delayed, you would have learned that there was no delay from the Town, purely a backlog of printing requirements in the Maricopa County community. Just ask Kandace French, the Town Clerk, she will give you the explanation.
Thank you for your time.
John Traynor, Carefree resident
Lyn thank you so much for this timely and thorough report on the meeting. You and Herbie are a blessing to our community,
Phyllis Strupp
You amaze me with how hard you work to keep everything on track and transparent in Carefree.
Kandace French - Town Clerk/Treasurer
Lyn,
Why do I have this gut feeling Lewis is peddling a white elephant?
Maybe I'm I wrong, but people I know who move to Carefree or Cave Creek want to be out of and away from living in condos in a downtown environment. There is no industry or major office environment to attract
the young with jobs.
I don’t have a better idea, just that this one does not sound like one(Lewis project).
Tom Surrency
Wow, Lyn, I sure hope people watch the video.
Melissa Price
(Lyn's note: So do I. Herbie put a lot of work into the all the videos. He had to go through a bit at a time to pump up the volume of the speakers from the audience, since they didn't have microphones, and he included every speaker so none would feel they were left out and be upset. I doubt that most people have a clue how much time and effort go into what he does.)
Dear Ms. French,
It was a pleasure to meet you and to join the discussion regarding the future of Carefree. The meeting was very informative for me. I was encouraged by both you and the Mayor to put my thoughts in an e-mail, which I trust you will share with the members of the Council. Unfortunately I had to leave before the summary; therefore my remarks may seem inadequate.
To begin, I was most of all wondering why, in the first place, the Council is having the discussion at all. The best answer I could get was that in ten years or so Carefree's tax income will not keep up with expected expenses. The Mayor said that the Council was acting for events ten and more years down the road, and thus the need for the present discussion. I suppose, though it was not discussed, one solution would be to institute an appropriate property tax to make up (expected) shortfalls if they should occur. The other answer, and the only one discussed at the meeting, was to increase sales tax revenues by increasing commercial ventures within the town. There was no discussion, of which I was aware, of just how much such sales taxes could be guaranteed vs more predictable and guaranteed property taxes. Also, would the expected sales taxes cost the average citizen more or less than said property taxes? In either case the town would be "raising taxes."
I asked several people who seemed to be "in the know," if the impetus for the latter solution was mostly from business persons and one, single developer (who wishes to build a high rise condo project in the town). The people to whom I spoke all said that this was their understanding. In other words, the impetus for the present plan did not come from a ground swell of ordinary citizens, rather from the merchants or would-be merchants, Chamber of Commerce, the developer and perhaps members of the Council.
At no point in the discussion was there any vision of what Carefree would look like or feel like after the suggested changes in the Town were made. (Granted I had to leave before the meeting was over, and therefore did not hear such if it occurred.) The above remarks lead me to ask the following questions of the Council:
Has a careful and complete investigation of the attitudes of ordinary citizens been done? I don't mean a polling of a few, rather an in depth, personal interview of the majority of us. This would include asking questions including: Why did you move to Carefree in the first place? What were the attractions? Do you really understand how the proposed changes would affect the town, including noises, increase traffic, more crowds and crowding, frequent difficulty in reaching, for example, one's mail box,etc.? Would you prefer a modest tax on your property while preserving Carefree's unique beauty and quiet, rather than changing its character forever? (If in fact such a tax ever became necessary.). Would such changes benefit mostly the townspeople or tourists or developers/merchants?
My wife and I have lived in Park City, Utah (1975-1985) and Prescott, AZ. (1985-1995) and have seen and felt what over commercialization can do to a town. Likewise we have watched our neighbor, Cave Creek, grow into a rather unpleasant tourist destination.
We did not move to Carefree to see such changes as are now being proposed pressed upon it (and us). When and IF more tax revenues are needed in the future, I would much prefer to keep quiet, little Carefree much as it is, and go the other route. I do believe that most ordinary citizens feel the same.
Robert G. Wilson
(Lyn's note: This was originally sent to Kandace French, the Carefree Town Clerk. Mr. Wilson also shared it with Carefree Truth.)
For all the good souls that became anxious to help the roadrunner, we believe that all ended well (full detail at the end of Lyn’s narrative). I would also like you to know that on Tuesday, I am visiting Bob and his wife, Sam, at Wild at Heart, to gather information and photographs, to share with all. We will shamelessly try to tug on your heartstrings to visit them and/or mail whatever check you can manage to support their incredible work with injured and displaced wild birds. John and I have known the Foxes since we move up here in 1997, and we confirm to you that they are the real deal in giving rescue /aid. SARA VANNUCCI
