Editorial in the Scottsdale Republic - 2/13/10

The man bank-rolling Carefree's recall

 

Rod de Szendeffy  really does not like Carefree Mayor David Schwan. If there was any question about that, it was cleared up when campaign-finance reports were filed for elections across the Northeast Valley.

 

 

de Szendeffy, a developer and longtime resident, provided all but $80 of the $20,410 raised and spent by the Recall David Schwan committee. Almost $13,000 was in cash. Another $7,530 came in the form of free office space.

 

 

The second largest fund-raising total in Carefree was the $1,425 raised by Support our Town, which opposes the recall. Schwan reported no contributions to his committee besides his own $780.93.

 

 

Or to put this into a larger context: The $20,330 de Szendeffy provided to oust Schwan is greater than the combined fund-raising total for six candidates in the Paradise Valley Town Council. It's three times more than what five Fountain Hills Town Council candidates raised.

 

 

De Szendeffy apparently sees this as a reasonable investment toward getting a council more to his liking. It's his right to spend his money however he wants.

 

 

But voters might want to pause. Whether they like Schwan or not, do they want any one person exercising this much influence over who their mayor is? Or are they satisfied to be known as the town with the best council one man's money can buy?