Letters

May 21, 2008 | Vol. 14 No. 21

Letter to CCUSD Board Members and Dr. Tacy Ashby

I find that I can no longer cope with the toxic environment that exists among the governing board members in CCUSD #93. It is not possible for me to support the actions of this Board. To do so would compromise my principles and beliefs about serving in the best interests of the children and constituents of our school district. I will not tolerate further personal affronts, being marginalized and disregarded with lack of respect from those who control decision making for the district. I cannot function effectively in these hostile circumstances.

Therefore, I submit this, my immediate resignation.

In my judgment, this Board has failed the children, failed the community and created conditions for further failure. In resigning, I know my leaving will not solve problems yet to be faced, nor will it immediately create a more cohesive Board of Directors. Rather, I seek to make a clear statement in response to a growing negative public reaction to this Board’s failure to act in the best interests of CCUSD children. We could have done better! We should have done better!

Our true role, being advocates for children, has been replaced by representation of “constituencies” and pursuit of personal agendas. Perhaps a newly constituted Board will be able to function with unity of purpose and live up to it’s mantra – “Children First, people Always.” I can only hope the wisdom of the electorate will bring change assuring the best possible future for all the children of CCUSD.

With regrets and a deep sense of personal failure, I leave the remaining members of this Board to deal with its fractures and lack of focus.

Marvin J. Christiansen, PhD
Governing Board Member

Subject: Cave Creek Museum

I strongly oppose the General Plan amendment change proposed by Cave Creek Museum. The museum property should be kept as residential zoning. It’s my understandings that the museum has plans to move to another location in the future. If the property is rezoned commercial then a number of incompatible businesses (i.e. school, auto parts, etc.) could be located in this residential neighborhood.

The museum has the potential to gain significantly if the property is rezoned commercial since they can sell a commercial lot at a much higher price than residential. As a 25 year resident just south of the museum, I should not have to subsidize their profits.
Please decline the Museum’s request for a General Plan Major amendment.

Beth Longbrake
Cave Creek

Parkway Bank – The other issues

Your article discussing Parkway Bank’s handling of an armed customer entering the bank and the letters that followed fail to deal with several other relevant issues. I see further issues that have not been discussed and several of them follow.

Aren't there already enough nuts out there carrying guns? The consequences of using deadly force have not been fully considered by many people. I have carried a gun in service to the community and fully recognize the consequences of its use both to the victim and myself and my family.

These pages to the best of my recollection, in a community of thousands, have never cited a case of an armed citizen's action using, or threatening to use deadly force to improve a confrontational situation.

The risk to the bank's employees and the public due to the use of deadly force within their building is at best hazardous and at worst catastrophic.

The Parkway Bank is a private business. Don't they have the right to restrict access and offer their services to customers on a mutually acceptable basis?

Robert J. Thomas
Carefree

It's not ethnic profiling

For the past week, the usual race-baiters have claimed that the Sheriff's Office is stopping Hispanics for DWM (Driving While Mexican). Rubbish! Deputies following vehicles cannot determine the ethnicity of the drivers ahead of them.

They can, however, act upon such violations as speeding, weaving, failure to stop, etc. In other words, driving like Mexicans (DLM). Applicants for drivers' licenses in that country do not pass a written or road test. Over there it's, "You pays yo' money, you gets yo' license." Applicants who cannot read or write just send surrogates to obtain their licenses. Being on the road in Mexico City is like sitting in the jump seat of a WW-II Kamikaze aircraft: frightening.

If a driver is stopped in Maricopa County for driving as he did back in Mexico, and then cannot produce a visa, license, insurance card or registration, well ... TS! Let him be turned over to ICE, and let his vehicle be delivered to the recycler. Now, THAT'S justice!

C.O. Jones
Desert Foothills

Carefree has the cleanest medicine cabinets in Arizona

On May 17, Carefree and MCSO held a joint recycling program for the safe collection and disposal of prescription and over the counter drugs. This program is the first in the valley and most likely the entire state. It was held in conjunction with our monthly recycling.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all that made this event a success; the officers of MCSO, our volunteers, and most especially Sheriff Arpaio, who personally came to help kick off this event. A special thanks to Sonoran News for publicizing this new program, the Saguaro Grill for contributing discount coupons, to the Bad Donkey for donating pizzas every month to our volunteers. And, last but not least, to all of you that recycle to protect our environment.

Carefree Recycling has become a true community enterprise. We strive to bring to the community not only recycling, but other programs such as fluorescent tube/CFL bulb recycling and our yearly Treecycle.

The drugs collected at this event will be incinerated by MCSO. Not only does this project protect the environment and our ground water, it keeps the drugs out of the hands of our children. So, please don’t flush your drugs, bring them to our next Safe Drug Disposal in November.

Bob Coady
Carefree

Dangerous coyotes

First let me express my sympathy to Tori Schneider for both losing her pet and having to witness this brutal attack of nature. These attacks occur daily in the wild and on our property as coyotes provide for themselves and their offspring.

I totally agree that there is now is a real problem as we humans and our wild neighbors occupy the same territory. And this problem of interaction is exacerbated by anyone who encourages wild animal-human interaction by feeding them. Wiley Coyote is appropriately named; and once he loses his fear of humans he becomes even more dangerous.

When I was younger I would visit my great uncle's small dairy farm in western New York. In the back hall was a loaded .410 shotgun and a .22 Hornet rifle. Coyotes, foxes in the chicken coupe, woodchucks burrowing in the pasture and other predators were dispatched with regularity.

Residents who live in our desert environment must be prepared to defend themselves and their property if attacked. This applies to anyone walking their dog, going out to the mailbox or to get the newspaper, gardening, hiking, etc. You cannot call 911. You cannot call AZ Fish and Game. Your screams will not stop a determined predator hungry for its next meal or sick from rabies.

To prevent any misinterpretation of my sentiments, let me make myself perfectly clear: I am not advocating random shooting of our wonderful wildlife neighbors. That's why I moved to Cave Creek in the first place. I do not fear them. I have coyotes and Javelina and other critters on and passing through my property. I marvel at Mother Nature's ways and let nature take its course. I stop for bunny buddies and Quail as they cross the road. I do not have little children or small dogs or cats. I do have horses and will dispatch any critter that attempts to do them or myself any harm.

Stop feeding wildlife. It's unnatural and against the law. And be prepared.

L.F. Pace
Cave Creek

Did I miss something in the last 30 years?

Regarding Fifty-eight states Deputy Bob's comment, "... consider wearing a flag pin now, and saluting or placing his hand over his heart now, during the National Anthem ..." When did placing the hand over one's heart during the National Anthem become a required measure of showing patriotism? I was taught to ALWAYS put your hand over your heart if civilian or salute during the Pledge of Allegiance facing the flag, and taught to stand and SING the National Anthem (not salute it) while facing the flag.

What Senator Obama did (or didn't do) in that now-famous picture circulating the Internet would have been a non-issue ten years ago. September 11 sure has affected us with some different displays of patriotism. Sheesh, Deputy Bob, let's talk about some real issues.
God bless America ... Life truly is a gift, and is good!

Jeff Sullivan
Cave Creek

Teaching someone to fish is not enough

We have all heard the saying that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime. That’s not actually true because there is an important missing ingredient. In order for a man to feed himself for a lifetime he must not only know how to fish but he must be free to fish. If, for example, the government prevents the man from starting a fishing business because he cannot get the proper license or if the tax burdens and other regulatory burdens are so high that the man cannot maintain his business, then he effectively lacks the freedom to fish and will still starve to death.

This is exactly the situation in many third world countries and, even in the United States, the burdens of government on the economy continue to grow. Our foreign aid is a dead end street. Instead of simply giving fish (food) to foreign countries or even education (teaching them to fish), we should be pushing them to respect human liberty, property rights, and the rule of law. Furthermore, it is extremely important that we set an example here in the United States of how that freedom can work instead of allowing our own government burdens to continue to grow.

Roy Miller
Phoenix

Who’s next?

As a former resident of Arizona contemplating retirement, staying current with events in your state is a priority. However, it is alarming to read online and in print the many accounts of arrest without warrants; citizens unlawfully detained; malicious prosecutions; judicial misconduct; brutality and deaths of inmates and detainees, not only in prisons, but at the Phoenix airport.

It was chilling to read your online article “Hope on the horizon for wrongfully convicted” (April 9-15, 2008 by Linda Bentley). The underlying message was clear … in Arizona you are guilty until proven innocent. Furthermore, good luck getting anyone in authority to act on the credible proof of your innocence.

The single working mother featured in your story (Ms. Courtney Bisbee) could be any one of us. According to your article, Ms. Bisbee has been wrongfully imprisoned for two years. Yet, a sworn affidavit was duly filed with ‘new’ evidence exonerating her over one year ago! Where is the zealous prosecutor now? He was obviously quick to rush judgment, guilty or not, when he was prosecuting her.

And what about the judge in this case? How can a citizen of the United States be sentenced to eleven years in prison without possibility of parole, if evidence of her guilt does not exist?! (“Grandville’s verdict stated, ‘The court will submit separate finding of facts by separate minute entry.’ No such minute entry was ever submitted by Grandville.”) Even in a bench trial. A defendant must be found guilty of something other than refusing to plea bargain.

Cowboy justice – lock ‘em up and throw away the key – is no justice at all. As the posse of politicos gallops toward their re-election waving the American flag, don’t be fooled. Take note of how those same public officials are trampling over the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights that once made this country great.

Concerned citizen and taxpayer –
M. Osorio Dubchek
Sacramento, California

Who wants Hillary?

In the event some of your readers might be considering voting for Hillary Clinton next November, they may want to re-consider. At least until they read a book written by an FBI agent, one Gary Aldrich, written in 1996 with the title of “Unlimited Access.” The book was published by Regnery Publishing Company in Washington, D.C. Your local library may well have a copy.

On page 80 of this book, for example, Aldrich wrote as follows: “He (Vince Foster) was worried that rumors of his affair with Hillary (Clinton) were resurfacing. We had that problem during the campaign … after the business with Gennifer came up. You remember, when Bill (Clinton) and Gennifer were doing THEIR thing? Vince and Hillary were doing THEIR thing. Vince thought if it surfaced it would ruin his life, his reputation, and his marriage … He was worried sick about it.”

On page 76 this paragraph appeared: “Vince Foster’s body was found in Fort Marcy Park, dead from a gunshot wound to the head, the victim of an apparent suicide.”

Knowing all this, WHO wants Hillary in the White House again?

Arthur Allen
Carefree