Your View | January 21-27, 2009
?It would appear that Councilman Schwan is now not willing to dedicate his time as a council member if the mayor is directly elected by citizens. I find his lack of dedication most upsetting. While I, personally, will remember his position at election time, it would be best for all of us if he just not run.
Carefree town Attorney Mike Wright has been quoted as saying that the initiative for direct election of the mayor, if passed, could cause legal problems because it does not address the Arizona requirement of needing 50 percent (plus 1) of votes cast to win election. He couldn’t be more wrong. A.R.S. 9.821.01 (B) specifically provides for direct election with the winner being the candidate “receiving the highest number of votes”. Either Mr. Wright didn’t bother reading the statute or he was simply saying what he was told to say.
According to my calculation, there are at least 17 million square feet in the state land annexed by Cave Creek. I propose that the town launch a world publicity campaign to sell ownership in a square foot for $1.00 each. Foreigners especially will be eager to snap up pieces of the “wild west” complete with land deeds and Cave Creek will have $17 million more to squander away.
I hope all Carefree voters become aware of Mayor Fulcher’s position opposing direct election of the mayor. Obviously he has a vested interest in being selected by a handful of his cronies rather than by an election where all Carefree voters can have a say in whether or not they approve his policies. Have you no shame, Mayor Fulcher? Have you no shame?
Either Glenn Miller hasn’t lived in Carefree long enough to know about good ole boy politics, or he is just plain stupid. Who the hell does he think got him elected the last time?
It was shameful to witness the conduct of the council members at the last Carefree meeting. They behaved like a bunch of school yard bullies in their attack on councilman Coady. It was obvious that it was preplanned. Our town deserves to be represented by those who choose the higher road.
Confucius say, “When running for mayor, much easier to get four votes rather than 600 votes.”
I saw Carefree Mayor Wayne “Chicken Little” Fulcher recently flapping his arms and shouting, “the sky is falling, the sky is falling,” apparently referring to direct election of the mayor.
Carefree Mayor Fulcher, who gave customers of the Carefree Water Co. a property tax in the form of extremely high water rates, opposes direct election of the mayor. Is he concerned that a directly elected mayor would slash water rates and cancel his plans for a huge town council edifice?
Virtually every city and town of any consequence in Arizona provides for direct election of the mayor in order to enhance accountability to the citizens. Yet Mayor Fulcher opposes direct election of the mayor, preferring selection to remain in the hands of as few as four council members. I have a problem with that.
Officials in Bullhead City extinguished the eternal flame at the city’s new veterans memorial park after receiving a $961 gas bill. How much is the monthly cost for Carefree’s gas light district that allows locals to leave the area if they are trapped there after it gets dark?
Is it only a coincidence that the Carefree town administrator has announced his retirement at about the same time that the matter of direct election of the mayor has been brought up?
Why is Mayor Fulcher opposing direct election of the mayor in Carefree? Is there something he is trying to hide that he doesn’t want exposed in public debate?
A Carefree mouthpiece has claimed that the initiative for direct election of the mayor is “fraught with problems.” The only “problem” is that a tiny group of councilmen could no longer hand pick the mayor. Under the present system the mayor has no direct accountability to citizens, much to the joy of Mayor Fulcher.
Carefree Mayor Fulcher wants to extend his term from two to four years and opposes direct election of the mayor. I suspect he won’t really be happy until Carefree citizens aren’t allowed to vote on anything.
It is hard to believe that Gary Hayward remembers conversations with Bob Coady from 3-4 years ago. He couldn’t even remember Coady’s name when he spoke at the council meeting.
I was recently dumbfounded to learn that several of our Cave Creek residents and one county resident accurately predicted the national and international crash two years ago. Kudos to Spitzer, Moore, Natker, Zerkle and Marsolo. I am jealously assuming that each of them came out of this as billionaires.
The Illinois House of Representatives recently voted 114 to 1 to impeach Gov. Blagojevich. The lone dissenter “didn’t have enough information.” I had no idea that Grace Meeth moonlighted as an Illinois Representative.
Since the carefree six didn’t succeed in killing Bob Coady at the council meeting, I heard they’ve put a bounty on his head. Shouldn’t Coady be jailed for his own protection and to keep the Carefree six from looking any more ridiculous?
I’m calling in response to a recent Your View that starts “Traveling through the heart of Cave Creek on Saturday morning … yes there was an event at Good Shepherd Church and it was for the funeral of one of the finest men I have ever met. How hateful this community has become.
Do you think Bob Coady wants to be mayor of Carefree? He may portray himself as the spokesperson for the people, but the only person he speaks for is himself. Everything he does is self-serving. [Editor’s note: Bob Coady just turned in petitions for an initiative with 400 signatures so there are many residents in Carefree who feel Bob Coady’s work is not self-serving, but what is in the best interests of the town and its residents.]
The only lynching at the December Carefree Council meeting was when Bob Coady lynched himself with his display of ignorance regarding an initiative he himself wrote without consulting the town laws or the town lawyer.
Your section B, Jan 7-13 is very amusing. You have a picture of Arvel Byrd, an internationally know violinist, blowing a flute in the picture. [Editor’s note: We published the photo provided to us by the PR firm promoting the event.]
I know you won’t print this but I want to congratulate you anyway for finally, finally having the good sense to not run one more stupid article about Barack Obama’s birth certificate on the front page. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.