Your View | June 17 - 23, 2009
It is downright hilarious to read the elitist stereotypes of the "typical" Walmart customer. Clearly these snobs have not visited Walmart at the 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright or the one on Cactus and Tatum and seen all the North Scottsdale yuppies who shop there. Spectator.
Dear God – I've lived here 15 years. It's June already and my pool's still too cold to swim. What's with that? Can you please turn up the thermostat?
Yes Don, the town is spending way beyond its means and there is no discipline when choices have to be made. As a 67-year-old widow in Cave Creek trying to live on a fixed income my choice today was to go without air conditioning to help pay my water bill that has more than doubled. Not for water usage that has seen my favorite landscape withering but for the outrageous jump in basic fees. I guess you can classify me as a whiner.
What the hell is going on in Carefree? I didn't vote for that little troll Schwan and neither did anyone else considering he came in dead last in the primaries! On their very first vote, these four numbskulls chose to ignore the vote of the people. I say RECALL them all!
Apparently still in shock after not having been named mayor or vice-mayor, Carefree Councilman Gemmill said almost nothing at the June council meeting. However, at the call to the public his spouse noted that businesses are fleeing the town at a high rate.
My Cave Creek water bill jumped 266 percent from May, 2009 to June, 2009. Now the council wants a dreadful all-night Walmart in the heart of residential zoning to help finance their grandiose spending schemes. Some are suggesting a general property tax will be asked for if voters reject Walmart by referendum. The council seems to be blind to the other obvious alternative: let Cave Creek stay Cave Creek and not try to turn it into North Phoenix with unnecessary town projects.
"The budget gap in Arizona is the widest of any state in the country," said Marshall Vest, an economist at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. "It's a huge hole to fill." It's even wider than the hole the town of Cave Creek is trying to fill with Walmart!
Within Carefree’s town center American Sterling Bank has closed. Alchemix Corporation is leaving Eight Sundial Circle building without a renter. Carefree/Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ellison has threatened to close its visitor’s center. The proprietor of English Rose Tea Room recently stated, “The merchants are leaving in droves because they don’t feel they will be here by next Christmas.” Is it any wonder Carefree’s mayor, vice-mayor and financial guru withdrew from the general election to leave their surrogates to fix the mess they left the town in?
Carefree Council needs a reality check if they are planning a 25th anniversary celebration. Everyone knows that you don't plan a party when you can't pay your bills. Someone needs to educate Schwan and his cronies.
About 30 some years ago my wife and I went to a proposed Scottsdale Airport Runway Expansion meeting. Several homeowners were there from Pinnacle Peak as well as airport management and Scottsdale City Hall. The airport and city hall people kept saying ... you will never see anything larger than small 'bus' jets using the airport or something to that effect. Hope you’re successful Nick (Luongo), but “white man has a history of speaking with forked tongue.”
My question is how did we ever end up with an Elmer Fudd look-alike for mayor of Carefree? Anyone who voted for him should resign. The guy got the least amount of votes, not at all in keeping with our friendly town who voted for direct election of the mayor. This is a slap in the face. I’m sorry, I am not happy.
Mr. Obama started his term as a possible character and now there is no doubt. It gets worse almost every day.
One lecture a month by (Becky) Fenger and Craig Cantoni would be plenty. We don’t need a weekly one with letters to the editor added on.
I feel bad about (Ms) Herrera not being able to post her pets at the post office. I get tired of seeing those postings anyway. We all know pets don’t get lost in the Cave Creek/Carefree area. They are usually found by coyotes or bobcats.
Carefree council reviewed the town 2009-10 budget at a special meeting on June 9. The meeting began at 5 p.m. to ensure maximum inconvenience to the public. Councilman Gemmill "the dim" didn't attend. Mayor David "toad prince" Schwan refused to allow public comment on budget items. Councilwoman Susan "wicked witch" Vanik, with almost no knowledge and even less interest in the budget, was shouted down by other council members when she proposed ending the budget review shortly after the process started. Town Administrator Neiss seemed to regard himself as the eighth councilman. The mayor allowed him to interject remarks and lecture the council from time to time. One audience member, perhaps wishing to avoid being blinded by the council's brilliance, wore very dark sunglasses but soon left. Judging from their crankiness, the meeting concluded after some members' bedtimes or perhaps having missed milk and cookies.