My View

BY DON SORCHYCH | JANUARY 22, 2014

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Don Sorchych

Fixing stupid?
Recall
Complaint
Coward

Driving up Pima Road in Scottsdale there are signs on the east side of the road generally damning Scottsdale politics. The sign I liked best: “There is no fix for stupid, so vote them out!” That message fits Cave Creek far more than Scottsdale. The Cave Creek voting public will have the opportunity to fix stupid in the upcoming recall elections.

Who but stupid would fire the best town manager ever in Cave Creek? Who but four other stupids would follow the lead from a Scottsdale resident’s vindictive and probably illegal lynching of Usama Abujbarah? The same stupids caused a huge lawsuit against the town with probable personal lawsuits to follow against the slate of stupids. Then the Scottsdale drug store cowboy used his leverage with other slate stupids to hire an impossibly incompetent interim town manager. One consequence is many of the employees are seeking new positions elsewhere or waiting for the new hire.

bil canfield editorial cartoon
For instance, the much adored Utilities Manager Jessica Marlowe is leaving to take a similar but larger position in Gilbert. Despite the fact Gilbert has a population of about 200,000 compared to 5,000 in Cave Creek, would she have gone if Abujbarah was still there?

Years ago Town Clerk Carrie Dyrek was offered another job and lots more money, yet she stayed because of Abujbarah’s management skills.

The big question before us is the hiring of a Massachusetts town manager. Why in the world would we hire someone who doesn’t fit a position in Cave Creek? The next question is the apparent desperation of anyone who would come to a town which is facing a recall of the entire council, and yes the mayor will be recalled too.

RECALL
Vice Mayor Adam Trenk has warned potential recall candidates the election will be expensive. Yes, it will be. However, Cave Creek voters can’t be bought and many realize now they were hoodwinked by the slate. And I have reminded our readers many times that in the primary election Ernie Bunch got only two votes less than Trenk and spent nothing while Trenk spent at least $25,000 of mostly his family’s money.

I received this comment and spanking last week:
“Dear Mr. Sorchych,
“I often do not agree with you, however, I do agree with your take on Hogs n' Horses. I hope the town takes note. I am greatly offended, however, by the use of the word "libtard" in your article. I work with children and adults with disabilities where the second syllable of your disgusting word gets its roots. Maybe you thought it was cute. Name-calling is quite a low form of showing disagreement with someone or their values. I would think that a person like yourself, someone that is supposed to have a wealth of words at their disposal, could come up with another way of expressing themselves without reducing their comments to derogatory names. It only serves to diminish the impact of your article and that is sad.”

Lesa Pennington
Cave Creek

OK then, I have been criticized by a liberal. There was certainly no offense meant toward those who are disabled or who were born disadvantaged. But I have a problem with the demand by liberals that I can’t use “cripple” but must say “physically challenged.” or something similar. I have been on crutches or canes many times in my life due to a high school knee injury and called a cripple without anger or remorse. How about we call a spade a spade and move on to more important things in life.

HOGS and HORSES
So back to Hogs and Horses. Linda Bentley saw T.C. Thorstensen and was told the story about his buffalo who escaped from Hogs and Horses. He was informed at 2 a.m. and chased the buffalo up Cave Creek Road. (I am told by local business owners the buffalo had passed the Buffalo Chip and was headed toward Harold’s Corral. This is the time to remind you that an adult buffalo weighs about 2,500 pounds and can run 45 MPH). According to Thorstensen, he thought the buffalo didn’t know who grabbed him so he reacted by horning his face; apparently Thorstensen had some sort of facial reconstruction. Thorstensen said the buffalo got out because the gates weren’t locked. They are now padlocked.

However another source said dancers at the Hogs and Horses were frightened by the sudden appearance of the buffalo inside the place.

Is this any different than housing a tiger or lion in the commercial core of Cave Creek?

This morning I saw the long horned steer up on the trailer top. That is not a way to treat an animal.

Let’s not forget Vice Mayor Adam Trenk (who current Mayor Vincent Francia has stepped aside for) used to be the statutory attorney for Hogs and Horses and no doubt Thorstensen assumes he can do whatever he wants to do. He was overheard telling a customer he has been advised by Trenk to do nothing controversial since recall elections will come soon.

editorial cartoonSo in the absence of a town manager will Francia do something about the public safety issue? I guess I must be kidding.

Cowards
Once again cowards have emerged in Cave Creek. I thought these disgusting individuals had stopped threatening potential advertisers. Recently a relatively new business was told by an older man with a beard that if he advertised with us he and his friends would not be customers. What that coward did is actionable under the law. I would ask advertisers to photograph anyone who plays the same illegal game with them so we can publish it. If you have a cell phone, most are equipped with excellent cameras. We have a Bil Canfield sketch of the cowardly one.