Guest Editorial
BY DONNA LAMAR | APRIL 2, 2014
Lies
The last election in Cave Creek was a real eye opener for many of us who love this town. The organized misinformation, the outright lies, and the amazing amount of outside money being spent. Most troubling was the onslaught of anonymous blogs extolling the virtues of Trenk, Durkin, Spitzer and Monachino and viciously slandering all who dared to oppose them.
Our worst fears were realized when the Trenk slate, once elected, set about dismantling our town. An agenda which continues to this day with an over-abundance of signs, shiny statues, backdoor deals, a lack of support for cultural aspects of the town such as the Desert Foothills Library, and, of course, no support for the trail system or the purchase of our annexed open space.
My husband, Steve LaMar, refused to silently stand by watching our open space and trail system abandoned, our General Plan ignored, and our Town Core degenerate into a flood of trinket tents, set in a sea of plastic signs, snarling traffic jams, and blaring outdoor music that drives the residents of Cave Creek indoors where they recall the days of life in a quiet, quaint, old western mining town that had citizen representatives who protected its heritage.
Let me briefly introduce you to Steve LaMar. He helped write the first General Plan for Cave Creek, served for years on the planning commission and was talked into running for council to help see it through the great recession. While he does not intend to run for council in the recall election, he has spoken out to protect Cave Creek. He has sat on the board for several non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the church vestry and Big Brothers, Big Sisters. He is not a politician and never claimed to be one. As a lawyer he has been a prosecutor, and a defender of the state for the Attorney General’s office and in private practice the defender of municipalities across Arizona. He has spent a large part of his life in public service.
I warned Steve the Trenk slate would use its secret attack squads to get him if he stood against them. He didn’t listen to me.
This time I hate being right. The Trenk slate is associated with and supported by slanderers and liars of the most despicable order who have redefined this town’s politics. Last week in response to Steve’s guest editorial critical of Adam Trenk and his friend TC Thorstenson, the attack squad anonymously posted a blog extolling the virtues of the Trenk slate, and repeatedly called Steve a pervert of the worst kind posting a picture they claim showed Steve inappropriately touching an uncomfortable boy.
Below is the photograph they darkened and reduced in their anonymous post.
Here is the reality behind the picture:
Steve was a long time Valley Big Brother. The young man in the picture, Adam, is a 34 year old man. Steve became Adam’s big brother when he was 10 years old. He is part of our family, and has been a part of Steve’s family for 24 years. Steve was named a Valley Big Brother of the Year and first runner up National Big Brother of the Year. He served for 8 years on the board of Valley Big Brothers and Sisters and was elected president of the Board by his peers who were serving on that board with him.
Adam’s father died when he was very young and Steve stepped in as a Big Brother and in the end became the father he lost. Adam went from being a shy extremely quiet 10 year old kid walking down a hard lonely road to becoming an officer of his high school class, a member of the cross country team and a young man who helped others. He was named National Little Brother of the year and after being introduced by Pittsburg Steeler Lynn Swann and Pam Dawber (Mindy of Mork and Mindy), gave the keynote speech to a thousand people at the Big Brother Big Sister national convention and won a full ride scholarship to NAU. He now lives in Manhattan and is a successful, bright, young man who loves my husband and our family very much.
I took the picture. We used it in Steve’s first campaign. Steve gives Adam a welcoming pat on the back as a gesture of greeting. Adam came to visit for the holidays as he does most years. Steve will continue to give Adam, and the rest of his family, a hug when they come to visit. How we treat our family will not change because evil, anonymous political operatives now attempt to rule Cave Creek by intimidation.
Mr. Trenk, Mr. Durkin, Mr. Monachino, and Mr. Spitzer I demand that you disclose the names of your evil attack squad who posted this slander for you. There is an old saying: You are known by the company you keep. You can simply provide the names to Mayor Francia so he can publish them for us in the Cave Creek Coyote as a public service. Mr. Mayor, would you please follow up with your councilmen and urge them to provide your citizens with the names of the individuals involved in this outrageous conduct so that they can be held accountable.
I am not a public person, and want nothing to do with politics, but I call upon the citizens of Cave Creek to renounce this slate of villains, cowards, and liars who have no sense of decency. This outrageous conduct is why so few decent people will get involved with our democracy at any level. This conduct is so outrageous that it cannot be ignored and allowed to continue.
To you cowards who refuse to sign your names to your lies, come out from the sewer you live in and stand behind your accusations and defamations. You will be held accountable, sooner or later, in some form or another, in this life or another. Tell us who you are. We would like to engage you in a slightly more formal public debate where we can explore your motives and have a whole host of good citizens who know Steve and Adam meet your lies with the truth. We are eager meet you.
To the Trenk Slate of politicians who use these operatives, God help us and save us from the likes of you.
I can’t speak for Steve, but I know him and I will not warn him anymore. You see I was right about you, but he was also right to fight despicable people like you to the end.
