Mayor and Council Members,
Apparently the Cave Creek bars are the only thing that matter to you. Thanks to all of you except Vice Mayor LaMar and Councilman Lipsky, who voted against the road closures, Cave Creek was an absolute traffic disaster for us residents, an art show and many small businesses again this weekend. You don’t seem to understand the residents of Cave Creek matter as well. What makes Cave Creek special is the diversity, not just the bars. The residents are important, the small businesses are important, the art community is important, the open space is important, the horse community is important. We are all important. So why are the bars allowed to cause such horrific traffic congestion? Is it because you think they are special? Their parking lots are crowded with vendor tents that do not pay for permits or taxes but simply pay big bucks to the bars. The town residents have shown strong support for the bars as witnessed by the outpouring of support for the Buffalo Chip after the fire. So shouldn’t you cause the bars to show equal support for the town residents? Perhaps a novel approach would be for the bars to use their parking lots for parking and find some other location for their vendors and overflow parking that do not cause road closures.
I was told several years ago the largest sales tax comes from a gas station and not the bars. Now I can only assume that Walmart has probably changed that but my question is why are the bars not paying more sales tax if they are so busy and so important to the town? Have there ever been audits to answer that?
Every other organization and business that plans a special event has been required to arrange for parking other than in the street. Why are the bars and motorcycles an exception? It is past time for this council and this town manager to manage things for all the citizens and not just for three or four bars.
Melanie Williams
Cave Creek
Road closures
Melanie,
Since this council, with the exception of Mark and I, has voted the present town manager, in his sole discretion can continue to provide free parking for bikers on the citizen’s public streets so biker bars can profit from subletting the required parking to out of town concessionaires with a notorious history of not reporting sales tax income to the town and our Trenk/Glassman holdover town manager, in my experience, has evidenced no interest in engaging the solidarity and volunteerism of resident citizens of this town, but rather has adopted and is furthering at every turn a narrow “Biker Town” vision for Cave Creek:
You, and the rest of this community, just need to accept the fact it has been decided by a majority of this council this issue is now a “non-council” matter. Specifically, it has been decided this is not a policy decision that should be brought to council.
Yes, citizens continue to die on our streets, traffic jams are awful, apparently viewed as necessary collateral damage that naturally occurs in furthering the “Biker Town” vision for Cave Creek our town manager and the majority of this council apparently support. The only credible survey ever done on this issue confirms 85 percent of Cave Creek residents think it is wrong to use our streets for long term parking for bikers, but council and our Trenk/Glassman holdover town manager were and are aware of that survey and apparently have decided profit for a bar owner, in balance, is more important than the residents’ right to efficient safe travel on our public streets.
Simply put Mark and I were out voted. This council has spoken “loud and clear” not only that the situation is fine, but it should not come back to council as it is not a “policy matter”. As my vote reflects, I strongly disagree, but this is a democracy and the majority rules. While I can express my thoughts on what is right, fair, and in the best interests of the town, I must accept the decision of my colleagues who view this as an issue they must leave to sole discretion of the town manager.
I hope this helps explain why this issue will not be placed on a council agenda given the council majority vote interpreting the Manager/Council form of government.
Steve LaMar
Cave Creek Vice Mayor
Cave Creek loses a courageous councilman
On April 4, 2016 Mark Lipsky resigned from his seat on the Cave Creek Town Council in the wake of a 4-3 vote to extend the contract of Peter Jankowski, the present town manager. Mark’s explanation was measured, eloquent and candid as we have come to expect from him. As he saw it, council had an opportunity Monday night, as Jankowski’s contract came to an end, to reach out with an RFP for qualified, highly skilled, candidates for town manager. Mark appreciated the importance to Cave Creek, and its citizens, that council undertake the due diligence required of any organization to ensure it has the best management available.
Mark and I didn’t see eye to eye on all issues. He was new to public service and had a lot of questions. But he really loves this town, has the courage to speak his mind and voted for its best interest as he saw it. He saw his duty as doing what was right for the town rather than using his vote, and his office, as a fear driven path of least resistance to secure reelection.
Since opinion and comment by any political candidate is fairly looked at these days with healthy skepticism, I want to preface my remaining comments with the public announcement that this term as Cave Creek Vice Mayor will be my last. Let me be clear; I am not running for reelection.
Mark’s commitment to the town, in my mind, is what public service should be. A look at the roster of Trenk/Slate retreads and second string fear mongers who have slithered again from the dark fringes of this town to run for office confirms the town has suffered a loss.
Mark’s disgust and disappointment at the missed opportunity was well taken.
Mayor Francia and Councilman Bunch voted to extend Jankowski’s contract and I have no issue with that as they have consistently supported and protected Jankowski and have consistently expressed that support.
Councilmen McGuire and Esser are a different kettle of fish. McGuire for weeks on end expressed to anyone who would listen very sound, fact driven, reasons to support his view that; 1) Jankowski was not effectively communicating, 2) was doing a substandard job, 3) he was incompetent, and 4) that his continued employment was not in the best interest of the town.
Esser, after months of berating and attacking Mark Lipsky, was in his truest form for the Jankowski vote. Literally seconds before the vote in the public meeting Esser leaned over to Susan Clancy and me and whispered, in essence, that we were right, he had reconsidered and agreed with us that an RFP for Town Manager candidates should be issued. With that Susan and I voted without comment. Seconds later, Esser voted to give Jankowski a merit raise, and extend his contract for a year.
Inexplicable? Maybe not. With the Esser-McGuire votes secured and Jankowski employed through another bike week, a large group of bikers, employees, and owner of the town’s biker bars, Bradshaw, left council chambers en mass. No need to hang around......mission accomplished.
So thank you Mark for having the courage of your conviction, and for serving the town rather than yourself.
Steve LaMar
Cave Creek Vice Mayor
Sacrifice
Frank Morgan in the role of wizard gave the Tin Man his Heart, the Lion his courage and the Scarecrow his brains, but couldn’t get Dorothy home to Kansas. Bernie Sanders in the role of presidential candidate has heart, he has courage, but brains, not so much. Senator Sanders has offered the free life to anyone who would vote for him, illegal aliens, millennial know nothings, lay-abouts and Kool-aid drinkers; for payment increased national debt and higher taxes. He can’t bring a balanced budget back to Kansas or anywhere else, he’s no wizard.
America was not founded on a free ride for freeloaders, but principals of opportunity for those who work hard and self sacrifice. The Founders pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor, and some gave the last full measure. Every American generation has given of themselves, personal sacrifice for American ideals, for the common good, for future generations. The sacrifices of the Civil War secured the freedom of a people, WWI halted imperial aggression in Europe, the WWII generation saved millions from the oppression of German Fascism and Imperial Japan.
Have we lost that ability to give of ourselves at the expense of ourselves, are we a generation of takers? AARP, Obama Care supporter, functions like an arm of the government; I won’t join regardless the ‘benefits’. GM owned by the unions via the fed, great incentives but I won’t buy a Chevy. Progressive insurance, a Soros company, won’t see my money. Cop hating Quentin Tarantino’s films won’t either. All small sacrifices, but why support an enemy of American ideals?
I, as we all do, sacrifice an astronomical amount of money that could benefit my family to taxation to pay for those who won’t work, but will vote. What must not be sacrificed is our American way of life to Socialism’s fictional free-ride. We have the opportunity to turn back the wave of Socialist doctrine surging through our political process. Neither Mr. Sanders nor Mrs Clinton deserve the keys to the White House. Any and every Republican candidate is a superior choice.
Randy Edwards
Cave Creek
Foxes own hen house?
Having become aware of extraordinary incompetence and waste in a state agency, I shouldered some civic responsibility and went to testify at a Senate appropriations committee hearing. The experience was rather shocking and showed me why our government no longer works. The Senators were polite, interested and appreciative. However, when the hearing was over, a lobbyist for the state agency angrily confronted me and told me I had no right to come down to the Capitol and criticize “his client.” Really? I, a state citizen, taxpayer, and voter, have no right to speak to our elected representatives? Where does such unbridled arrogance come from?
Subsequently, I slowly learned how much our elected representatives are manipulated by lobbyists. Politicians come and go, but the lobbyists are always there. They give politicians cash, are on transition teams after elections and write bills during legislative sessions. At times, they even presume to speak for the government. I once attended a public meeting where an authoritative sounding person was saying that what the people wanted would not even be considered. From the message being given, I assumed the speaker was a member of the governor’s staff. I later learned that person was a lobbyist.
For a republic to work properly, lobbyists need to be reined in. They are currently required to register with the state, but there are few other restrictions. Change is needed. To start, there need to be “term limits” for lobbyists. No one should be allowed to be a lobbyist for more than 5 years. We need to have our elected leaders operate our government, not the lobbyists.
Dick Zimmermann
Tempe
According to PVT South
Bill O Reilly stated on Fox News that if Trump wins the nomination Hillary will win the White House. Not so fast. PVT South will give Queen Hillary California but the other 49 should stay away. It is no secret that the last seven years with Obamacare has not been good for America. The last time the USA was on the same page as a nation was WWII. That generation won the war, this generation is too politically correct to win anything.
Wolf Blitzer on CNN really carried on over the term Gestapo Tactics. OK Wolf, when Bill was President and First Lady Hillary was in charge of Bimbo Eruptions, what kind of tactics did her staff use to go after the women Slick Willy was involved with?
If President Carter had won re-election would the Berlin Wall still be up? And why is Bernie Sanders popular with young voters? Okay, Children Grow Up, with everything given to them year after year. (Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Birthdays, Graduation, and Weddings). Bernie Sanders is the new Santa Claus, the gift that will keep on giving.
A minimum wage of 15 dollars per hour will only cause inflation no one’s buying power will improve. Okay, let’s say in the future the minimum wage is 15 dollars per hour all over the USA and a Big Mac is now 10 dollars … Dearly Beloved will anyone even notice?
PVT South
Louisville, Kentucky
Are contributions from Big Pharma preventing passage of S. 31?
Your publication should publish an editorial raising the question whether your state’s U.S. Senator on the Senate Finance Committee who is seeking re-election in 2016 is not cosponsoring S. 31, the Medicare Prescription Drug Negotiations Act, because he has accepted six-figure campaign and leadership PAC contributions from the Pharmaceutical and Health Products industry. To learn how much he has received go to www.opensecrets.org, a website of The Center of Responsible Politics. S. 31 has been stalled in the Senate Finance Committee since introduced on Jan. 6, 2015 by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Practically every member of the Senate Finance Committee received major contributions from Pharma from 2011 ? 2016.
Sincerely,
Joseph Dombrowski
Scottsdale
Save America
The people of the State of Arizona are seeing more and more corruption enter their lives through the actions of lawmakers. House Bill 2537 is a bill taking money from hard working people and businesses. There are a number of ways to look at Bill 2537. It seems to be clear that the politicians are buying future legal decisions of judges and attorneys in the State of Arizona. When there is this kind money involved in a new law, one can conclude that some kind of corruption is occurring. This law seems to be about power for some of the elected officials.
The solution to the court problems is for our elected representatives (city, county and state) to require every department in their jurisdiction to submit a list of laws, rules, and regulations that could be taken off of the books of the government. This action promotes integrity, honor and justice in our everyday lives. The biggest reward is that it would reduce the cost of government and there would be no need to pass a law like Bill 2537.
If Arizonans truly want to live a life of peace and one with quality of life, the citizens will have to send letters and emails asking their representatives not to vote for House Bill 2537.
In their letter or email they must ask that the government reduce or void 25 percent of all the laws on the books. The citizens are asking elected officials to support their request to have judges and attorney make a commitment to legal reform.
Americans are peacefully asking judges and attorneys to make the commitment to legal reform. The question is, will the politicians of the state move against corruption by supporting the people of Arizona.
Roger Chantel
Union Carpenter/Veteran
Non-partisan is a meaningless term
Almost any new organization formed these days claims to be “Nonpartisan”. This term is either meaningless or, more likely, deceptive. What the organizers would have you believe is that the group has no philosophical bias. But this is almost never the case. Most new groups have a decidedly liberal bias because most groups are trying to get some favor from government, either tax money or regulations that favor whatever the new group is trying to accomplish.
Be wary of any group claiming to be nonpartisan. They are pulling the wool over your eyes.
Roy Miller
Phoenix
Ancient tradition still observed
My wife and I traveled to Arizona at the end of March, to take care of some business. While at the Hampton Inn, Anthem, we decided to attend two of the Diamondbacks-Rockies pre-season games.
We were startled by the high price of food and drink at the Salt River Field . On the first day, we ordered two French fries and two Pepsis, which cost $18.00. On the second day, we shared a portion of eight chicken wings and two Pepsis, to the tune of $16.00.
Apparently, the ancient practice of scalping the Paleface is still alive at SRF...
J-P. A. Maldonado
Lafayette, CO
Don Bitler
Just want to say how much I enjoyed reading the article “Donald Trump Fountain Hills Rally” by Don Bitler. I couldn’t agree more and wish this were in more newspapers.
Thank you,
Name withheld by request
