My View
By Don Sorchych | August 5, 2009
Recall continues
While I will not take much more space to defend our name against the likes of Lyn Hitchon and her cronies, her so-called “Carefree Truth” e-mail is a pack of lies and prejudiced opinions. Yet, she says she will be “positive and factual.”
In one matter she claimed we asserted Carefree hired illegal aliens to work on the roads at the Ranchitos Del Ray subdivision and that Mayor Ed Morgan demanded a retraction.
Here is what happened: Carefree entered into a contract for $13,000 to an unlicensed contractor without bid or council vote to repair a road in Ranchitos Del Ray subdivision. I took a picture of a laborer and asked if the contractor was there and he replied, “No Ingles,” while a boom box played south of the border music.
Later Curtis Riggs wrote, “Sonoran News learned that undocumented immigrants are working on the Ranchitos’ project.”
I got a call from the contractor who said he had a green card for the man in question. I said I would print a retraction if he showed it to me.
I wrote, “I said I would. Of course, I would make sure it wasn’t a forgery first and that he had a right to work in this country.”
After the editorial was written he brought me a copy of a green card, which I told him could be purchased in Phoenix for $50. I asked for his payroll stub, which would reflect Social Security, Medicare and other required deductions.
He never came back.
At no time did anyone at Carefree Town Hall call me, write me or contact me about that incident as related by Hitchon in her “Carefree Truth” or in e-mails to others.
If Morgan stopped advertising because of that incident, I have no idea. But if he did, he was even pettier than I accused him of being, especially since the illegal alien issue was never mentioned between us.
What Morgan wanted was a “friendly” press, one that only wrote platitudes about his administration and that is not Sonoran News.
Carefree’s Town Clerk mentions she sends legal advertisements to two out of town newspapers. Both have limited distribution in Carefree. What she doesn’t say is that they published legal ads in an unqualified free newspaper and the requisite affidavits were signed by the publisher. I maintain such ads were wholly inconsistent with statute and whatever was written was null and void. I sent Wise and Morgan the statute numerous times with no response.
Sonoran News is qualified, although a free newspaper, because we simultaneously print in a qualified subscription paper and they print and sign the affidavit. We got a favorable court ruling on the method we use.
Hitchon, the foul mouth, had a fit over a cartoon by Sonoran News Cartoonist Bil Canfield, which gave a short, succinct and graphic answer to Schwan’s letter to Cave Creek Mayor Vincent Francia about Walmart. Schwan suggested Cave Creek should form a regional group, including Carefree, Scottsdale, Phoenix and schools to decide the Walmart issue.
Schwan’s suggestion so flew in the face of Cave Creek’s sovereignty that My View suggested as an answer an extended middle finger – Canfield drew it and his “unknown” in his usual name caption spot was a joke.
I still think it was appropriate.
One thing you should know is Canfield’s cartoons are his interpretations of My View and are never changed. They are printed as sent, with the exception of spelling, which we correct.
Hitchon cleverly couches Sonoran News as anti-Carefree. No, we are anti Good Old Boy administrations and their actions. We believe Carefree is largely made up of decent, law-abiding people and businesses. I count many Carefree citizens as friends and view it as a lovely town with a lousy administration and a staff to match.
It is Sonoran News that was in sync with 73 percent of Carefree voters who want to vote for their mayor and also the 68 percent who want to keep a two year election cycle for their council members.
We have been in sync with Bob Coady, who for five terms, until the last election was abused by five council members and their appointed mayor. What bothers GOBs, including Hitchon, is that Coady was the top vote getter in the primary election with 800 votes despite the antics of GOBs. That is the people speaking, not the gang of 13 who ranted at town hall.
The future of the recall is in good hands. Neither Rod de Szendeffy nor Ryan Ducharme nor their volunteers will give up the fight. We printed Goldwater Institute’s guest editorial last week. Goldwater’s Director of the Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation Clint Bolick is a formidable attorney and his thoughtful attempt to protect the constitutional rights of de Szendeffy and Ducharme is timely and accurate. Only fools wouldn’t capitulate.
Hitchon is concerned that Sonoran News may get advertising from Carefree. It is a fact that we exist because of advertising and I want to thank the long list of faithful advertisers that keep our doors open. Sometimes it is appreciated loyalty but our ads do cause phones to ring. How could Carefree readers and advertisers not notice that we typically send 2,500 papers to the Carefree Post Office and a another 300 to racks in Carefree businesses, while the Arizona Republic sends 700?
The celebration at the Tea Room in Carefree that we were bankrupting was false and libelous. I wonder if Councilman Bob Gemmill would celebrate if we floated a rumor of that kind about the Tea Room, his wife’s place?
I have news for rumor mongers. All businesses in the summer struggle and we are no exception. Fortunately our loyal advertisers and new business keeps us afloat and doldrums lift in a month or two.
We are aware that GOBs in Carefree threaten advertisers and potential advertisers about advertising in Sonoran News. Although only a few name names, some do, and they will be hearing from us.
Sonoran News is in its 15th year and we will be here for at least another 15, if not longer.