MARCH 23, 2011
Your View
I'm not real thrilled with the election results (AS USUAL). Comparing Schwan's numbers to the rest of the council candidates, he would have come in sixth (AS USUAL). This is not a mandate Mayor Schwan, this was pure luck.
Adam Trenk was quoted in the Sonoran News as “approving the Cave Creek Wash Flood Hazard Reduction Project with reservation because flood insurance would otherwise cover it.” Yet another example of his blazing stupidity. His term on council cannot end soon enough.
You may have to use Schwan’s given middle name going forward, since ‘property tax’ won’t work anymore. Savvy voters squashed his dream of a new town hall, better known as the monument of his reign.
The images of the tragedy in Japan leave us speechless. Let us not leave us motionless. They need whatever help we can offer.
We know that trash mouth Hitchon raised the dead in at least one of her numerous attempts to smear the good name of Doug Stavoe. Schwan’s narrow victory is the scarlet letter she earned.
I really liked the Your View comment about half of the people in Carefree being unsupportive of Schwan – literally almost half of the people on the street wishing he was not in office, when they see him or maybe even if they don’t see him.
Many thanks to Doug Stavoe for the honest, positive campaign he employed. Thanks too, for the term limits proposition which he sponsored and saw to fruition. Special thanks also go out to Jim Pierce, who sponsored the two propositions that will help protect all Carefree residents from the sneaky property tax to fund a new town hall.
I think Cave Creek should be true to its heritage, not to motorcycles. That is not the Western heritage we aspire to, nor the proper answer to the equestrians seeking unquestioning support.
Some knew the name Art Gimson as the pompous ass with the accent. Soon he’ll be known as such on the council. Forget a new town hall. A stable to house the herd of pompous asses may be more useful.
The Bicycle Festival in April is one of those Cave Creek things we need to: A) be proud of and B) Support without question and C) make it all about veterans or our troops or another meaningful patriotic effort.
No doubt expecting a landslide victory after spending huge sums of campaign cash, the GOB crowd must have been dismayed with the Carefree mayor's narrow win. A swing of 40 votes and he would have lost.
Mayor Francia, why did you find it necessary to support a property tax? I had hopes you would be our mayor for life. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that is a viable option. We will have others.
Census data show Carefree's population grew by 14.9 percent in the past decade, or about 1.4 percent compounded annually. That sounds about right to me. Potential new residents are turned off by the town's reputation for being run by a closed political clique, lack of effective political leadership, absurdly low traffic speed limits with rigorous enforcement, a dying town center, elevated new house construction costs due to impact fees, the highest sales tax rate in the county, no community schools, very high water rates and distance from major shopping centers. It is not surprising residential property values have plummeted reflecting not only economic conditions but also a weak population trend.
I have been working very hard over the last couple of years. I know there are people who wish to be doing just that. If you give away about one-tenth of your time (or money if you have it or other property or material possessions), which in anyone’s book is tithing, you will be rewarded tenfold. This is not a joke.
I am planning to enter a LGBT Fiesta Days Parade float truck and am issuing a call for youth, ranging in age from 14-22, to participate by waving to folks from the flatbed. No prior parade experience is necessary. Training in proper wave techniques will be offered, including the royal Queen Elizabeth II wave, the friendly "hiya" wave, and the informal "come here" wave.
With a loss in state revenue and Walmart opening in Cave Creek, what will Carefree do to pay for entitlements such as fire protection? I hope this won't mean more clown signs around town.
I saw all kinds of white tents around town this weekend. Is this good? Does it help? Will anyone respond? Will Sonoran News do an article about this? It must have an impact on our businesses. What kind of impact? That is the unanswered question.
With the likelihood of Carefree enacting a local property tax now someplace between none and extremely remote with the passage of Prop. 423, the new town council will certainly increase water rates and have less cash to hand out to their political supporters. I look for more cuts in staff as the mayor's rosy picture of town finances becomes evident as a fraud.
