The good guys
With the appearance of signs all over town decrying the proposed property tax I find it is time, once again, to put pen to paper. Remember to vote against this abomination and make sure your friends and neighbors follow suit.
Remember that our bumbling town manager insisted that enforced fire coverage was being demanded by concerned citizens. Remember also this was demonstrated in the form of a petition, a petition instigated by that self same town manager.
Remember, the figure of $1.2 million that is bandied about as the amount necessary is not arrived at after careful study or any fact-based reality. Rather, it was cynically plucked out of thin air and is, (cough) coincidentally (cough) the same amount as the sunsetting Spur Cross Reservation Assessment. You won't feel a thing, dearie!
Remember also the entire town council is aware said amount will not cover the increase in infrastructure and buildings that will be required in the future. Knowing all this, four members recklessly voted to refer this to the townsfolk anyway; who arguably might be less well informed in these matters. In a republic we elect officials to make the decisions, including the tough ones, as opposed to a democracy wherein the electorate decides everything by ballot. Sadly, that spinelessness is prevalent today at all levels in politics.
In closing, next election you need to remember that the good guys were Messrs Francia, Bunch and Esser. The others? Not so much.
Gary Kiernan
Cave Creek
Property tax an incurable disease
History has shown that property tax rates increase regardless of property tax values. Property taxes throughout the United States have increased 20 percent between 2006 and 2010; this while home values decreased 33 percent. In 2011, property taxes rose 1.2 percent as property values continued to decline. This data comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Property tax laws ensure tax declines are rare. Once voted in, the tax can be raised 2 percent per year in Arizona without a public vote. In many areas, the valuation of your property can be based on the last 5 year best value.
Once citizens vote themselves a property tax, they condemn themselves to a regressive tax policy. The property tax rate, over time, will increase beyond any claims made by those who utilize short term savings as an argument in favor of approval.
Cave Creek is at the fork in the road that will determine our future citizens’ economic survival. A decision to pay for universal fire and EMT services from Rural Metro with a property tax is the foot in the door. What is next ... garbage collection, sheriff department coverages, bridging the washes, landscaping common areas? The possibilities are endless. Where does it end? Just look at communities that went down this road. In many of those communities, property taxes eventually equated to an amount equal to the mortgage payment. This will not occur over night but it will inexorably move in that direction. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” Let us not take that first step on this fiscally dangerous journey; our future citizens will thank us for caring about their economic survival.
Cave Creek is a semi-rural, low population density community. Even at buildout, we will remain a low density community. As such, services will never equate to high population density communities. Services costs on a per capita basis will always be high with our demographics. No taxation system can resolve this demographic reality. We need more self reliance and volunteerism to help us maintain our community; taxation and more government is not the answer. This is the choice we made to live in this beautiful, natural and low density environment community.
The only solution to an incurable disease is … don’t get infected. VOTE NO ON THE PROPERTY TAX.
George A. Ross
Cave Creek
Only in Cave Creek
Where else could you close down one half of a public roadway and allow a private enterprise park their customer's motorcycles in the middle of the road. Yes, there was plenty of private land that could have been leased and participants charged for parking. But no, public parking on a public roadway. Shame on us. Other events both public and private have arranged off road parking and bussed participants to the event. But maybe the rules have changed. Do we get to park our cars on Cave Creek Road, closing half the road and inconveniencing all our neighbors? Come on, why the special treatment?
E. Bell
Cave Creek
Proposed Special Planning Area in Carefree
Carefree politicians have posted a 110-page “General Plan 2030" document innocuously termed a “General Plan Update.” They would like voters to believe their “intent in the 2012 updated General Plan is to be consistent in perpetuating the visions of the Town’s predecessors with only modest modifications as needed to address changing circumstances, primarily externally caused”.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The 110 pages, clearly designed to discourage reading and analysis, are being used to obscure the true intent of the document by including as much irrelevant verbiage as the authors can conjure up.
The document has 11 sections, including a “vision statement”, and mind-numbing chapters (grandly mistitled “elements”) for “land use,” “circulation,” “open space,” “growth,” “environmental,” “cost of development,” “water resources,” and “public services and facilities.” There are exactly 22 “figures” and 27 “tables” in the proposed General Plan 2030.
All this for a town with a population of about 3500 and 1700 occupied housing units!
Not a word is devoted to pointing out for readers the single real objective of the document! Rather the hidden goal is buried in bits for maximum obfuscation. Here is what the politicians are really after:
Pointing the finger of blame at the Town of Cave Creek, while conveniently ignoring that in 1997 Carefree changed residential zoning to commercial on the northwest corner of Carefree Highway and Cave Creek Road without consulting Cave Creek, the Plan states, “This deliberate commercial intensification places additional pressures on the evolution of the northeast corner of Carefree Highway and Cave Creek Roads [sic]. Therefore, special attention needs to be taken to ensure the development of the northeast corner provides for a sustainable land use.” Nowhere does the document try to explain the politicians’ idea of “sustainable land use.”
The politicians assert their proposed Special Planning Area: Northeast Corner of Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway would provide for “an economically sustainable land use that would complement the evolving commercial uses in Scottsdale and Cave Creek.” In other words, residential isn’t a “sustainable land use!” What self-serving drivel!
Accordingly, if approved, their new Plan would designate the northeast corner a “Special Planning Area” (SPA), inconsistent with current single-family residential zoning. Then the underlying zoning would promptly be changed to commercial to become consistent with the SPA. Accordingly, anything a developer wants could be built there. What is the benefit to Carefree residents? I submit there is none. Why are the politicians’ plans for the corner a closely-held secret?
Directly across from the northeast corner all of the Carefree commercial land north of Lowe’s on the west side of Cave Creek Road remains unused after 15 years on the market. Much of the commercial space in the town center is available to lease. Adding commercial on the corner would further stress already low use of town center properties. The Plan hypocritically claims to “continue to support the Carefree Town Center as the central business district in Town.” In fact, changing the corner to commercial would suck business out of the town center!
Why are Carefree politicians determined to make the corner commercial, rather than completing the final step of the original residential design in that area? There is only one explanation. Former Mayor Ed Morgan became a paid consultant after the Easy Street project in the town center received a zoning change. I submit a similar motivation lies behind General Plan 2030. It’s easy money for politicians if voters can be duped into approving General Plan 2030.
Scottsdale voters figured out their proposed Plan catered to special interests and threatened Scottsdale’s character and recently handily rejected their new General Plan. Will Carefree voters be equally astute? Even though Carefree’s narrowly-elected mayor opposed both initiatives concerning a local property tax, voters weren’t fooled and approved them by wide margins. Let’s hope residents vote down the mayor’s outrageous land grab deal.
Jim Peirce
Carefree
Mayor Vincent Francia
Chairman Dan Baxley
Town of Cave Creek
c/o Ms. C. Dyrek, Town Clerk
37622 N. Cave Creek Road
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
Regarding: Enchanted Canyon General Plan Amendment and Rezoning Cases AGP-11-02 and Z-11-05
It is of great concern to me that the zoning laws of Cave Creek, with regard to the Fleming Springs area, could be changed to accommodate a commercial group interested only in making money, while destroying the tranquility of our very special and peaceful area. When does the original intent of the zoning board amount to a sincere commitment to the innocent property owners? The ones who purchased in this area because they believed the zoning board stood behind their decisions. It is very unfortunate that the members of the Board feel money is more important than the best interests of the residents. Cave Creek is unique in this world of greed; it would be a travesty to change it from a one stop sign town, destroying the peace everyone fortunate enough to call it home enjoys. I hope you will consider the very special quality of life In Cave Creek as privileged as I do, and stand by your original zoning decision for this quiet area.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Caldwell
Carolyn Johnstone
CC: Vice Mayor Ernie Bunch, Shelley Anderson, James Bruce, Dick Esser, Steven LaMar, Thomas McGuire, Vice Chairman Reg Monachino, Peter Omundson, Rae Iverson, Ted Bryda, Ray Fontaine, John Ford
Proposed Special Planning Area in Carefree
Carefree politicians have posted a 110-page “General Plan 2030" document innocuously termed a “General Plan Update.” They would like voters to believe their “intent in the 2012 updated General Plan is to be consistent in perpetuating the visions of the Town’s predecessors with only modest modifications as needed to address changing circumstances, primarily externally caused”.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The 110 pages, clearly designed to discourage reading and analysis, are being used to obscure the true intent of the document by including as much irrelevant verbiage as the authors can conjure up.
The document has 11 sections, including a “vision statement”, and mind-numbing chapters (grandly mistitled “elements”) for “land use,” “circulation,” “open space,” “growth,” “environmental,” “cost of development,” “water resources,” and “public services and facilities.” There are exactly 22 “figures” and 27 “tables” in the proposed General Plan 2030. All this for a town with a population of about 3500 and 1700 occupied housing units!
Not a word is devoted to pointing out for readers the single real objective of the document! Rather the hidden goal is buried in bits for maximum obfuscation. Here is what the politicians are really after:
Pointing the finger of blame at the Town of Cave Creek, while conveniently ignoring that in 1997 Carefree changed residential zoning to commercial on the northwest corner of Carefree Highway and Cave Creek Road without consulting Cave Creek, the Plan states, “This deliberate commercial intensification places additional pressures on the evolution of the northeast corner of Carefree Highway and Cave Creek Roads [sic]. Therefore, special attention needs to be taken to ensure the development of the northeast corner provides for a sustainable land use.” Nowhere does the document try to explain the politicians’ idea of “sustainable land use.”
The politicians assert their proposed Special Planning Area: Northeast Corner of Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway would provide for “an economically sustainable land use that would complement the evolving commercial uses in Scottsdale and Cave Creek.” In other words, residential isn’t a “sustainable land use!” What self-serving drivel!
Accordingly, if approved, their new Plan would designate the northeast corner a “Special Planning Area” (SPA), inconsistent with current single-family residential zoning. Then the underlying zoning would promptly be changed to commercial to become consistent with the SPA. Accordingly, anything a developer wants could be built there. What is the benefit to Carefree residents? I submit there is none. Why are the politicians’ plans for the corner a closely-held secret?
Directly across from the northeast corner all of the Carefree commercial land north of Lowe’s on the west side of Cave Creek Road remains unused after 15 years on the market. Much of the commercial space in the town center is available to lease. Adding commercial on the corner would further stress already low use of town center properties. The Plan hypocritically claims to “continue to support the Carefree Town Center as the central business district in Town.” In fact, changing the corner to commercial would suck business out of the town center!
Why are Carefree politicians determined to make the corner commercial, rather than completing the final step of the original residential design in that area? There is only one explanation. Former Mayor Ed Morgan became a paid consultant after the Easy Street project in the town center received a zoning change. I submit a similar motivation lies behind General Plan 2030. It’s easy money for politicians if voters can be duped into approving General Plan 2030.
Scottsdale voters figured out their proposed Plan catered to special interests and threatened Scottsdale’s character and recently handily rejected their new General Plan. Will Carefree voters be equally astute? Even though Carefree’s narrowly-elected mayor opposed both initiatives concerning a local property tax, voters weren’t fooled and approved them by wide margins. Let’s hope residents vote down the mayor’s outrageous land grab deal.
Jim Peirce
Carefree
Enchanted Canyon Resort
Desert Foothills Land Trust is a nonprofit land conservation organization working to protect the most special natural and cultural areas in our Foothills communities. We own land outright, and we work in partnership with willing landowners to accomplish meaningful, permanent land conservation.
In the last several weeks, the Land Trust has become aware that the proposed Enchanted Canyon Resort includes mention of the developers’ intent to dedicate a portion of their open space to Desert Foothills Land Trust. This was also included in the developers’ presentation to the Town of Cave Creek Planning Commission on Thursday, March 15, 2012. At that meeting, I signed up to clarify that the Land Trust has not discussed this project with the developers. However, the public comment period was cut short and I was not able to clarify that point.
Desert Foothills Land Trust maintains neutrality on development proposals that do not directly impact our protected lands. The Enchanted Canyon Resort proposal is no exception – we do not intend to take a position in support of or opposition to the proposal. However, we do believe it is important that the community understand that we have not discussed any open space dedication with the developers, we have not reviewed the development plans beyond the public review in which the rest of the community has participated, and we have not committed to steward or manage any lands within the proposed resort.
Sincerely,
Sonia Perillo, Executive Director
Desert Foothills Land Trust
Age of Reason
During the eighteenth century an era of new concepts was to become known as the Age of Reason and within it the briefer Age of Enlightenment. It was a time emphasizing human liberty, individual freedom and the pursuit of happiness; it was the time of the U.S. Constitution.
Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher wrote: Enlightenment is the liberation of man from his self-caused state of minority. Minority is the incapacity of using one's understanding without the direction of another. This state of minority is self-caused when its source lies not in lack of understanding but in a lack of determination to use it without the assistance of another.
In November of 2008 the American voter lacked enlightenment, but was joyfully assisted by the dominate media to act with mental minority and absence of reason in electing Barrack Hussein Obama to the Presidency of the United States. His purpose, decisions and actions of the last three years have proven to be enlightening indeed. We now know that he stands not for liberty or freedom but purely for personal power.
This election cycle, the most important since 1860, the American electorate must be enlightened enough to un-elect the man stripping them of their liberty, freedom and happiness, ending what may become known as the Age of Deception.
Randy Edwards
Cave Creek
It is time to stop electric utilities in Arizona
Electric utilities have installed or are installing “Smart Meters” which the American Academy of Environmental Medicine has deemed a health hazard, and have called for their removal.
The Word Health Organization has determined that low level radio frequency radiation is carcinogenic. Consumer digest in their study indicates the increased costs to customers will be on average be $2,300 per year. CIA director David Petraeus has said the rise of new “smart” gadgets means Americans are effectively bugging their own homes, saving US spy agencies a job when it identifies any “persons of interest.”
Are the citizens of Arizona ready for intrusion into their personal information, or the possibility of exposure to health hazards associated with these electrical digital devices? It appears the Arizona Corporation Commission is planning on supporting the electric utilities with their ongoing efforts to install these devices. It is up to you, the citizens of Arizona, to fight this. Contact the members of the Corporation Commission and let them know your opposition to this invasion of privacy and exposure to another carcinogenic. They are elected by you the voters to protect you from the excesses of corporations. You can demand the removal of these devices or that they not be installed. It is up to you!
Terry Hill
Show Low
Reigning Grace Ranch
As most of you know, I am thrilled to have moved from LuvShack to be the Director of Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation and Education at Reigning Grace Ranch.
You know how much I loved the work I was doing at LuvShack. It was a program I started so you have to know how much the work of Reigning Grace Ranch has impressed me. I hope it will impress you and touch your heart, because we really need your help right away.
Our mission is rescuing, rehabilitating, and reintroducing back into society the magnificent horse that has found itself in deplorable, unspeakable neglect. Furthering the chain reaction of this project is serving the communities by allowing horse and human to heal each other physically, mentally and emotionally. Our organization incorporates this operation towards providing extensive educational programs to children who have also found themselves in abusive, neglected situations, or who require self-esteem and self-confidence builders. The Reigning Grace Ranch rescued horse is the perfect companion suited to administer to those needs. It is truly a magical work.
Have you heard the phrase "If you build it they will come?" Well, we haven't finished building and the horses and children are coming! We do not charge children to participate in this program so every child that wants to come is welcome and not turned away because they aren't able to afford it. And we say yes to every possible horse rescue situation.
Horses are being rescued and healed, lives of precious children are being impacted and our program is growing! The problem is that it is growing faster than our funding and it's a problem we must address right away.
I am writing to ask for your help. Would you make a tax-deductible gift to sponsor one or more of our horses that are doing this very necessary work of healing?
Right now we are serving nearly 60 children and 52 horses. Those numbers grow every week.
It costs an average of $350 per month to rescue and then rehabilitate each horse. This includes the rescue costs, feed, vet care, hoof care, insurance, and more!
Would you consider a monthly gift to help sponsor a horse? If you can make a gift of $20 or $50 or $100 – those are the lifeblood of any charity and we treasure those gifts! Thank you so much!
Also, I do know that there are a handful of people reading this who have the ability to sponsor a horse for an entire year ($4,200) or even sponsor a couple or several horses for the whole year! I know some of you who are reading this now could do this if your heart is so led. If you are one of these people, please consider helping in this miraculous way.
And if you are not able to help with a monthly gift, one-time gifts are always welcome and greatly appreciated.
Please just follow your heart and be as generous as your funds allow.
Giving is easy! You can give directly on the website: www.ReigningGraceRanch.org Just click on "How You Can Help" and then click on "Donations."
If you would like to mail a check, please send it to: Reigning Grace Ranch, 28150 N Alma School Pkwy., Ste 103-481, Scottsdale, AZ 85262.
Also, if you would prefer to talk about other options for making your donation, please just let me know.
Please accept our sincerest appreciation for considering a donation for this most worthy cause. Your donation not only saves a horse, it allows a broken horse to heal a broken child and changes their life forever! Every dollar counts as a step toward healing a horse and a child. You are the very angels needed in this organization for it to continue the much needed work we are doing.
With appreciation,
Joey Ogburn
Director of Horse Rescue & Education
Reigning Grace Ranch
[email protected]
New food bank building
I looked at the floor plan for the new Food Bank facility you published recently and was struck by the imbalance. The amount of space allocated to offices and a Board of Directors conference room was surprising. This space was almost as much as allocated for food. The Desert Foothills Library, just down the road, built a new building with meeting rooms which are available for any non-profit board.
Granted, the current facility is limited and more space dedicated to refrigeration, freezer and dry groceries is probably needed. But, why all the offices, board room, etc.? The focus should be on volunteers, low cost and maximum distribution of food to the needy. Why do they need an edifice to a non-profit?
Sooner or later the officials of non-profit organizations reach a point where they start to think of their own wellbeing, comfort, income and status. At that point the whole reason for existence gets pushed to the back burner.
Fritz Biermeier
Scottsdale
