BY LINDA BENTLEY | MARCH 6, 2013
Carefree election gets testy and personal
‘My first responsibility is to the citizens of Carefree; I take my position on town council seriously’
CAREFREE – People have resorted to blogging to get their messages and opinions out there and there is no shortage of opinions around election time.
Lyn Hitchon (r, on left, with her husband Dr. Herbert Hitchon), who serves on the Carefree Planning Commission, began a blog she calls “Carefree Truth” on which she posts opinion pieces favorable to the town and those she likes serving on council.
She also posts unfavorable pieces about those with whom she disagrees or doesn’t like on council.
She gets like-minded people or ghost pens for others willing to sign their names to bolster the candidates of whom she approves and denigrate those she doesn’t.
Hitchon has posted and e-mailed erroneous information about Mike Farrar (r) on several occasions under the guise of it being “truth.”
Farrar said he takes no personal offense when someone disagrees with his political ideology, opinions or decisions he makes on council. However, he stated, “When someone purposely distorts the facts or truth that is politically motivated to sway an election, then I take issue, especially when it comes from an individual that sits on a town commission appointed by the mayor.”
While expressing disappointment in that type of behavior, Farrar said, “Unfortunately, that kind of behavior becomes the real poison in our community and in local government.”
Hitchon also posted editorial opinions written by her husband Dr. Herbert Hitchon and others who agree with Hitchon’s choices for council.
Farrar was targeted by Hitchon about the merchant sign issues and the Christmas Festival budget, without presenting all the facts, all of which she should have since she and her husband attend and video every council meeting.
Farrar told Hitchon if there was any truth in her “Carefree Truth,” she would permit his responses to her comments be sent out to her e-mail list as well. And he explained in detail where her information was incorrect and/or incomplete.
An unyielding Hitchon responded, “I said I was not getting into a prolonged dialogue on this and I meant it. For you to have taken the degree of offense to Herbert’s comments that you did is ludicrous. Like I said, Sonoran News and the recall crowd said far worse things about many of us, including me. My response was to laugh at it. I hate to think how you would have dealt with what David Schwann had to go through during that recall attempt. I suspect your head would have exploded when I see your reaction to that very minor criticism of Herbert’s. Deal with it, Mike. Stop whining and put on your big boy pants. No one is everybody’s cup of tea.”
Farrar wrote to Hitchon saying, “You are the real poison in the community! You post lies and untruths, yet do not have the morality or dignity to correct yourself or allow people, like myself, to defend themselves from your unfair statements and inaccurate attacks. Put on your big girl ethical pants for once and tell the whole truth instead of skewing actual facts to the public.
“Of course you won’t get into a prolonged dialogue because then you will be exposed for what you truly are, a liar. Your reasoning for justifying your unfair and inaccurate attack on me by equating this to what David Schwan went through is illogical to say the least.”
He concluded his e-mail to Hitchon with, “You bring shame to the community, and disgrace to yourself by not allowing my voice to be equally heard in response to your most recent commentary on my e-mail reply.
“Shame on you, Lyn!”
Hitchon posted and e-mailed another negative commentary about Farrar from a supposed “Carefree Truth” reader, who agreed with Dr. Hitchon’s observations that Farrar is a “good speaker,” adding “as long as he is talking in his own self-interest. His demeanor is one of, first and foremost, promoting himself as a sort of Carefree savior, but seldom offers actionable suggestions that would result in some tangible benefit to the Carefree residents or to the small businesses in town. Very wordy, as though as monotonous flow of rhetoric will substitute for discrete, purposeful and constructive ideas to assist the town’s economic development and/or resident amenities.”
The same writer couldn’t sing enough praises about Councilman Glenn Miller and his “plethora of accomplishments.”
Farrar, who is running for reelection to council, responded by saying, “My first responsibility is to the citizens of Carefree; I take my position on town council seriously. I do this to represent the town and not my own personal interests. I do not put my personal goals above the town’s or our citizens’ and always try to do what is fair and in the best interests of our community.”
