Guest Editorial
BY STEVE LAMAR | JULY 10, 2013
Carefree slate operative floats return of annexed open space to new council slate
We all heard and saw the hue and cry that Cave Creek was near bankruptcy raised throughout the last election. This started with the hit piece on Channel 5 orchestrated by a member of the Trenkster slate gang. That candidate couldn't handle the scrutiny of his background, dropped out of the election, but remained a trusted operative for the slate gang back in the shadows with the rest. The hit piece fed to a string reporter and sold to Channel 5 was met with stinging criticism and facts that established that the hit piece and the flood of baseless histrionics from the Trenkster slate gang propaganda machine was simply bald face lies.
But they worked...through the primary. Cave Creek Citizens started smelling a rat, or more accurately, a gang of rats, by the general election. You soundly defeated the gang’s referendum to stop economic development in the Cave Creek Rd/ Carefree Highway corridor. You rallied around the only incumbent left in the race leaving him only a few votes shy of sweeping the field.
But what about the lies that the town was on a spending spree that had to be stopped? Guess what, the slate gang just adopted the budget put forward by the last council and the competent town manager they fired, and rushed to replace with a friend of the Trenkster. Why would they do that given what they said in the election? Because it was a good, sound budget that reflected the fiscally prudent policies of the last council which lead Cave Creek through the worst recession in the nation’s history.
We heard continued cries for an audit by the slate gang, to be lead by the new Trenkster town manager. Guess what, the new council is going to use the same annual audit that has been in place for the last decade. Because the money always has been and is today all accounted for in a budget the gang just adopted. This gang of dirty trick politicos has a $6.3 million surplus as of the adoption of the budget they claimed was fatally flawed throughout the election.
What has the slate gang accomplished to date? They paid back all their personal grudge motivated supporters by firing the town manager and maligning the former town council who handed a healthy growing town to them. They adopted a budget they claimed was flawed with no substantive changes.
The most important issue to the citizens of this town is the purchase of the annexed open space land. That widely applauded deal to secure the natural beauty of this town and enhance the value of all residential and business property is now in the hands of the Trentsker slate gang.
None of them played a role in making the annexation happen. This land is one of the most precious assets this town could ever hope to secure – thanks to the town manager they fired, the staff he directed, and the leadership of town council the slate gang vilify at every turn. It is supply and demand folks; gorgeous open space is rare ... therefore valuable. We who worked on the first general plan know it is one of the cornerstones of what makes Cave Creek what it is. Seas of red tile roofs don't make us different; they don't make us a destination site. The great Sonoran Desert we have protected and preserved through this annexation and the Spur Cross preservation is our legacy.
These new slate gang councilmen have said nothing about the purchase of the annexed land even though Cave Creek citizens have donated thousands of dollars and worked for years towards its purchase. We were set back by the recession. But now, when it is time to move, all our slate gang members do is further personal vendettas and attempt to run away from the misinformation that got them in office.
The mayor tasked this new council, specifically its self proclaimed financial wizard Reginald Monachino with making this the top priority. Not a word, not a plan, nothing but three folks bobbling their heads yes to whatever vendetta the Trenkster says is good for the town to date. Why haven't they published a purchase plan on the town website? Why haven't they called for the open space purchase to be on the agenda of one of their never ending special meetings? Why hasn't Reginald, and perhaps his head bobbling pals met with the Land Commissioner to get this going? According to their political propaganda, they are fixers, leaders, financial wizards.
Having worked with various cabinets of Arizona government on some of the biggest issues in the last decade, I gotta tell you fellow citizens of Cave Creek, big cardboard signs, floods of misinformation, and baseless TV hit pieces aren't gonna cut it.
What is more scary is that the Carefree citizen who worked hand in hand with Trenkster slate gang members to gather signatures for, and support, the referendum you all bitchslapped down with a two to one vote, was recently in call to the public stating Cave Creek should give back the annexed open space. If you think that is just a coincidence, well, good luck. He sure wasn't floating that for the mayor, former Vice Mayor Bunch, or Councilman McGuire's benefit. They have supported the annexation and understood its importance to the town from day one.
So .... for the Love of Cave Creek fellow citizens, keep asking, "What are you people doing about the purchase of our open space we have all worked for?"
