Just in case you missed it, please be sure to read Bob Peter's letter from the Oct 3, Explorer.
It's Bob's opinion, but I believe anyone would be hard pressed to disagree. Thanks for the straight forward message. We believe you are "right on target."
Art
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Oro Valley Will Brainwash, Not Educate
At the September 19 Oro Valley Town Council meeting, the council voted to hire a marketing firm (to the tune of $50,000) to “educate” Oro Valley voters on the proposed $160 million Naranja Town Park. Since this park will be funded by approval of a bond issue and then maintained annually through the use of a property tax, councilmember Gillaspie worried (rightly so) that this “education” campaign would be seen as using public funds to influence a vote.
Oro Valley Communications Administrator Mary Davis asserted that this campaign will be used only to provide “facts” concerning the park, such as providing an outline of the master plan and all of the cost-components. However, since voter approval will be required to pass the bond issue and the property tax, it seems to me that the “education” campaign is really just a lead-up to an election. Therefore, it amounts to using my tax dollars to persuade me how to vote.
Presenting only one side of an issue is not educating…it is brainwashing.
Why do I believe that we are about to be brainwashed? Because I’m reminded of last year’s Vestar “education” campaign which was nothing more than a one-sided propaganda festival endorsed by Terry Parish, who is also endorsing the Naranja Town Park education campaign. But perhaps the Town figures that if voters fell for the Vestar blitz, they’ll probably fall for this, too.
And didn’t Vestar’s campaign repeatedly state that their marketplace would generate so much in tax dollars that we would have, “No New Taxes!” Well then, let’s wait for Oro Valley Marketplace to be built and when all those millions of tax dollars start rolling in, we can use that money to finance the Naranja Town Park.
Robert Peters,
Oro Valley
3 comments:
I remember one of Vestar's flyers asserting that the tax revenue from Oro Valley Marketplace "will make the Naranja Town Park a reality." And that is EXACTLY why we should wait for the mall to be built so the tax proceeds from the mall can pay for the park.
Terry Parish endorsed Vestar all along so why is he now rallying for a property tax to fund this park? OVM revenue was supposed to fund this park! That's what Vestar said. That's what Terry Parish said.
Councilman Gillespie not only does this vote seem like a vote to use public funds to influence an election, it IS using taxpayer money to influence an election. So I don't understand why you voted yes?
Yes let us all wait to see how much money Vestar brings in!
Use the money that Vestar brings in and spend that amount to fund building of the park.
What? It won't pay for the park?
You mean somebody lied to us?
Why is our council not calling
Vestar to the table for an explanation of why they suckered us?
Why is our council afraid to stand up to Vestar?
Who runs the town, does our council or does Vestar.
You decide. I already did!
About Terry Parish, I think instead of hitting a home run, he is way off base.
Terry, why don't you tell us why you voted to spend $50,000 to educate us.
Do you think we are that stupid?
Enough is enough!!
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