A PERSPECTIVE OF ORO VALLEY

BILL BERLAT has been a resident of our area for the last 55 years. we are pleased to have permission to publish his thoughts about the "State of Oro Valley".


I am not into the "blog" thing, but found it interesting.

The problem is that the "blogging," while allowing Oro Valley folks to "vent," cannot accomplish much more than such a release. The last vote proved that we are speaking to the mentally infirm.

The present Oro Valley Council only serves to confirm why I was against its incorporation way back when, as I was against Marana. These incorporations lead to one thing, and one thing only. An opportunity for those who seek power to achieve it. The old saying that, "power corrupts," is not more evident than what we experience in our community.

What was once a rural and beautiful place to live has become just another adjunct to an already defiled desert city. With a Mayor and council that has never seen fit to preserve what "we" had, and continues on that same course, it can only get worse.

Splendido, that tenement in the desert is only a marked example of community leaders being fed by developers.
But what is worse, here and in Marana, is continuing to allow the "profit is virtue" crowd to line their pockets while they destroy what is left of our beautiful Sonoran desert. Subdivision after subdivision with no regard for our natural setting. Scrape the ground clean and build.

And all this is reveled in by the people who come from tenement cities to move to the "west" only to want the west to become the populace infested, cement and asphalt world they left.

And Oro Valley is lost. And how could this have been controlled? Easily. By people with a vision for what this could have been. By people not so over come with greed and others so politically corrupt that they have destroyed what God and nature gave us. Loomis looms large, and in my mind, is largely responsible for this tragedy we continue to call a community.

From Splendido to a crematorium, to higher taxes, to more scraping, to more building, to more destruction.
Those responsible for those zoning decisions should be charged with gross malfeasance in office, and given a room in the state pen in Florence. I would have no objection to testing the new crematorium on those who approved it. Talk about black smoke.

But they keep getting re elected. Has the mentality of those who vote in Oro Valley become so morally, ethically, and aesthetically corrupt that they just don’t care? Or are they just wishing they could have Chicago here?

Bill Berlat

The Common Thread

If you've been reading our bloggings, you probably realize that there are some “big” things that bother us about where Oro Valley is headed. Decisions have been made that are not in the best interests of those who live in our town.

If you had your fire service contract with Rural Metro, and now are getting billed, in most cases, at a substantial increase, by Golder Ranch, you should be concerned.

If your home happens to be in proximity to the Vestar Marketplace, "featuring" a Wal-Mart Super Center which may operate as many hours as there are in a day, you should be concerned.

If you happen, unfortunately, to have your home anywhere near Rancho Vistoso Blvd and Innovation Parkway, you should be concerned that a Crematorium is scheduled to open this year, along with whatever pollutants get emitted in the air that you and your children breathe.

If you happen to live near the recently built Splendido assisted living facility, you are well aware your wonderful views of Pusch Peak have been replaced with this four story structure and that should be a concern.

If you live in Oro Valley, be prepared to see an increase in what, I'm afraid, some of the town council, believe to be a luxury. I speak of a tax on our gas, electric & water bills in the amount of 2%, scheduled to become effective April 1,2007. This should concern us all: young families and in particular seniors on a fixed income.

What is the one common denominator of all these concerns?

If you said "OUR TOWN COUNCIL" you'd be correct. In our view, two council members consistently look out for their constituents: KC Carter and Paula Abbott. The voters and taxpayers of Oro Valley, can't count on the other five.

The next council election is scheduled for the spring of 2008. As we move along, we will identify and suggest some candidates, candidates who will serve the interests of "the people". Candidates who will deserve our support.

Please remember to register to vote and to vote early.

Kindly pass our blog along to others you think will be interested. Send them an email. And send an email to us with their email address by clicking here.

Together, we will make a difference.