Why would Solomon & Waters put the people who require The Coyote Run Bus Service through even more agony and place it back on the June 15 council agenda for reconsideration?
Allow me to offer two scenarios---both orchestrated by Mayor Hiremath. Please note, that we know for a fact "these people" read our blog, but this is too important to not point out.
We will know which scenario will play out on June 15.
Keep in mind, as VP of The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Hiremath has total allegiance to this group as proven by his vote against the people that require the Coyote Run Bus Service. (Although legally not a "conflict of interest," it surely is a morally wrong thing for him to vote on this issue.)
Scenario #1
Hiremath convinced Solomon & Waters to be the "sacrificial lambs," and put the reconsideration of Coyote Run on the June 15 agenda.
Why these two?
Because Solomon, "The Appointed One," knows there is no way in the world he would ever get elected and his term is up next year.
Waters claims every chance he gets that he is a "journalist," and not a "politician," and is fed up with his job.
However, that's only three votes to reconsider.
Why not have Hornat and Snider put forth this motion?
That question leads to:
Scenario #2
Hiremath knows if Hornat & Snider get recalled, and Solomon is long gone, with new, caring, intelligent people available to serve us, he will lose his total grip on the council. Hiremath may be a lot of things, but he's not stupid, so here's the plan.
Do the reconsideration,so Hiremath looks good in the eyes of the RTA, but have Hornat and Snider vote "no." In that way, it will be pointed out that these two stood up for the people and they should not be recalled. Sinister? Sure! Plausible? You better believe it!
Conclusion
There you have it. Conjecture on my part? Maybe, but I've been following the "antics" of Oro Valley Town Councils for 18 years, and I've seen enough to make me totally skeptical.
We all know it is illegal to have 4 or more council members talk about an issue, either together or separately, but if the Open Meeting Law of Az was violated in this instance,it wouldn't be the first time.
Let's wait until June 15 and see how this plays out. Just don't be surprised by the outcome.
Remember, if there are 4 or 5 votes to reconsider, law mandates that a vote must be no less than 30 days later.
11 comments:
You make perfect sense, Art.
Do you remember the words of a shrewd politician that Hiremath, if elected, would be a puppet? How prophetic! Now add to the list both Solomon and Waters.
Who's the puppeteer????
Motioning for reconsideration
Solomon throws his wheelchair bound aging mother under the Coyote Run bus. Waters,the author, goes blank on the needs of the aging and disabled and retracts his vote. Where is their humanity?
My! How Solomon and Waters waffle!
To quote Zev Cywan, "Oro Valley has no soul."
My respect to Garner and Gillaspie for the moral courage to act compassionately and with conviction in the face of such colleagues. This Motion by Solomon and Waters shines a light on the strength of your moral character. My empathy to the users of Coyote Run to endure such emotional uncertainty after their dramatic presentation.
The mayor is a creature of the Police Union and the RTA. The mayor has not addressed the outragous take home vehicle policy because he can't, the police union would withdraw their support! The mayor is on the RTA board. His view on Coyote Run is the view of the RTA, the mayor has no free will pertaining to Coyote Run, he does not want to lose his so called friends on the RTA. Too bad OV does not have a leader who looks out for OV rather than the Unions and the RTA.
Nombe,
How ironic that you mention RTA whose 2006 election, creating the organization and requesting a half percent sales tax for its projects was subject to investigation for tampering! Voters approved 2.1 billion for the RTA in 2006. Hmmm?????
Yes, given his intimate relationship with the RTA, Mayor HigherTaxes, should offer to recuse himself.
You list Police with RTA...While offering to "pay" for someone's vote is illegal, I've wondered whether "free children's dental exams" is considered an "in kind" trade for a vote?
First Hiremath calls the citizens of Oro Valley "elitists" as in...
"All we're doing by keeping Coyote Run is fostering Oro Valley's elitist mentality."
Now he calls us "delusional" as in...
"The notion that overwhelming public sentiment is against reasonable taxation to sustain valued services is delusional."
It's not hard to see why he "won" the election by only 30 votes.
Here's what's delusional. Thinking that it's "reasonable" to:
a) increase utility taxes on the elderly and disabled while at the same time eliminating a service that they rely on.
b) claim that we need more revenue while continuing to fund fully paid health insurance, paid birthdays off, and take-home vehicles for town employees who could manage quite well without any of those things.
Unfortunately for Hiremath, I'm smarter than the average delusional elitist!
I am of the younger generation here in Oro Valley and I have a wife and two school aged children. So I don't generalize I will say that those of my peers who I have spoken to feel the same way I do. The tax increase the city council is proposing is minimal and is the cost of having a pleasant city to live in. I have a feeling most of you are retired or close to it. Do us young families here in Oro Valley a favor, if you don't want growth move to Saddlebrook. I am sick and tired of every time an idea is proposed to enhance this city to outsiders (new parks, recruiting big business, helping our schools) you people piss and moan and become political. Again, do me a favor and move to Saddlebrook or Green Valley. I do have empathy for the senior citizens losing the bus system. However, I would rather have a strong police force, fun places to take my family to here in Oro Valley, and strong business that will boost the city's economy then a bus to drive senior citizens around. Sorry, I know Oro Valley used to be predominantly retirees, but guess what, that's not the case anymore. Deal with it or move. This city council is trying to turn this city into a place where FAMILIES will want to move to. Please don't stand in the way.
Shannon--It is these "old folks" that are paying for your children's education.
Think things out before you find fault with those that are helping to support your life style in Oro Valley!
Shannon, you say the city council is trying to turn OV into a place families will want to move to. Well you are part of a family and you moved here , why??
Also a family does not always necessarily consist of two parents and children it can be a single parent family, husband and wife.All have the right to become part of a community and participate in our town activities and share the resources.
That utility tax was supposed to be "temporary", then not only did that not happen it was increased.
Eventually you will also be old and do you want to spend your extra dollars on say going out to eat, shopping(helping the economy) or for bigger government.
Shannon, I also truly hope that your kids don't feel the way you do about older & disabled people when they become adults.
Do you really think that a tax increase on your utilities is going to turn ov into a mini disney world for you and yours?
Oro Valley is a great place to live and some of us have made this our home and intend to stay here and want to keep it a great place to live. .
DV...Art has never made perfect sense!! Get real!!
Art...."Think things out before you find fault with those that are helping to support your life style in Oro Valley!"
How insulting. You don't pay a dime to "support" her lifestyle."
Lastly, I will use this post to provide you with some facts. For those of you who do not understand the word allow me to quote Webster,"Reality".
I told you earlier that I asked both Tucson and Pima County about their take home policy for vehicles. The purpose of my request is that you pay the highest county personal property taxes in the state and you don't bitch about it. You pay a 4% tax to Oro Valley on your utilities and your scream like a stuck hog. (For those of you without any agriculture experience, that translates into loud.)
I have yet to hear from the City of Tucson but Pima County has been forthcoming with the information.
There are 494 County Sherrif take home vehicles. There are 137 other County take home vehicles.
You want to bitch about costs, go see 'chuckleberry'.
To use take home vehicle costs as a basis for a recall is just plain STUPID!!!
Shannon.....Very good post. Please do not be shy!!! There are far more of us out there than the few that post on this 'blog'.
Young Shannon:
Thank you for your post. We need new voices on this blog - please encourage your friends to participate.
Most folks - both young and old - would agree with you, we want a strong police force, fun places to visit here in the OV and an outstanding business climate.
I think that all of these things can be achieved if the Town Leadership cut some fat and attempted to run the city just like families run the household budget.
Strong Police: I think we have a strong police force at present. I do not see any reason to increase the force to 2.5 officers per 1000 as the mayor (or his police union friends) desire. We have a police force that is at apx. 50% of town budget. I think you would agree that is the limit. Indeed a few cuts to the police budget are in order, those senior citizens who finance your children's education do not need the largest armed motorcycle force in the county to police the riots in Sun City.
Fun Places: The area is full of fun places, OV has many parks and trails. Tucson proper has as many attractions as any city of comparable size. I guess you would like family friendly attractions in OV proper, I think the private sector should provide such attractions. We are paying for very nice parks and trails, if you want the Bio Sphere, you will have to drive.
Business Climate: Aside from encouraging business I do not see what you would have us do. These are hard times. I know the present Town Council is always on the lookout for ideas to help small businesses. They have worked on the sign code, the lighting code and in all earnestness attempted to help as much as they can.
The Saddlebrooke Question: Your suggestion that all seniors decamp to a managed care facility is unkind.
Please note that many of us consume less city services than you and your family. For example, in my community, if a road needs paving, we pay for it. We pay for the police, which we seldom need, We pay for fire which, combined with fire insurance is a HUGE burden, and we pay for schools. The costs of home ownership have slowly increased over the years. Many families have a fixed income and the slow creep of taxes and fees is causing real pain.
Giving Government more tax revenue is not the answer. If you were having a hard time you would cut expenses.
Look at the recent news article concerning Pima Community Collage increasing the property tax "Levy" The way I read it. "Hey we need another million or so, lets raise our portion of the property tax without any question of representation."
The above example is NOT what you would do, is it? You could not say to your employer "Hey I am short this month I think I will need an extra $1000 in the paycheck."
Think about it.
Shannon,
Ever hear of Ghandi, Churchill, Truman, Pope John Paul II? Each of those men stated that the way a society treats its least members is the measure of its greatness.
How could OV achieve greatness if you were Mayor because you would immediately move the over 60s to Saddlebrook and Green Valley. You would have "fun things" for kids but what values would the "fun" things reflect? Would they be costly amusement parks, where passive participation rules rather than what comes from a child's creativity? You would encourage vulgarity in speech, ie "piss and moan". Perhaps, you would encourage doing what feels good in the moment and running up a charge card to pay for it is the way to go. How will this consumerism effect your little ones? Would you dismiss a college education as a waste of time because you don't need that to make alot of money for "things"?
Seems to me we are judged by the content of our characters not by our possessions. It's what's within a person that counts. Experience teaches us old folks that paying for our needs first, then our wants is a mature way to spend. You must be a very very young father of two.
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