Tuesday, January 7, 2014

The Politics Of The Recall Run To The 2014 Elections

Yesterday, in our posting "Hiremath Orchestrating Zinkin Recall", we spoke of Mayor Hiremath's lead role in the Council Member Zinkin recall attempt. We identified the reason he is going after Zinkin.

However, we did not state that it is imperative that the majority and their special interest friends, the Oro Valley Police Officers Association ("OVPOA") and the development community, open Zinkin's seat for election.

The recall is not about Zinkin. Its never been about Zinkin.  The recall is about opening a council seat for election.   Zinkin's recall is a "means to that end." The end goal is to reduce the minority from 3 to 2 on the 7-member council, opening 4 seats, plus a Mayor, for election in 2014.

Its about continuing absolute control of Oro Valley.

On January 1, Thelma Grimes, editor of the local advertising circular, published her opinion on Oro Valley council matters.  The piece speaks mostly of the recall effort and of some of the assertions against Zinkin.  Grimes made one significant observation:
"On the minority side, councilmembers Brendan Burns, Mike Zinkin and Bill Garner are often a vote short of winning on issues from the budget to spending and management of the Oro Valley Police Department." 
She is a bit wrong.  The minority is always a vote short. This is because the majority-4 never break rank.

What Grimes fails to state is that it is precisely because the minority is one vote short of winning on all issues that majority have to get rid of Zinkin!  Zinkin is the most outspoken of the three minority members.

The majority are up for election in November.  If they lose just one seat to the minority view, then they minority will be the majority.  Priorities could change.  For example:
  • There could be a study of police operations and the department itself could be shifted from reporting to council to reporting to the town manager.   
  • There could be more stringent  enforcement of Oro Valley's sign codes. 
  • There could be interpretation to the general plan as a policy statement that is to be followed, not one that is to be "worked-around".   
  • There could be a revitalization of Oro Valley's investment in is social infrastructure (Have you seen Steampump Ranch lately?  Its an embarrassment.)  
  • There would not be a "jump on the bandwagon" approach to economic development, an approach which puts "current market demand" above all other decision criteria. 
These are different priorities than those displayed during 4-years of council control of the majority-4. Their priority is economic development and protecting the police department.

If the majority and their special interests can get rid of Zinkin, however, then they will have a better chance of keeping the status quo. What is the status quo? As one reader shared with us:
"As tough as 2013 has been in different ways for each of us, I think it's been a tough year for Oro Valley.  Many would look at the mild surplus in the budget, and be pleased; I look at the deficit in social programs, and am disappointed.  Many would highlight the aquatics center, and be pleased.  I look at the decline in quality of service at our Library ( the transfer of which contributed in part to the dollars for the swimming pool ) and feel let down... Many would look at Securaplane and be satisfied with growth; I look at the very ordinary architecture of a very highly visible structure, and wonder what happened to our "scenic corridors". Many would note "signature" events, such as the El Tour, and be happy with the influx of tourist money.  I look at the disgraceful condition of Steam Pump Ranch and the piecemeal approach to the Naranja Town Site, and wonder "what could have been".
2014 is a year in which the owners of Oro Valley, you, will have the opportunity change the town's priories, if you wish to do so.   The loss of a valuable member of our council and a seat that today, truly does belong to the people, will make that change much more difficult to achieve.
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9 comments:

Richard Furash, MBA said...

"She is a bit wrong. The minority is always a vote short. This is because the majority-4 never break rank."



This is a lie. Check the public record.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Wait OV Dad! Don't confuse the issue with facts!

Richard Furash, MBA said...

How can Zinkin hold a seat that "truly does belong to the people" more so than any other seat when he received the fewest votes of any current member to become elected???

Waters: 8,555
Hornat: 7,244
Snider: 6,683
Garner: 5,576
Burns: 5,067
Zinkin: 4,975

He represents a faction in this town (LOVErs) that has extreme and intense opinions/views/preferences. This is not a bad thing at all. I mean that in all honesty. They got the votes to get "their guy" on council; the votes have spoken. Although I am not involved with the recall effort and thus cannot speak for it, I do not believe this is what the recall is about at all.

Unfortunately, that same guy has repeatedly exhibited conduct unbecoming of a public official and a representative of our town. This, I believe, is the reason a recall is more than warranted.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Notice To user names OV DAD, Mark Fine and Tucsonbass...

You are no longer welcome to post on this blog. We have tolerated your shenanigans regarding the Zinkin recall effort for far too long. We had hoped that you would engage in civil conversations. However, you do not seem to have the ability to do so. Your hatred of the minority on council and on Zinkin is obvious.

You are trying to use this blog to further your campaign to recall Council Member Zinkin. We do not support any recalls nor do we wish this blog to be a vehicle for you to solicit support or slur anyone.

Your sole purpose is to cause mayhem. You are reprehensible. Your behavior is disgusting. Have you no decency? You have not even thought once of the impact of all this on Zinkin's family. Spreading lies. Calling him a racist. Saying he committed sexual offenses. You and your kind have far exceeded the bounds of decency. You are an embarrassment to Oro Valley. The people of Oro Valley know this.

Your posts demean and degrade other commenters and spread venom.

You have a PAC that is focused on the recall; you have a blog that barks venom against Zinkin; you have the Northwest Explore which spreads your venom.

We are done with you.

We will identify your posts and then block or eliminate them.

Be gone.

Richard

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Thanks, Richard. I actually appreciate this statement, though I obviously disagree with its content. Now that you have made my banning "official," I will no longer accuse you of cowardice.


Despite what Victorian Cowgirls seems to believe, I am an observing bystander. The few people in town who do know my identity know this. (She seems to think I am a current council member. I'm pretty sure though that I have posted at times in the past when council was in session, which sort of rules that out.)

Consider this a goodbye post. Allow me to ask you one question, though:


How can you argue that Mike Zinkin holds a seat that
"truly does belong to the people" more so than any other seat when he received the fewest votes of any current member to become elected? See the vote tallies below.

Waters: 8,555
Hornat: 7,244
Snider: 6,683
Garner: 5,576
Burns: 5,067
Zinkin: 4,975





Goodbye.


"Not" OV Dad

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Richard,
This action is much appreciated by those of us who want Oro Valley to excel. Many thanks!

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Hello Christopher,

I appreciate your sharing your viewpoint.

However, these three are engaged in a concerted smear campaign against the man who has a family. These smears should not be published any longer.

We went through this with these people in 2010. At that time there was a candidate who Tucsonbass had researched through police records and detected that, 10 years earlier, the individual had slapped his daughter and that she had called the police.

This was nothing more than a smear. What actually happened was the daughter, a 20-year old drug addict, had created a situation where she was out of control in this candidate was merely trying to assume some level of control before great harm came to the family.

The candidate decided to drop out of the race not because of the smear because he did not want to subject his wife to dirty politics.

These people practice dirty politics. The are an embarrassment to Oro Valley. LOVE will not provide them a vehicle to rant any longer. We have far too much respect for our readers.

Richard.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

I agree with everything in the posting except I wouldn't say that "Zinkin is the most outspoken of the three minority members." I'd give that title to Garner. However, they won't go after Garner because he's younger, bigger, stronger, smarter, etc. They're afraid of him. He also has young children which means they'd have to watch what they said publicly about him.

They won't go after Burns for the same reasons, PLUS he's a lawyer and they're afraid they'll find themselves hit with a defamation lawsuit. They TARGETED Zinkin because he's older, no young children for them to worry about hurting, and he's not a lawyer. All of this reveals how weak they really are.

Richard Furash, MBA said...

Notice To user names OV DAD, Mark Fine and Tucsonbass...

You are no longer welcome to post on this blog. We have tolerated your shenanigans regarding the Zinkin recall effort for far too long. We had hoped that you would engage in civil conversations. However, you do not seem to have the ability to do so. Your hatred of the minority on council and on Zinkin is obvious.

You are trying to use this blog to further your campaign to recall Council Member Zinkin. We do not support any recalls nor do we wish this blog to be a vehicle for you to solicit support or slur anyone.

Your sole purpose is to cause mayhem. You are reprehensible. Your behavior is disgusting. Have you no decency? You have not even thought once of the impact of all this on Zinkin's family. Spreading lies. Calling him a racist. Saying he committed sexual harassment. You and your kind have far exceeded the bounds of decency. You are an embarrassment to Oro Valley. The people of Oro Valley know this.

Your posts demean and degrade other commenters and spread venom.

You have a PAC that is focused on the recall; you have a blog that barks venom against Zinkin; you have the Northwest Explore which spreads your venom.

We are done with you.

We will identify your posts and then block or eliminate them.

Be gone.

Richard