---The Evil Trickster ("The Trickster") hides in the shadows. The Trickster's goal is to eliminate town officials and managers, mostly, but not always, when they oppose the Oro Valley Police Union. The Trickster's tactic is to "make it personal."
The Trickster is the evil. The Trickster is also a coward. The Trickster never reveals who they are. We know, though.
The Trickster's dirty tricks are effective.
In the summer of 2009, The Trickster used a dirty trick to force the resignation of then Town Manager David Andrews. In 2010, The Trickster used dirty tricks and The Trickster's police buddies to eliminate a viable candidate from running for public office.
Now, The Trickster is at it again.
For the past two months, The Trickster has been using dirty tricks in an attempt to remove Council Member Mike Zinkin fro his duly elected office. On Friday, in a most recent effort, The Trickster used an old trick to personally hurt one of the council members. This is a member other than Council Member Zinkin.
The Trickster never focuses on the record of the person. The Trickster focuses on the personal life. The Trickster tries to get to their "significant others" and their spouses of those they attack. The method of The Trickster is anonymity and innuendo.
Here is The Trickster's track record...
The Anonymous Letter Trick I
In 2009, The Trickster wrote an anonymous letter to council members. The letter alleged personal improprieties on the part of Town Manager Andrews. Art Segal, LOVE publisher at that time, wrote: "I have seen the letter. although the anonymous letter writer had full intentions of causing David Andrews a problem. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the letter other than malicious innuendos." Malicious is the trademark of the Dirty Trickster.
David Andrews was the only Oro Valley Town Manager to ever oversee a police budget. He did his job. He became the target of the police union, the group that negotiates the memorandum of understanding between the town and the police. The memorandum of understanding codifies wages, working terms and conditions.
The anonymous letter swayed the last leaning council member to vote to terminate David's service. The Trickster won.
Six months later, the The Trickster got a second victory when a council member resigned because that council member did not want a personal relationship to be an issue in their service to the community. The council appointed a developer to council, Steve Solomon. They council is then 5-2 in favor of any and all general plan amendments. Developers, another of the trickster's constituencies, and the police union had won.
The 10-Year Old Domestic Event Trick
In March, 2010, The Trickster used given a 10-year old domestic event, as documented in a police report, that involved a council candidate. The candidate was told that the event will be revealed to the press if the candidate doesn't quit the race. The candidate discussed it with spouse. The spouse said: " Quit." The candidate did. The trickster has won again.
The Outrageous "Potty Mouth" Trick
It is December, 2013. The Trickster was faced with the prospect of losing absolute iron-fisted control of council with the 2014 Election.
The Trickster, teaming with Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath, targeted Council Member Mike Zinkin for recall. Zinkin, though elected by a wide margin in the primary, had the fewest votes of winners. The number of recall signatures is based on the number of votes in the primary. Zinkin is targeted because his recall requires the fewest number of signatures. In addition, Hiremath considers Zinkin his political enemy because, among other items, Zinkin has filed open meeting law violations involving Hiremath. The police union consider Zinkin their enemy. Why? Because Zinkin actually does his job of asking questions regarding police spending.
The Trickster goes into action. He finds a few words that Zinkin has used in his first few months in office in 2012, long ago, really, and tries to convince Oro Valley voters that Zinkin is evil. The Trickster embellishes these unremarkable events, suddenly becoming the bastion of propriety.
Again. The Trickster doesn't focus on Zinkin's record. The Trickster focuses on Zinkin personally.
The Anonymous Letter Trick II
Last week, The Trickster was at it again. This time The Trickster sent an anonymous letter with some other "information" to a person of importance in the life of one of the council members. The mailing was sent merely to inflict personal damage on the council member. It had nothing to do with the individual's record as a council member. It was strictly personal.
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The Trickster needs to be stopped. The Trickster is close to one or more members of council. They can and should put a stop to The Trickster's diabolical schemes. It is the council members and especially Mayor Hiremath that need to bring civility and respect back to Oro Valley.
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22 comments:
Is Oro Valley becoming a Police State?
No controls on Police Overtime?
No controls on Police take home vehicles.
No management study of Police operations.
Who is running the Town Government? The Mayor? The Council? The Chief of Police? The Police Union?
We want to know.
First of all you need to have civility to bring civility! Hiremath and his jack boot cronies have none! Hiremath is bringing shame and embarrassment to this community and MUST GO!
This behavior/agenda is beneath any citizen who cares about this Town. I can only hope that someday he/she/they will be held publicly accountable. Only then can we begin to clean up the trash that's blowing around in the southern Arizona wind. Our citizens deserve and demand better. Far better.
The word "slut" seems to have some people all bent out of shape. What century are we living in? "Slut" can be used to designate a person willing to give it all up -- body and soul -- for monetary or political gain. Step into the 21st century and figure it out. Yes, it's undesirable to be a slut, but the word itself isn't as obscene or filthy as some would have you believe. Nor is it potty talk. Nor does it necessarily have to be used to describe a woman or man who's sexually promiscuous.
The "Trickster" is a slut!
hmmmmm.... care to elaborate on that comment, V.G.?
Sure. A synonym for this type of slut would be "political whore." (ie. someone who will do anything for political gain.)
Kathleen,
I respectfully, although vehemently, have to disagree. Where does your believe that "slut" isn't all that obscene or filthy come from? You can't use it on the radio or on TV, so I don't understand your assertion.
Every commonly used dictionary defines it in a way contrary to what you are arguing. Two examples:
1. Wikipedia: "Slut or slattern is a term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous. The term is generally pejorative and most often used as an insult, sexual slur or offensive term of disparagement, meaning "dirty or slovenly"."
2. Merriam Webster: "a promiscuous woman; especially : prostitute"
As a new poster, I want to let you know that I am in support of Mike remaining on council, despite his transgressions. He apologized for it, took training classes, it happened. Now it's time for the town to move on.
I just cannot see how you are helping our cause when you try to (ridiculously) redefine the meaning of the word "slut." I am afraid that it will make us look ultra-radical.
Again, I'm sorry if you feel attacked by what I had to say, but I think at the end of the day we are both on the same team.
Having lived in Oro Valley for almost 9 years, I recall the above incidents happening. I would question each incidence that took place, but never put it all together. This is pathetic! Why do the police have this much authority? What is being covered up?
I would speculate that it has to do with pay, working conditions, and job security. Whenever a group can control it's own welfare by exerting monetary influence on the individuals directly responsible for managing that group, it will be tempted to do so. Imagine being able to leverage your superior by legally giving that person money for their own "security" in exchange for the tacit protections that will then be offered in return. Of course none of this would ever be publicly admitted. That's not the American way. But greed has a nasty way of bringing out the worst in otherwise fine, upstanding citizens. Others who don't choose to play this game will be the outliers and ultimately ostracized, or worse, hunted out of office using every means available. It's sad, actually, given that we are dealing with a law enforcement agency that's entrusted with keeping the public peace. A bit oxymoronic, isn't it?
I could be perfectly wrong, but the writing is in large bold print.
Very well said, Wings.
I would like to see a chart of all payments to each Oro Valley Police officer.
Pay plus Overtime. (not by name of course) If there are any outsize payments, we would have an indicator that something is amiss.
If you want to know how bad it can get, Google "Bell, California" I do not think we have reached that level of graft, but any unchecked agency has the potential to go bad.
Checks and balances is a good thing!!
Just curious- how much do patrol officers make? They work for US, so we have a right to know.
You are right that the word is usually used in reference to sexual behavior, but some (mostly young people?) are trying to broaden the meaning of slut, making it more like opportunist. There are feminists who are trying to define men as sluts as well...
From Wikipedia: in recent times there have been attempts to "reclaim"the word, while some individuals embrace the title as a source of pride.
Samuel Pepys referred to his servantgirl as being an "admirable slut" in a playful, affectionate way in1664, says Sutherland. "John Bunyan also used it playfully in 1678."
Business Slut
"A pejorative term for a woman that dresses in business
Business slut --wearing as pants/skirt suits, attempting to present herself as an important member of the business community or society at large, always be in a hurry, on a cellphone and has more meetings than hours in the day.
Most of the time our appearance has nothing to do with the kind of job we're getting. Nothing in life is fair. However, whether this makes you a slut or not.I think it does show a bit of slut in you. You're using appearance to your advantage."
Actually you can use the word "slut" on radio and on TV. I've heard it used on NETWORK television during the 8 PM hour when any 10-year old can be watching. The word "slut" was used 5 times in a recent episode of Sean Saves the World. FIVE times in one episode!
Immediately following that episode was an episode of The Michael J. Fox show where the word "whore" was used twice in that episode.
I know this because after Zinkin was accused of using that word and some people claimed that it was a "vile and vulgar" word, I decided to pay close attention to what I heard on network television in the early evening hours. Rush Limbaugh also used the word slut on his radio show. Remember when he called Sandra Fluke a slut?
Additionally, English is a living language, meaning that the meaning of words can change over time. The word "gay" is a perfect example of this. Today, slut can also be used to describe a MAN who has "loose sexual morals" and is also used in the political sense, as in someone who is a political whore...they will do anything for political or monetary gain.
Victorian Cowgirl & Kathleen,
I still think that picking a fight over how insulting the word "slut" makes no sense whatsoever. We can get more into the weeds about the word definitions... (Kathleen suggested two alternatives that are as bad as the original: Did Mike mistake this employee as his servantgirl? Did he mean to call her a "business slut"? I don't think so...)
My point is that it makes us look bad when we try to suggest that "slut" isn't all that bad or that Mike actually meant it in one of these archaic ways. Those are arguments that won't convince any neutral person left in this town.
I'm suggesting we point out that Mike apologized for it, still remains sorry, has taken responsibility for it by going to workshops, and will not let it happen again in the future. Think about Bill Clinton & Monica Lewinsky for a second, how do you think Bill would have fared had he argued that what he did wasn't all that bad?
Going back to your original comment, you said, "Where does your belief that slut isn't all that obscene or filthy come from? You can't use it on the radio or on TV, so I don't understand your assertion."
I offered you 3 instances in which the word slut (and whore) were recently used on TV and radio. So if being allowed to use it on TV/radio is the determining factor as to whether a word is considered obscene or not...then airing this word 5 times on network television between 8:00-8:30 PM would indicate that slut is not an obscene word.
Context is everything. If Mike had said to a female town employee, "Get out of my face, you slut!" then the employee would have a valid complaint. But that's NOT how he used it. Interestingly, however, when that word WAS used on network television during the 8 PM hour, it WAS referring to a woman with loose sexual morals.
Also keep in mind that some of the people who are so outraged at Zinkin for using the word slut, are the same people who listen to Rush Limbaugh and have NO problem with him calling Sandra Fluke a slut. Why didn't they call for his removal from the radio? Whey didn't they call for the removal of Dick Cheney when he called someone, "a first-class......" See what I mean?
They cherry-pick their outrage.
As if we do not cherry-pick our outrage. I think this cuts both ways. It seems to me that the coalitions in this town both range across the entire political spectrum: I believe you consider yourself quite liberal, but others on our side appear to be libertarians / Tea Partiers. I know less about the people supporting the recall, and frankly I don't care about people's ideology because it should be about what is best for our town.
You are right, though, in that context matters. And this is exactly where my problem with your effort to make it about the term "slut" comes from. I didn't respond to your comment about the use of "slut" on TV or radio because you chose to nitpick a supporting argument instead of engaging with my overall point. Does your claim that one can use "slut" on TV or radio negate my argument? I don't think so.
I am going to let this issue rest from now on. I said what I had to say. If you want to argue with me, please make it about my argument: We should show that we are not some kind of fringe radical group that does not see how Mike did anything wrong. We should say "Yes, it is wrong for an elected official to use that kind of word towards a town employee. Yes, Mike was overzealous going after the police department on the firefighter issue. Yes, he shouldn't talk about not wearing ties for 'those Mexicans.' He means well, he has learned, he asks for your forgiveness, he will do his best to not let it happen again." The kind of extremism we display by saying things like "The term slut isn't all that bad" turns off people who otherwise may be inclined to support Mike.
I won't get into the nitpicking business, it's not worth anybody's time.
My understanding of your original argument was that the word slut was obscene and filthy and your supporting argument for this belief was that it could not be said on TV or radio. I did address that. If your supporting argument is false, then doesn't that negate your overall point?
If your overall point was that we shouldn't try to redefine the meaning of the word, I also addressed that when I mentioned that the definition of words DOES change over time and that in the context in which Mike used it, it was nothing. It's all false outrage designed to remove him from office so they can fill his seat with another pro-business, pro-developer whore and they will have a 5-2 majority on council at which point we the citizens will have NO representation whatsoever.
Mike never called anyone a slut. The PAC is accusing him of it, but it never happened. If you read the complaint that was filed against him by Amanda Jacobs, you will see that she ADMITS that he never called her a slut. You will also see that the words SHE used during their conversation WERE vulgar, yet no one has spoken to her about HER inappropriate behavior. By the way, the words she used are not allowed on network television.
The ADS has this in a database. Google it....
You can search the database at: http://azstarnet.com/online/databases/oro-valley-salary-search-database/html_285a1c2e-ddf8-11e2-9743-0019bb2963f4.html
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