It's All Politics

LOVE is receiving input regarding Oro Valley recall election politics from many sources. Some are worthy of full postings. Others, like these, are bits and pieces of information. All of these relate to the politics of the election. Enjoy!

Running on anything but the issue
Mayor Hiremath and Council Members Hornat, Snider and Waters are running away from the reason there is a recall election.

As one of our readers wrote us: "It is election about their judgment; judgment not only in purchasing the El Conquistador Country Club and paying for golf losses with a sales tax increase on you and me; judgment in cutting a deal for this from their major campaign contributor; but also the manner in which they have so cavalierly ignored the needs of thousands of Oro Valley residents and marginalized the input of the three council minority members. That is why there is a recall."

Rather than address that, it appears that Mayor Hiremath continue to try to make this election about anything but that. Watch the Mayor's latest video. Tell us what you think.

Politics played at the 9/11 flag raising commemoration
Two weeks ago, the town hosted a flag raising ceremony at the Oro Valley Community Center and Recreation Center. The raising was to commemorate the 9/11 tragedy. Mayor Hiremath and council members Hornat, Snider and Waters used the event to play politics.

An event such as this is highly solemn in nature. It should never be a venue for politics or campaigning. However, the Majority-4 were there in force that day, and the following was observed and heard by one of our readers:

• Behind the podium, about 40 feet back, was a large campaign sign for the four of them. It was mounted on a parked vehicle.
• The audience was stacked to generate immediate applause once the Mayor approached the podium. They jumped the gun and started clapping before he even spoke and were quite obvious about it.
• The Mayor made sure to introduce attending council members, who also then received rounds of applause. 
• In the Mayor's remarks, he strongly emphasized how wonderful it is to finally have a Community Center as the "gathering place" residents have long wanted. He extolled the virtues of the Community Center both in his opening and closing remarks. The predicted applause ensued both times. 

Was there anything said about the 9/11 tragedy?
 
Phone polling asking loaded, biased questions
According to the PAC "Accountable Government Now" someone or group has retained the telephone survey services of publicpolicypolling.com. Questions being asked include:

• How likely was I to vote in the election? I was given a sliding scale from Definitely to not likely There were questions about the recall 
• Do you think there should have been a recall? Yes or No
• Did you support the recall? Yes or No
• Do you support the purchase of the community center for $1m? Yes or 
• Do you support the temporary ½ cent sales tax increase for the community center

The questions being asked are biased in that they don't tell the full story. For example, the community center also includes a money losing golf courses. The total investment will be well over $12 million.
The sales tax is not temporary. It has no sunset. It was instituted to pay for the losses from the golf courses.

As we said, the questions being asked are biased in that they don't tell the full story. But that's politics.

Say it's so, Joe
Then, we received intel that Council Member Joe Hornat didn't really want to run in this recall election. He is running, we heard, because the four (Hiremath, Hornat, Snider and Waters) had to run as a slate.

Frankly, these four should be embarrassed that they have been "recalled." Besides, why do they need the aggravation and the embarrassment? Why is retaining power to so important to them?

Rather than back down, they cling to keeping their job like its "life or death".

But that's what politicians do.

Oro Valley's competition with private business increases as town "puts lipstick on the pig"
It is business as usual at town hall. The Town Of Oro Valley continues to push to compete with private enterprise.

• The town is pushing head-long into building a first-class restaurant at the community center as we reported last week. The restaurant has added special events and special pricing to entice customers.
• Then the town is launching a golf membership referral program which includes direct marketing.
• The town continues to hold design meetings around changes to the community center.
• The town is creating a new theme for the Pusch Ridge course, as we reported Monday.

As one reader wrote us: "Many of the new members they gain, will be members lost by the Oro Valley Country Club, Vistoso and the Views. Those businesses will in turn lower their rates and offer promotions to be competitive. It is just wrong for the town to be competing with Oro Valley golf courses, restaurants and fitness centers and subsidized by the taxpayers."

Some assert that this push is all politics with the hope of making the Majority-4 decision to purchase the El Conquistador Country Club look good.

Well, you can put "lipstick on the pig' in an attempt to make you think its not a pig, but, in the case of the El Conquistador Country Club Golf, it really is a pig.

It's never good when the public sector competes with the private sector, unless, of course, you are a communist or a socialist.  Learn more here.

Incumbent sign blights Oracle and Lambert Lane
Then, there's the humongous sign the recalled officials posted on the Hiremath Dentistry parcel at Pusch View Lane and Oracle. Its an ugly red and blue sign adding even more blight to what use to be Oro Valley's scenic corridor. Oh yeah. That went away with the Majority-4 approval for rezoning for 800 apartments on Oracle Road.  If they are reelected, they will likely approve 5-story buildings behind home depot. They already did that once; but a design technicality will have them do it a second time.

Oracel Road scenic corridor? Not.

Their Majority-4 sign blight and now they gets even bigger
The Majority-4 signs are about the size of a small billboard! They are 4x8. They blight the beautiful community that they profess to love.

Now, we understand that some of their signs have an added  sign on top! The law requires that a sign may not be greater than 32 square feel so that needs to be removed if, of course, the town chooses to enforce code.