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State Investigating National Monument Groups

  • breaking news logoSedona AZ (October 8, 2015) – “The State of Arizona has commenced an official investigation into the public activities of both the proponents of and opposition to, the proposed Sedona-Verde Valley Red Rock National Monument. The State’s investigation will consider the possibility of unsubstantiated claims made by some or all stakeholder parties, the evasion by some activist players of disclosure of various possible long-term legal downside consequences, associated allegations of dissemination of falsehoods by the proponents and opposition to the aforementioned National Monument proposal, promises of National Monument designation benefits that can or cannot be guaranteed, as well as investigation into the politically endorsed marketing of various environmental groups working as the self-professed Coalition, sometimes referred to as the Monument Workgroup, and their co-promotional efforts in tandem with the questionable cooperation of certain municipal endorsers or sponsors of the National Monument proposal.”

This SedonaEye.com exclusive by J. Rick Normand.

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18 Comments

  1. anonymous says:

    Good! Next the city for starting it!

  2. Warren says:

    What state agency is doing the investigating? Sounds great, but if it’s the A.G.’s office for example, we might expect results next year or the year after — if you catch my drift.

  3. It’s extremely unfortunate this latest Sedona extravaganza came to this. However, once again it’s proof that when pushed to the edge the “silent” majority, like a sleeping giant, will rise and be heard. Why Keep Sedona Beautiful would buy into this seemingly manipulative situation is, quite possibly, the biggest mystery of all.

    Reading the announcement it occurred to me that with a few changes in wording a similar investigation might be a logical recourse for at least one other extremely suspicious venture the City of Sedona managed to negotiate over the past three years. Maybe now since Sedona has been publicly exposed and become high profile in a not so positive light throughout Arizona, some of our State and even Federal Legislators might become interested in exactly how certain city revenue is quite possibly be misspent, and without benefit of reliable accountability.

    @Warren. Even if it takes years for the AG to investigate, doesn’t all activity encompassing the investigation come to a halt until the matter is resolved? With these particular local issues, that might prove to be the most severe punishment of all for those responsible for creating the need to investigate. Just imagine if Sedona Big Brothers & Big Sisters controlling our local government had their hands tied and couldn’t continue to make deals behind closed doors prior to questionably and appropriately facilitating the public meeting process and policy? Oh how that would cramp the style of those accustomed to taking control of too many things at City Hall and creating the illusion they are an official department of incorporated Sedona.

  4. Warren says:

    @ Eddie – Not sure ‘all activity encompassing the investigation comes to a halt until the matter is resolved.’ I don’t think there is anything stopping KSB from presenting their proposal to Obama whenever they want. Also, the A.G. has supposedly been investigating the ACC for corruption since about last February. One of those being (supposedly) investigated at the ACC, commissioner Bob Stump, has even admitted to destroying state property in what looks like an attempt by him to destroy public records that include incriminating evidence. Yet life has gone on at the ACC as normal throughout the entire so-called “investigation.” It’s as though nothing at all has happened.

  5. ESM

    Even if the investigation shows no laws broken or conflict of interest … You’ll be on to another dozen complaints to find fault with by then…
    Rock on!!!

  6. Let me start by sayin that I’m 1000% against the monument plan. The above information is not signed or is any official name attached to it except for our Watch Dog or shall I say Pit Bull JRN. While the information is in quotes and signed by JRN it never mentions who the originator of the letter is.

  7. Eddie says:

    Thank you, Warren, for the clarification – not what I was hoping to hear. AG MO’s changed very much during the time Fife Symington was Gov. of Arizona and Grant Woods was AG (1991-1999). Before FS “watered down” jurisdiction in the AG’s office (my words) just a call to the office generally determined if a complaint had merit. If so, a case number was assigned and pending investigation instructions were given to not discuss this issue. Simple as that.

    For sure all changes are NOT for the best.

  8. J. J. says:

    When I received a call from Rep Ann Kirkpatrick, this investigation was mentioned. For Kirkpatrick, the SRRVVNM is a political hot potato and she’s no longer on board. If KSB does put this on Obama’s desk, I suppose someone will be going to jail.

  9. Jack M says:

    Thank you so very much Mr. Normand. Please make some changes here. Sedona is becoming a dictatorship. Thank you!

  10. To All Readers at The Eye:

    KSB, the Sierra Club, and the Democrats of the Red Rocks still insist, in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary, that the SVRRNM is a good idea, because they believe that federal land and resource stewardship of our lands portends better care and stewardship than state management. Have you ever noticed how many runaway forest fires in the western U.S. occur on federally managed land as opposed to state managed land and parks?

    TTO GET THEIR SVVRRNM DESIGNATION PROPOSAL PASSED, KSB IS TRYING TO RIDE THE COAT TAILS OF THE GRAND CANYON WATERSHED NATIONAL MONUMENT DESIGNATION PROPOSAL BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW BADLY THE FEDS WANT THAT LAND UNDER THEIR CONTROL! (see below…keep reading). But environmental protection is NOT the Fed’s main goal for wanting NM designation for the GCWNM watershed area. The games never end, so consider this:

    The U.S. holds top place for global nuclear energy, producing about 30% of the world’s total, according to the World Nuclear Association. Last year, 100 reactors generated over 19% of the country’s electricity. The U.S. now has 99 reactors in operation and another five under construction.

    Kazakhstan is now the United States’ top supplier of uranium for the country’s nuclear power plants, after overtaking Australia last year, figures published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reveal.

    According to the EIA, 23% of the uranium acquired by the U.S. — 12 million pounds— was of Kazakh origin, while 20% came from Australia and 18% from Canada.

    Not coincidentally, the proposed 1.7 million acre Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument contains the largest uranium deposit in the U.S. Yet, the Sierra Club still can’t admit that the Colorado River is already contaminated by uranium tailings washing into the river from its shores while federal land resource management let it happen. The DOE claims it won’t have the money to pay for a clean up until 2030.

    So much for federal land and resource stewardship! How astute does one have to be to figure out what the real motivation of the Department of the Interior is? The want that uranium under Fed control for EMERGENCY MINING purposes, not state control. Kazakhstan borders Russia and is under the Russian sphere of influence.

    JRN

  11. magickj says:

    None are so blind as those who refuse to see.

    Rick, you have to wonder about these people – why and how do they NOT see the man behind the curtain? I guess the food network, ebay, and Project Runway do not run headline news, so it’s up to us to recap for those sleeping sheeple.

    In light of recent shootings, the White House has been preaching gun control, but even the casual observer, the United States government is in fact spending tens of millions to arm even benign agencies like the EPA with military-style weapons and armaments. Why would they do this? So they can ‘enforce the rules’ of the new ‘Climate Change‘ regulations?

    “Our report discovered that when the EPA comes knocking they are armed with a thousand lawyers, arrest/criminal data, credit, business and property histories, plus a ‘Special Agent’ with the latest in weaponry and technology,” said Adam Andrzejewski, founder of Open the Books and the author of the report. “Protecting the environment just got real. With millions of dollars spent on military style weaponry, the EPA is now literally ensconced with all institutional force.”

    Among the weapons purchased are guns, body armor, camouflage equipment, unmanned aircraft, amphibious assault ships, radar and night-vision gear and other military-style weaponry and surveillance activities, according to a new report by the watchdog group Open the Books.

    The EPA estimates that each Special Agent costs taxpayers $216,000 per year in salary, travel, equipment, training and other expenses, according to the report. The special agent “enforces the nation’s laws by investigating cases, collecting evidence, conducting forensic analyses and providing legal guidance to assist in the prosecution of criminal conduct that threatens people’s health and the environment,” according to the EPA’s website.

    The report also reveals that seven of 10 EPA employees make more than $100,000 a year and more than 12,000 of its 16,000 employees were given bonuses last year despite budget cuts.

    The EPA also employs more than 1,000 attorneys, making it one of the largest law firms in the country. The agency also sent over $50 million since 2000 to international organizations, including groups in Mexico and China.

    There’s a much bigger picture here. They have hidden there out of control EPA spending on a something much more sinister. They have squirreled away guns, ammo, heavy artillery, food, water, etc. This is not for the EPA it is for when martial law is ordered by this president. We are just one calamity or riot away.

    Every federal agency seems to have a similar story. It seems pretty clear the feds are infamously “not letting a crisis go to waste” in order to seize authoritarian if not totalitarian control over our lives. We’re no longer the land of the free. Mystery Babylon.

  12. To All Readers at The Eye:

    KSB’s Sedona-Verde Valley Red Rock National Monument designation proposal to the Sedona City Council was voted down tonight, 6-1. The only “nay” vote was Councilor Angela LeFevre.

    JRN

  13. Steve says:

    JRick — you & your compadres take a bow.

  14. Is this the end of it and if not what happens now and in the future to keep this from happening again and again and wearing the people down bit by bit? Just curious down here.

  15. steve Segner says:

    Steve says:
    October 14, 2015 at 10:23 am
    JRick — you & your compadres take a bow.

    Not, Steve Segner I think you are all idiots, the city vote last night went the way I said it would 90 days ago, they are smart and get it , all you B.S they also saw through.

    steve Segner

  16. Sharon M. says:

    What hasn’t been revealed is the name or names of those who took control of Keep Sedona Beautiful and convinced them to attempt to slam-dunk this idea without benefit of extensive public outreach prior to making their initial presentation. When at the meeting last night that J.Thompson suggested for one of the anti-NM groups to align themselves with KSB – well – the audacity of anyone on that city council to be so rude. Same as the Chamber of Commerce, who clearly this JT thinks can do no wrong and is an official department of the city government, does he now think Keep Sedona Beautiful is the “official” new city department delegated to determine what is best for Sedona?

    It’s my opinion that most likely the announcement of the “State Investigation” had more to do with shaking the unconscious city council members back to reality. They continue to toot control of the entire Verde Valley because they’ve gotten away with it and their shenanigans with the “regional” Chamber – with City of Sedona taxes footing the entire bill.

    If that anti-NM group that was given so much credit decides to become a coalition with KSB, a once well respected organization, all they will do is subject themselves to the same deception that KSB bought into and probably be controlled by the same unknown sources that have ruined Keep Sedona Beautiful.

    Keep your creative ideas to yourself until such time you will honorably present them to the public without using the lame Sedona City Council as a crutch. They are hopeless in spite of how the vote went last night.

  17. Jack M says:

    @Sharon M. Jon Thompson has lost his mind. He needs to be recalled!
    People you better speak up or Miss Jenny and Steve Suckner will suck some more money out of you!
    Just because KSB ask to meet with the anti-NM group doesn’t mean anything. Did you go to the meeting on 11th? Both spoke and are at opposite sides. United Citizens https://www.facebook.com/United-Citizens-Opposing-the-RED-ROCK-National-Monument-497692610386364/ are clearly against the proposal and are collecting signatures here http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/united-citizens-opposing.fb51?source=c.fb&r_by=14115546
    Reach out and ask them if you don’t believe me. I did. They are opposing ksb proposal.

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