Comments on: Dear Editor a Response to Red Rock News Opinion!

By: Doug Davis

Doug Davis — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:28:57 +0000

Well, well, well, look who got caught in the act. Hopefully, voters will take this into consideration when voting, since Mr. Johnson is an avid suppoter of the Blauert, Demme, Erick slate. “Tell me who your freinds are and I will tell you who you are” never rang more true!

http://cmd.shutterfly.com/commands/pictures/slideshow?site=sfdcampaignsignstealing&page=sfdcampaignsignstealing/pictures&album=10

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 06:34:48 +0000

Dan, looks like Craig Dible has struck again…This is what I saw on another blog…

Sedona-Verde Valley Group, Craig Dible, Chair

DIBLE CRAIG SIERRA CLUB PO BOX 20411 SEDONA AZ 86341

His name shows up on this slate’s financial summaries as well…

http://www.co.yavapai.az.us/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=59228

http://www.co.yavapai.az.us/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=59224

http://www.co.yavapai.az.us/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=59232

He sure hasn’t learned his lesson from helping in the 2008 campaign for Don Harr and Charles Christensen.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 23:10:45 +0000

I saw this on another blog. Looks like it may be bad news for the Erick, Blauert, Demme slate, as well as the Sierra Club of Sedona.

I thought I would pass this information along. This slate just sent out a mailer bashing unions and especially union firefighters ( I take exception to bashing unions, as I am a union working and know plenty of school teachers that are union).

The permit used on this mailer was from the Sierra Club / Sedona-Verde Valley Chapter (permit #100). On their site, the Sierra club has a blog on how they are trying to decrease the number of trees wasted and find a solution to junk mail. I would ask, why then would they allow this slate to utilize their permit number and send out this garbage to over 11,000 resident mailing addresses?

It makes me think that this slate either has a member in the club or a close friend (Zirinski, Norton or Dible) that belongs to this club. I wonder how the national board and committee of the Sierra Club may feel about this? I have to wonder if they too would endorse such nonsense or would they be upset that their mission of reducing wasteful use of paper through junk mail is being ignored at the local Sedona level.

Once again, another example of poor judgment associated with this slate and their agenda.

For your own information, please follow this link to have a look for yourself.

http://www.arizona.sierraclub.org/sedona/newsletter/currentnewsletter.pdf

By: Will

Will — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:25:24 +0000

Jerry,

Unfortunately you are off the subject on much of what you have to say. The comments in this section deal specifically with the SFD and you are ranting and raving about all kind of issues that don’t have any direct relationship with the
topic ( i.e., tourists, 179, city government, the RRN, etc). I can’t speak for Ted, but the only concern I have as a taxpayer in the SFD is to make sure that my family and I get adequate and professional services. Just like you, I don’t have an “AGENDA” and am no one’s mouth piece. I have never been bought and paid for by anyone.

By: Jerry Reynolds

Jerry Reynolds — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:45:03 +0000

AGENDA???? I have been waiting for someone to place me with a “party” as you all have. You assumed I am an opposition party member who would stoop to your level and mess with someones signs. I have no agenda as you all obviously do. Lock step one and all.

I have lived here over 27 years and call them as I see them. I have watched and listened to the likes of you who when you run out of facts and logic you resort to personal character assassination. You will all get what you deserve in the long run because you are single-minded enough to miss the big picture. There are other things going on which affect the community besides the SFD board election.

Off the subject I know, but in line with what I have been harping about (Hwy 179)…I just spent the better part of a half-hour coming from VOC up Hwy 179 with an ambulance behind me (about 8 cars) which had made an emergency call at the Subway in the Village. I assume they carried no one who needed immediate medical attention, thank God. What if one of you was that person needing an ambulance to take you to the cath lab in Cottonwood for emergency heart attention.

Are you all so narrow minded that you can’t see the failures of the local administration and RRN. You should insist that all decisions on issues concerning our community are fully and transparently aired and need lengthy review before letting the few “loudmouths” dictate how these vital decisions affect all of us…both residents and businesses.

You who march to the “beat” of the ‘union drums are but a notch in the history of the Sedona area…you’ll probably be like the pro-incorporation group who after we incorporated moved away after seeing the folly of their ways.

Again, I am no one’s mouthpiece but my own. I have no “AGENDA”. Can you say the same?

Will and Ted…you have been bought and paid for. Cheap shot guys…shame!

By: Will

Will — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:49:08 +0000

Speaking of signs…has anybody been noticing that candidate signs for Fishel, Fitzpatrick and Montgomery are being stolen in mass in Sedona and the VOC? What does that tell you? The opposing slate, in an act of desperation, is trying to fight the only way they can because they ran out of ammunition. I bet you feel real proud!

By: Will

Will — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:25:09 +0000

Why bother giving you facts, when obviously your mind is already made up. Obviously, you are far from being unbiased and you have blinders on that prevent you from seeing anything beyond a couple of inches. Go and join your fellow mates and steal a few more signs from the opposing slate— that will make you feel real macho!

By: Ted Ball

Ted Ball — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 14:32:09 +0000

Mr. Reynolds,
I have been reading and following this conversation for its duration and have come to the conclusion you are unwilling to accept facts that are not in-line with your agenda. Much like the rest of your party, you are not happy with answers and facts that represent the true story and provide information that shows the department is operating efficiently. Just as you attacked a previous posting, your numbers in the last post are inaccurate at best. First, if you would look at the true costs of the hook and ladder truck provided for the past 3 years, you will find that the cost to the department was 800,000 and not 1 million as you accuse. Some may mention that this difference is minor, but then they would be guilty of skewing the numbers, correct? As far as buildings over 25 feet tall, I can name a few off hand. Have you been to Arroyo Robles lately? Not only would I challenge your estimate in the front of that building, but the back as well.
I am sorry, but Mr. Zirinsky is way off-line. I have attended meetings and seen him speak and have come to the conclusion that anyone who cites him as a reference or aligns their ideals with is, a fool. He is an angry individual and is unwilling to accept any statistics or facts that don’t agree with his preconceived notions and agenda. I am sorry Mr. Reynolds, but I enjoy the services our fire department in this town provides and I am proud of them. Unlike you and your party, I am not looking for a scape-goat during difficult economic times. Looking at the “FACTS”, I see on paper it does not appear you have much to worry about financially, but again, does this represent the true facts? Please remember that these individuals are humans also and have families and lives. It seems they have chosen this profession to help individuals like you and I and it is sad when they begin getting attacked for reasons beyond their control. I have a feeling if the economy were still at levels seen from 2000-2007, you would be making your money, Mr. Zirinsky his and the firefighters still plugging away putting their lives on the line, but without criticism.

By: Will

Will — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 06:09:53 +0000

Based on what you have written, I would definitely not consider your assumptions unbiased. You don’t seem to want (or choose) to understand that a per capita comparison does not seem to work when you compare apples to oranges (i.e, do all districts provide the same identical services, do the other districts cover 168 square miles like we do, are the fire stations spread out or centrally located, do they have as many commercial structures (they pay double the tax) like we do, do they have the same number of vacant lots which pay taxes, do they have the same number of utility companies that pay taxes, do they have the same HOA’s like we do that pay taxes). Dividing the total cost by the number of people served would work only if the items above were not to be considered. If per capita was such a good measurement of how to best equitably distribute taxes, someone in one of our taxing agencies would have figured a way to use it, but, it isn’t, because it is not a valid measure – the following are per capita costs for just some other fire districts within AZ.

Blue Ridge Fire District $1,007
Buckeye Valley Fire District $1,059
Crown King Fire District $2,164
Greer Fire District $1,053
Highlands Fire District $994
Thunderbird Fire District $18,274

As far as the 100ft ladder truck that was bought used for about $800,000—it would behoove you to find out how it’s being used and how many structures and brush fires have been contained because of that unit. Mr. Zirinski may have been a CPA for a long time, but I also know from my experience, as I am sure you do too, that figures can be manipulated at will. I also wouldn’t assume that he has been a CPA longer than I have been alive, because he hasn’t. I have also learned the hard way not to assume that because people profess to be CPAs, that they automatically know their figures. In conclusion, I would take Karen’s data far more readily than the biased opinion of someone who, for the past couple of years, has constantly provided us with financial missinformation.

By: Jerry Reynolds

Jerry Reynolds — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 00:54:52 +0000

How come Karen Daines doesn’t enter this discussion? She afraid she can’t substantiate her per capita costs as necessary? What about the Red Rock News? Where are they in this fight?

Why doesn’t somebody mention how the zillion jeep tours clog up the roads causing the emergency teams consternation about getting to their emergency in time…like the Fire dept did in commenting that the two lane 179 would cause a hardship in getting a person to the hospital in time..which was promptly dismissed by the ‘voice for choice’ , the RRN and the city council. ADOT hopes they never hear the name Sedona again!
Good job people.