So live with it, big shots. Karma wears many hats. As you gripe about something you cannot control, maybe you know how some of us feel. Constantly kicked to the curb, mocked, ignored, and disrespected because so many of us object to the ongoing pushing and abusive treatment all in the sake of dictating how we live our lives, and now to include who picks up our garbage. Which also Segner constantly registers a get-over-it attitude as he eggs on his elected city council members to listen only to him, who doesn’t even reside within city limits.

Sure, city council members and staff can be romanced at gala events at the Segner Estate in Oak Creek Canyon, in violation of the Open Meeting Law. Is that where Asst. City Manager Karen Daines was recently married? If so, how many council members and staff attended that event? And social gatherings do not qualify as justification for breaking the Open Meeting Law along with other frequent and numerous get-togethers of a quorum of 4, being it riding to special events or even being without public notice in attendance at various meetings.

Now then, the purpose of this comment is to bring up yet another brazen claim, without benefit of any proof of such a stupid allegation as “Without chamber, city would stagnate” as is headlined in the most recent Chamber of Commerce propaganda article in the 7/1/16 edition of the Red Rock News.

This doesn’t quite top the outrageous lie repeated over and over ad nauseum by Chamber affiliates, that without the Chamber no one would know about Sedona. They, unfortunately, are the only ones that believe it plus the city council and even some staff members because it’s repeated to them so often.

Time for moment of truth, folks. Let’s get the show on the road and shut the suckers up. Ripping off public money to promote only Chamber members is one thing. But all these decisions being made prior to council meetings is apparent when little to no discussion is on the table prior to approval at a public meeting. Policing of vacation rentals before they even take place? Really?

Time for the State of Arizona to step in and shut down these suckers and put an end to their obvious and devious activities. Camp Verde and Williams survive very nicely in the absence of respective Chamber(s) of Commerce, as do municipalities such as Flagstaff that do not give one penny to the Chamber in that city.

In addition to cutting State funding to Sedona for non-compliance with State Codes and Statutes to comply with recently approved SR1487 (and most us us know what they are) it’s time to enforce the Open Law Meeting – NOW.

Google it

http://www.ehow.com/list_6753370_responsibilities-city-government.html

Representation of Citizens and Businesses
Local governments are comprised, for the most part, of elected officials. The first duty of any city government is to represent the citizens who live there. Representatives of local government have an obligation to listen to and act on the concerns of citizens and local business owners.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/list_6753370_responsibilities-city-government.html

Get this.The meeting will be tomorrow, Monday Dec. 28th at 5:00 p.m., when so very many people are out of town, or have guests or other holiday season commitments, effectively removing much of the potential public presence. The Agenda Bill states that these properties “would provide space for future growth of City facilities.” Our smooth-talking City Manager’s recommendation is for approval, but has he ever opposed anything presented? According to the rumor mill, Mark DiNunzio is the council member who has been pushing for this travesty.

Lobbying in the United States describes paid activity in which special interests hire well-connected, professional advocates, often lawyers.
Lobbying happens at every level of government, including federal, state, county, municipal, and local governments.
A lobbyist, according to the legal sense of the word, is a professional, often a lawyer.
Pro bono clients offer activities like fundraisers and awards ceremonies on neutral territory to meet and socialize with local legislators.
Corporations which lobby actively tend to be few in number, large, and often sell to the government.

It seems Cynthia Lovely, Senior Sedona Planner, advised that those funds can only be used for parks and recreation purposes necessary for public facilities, and the statute excludes arts and cultural facilities. So at least in this case they may not be able to dump more money into something that doesn’t stand a chance of making some sort of financial return to the city.

Way to go, Cynthia Lovely. It’s good to know at least one person at City Hall appears to have their head on straight.

Just wait until the well runs dry. Who do you suppose the “city” will hit up for “new” sources of money? RR Theater and Chamber? Oh sure – the day hell freezes over stands a better chance.

(actually in rechecking this article the leeches are Red EARTH Theater (not Red Rock). Both of us might get a sound verbal thrashing for having been so careless in picking up the wrong name. That will provide a convenient diversion from the unending rip-off scams.

Not only does Red Earth Theater get paid by the city for their own performances, they are constantly sub-letting it, for examples recently to the Chamber Music as well as the regional Chamber of Commerce for their monthly mixer. Is Red Earth charging for the use of “their” facility – (owned by the city but who would even be aware of that)? Now just who claims the “rental” money if Red Earth is, indeed, collecting it from Chamber Music, C of C, and other beneficiaries of Red Earth’s windfall? The City? Very doubtful.

And so, why should we believe the city has any interest at all in using their acquired land holdings to “generate revenue for the city” when all they do is spend it “for free” on non-profits that are constantly in question of what, if anything, they return on the investment(s) made by the city?

To hell with legitimate city residents that were stupid enough to vote approval of incorporation. How many of those fools are still around?

@SUGGESTION. As is evident, the Chamber is destroying the public presence here. I have sent more than a few emails to the City Council urging them to issue a 30-day termination notice.

When questioned about in-city businesses she said something stupid like “didn’t know you would ask that (or wanted that information).” Duh! And city council, city manager, and city attorney all find this acceptable? As she continued to tout her “regional” claim to fame, city administration continued to ignore State Law relating to City Limit jurisdiction of incorporated areas!

Same old, same old – and those in-city businesses, even Chamber members that continue to get blown off at the city-financed visitors center, cling to survival with high rents (subject to city sales tax on those rents), competition with out of city locations being promoted with city tax dollars, and increasing competition with chain names opening up shop in Sedona and driving more small business out. Small town atmosphere? And where would that be?