Dear Editor:
There is an old joke that goes like this:
Q: What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy?
A: I don’t know and I don’t care.
To paraphrase Plato: The penalty good people pay for indifference to public affairs is to live with the consequences of decisions made by others.
It is a mystery to me why citizens of our community are so indifferent to what certain members of the Sedona Fire District Governing Board are doing (successfully, I might add) to destroy the quality of services we apparently take completely for granted.
For the sake of our future, please familiarize yourselves with what is going on all around you and perhaps behind your backs. View the SFD Governing Board meetings on video at www.sedonafire.org. See the Citizens for Safety recall effort at www.sfdrecall.com and you’ll realize WHY you need to sign the petitions to recall Dave Blauert, Charles Christensen and Phyllis Erick.
Wake up, Sedona. Your very existence is at stake.
WENDY V. TANZER
Sedona, AZ 86351
Mark your calendars to vote in the City of Sedona Special election November 8, 2011
Dear Wendy Tanzer-nice letter but it’s a small small world in Sedona. One of the people that should be recalled is our neighbor and one other is in and out of my business. A LOT of us agree with the recall. A LOT of us are intimidated to go on record. That’s why voting booths exist in Sedona. If not neighbor would hate neighbor. Poor excuse but a LOT of us want others to step up and sign the recall so we can have our say. If you’re not afraid of the three being recalled raining retribution on your heads get signing so we can vote them out.
For me and the other cowards we need your help. Sincerely, John and Jane Doe
John, Jane and Others of like minds – Whether You believe or not in the recall of the Fire Board Members, is not My business. What I do care about is Apathy. Plato is right: ‘The penalty good people pay for indifference to public affairs is to live with the consequences of decisions made by others’. Your thinking reminds me of Nazi Germany, when the good citizens said ‘I’ll mind my own business, because their killing Them, not Me’. Also, when is the last time You Voted? Sedona doesn’t have Voting Booths. It’s all done by mail now days. Come on, Care a little bit.
Wendy and Bettye, you are both definitely right! The individuals, who will hopefully be recalled, were elected because the silent majority was apathetic and decided to stay home on election day. Now we are all paying the price for their lack of participation. It is high time for them to now become the vocal majority and stand up for what is right.
Do your due diligence, start attending the SFD board meetings. If you can’t go, view the SFD Governing Board meetings on video at http://www.sedonafire.org or read the minutes. Check out the facts on http://www.sfdrecall.com and then you will realize WHY you need to sign the petitions to recall Dave Blauert, Charles Christensen and Phyllis Erick. Your lack of action at the last election got us in this mess and now it’s up to YOU to rectify it. We are all counting on you to do what is right for our entire community and for YOURSELF!
Precious time is running out and you need to act before it’s too late!
Obviously, I am most fortunate. I am able to take a vocal stand on issues of (in my opinion) great importance. If I offend anyone with an opposing opinion to the point they won’t speak to me, then so be it. I have no bottom line to worry about. I have no profit margins to consider. I have no employees who might suffer immeasurably should I no longer have the business necessary to sustain their services – nor to keep my doors open, for that matter. It’s easy to take a stand when I risk nothing.
But when someone does have something at stake and still chooses to be counted, that choice should be congratulated, lauded and rewarded – to sustain an American ideal. “I may not agree with what you say, but I’ll fight to the death, your right to say it.”
It is SO VERY regretful that intimidation rules the day.
When my wife and I read the recall literature that the SFD board had hired uniformed police officers, we were appalled. We were shocked. We could not believe what we were reading !!!!
Do those same Board members also pay out of pocket for uniformed police protection when walking on Sedona streets and sleeping in their homes ??????
We don’t see police protection around our neighbor’s home ????? We don’t see a body guard when meeting in the store or restaurant ?????
If those Board members don’t pay for that same level of police protection when spending time among the very same people during their weekly lives, then they OWE us as taxpayers back all that ill-spent money to bolster their simple minded egoic grandstanding at a two hour meeting !!!!!!
We are so shocked and disappointed in this batch of Sedonans (now we believe it must spill over into business and professional integrity) that never again will they have our vote even for dog catcher. We want them to resign now.
Mr. and Mrs. (Names withheld by request)
VOC
We are Sedona readers. My wife and I took the time yesterday to read every thing we could find on the recall and the problem with the board members of Sedona Fire.
We found the most information here that goes back quite a ways. You give lots of Yesses and Nos from the public and do it with out a reporter’s opinion by letting our public have its say.
We became disappointed in the lack of quality reporting by the Red Rock news in our opinion.
It would never have been noticed by us except for a certain post that this news organization offered and that was the COMPLETE Minutes of the Sedona Fire meeting.
We rummaged through our newspapers (we have subscriptions except to Red Rock news preferring to buy it very infrequently at the IGA because a lot of it doesn’t interest us like the recent school news, church pages, local coupons and ads that we would never clip out). We did enjoy the recent story about the WWII veteran at the Battle of the Bulge in fairness to them.
We were glad when the IGA stopped advertising in the Red Rock news (we hate pesky inserts and dump them in the trash without looking at them) and now we pick the IGA ad up as we walk in the store. Much nicer. Less waste. Better for the community.
But we mean to talk about the difference between the print news and the news here.
We laid the Red Rock news on the table while reading the real meeting Minutes and not once did the reporter in the Red Rock news tell it like it happened by the Minutes.
He downplayed and cherry picked to present a picture of the meeting that was not really true. We couldn’t believe it.
Are the print newspapers reporters afraid of losing revenue from these Sedona Fire supporters? What happens to the reporters job if he loses money for his paper and what happens to the reporter if his ability to write is compromised because of the people he offends?
Must be a lot of bad choices for all seems to us.
My wife said she seemed to remember that the Red Rock news supported most of the newly elected Sedona Fire members and must not want to look bad now. We don’t like it when newspapers take sides. That shouldn’t be.
Not only that but my wife pointed out the APS notice by Sean Baguley. We are keeping it in our in box to not forget the dates in the busy days ahead and chance having our computer or refrigerator/freezer and appliances damaged.
We sent it on to several friends, Mr. Baguley, and appreciate your smarts in helping us remember. These gray heads can use all the help we can get.
Good afternoon to all. We appreciate you reading our letter.