Will Sedona, Cottonwood, Clarkdale and Jerome Leaders join Camp Verde?

For the benefit of Verde Valley businesses (including Chamber of Commerce organizations), residents and youth groups, I the article currently posted with the SedonaEye.com “Camp Verde Salutes Arizona Anti Litter Groups”, I hope that all of you get your City and Town leaders (Mayors, Managers and Council members) to replicate and join the Town of Camp Verde effort.

A few phone calls to everyone mentioned could yield great results ….. Do you have time to forward the “Camp Verde Salutes Arizona Anti Litter Groups” story and make a phone call to those that could make a difference in the image and economy of our communities and Arizona?

Please ask those in POWER to recognize all of the ADOT Adopt-A-Highway groups on our highways and youth groups that help them, as the Town of Camp Verde is doing.

Gary Chamberlain FVUSA
“America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs”
Empowering our nation’s youth
FolksvilleUSA@gmail.com

Didn’t that event occur either the day before or the day after the city council voted to approve, against the recommendation of the City Manager, the $10,000 grant for the Chamber’s marathon? City Manager at the idiotic “pre-meeting” suggested for the Chamber to take that funding from their million dollar Destination Marketing fund. But oh no, city council again ignored good advice in order to administer their own personal agendas (or whatever) to give more, more, more to the C of C.

If you haven’t already voted and vote for nothing else, vote NO on HOME RULE which is probably the only chance we have to put a stop to this (depending on who fills the seats of the disgusting dead beats leaving the council.)

There is a story soon coming out in the SedonaEyE.com about the leaders of a town government that is going to get even more (they’re already involved) involved in working along the side of and with local ADOT Adopt-A-Highway groups.

This town will continue to annually recognize these ADOT Adopt-A-Highway groups for their efforts, based on the frequency of their anti-litter efforts per year.

Those that live in “one” of these communities, Sedona, Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Jerome and Camp Verde will be very proud of their town leaders and the other leaders of other towns-cities may want to join in their efforts and follow their lead for the benefit of the Verde Valley, Yavapai County and Arizona.

Gary Chamberlain FVUSA
“America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs”
Empowering our nation’s youth
FolksvilleUSA@gmail.com

Not certain if your comment was directed at me but my intent is to point to success of “the folks – residents” getting things done that are important to them and their businesses and not most city and town leaders, Mayor and Managers and Chamber of Commerce organizations.

The politics and results of you “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” for those mentioned generally doesn’t seem to serve the folks or residents.

One example is that your Mayor Adams and Council have only once, in six years, publically offered any thanks to the ADOT Adopt-A-Highway groups between Cottonwood and Sedona for their efforts ……. The Verde Valley Chamber of Commerce organizations are batting 1000 meaning, “they have never publically thanked these groups”.

The Verde Valley businesses (people who care) have been very generous by providing raffle prizes to ADOT Adopt-A-Highway groups in 2009-2010 and cash for the “America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs” Empowering our nation’s youth effort.

Sedona and the Verde Valley better wake up and recognize the groups that have their names on those ADOT Adopt-A-Highway signs.

If you haven’t noticed, the trash is building up and ADOT isn’t mowing or cutting back the brush very often ….. you should all wonder why your highways are reverting back to the un-groomed trash ridden 2009 conditions but I guess this would be too much work for those that just like to complain or are “too special” to be bothered with recognizing those that make their highways look good!

Gary Chamberlain FVUSA
“America the Beautiful & BagReadyJobs”
Empowering our nation’s youth
FolksvilleUSA@gmail.com

You asked Eddie “is everything for you about money? I think not.” From where you sit, it damned well better be. It appears you’ve been hangin’ with the DORR crowd a bit too much. But neither you or any one else in City government will answer your own question and you’re in no position to put it to Eddie either. I will assure you, however, that the economy will. At that time, I’m sure your purpose in asking the question will come back to haunt you.

Unless newly elected “replacements” for this pathetic display of a “City Council” wake up and demand a legitimate audit and thorough accountability from the Chamber etal of public funds, none of them will be worth the trouble of filling in a blank on the ballot.

Who said “Crime doesn’t pay?” Or maybe “no honor among thieves is appropriate?” It really doesn’t matter. The buck stops with the members of the City Council who remain determined to look the other way and ignore questions that should never have been necessary to materialize in the first place.

There will be a day of reckoning. There always is.

FROM JESSICA WILLIAMSON:

Eddie
Actually, this issue arose within the city Council itself, not from the Chamber. While I understand you are no fan of the Chamber, they are not always behind everything. In this case, the Council was. I feel that the sigs used by timeshare companies are misleading, and was interested to see that many tourists feel the same way. That has nothing to do with the Chamber. All I’m looking for is clarity so that people who are visiting our town don’t feel they are deceived. While you don’t like the Chamber, tourists are not subject to high-pressure sales tactics when they enter the Visitor’s Center, nor are they treated rudely.

Jessica
**********

RESPONSE FROM E. MADDOCK:

Hi Jessica:
You are wrong when you continue to accuse me of not liking the Chamber. As a matter of fact not too long ago I would occasionally attend one of their mixers, and years ago my late husband together with his partner and local attorney Fred Esser were instrumental in reviving the Chamber’s monthly mixers.

Of course that was back in the day when residents rallied to support the Chamber because they didn’t constantly whine at council meetings for money. Worse yet is that they remain unaccountable for the money they are receiving and do not support non-member businesses collecting city taxes, the source of their funding in addition to bed tax. But of course you already know this and find it acceptable.

At any rate, my objections have nothing to do with liking or disliking the Chamber. Actually it’s the members of the city council that continue to enable questionable activities that are the root of the problem IMO.

It really is unfortunate that this council refused to pursue RFP’s in the first place for the destination marketing contract and this bad blood might never have occurred.

Sincerely,
Eddie
**********

FROM MIKE WARD:

Eddie,

You are again pretty close to the mark on this issue. Whenever I encounter tourists on the trails, I mention the Forest Service visitor center as the only place to get information on what to do and see around Sedona without being sold a timeshere. In addition to clear signage reflecting the sponsorship of the ‘visitor center’ by a time share entity, maybe licensing like many city control taxi cabs would be an answer.

The CofC activism in the current city council race is pretty good evidence of their desire to control the town for their further financial benefit. Everything is about money.

Mike

**********

RESPONSE FROM E. MADDOCK:

Thank you Mike, and Amen . . . especially to your last sentence.

Eddie
**********

FROM MARK DiNUNZIO:

Eddie, is everything for you about money? I think not. You use the
biblical ‘amen’.

I also know people involved with the chamber who are more driven by
principle than monetary concerns. we are not that much different. all
of us.

best,

mark
**********

RESPONSE FROM E. MADDOCK:

Hi Mark:

Your two e-mails came in simultaneously, this being the second I received and so I’ll respond to it first.

No Mark, everything to me is NOT about money. However I’m quite capable of observing those who obviously consider it top priority and, in my opinion, Mike Ward has “seen the light” with his reference to the attempted smear campaign against Cliff Hamilton, candidate for Sedona Mayor in the August 26th election, led by Steve Segner on behalf of his Lodging Council and the Chamber of Commerce & Bureau of Tourism (one and the same).

Segner’s e-mails and now paid advertisement in the Sedona Red Rock News is a pathetic attempt to do damage control for his sleazy proposed mud-slinging tactics which, in fact, clearly indicated were for the purpose of having Sandy Moriarty elected as Mayor because she will continue to fund the Chamber in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed. If by chance you didn’t have access to the communication about which I write, perhaps you are the only person in the City of Sedona and Greater Sedona (area) to have missed it.

My term “Amen” in response to Mike Ward’s observation was, indeed, an acknowledgement to a “higher power,” giving thanks that at least one member of our City Council has the ability to acknowledge reality without making flimsy excuses and call a situation as it is. The Chamber/Lodging/Tourism is a special interest group obligated to serve their members, with or without funding from the City of Sedona. However, since this particular council has so graciously given them a pass on the gravy train, clearly they do not want to lose it. Therefore the desperation to seek and support only those candidates who will continue to sate their glut and appetite to remain in control of City Hall purse strings.

For the record, as a long time resident of Sedona (March 1977) my late husband and I were avid supporters of the Chamber of Commerce. We had the distinct pleasure of attending a community event at Poco Diablo celebrating the “burning of the Chamber mortgage.” However, in those days we had no city and greedy outsiders, some of whom have managed to latch onto control of City Hall and Council Chambers, manipulate without commitment of return on investment (if any), continue to snatch more public funds time and time again, do not represent city based businesses unless they are members of the C of C, and all primarily based on a “trust us” commitment with never a blink from council members except more recently Mike Ward.

The Chamber which you describe is of days gone by and, although a few illusionists apparently still remain, what we have now is the single most controlling “device” Sedona has ever known which, of course, is my opinion but I take comfort in knowing I am not alone. Amen to that, too.

Thanks for your response(s). Will get to addressing the other one ASAP.

Eddie
**********

There is one other exchange with Councilman Mark DiNunzio which for the time being I will spare you, primarily because this series of comments is already lengthy.

However, I will conclude with the following.

At the Special City Council Meeting yesterday (August 13th) during which time the subject was the discussion of “OPC’s” (Off-Premise Canvassing), Council Woman Barbara Litrell clearly and distinctly made reference to the uptown Visitor’s Center, financed by the City of Sedona, as being the Chamber of Commerce “Official” Visitor’s Center.

Other discussion occurred relating to placing additional signage at entrances to City Limits. How about signs reflecting the true meaning of incorporated Sedona? That being, “Welcome to Official Kingdom of the Regional Chamber of Commerce?”

Submitted by:

Eddie S. Maddock
August 14, 2014

Thank you Tony Tonsich and Jim Poole for doing so.

Let your neighbors know. VOTERS VOTE Be heard. No on Home Rule