By Ronald Sampson
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
Perhaps I’m biased, but Scottsdale voters have a pretty good track record when it comes to voting on propositions. There are very few that I believe we collectively made the wrong choice on. This past cycle was no different, as despite a very vocal minority the citizenry voted with a large margin to fully fund and expand work for our city’s parks into the future via Proposition 490. It ended up being a 25% cut to our sales tax while offering even more services to our wonderful parks system.
It was a no brainer for over 58% of the populace. Not for the Goldwater Institute however, the anti-tax thinktank that has seriously distorted the legacy of its namesake by opposing any and all taxes, regardless of merit. An organization that is 100% ideology and often times 0% common sense.
The Goldwater Institute is currently challenging Proposition 490 in courts, seeking to overturn the will of the voters to satisfy its own ideology. This is after a legal challenge full of legal nitpicking forced its backers to change the description that went on the ballot, a pyrrhic victory if ever there was one.
Well wouldn’t you know, they are hosting a gala this month with special guest Glenn Youngkin, the Governor of Virginia. Youngkin, a generally pragmatic and reasonable governor, probably doesn’t know the full extent of what his attendance supports, but that’s alright. He is probably looking at the White House and making any rounds he can to boost his national name ID.
But the real question is…who else will be there? We’ve got a mayor and a majority of the city council that align more with the Goldwater Institute than say, the ACLU. Most of them are probably thinking ahead to their next rung of the ladder, and at least one (and probably more) wants to be the next mayor. This could be a valuable networking opportunity for them, but at what cost? We can answer that…the cost is the voters.
Let’s be clear: any member of Scottsdale municipal leadership who attends this, who courts the support of this group, is giving a gigantic middle finger to the voters of Scottsdale. They are willing to assist in the trampling of your rights as a voter, to take your overwhelming votes to best fund our parks, preserve and public safety over the coming decades and throw it all away.
Does our leadership stand with you or the special interests that want to silence your voice? We’ll be keeping an eye on it, and so should you.