"Thomas Jefferson said a democracy is dependent on an informed citizenry. I don't care whether it sounds corny or not. It's the truth." -Jim Lehrer
Thank you, Lyn, for sharing our Upscale Singers Flyer with your emailing list. We appreciate it!
Blessings,
Mary Kay Thurston
Lyn,
Thank you for all you do for the Town. Unfortunately it seems that people spreading misinformation are always present in our town as well. Lately they seem to have been publishing under the name OurCarefree. They sent us six emails so far this month and ten since early October. They have criticized previous Council decisions and have cast shade on some individual Council members. And they have tried to tell us how to think about issues in a way that is often misleading and feels manipulative. Here are three examples from just the most recent email we received (yesterday):
OurCarefree said:
Removing the Special Planning Area for this corner does not preclude development. It ensures residents will have more opportunities to define what can be built on this corner. This simple move puts the power in the hands of the residents, not in the hands of the town staff (who do not live in Carefree) and town council members (who allowed the Hampton Inn development.)
Actually, removing the Special Planning Area (SPA) for this corner (Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway) just leaves it designated as low-density housing. That is the way it is zoned today, and if the owner proposes that five or six houses be built there, residents will have no more input than they have when a new house is built on a vacant lot in their own neighborhood. That is true today and it will remain true with or without the SPA designation.
What is different about the SPA is that it has language (a vision) in the General Plan that was developed in cooperation with those that live closest to this corner. This language enables a vision of a low-profile high-quality resort such as the Boulders which fits the area at a major intersection at the edge of the community, where the other three corners are already established commercial properties (the other corners are in Scottsdale). Further, for a resort to be considered the property owner would first need to propose such a project, which has not happened. But even with the SPA designation a re-zoning would be required first. Residents’ voices would be heard in this process as re-zoning (unlike home building) is not a right of the owner and would have to be publicly vetted, through future citizen participation meetings and public hearings. Zonings can also be voted upon by the residents. There is no circumvention of a vote as the Zoning process preserves the right of the citizens to vote on a project.
In fact, removing the SPA does not “put the power in the hands of the residents” at all, and implying that retaining the SPA keeps the power “in the hands of the town staff and town council members” is nonsense. It just makes it harder for the property owner to get permission from his Carefree neighbors to develop the corner as a low-profile resort.
OurCarefree said:
Our General Plan should reflect the wishes of the residents and unequivocally commit to the mission of protecting the last large area of Sonoran Desert from development.
But this 48-acre undeveloped parcel just south of the Carefree Airport (owned by the State Land Department) is NOT the “last large area of Sonoran Desert” that has not been developed, nor is it the last large area in Carefree. The Town has and continues to accumulate acreage for a desert landscape preserve at NO COSTS to the residents. This preserve currently consists of 50 acres owned by the town next to an additional 100 acres owned by the Desert Foothills Land Trust in the northern portion of Carefree. The State Land targeted by OurCarefree does not have the scenic attributes, wildlife migration routes, hundreds of saguaros, sensitive riparian areas, or petroglyphs that are present on the desert land preserve the town has reasonably and responsibly targeted and acquired. Also, the State Land will never be subject to a simple purchase, but would have to be bought at an auction for which the minimum bid will be $7 million or more. It would be much less expensive to add another hundred acres to the existing Carefree preserve and install access and create a few walking trails. In either case there will be ongoing maintenance costs to fund and liability exposure to insure.
Given our options, the OurCarefree statements seem to be more about manipulation and creating political issues than about responsible desert preservation. Even if developed (which is not likely anytime soon) the residential zoning on the State Land is one home per 70,000 sf. This is one of the Town's lowest density residential areas and would result in fewer than 30 homes on the 48 acres.
OurCarefree said:
The Hampton Inn and View TownHomes have blemished the magnificent views Carefree residents once enjoyed. These inconsiderate developments have detracted from Carefree's scenic community character. Adding a second story residential development above retail shops will only further detract from our Town Center.
This is not even an issue which can be regulated or controlled by the General Plan. Heights are restricted by town zoning, not by the General Plan (and the number of stories is not restricted by either). The private property owners along Easy Street have long had the legal right to build up to 30 feet, and they can use that right to add additional commercial, office or residential on a second floor or just to build a higher roofline. Changes to the General Plan cannot take those rights away. OurCarefree ignores the fact that there are already residences above Ortegas and above some offices near the Bashas center. Are they saying that these existing structures obstruct views, or are they simply trying to politicize the General Plan and incite residents? Surely, they must understand their recommendation is meaningless.
If only OurCarefree would show REAL interest in making Carefree a better place for all residents. Fear mongering and manipulation to incite residents may serve their own agenda, but it does nothing to improve our town.
Thank you.
20+ year Carefree Resident
(Lyn's note: I entreat you not to fall prey to these jackals' manipulative propaganda. They have agendas that are solely in their own self interest and have nothing to do with the good of the town and its residents. The disinformation and vicious personal attacks they have been spewing for the past few years are atrocious. Please don't buy what they are selling.
The people behind OurCarefree and other blogs like it are practicing the following:
The term "perception management" has firmly entered the public lexicon. The Department of Defense even defines perception management in one of its manuals, so the military folks obviously take it very seriously. Many public relations firms now offer perception management, or "PM", as one of their services. However, it seems not many of them do it very well. Apparently, if you want to be exceptional at creating the Big Lie, you really have to specialize in it.
PMs are not spin doctors because they don't spin facts. They create facts and sell them to the world as the truth. And that, to quote the venerable Mark Twain, (who would've had a field day with the PM guys) is the difference between the lightning bug and lightning.
And by using these methods, a major untruth can be established so quickly and overwhelmingly across the world that no digging by anyone after the fact can make a dent in the public consciousness that it actually isn't true at all.
And that's what makes it so dangerous.
Author David Baldacci
Another explanation and some history:
The Big Lie technique created by Nazi Minister Of Propaganda, Josef Goebbels: If you keep repeating a lie often enough, people will begin to believe it.)
Blessings,
Mary Kay Thurston
Lyn,
Thank you for all you do for the Town. Unfortunately it seems that people spreading misinformation are always present in our town as well. Lately they seem to have been publishing under the name OurCarefree. They sent us six emails so far this month and ten since early October. They have criticized previous Council decisions and have cast shade on some individual Council members. And they have tried to tell us how to think about issues in a way that is often misleading and feels manipulative. Here are three examples from just the most recent email we received (yesterday):
OurCarefree said:
Removing the Special Planning Area for this corner does not preclude development. It ensures residents will have more opportunities to define what can be built on this corner. This simple move puts the power in the hands of the residents, not in the hands of the town staff (who do not live in Carefree) and town council members (who allowed the Hampton Inn development.)
Actually, removing the Special Planning Area (SPA) for this corner (Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway) just leaves it designated as low-density housing. That is the way it is zoned today, and if the owner proposes that five or six houses be built there, residents will have no more input than they have when a new house is built on a vacant lot in their own neighborhood. That is true today and it will remain true with or without the SPA designation.
What is different about the SPA is that it has language (a vision) in the General Plan that was developed in cooperation with those that live closest to this corner. This language enables a vision of a low-profile high-quality resort such as the Boulders which fits the area at a major intersection at the edge of the community, where the other three corners are already established commercial properties (the other corners are in Scottsdale). Further, for a resort to be considered the property owner would first need to propose such a project, which has not happened. But even with the SPA designation a re-zoning would be required first. Residents’ voices would be heard in this process as re-zoning (unlike home building) is not a right of the owner and would have to be publicly vetted, through future citizen participation meetings and public hearings. Zonings can also be voted upon by the residents. There is no circumvention of a vote as the Zoning process preserves the right of the citizens to vote on a project.
In fact, removing the SPA does not “put the power in the hands of the residents” at all, and implying that retaining the SPA keeps the power “in the hands of the town staff and town council members” is nonsense. It just makes it harder for the property owner to get permission from his Carefree neighbors to develop the corner as a low-profile resort.
OurCarefree said:
Our General Plan should reflect the wishes of the residents and unequivocally commit to the mission of protecting the last large area of Sonoran Desert from development.
But this 48-acre undeveloped parcel just south of the Carefree Airport (owned by the State Land Department) is NOT the “last large area of Sonoran Desert” that has not been developed, nor is it the last large area in Carefree. The Town has and continues to accumulate acreage for a desert landscape preserve at NO COSTS to the residents. This preserve currently consists of 50 acres owned by the town next to an additional 100 acres owned by the Desert Foothills Land Trust in the northern portion of Carefree. The State Land targeted by OurCarefree does not have the scenic attributes, wildlife migration routes, hundreds of saguaros, sensitive riparian areas, or petroglyphs that are present on the desert land preserve the town has reasonably and responsibly targeted and acquired. Also, the State Land will never be subject to a simple purchase, but would have to be bought at an auction for which the minimum bid will be $7 million or more. It would be much less expensive to add another hundred acres to the existing Carefree preserve and install access and create a few walking trails. In either case there will be ongoing maintenance costs to fund and liability exposure to insure.
Given our options, the OurCarefree statements seem to be more about manipulation and creating political issues than about responsible desert preservation. Even if developed (which is not likely anytime soon) the residential zoning on the State Land is one home per 70,000 sf. This is one of the Town's lowest density residential areas and would result in fewer than 30 homes on the 48 acres.
OurCarefree said:
The Hampton Inn and View TownHomes have blemished the magnificent views Carefree residents once enjoyed. These inconsiderate developments have detracted from Carefree's scenic community character. Adding a second story residential development above retail shops will only further detract from our Town Center.
This is not even an issue which can be regulated or controlled by the General Plan. Heights are restricted by town zoning, not by the General Plan (and the number of stories is not restricted by either). The private property owners along Easy Street have long had the legal right to build up to 30 feet, and they can use that right to add additional commercial, office or residential on a second floor or just to build a higher roofline. Changes to the General Plan cannot take those rights away. OurCarefree ignores the fact that there are already residences above Ortegas and above some offices near the Bashas center. Are they saying that these existing structures obstruct views, or are they simply trying to politicize the General Plan and incite residents? Surely, they must understand their recommendation is meaningless.
If only OurCarefree would show REAL interest in making Carefree a better place for all residents. Fear mongering and manipulation to incite residents may serve their own agenda, but it does nothing to improve our town.
Thank you.
20+ year Carefree Resident
(Lyn's note: I entreat you not to fall prey to these jackals' manipulative propaganda. They have agendas that are solely in their own self interest and have nothing to do with the good of the town and its residents. The disinformation and vicious personal attacks they have been spewing for the past few years are atrocious. Please don't buy what they are selling.
The people behind OurCarefree and other blogs like it are practicing the following:
The term "perception management" has firmly entered the public lexicon. The Department of Defense even defines perception management in one of its manuals, so the military folks obviously take it very seriously. Many public relations firms now offer perception management, or "PM", as one of their services. However, it seems not many of them do it very well. Apparently, if you want to be exceptional at creating the Big Lie, you really have to specialize in it.
PMs are not spin doctors because they don't spin facts. They create facts and sell them to the world as the truth. And that, to quote the venerable Mark Twain, (who would've had a field day with the PM guys) is the difference between the lightning bug and lightning.
And by using these methods, a major untruth can be established so quickly and overwhelmingly across the world that no digging by anyone after the fact can make a dent in the public consciousness that it actually isn't true at all.
And that's what makes it so dangerous.
Author David Baldacci
Another explanation and some history:
The Big Lie technique created by Nazi Minister Of Propaganda, Josef Goebbels: If you keep repeating a lie often enough, people will begin to believe it.)