A couple of recent Tweets and some new campaign signs are fleshing out the newest campaign strategy by the Chamber of Commerce city council candidates.
Snow-Job Team
Councilwoman Suzanne Klapp says “it’s pretty clear” she, Virginia Korte, Eric Luoma are business friendly and other candidates are not.
Council election is about business growth and job creation, not stopping progress, more government, leading to higher taxes.
Unfortunately for her, Suzanne never connects the dots from the Chamber strategy of undermining Scottsdale’s development policies and protections for neighborhoods; to how that’s going to create any jobs for Scottsdale residents.
Maybe that’s because any jobs that are “created” will be temporary construction jobs for workers that don’t live in Scottsdale, employed by developers and contractors that are largely not based in Scottsdale, purchasing construction materials that are not made in Scottsdale, to build housing projects that don’t belong in Scottsdale and will drive down Scottsdale homeowners’ property values.
And in the grandest irony of all, this type of urbanization has been categorically proven to lead to higher taxes, for which Klapp seeks to blame her opponents.
To call Copper Phillips (small business owner and advocate), Guy Phillips (small business owner and advocate) and Chris Schaffner (account rep for a manufacturer) anti-business is just dishonest.
I might also add that Suzanne Klapp has voted for every spending increase that has come before the Council. She also voted for a budget that includes an $8 million deficit; “balancing” the deficit by drawing down reserves; and increasing the city’s $1.2 billion debt.
“Council election” is NOT about “business growth and job creation.” It is about representing the residents first and foremost. It’s about stewardship of taxpayer money and resources. It’s about efficiently providing public services.
Business growth and job creation (to the extent that any city council member has EVER “created” even one job) are important considerations, but not the primary consideration. Council election is NOT about enriching your political allies and campaign contributors at the expense of taxpayers.
As Henry Ford said,
It is not the employer who pays wages — he only handles the money. It is the product who pays the wages.
In Scottsdale the product is hospitality, along with a healthy dose of healthcare services and research. Suzanne Klapp seems to have forgotten that, and her unbridled growth will kill that goose.
Great piece. Klapp is doing a great job of painting Copper, Guy, and Chris into a corner. Those candidates need to stress, as you point out, they owe their livelihood to businesses in Scottsdale. But they also understand what PUBLIC SERVICE means, and to that end believe they owe the citizens an engaged and thoughtful Council. Engaged and thoughtful are two things that you see very rarely on Tuesdays in the Kiva.
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Where in Scottsdale can one find “a healthy dose of healthcare services ‘?
Great piece. Klapp is doing a great job of painting Copper, Guy, and Chris into a corner. Those candidates need to stress, as you point out, they owe their livelihood to businesses in Scottsdale. But they also understand what PUBLIC SERVICE means, and to that end believe they owe the citizens an engaged and thoughtful Council. Engaged and thoughtful are two things that you see very rarely on Tuesdays in the Kiva.