Debra Who?

A stranger with vague bio, no credentials, and a Disney campaign theme seeks a leadership role in a community full of tension and mistrust between residents and leaders. The residents are suspicious, and In a classic bit of theater, the stranger’s only “known” supporter labels the concerned citizens “unwelcom[ing] & negative,” for not embracing the stranger.

An Arizona Republic article this week announced the candidacy for Scottsdale City Council of one Debra Komarnicki, described as a “manager for AT&T.”

Ms. K might be a fine person and a fine candidate. However, in the six months she’s lived here she has met with exactly ZERO community leaders and resident advocates. I’m not just talking about me. I don’t know ANYONE who has met her, and I know a few people. Did she get her extensive knowledge of city issues from reading the Arizona Republic?

Quoting from Mark Twain, a friend recently said, “If one does not read the Newspaper they are un-informed, however if they do read the Newspaper they are mis-informed!”

Here are some facts I know, which may or may not be connected. Ms. K works or worked for AT&T, which contracts with New Path nee Crown Castle to build the next gen AT&T wireless network in Scottsdale.

New Path/CC employs (or rather, used to employ) developer attorney Lynne Lagarde to help city staff bend and break the rules in getting permits for their installation sites.

Is the distance too great between those dots? Probably, but they do seem to be within smelling distance…and it isn’t a pleasant smell.

I wonder if Ms. K is Scottsdale’s equivalent to Russell Pierce’s Olivia Cortes? You know, the sham candidate who Pierce’s supporters put up in his recall election to theoretically split the vote and create a more favorable outcome for Pierce. I guess the theory is (or was) that with Cortes being a woman and being Hispanic, she’d automatically take away votes from Pierce’s more viable opponents in the other party. I guess this kind of strategy must work, but it seems pretty insulting to the intelligence of the voters. Maybe it is also legally questionable?

As a side note, I’d like to point out that Ms. K’s only “known” supporter seems to have some difficulty with English language spelling and grammar, and posts comments on AZCentral via an alias (!) that was created on November 6, exactly 4 days after the AZC article announcing Ms. K’s candidacy.

If I ever hear from Ms. K, I’ll gladly comment further on her views, motivations, platform, etc. Until then, this is all the illumination I can add.