A recent AZCentral “My Turn” column from local attorney (and Virginia Korte associate) Jim Derouin blasted outgoing Scottsdale City Councilman Bob Littlefield for having so
…thunderously opposed the city bond referendum that, in the process, he also killed the school bond referendum that was on the same ballot.
As I stated in my comment posted to that article, this is about the most blatantly dishonest piece of writing I’ve seen from you, Mr. James Derouin. I’ve heard plenty of your spin before, but this is a new low. Frankly, I’m very disappointed.
In a classic bit of rhetoric painting opponents as ‘naysayers,’ Derouin ignores the fact that Bob (and I and clearly many others) were ‘opposing’ wasteful spending, piling on a quarter of a billion dollars to Scottsdale’s already ridiculous $1.3 BILLION dollars (on par with Glendale, and highest per-capita in the Valley), and handouts to special interests.
As a fellow community advocate often says, “The language evolves to suit the argument.” Folks like us who argue “for” fiscal responsibility, transparency, lower taxes, higher planning and development standards are accused of saying “no” to everything.
Derouin also ignores that it was Bob who first pointed out the many years that the Friends of Jim Derouin have neglected our infrastructure by short-funding capital improvements so they could give away taxpayer money to professional golfers, polo prince (and Jim Lane’s campaign PR consultant) Jason Rose, and the Super Bowl host committee. Didn’t hear you complain about any of THAT, Derouin!
Littlefield defeated the SUSD school override with nothing more than his thunderous voice? I think not.
No one who actively opposed the city bond silliness uttered a word in opposition to the SUSD override. Conversely, Mr. Derouin, where was your “My Turn” column in support of the override when it really mattered? That’s what I thought.
I direct those same sentiments to borrow-and-tax proponent Rick Kidder of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce. Quoted in an earlier Mary Beth Faller article, Kidder said,
The business community is eager to support an override request. Make no mistake, we have come through some very lean times, and efforts at self-taxation in recent years have been met with some resistance. But we are now emerging stronger, and it is time for the community to rally behind our schools like never before.
It really burns me to hear Rick Kidder and the Chamber of Corporate Welfare crowing about their new-found love for the SUSD override.
Where were they last time? They spent their money and time supporting 1/3 of a billion dollars of city borrowing and tax increases for nonsense projects to benefit their buddies. If they’d spent even 10% of that effort and money on campaigning for the override, it would have passed.
And then their members had the gall to blame the failure of the override on folks fighting for fiscal responsibility in city taxing and spending!
2 Comments
Attorney Jim Derouin took a nasty shot at Bob Littlefield. For a man with such great credentials, I was shocked at Derouin’s comments. I find it very interesting that Mr. Derouin worked on the city’s ethics task force for four months about eight years ago. Apparently he has forgotten what ethical behavior is. His “mud slinging” should never have been published in the Scottsdale Republic.
Derouin&Kidder: Sounds like a good title for a firm of losers.
These guys are envious of Bob Littlefield because the voters like and trust him to take care of their best interests. I hate to see Bob leave the Council as that will leave only Guy Phillips as the voice of reason in that group but he will do well at the state level.