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Joyce Clark Unfiltered

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Jul 24

24

One last look at the two Lupes

Posted by Joyce Clark on July 24, 2024
Posted in Barrell District • Cactus District • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale election 2024 • Primary Election August 2024 • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

The primary election is in one week, July 30th. Please do vote. It’s now too late to mail your Early Ballot but you can drop it off at the Glendale City Clerk’s office at the Civic Center Annex in downtown Glendale or you can drop it off on Election Day at a polling location.

Here are a couple of recent observations that have come to my attention. Lupe Encinas in a recent mailer used this photo:

I have learned that a complaint has been filed for its use of Glendale’s employees, namely police officers with no disclaimer or permission. A candidate cannot use Glendale’s employees in campaign literature. She will probably plead ignorance and that she didn’t know it was a violation. If she is found to have violated election law I suspect she will be fined.

At the candidate forum held by the Glendale Women’s Club, only the Lupe twins appeared. The Vice Mayor had a previous commitment and Dianna Guzman had had emergency surgery. During the forum, Conchas said at one point, “When I’m knocking on doors I hear a lot about speed enforcement and speed safety… I have been talking to residents about solutions and that includes more motorcycle police and giving out a few more speeding tickets.” This is the height of irony considering that Conchas has two traffic citations in his background and a Failure to Appear at one of those court hearings. Yet now he’s concerned about traffic safety and speeding. Check out these:

A recent anti-Vice Mayor Hugh was mailed out recently. It was paid for by the political action committee, Moving Glendale Forward, ID# 24-02. It was created specifically to do one action – print and mail a hit piece on Councilmember Hugh. The contributors to this PAC are 3 people, no one else, Art Othon of Othon Consulting, donated $500; Andy Konasek of Arizona Strategies, donated $500; and surprise! Bart Turner, Glendale City Councilmember representing Glendale’s Barrell district, $2,325.09. The printing and mailing cost $3,325.09. Bart Turner paid for 70% of the mailer. It appears that Turner despises Hugh and not just Hugh, but me, Mayor Weiers and Councilmember Malnar. In other words, the majority on Glendale’s city council.

He is financially supporting the two Lupes, Conchas and Encinas, both Democrats. There are more skeletons in Turner’s closet, but they are for another day in his future.

Turner appears to be a RINO Republican. When Democrat Mark Kelly was running for office Turner endorsed him and was subsequently censored by Republican Legislative District 24.

Several observers from that night at the Women’s Club shared their comments with me. One said Encinas is really “dumb” and another said she has “no grasp of the issues.” The last observer to reach out to me said both candidates had a golden opportunity to share specific solutions and to identify specific issues. Instead, they used platitudes and spoke in generalities. They both showed that they had no real understanding of Glendale’s policies or issues.

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Me thinks thou doth protest too much.” It’s from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The continual protests coming from the Encinas camp about connections with the radical Conchas should raise eyebrows. They had more than one Meet n Greet together. It certainly wasn’t a one-off.

The last thing Glendale needs right now are radicalized Democrats who espouse Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), defunding the police, higher taxes, gender transformation of children and open borders…the Democrat Pary platform.

Glendale is in a good position, economically and socially. Let’s keep it on a path of prosperity and safety for all of Glendale. Please vote for Ian Hugh and Dianna Guzman.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Jul 24

3

Last look at Glendale candidates

Posted by Joyce Clark on July 3, 2024
Posted in Cactus District • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale election 2024 • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Today Early Voting ballots were mailed out. I would expect you to get yours within the week. Please do vote. Fill out your ballot when you receive it and mail it back promptly. The longer one waits to vote, the more likely it will be forgotten and never mailed back.

Two incumbent candidates, having no opponents, are reelected. Mayor Jerry Weiers has no opponent and Councilmember Ray Malnar has no opponent.

The two district city council seats yet to be determined in the Primary Election on July 30, 2024, are the Cactus and Yucca districts.

In the Cactus district incumbent Vice Mayor Ian Hugh faces off against Lupe Conchas and in the Yucca district, Dianna Guzman is vying for the seat against her challenger, Lupe Encinas.

I endorse Vice Mayor Ian Hugh and I encourage you to vote for him. I have worked with Ian Hugh for 8 years, since 2016. I know Ian very well. He is smart, reliable and his word is his bond. He has an extensive understanding of the issues Glendale faces. What you may not know about him is his kindness and compassion toward others. He doesn’t make a big deal about it but he often drives people around to go food shopping or to make medical appointments. The same compassion he voluntarily offers to others is the same compassion he feels for all of Glendale’s residents. I know he makes policy decisions taking into consideration, his concern for others. Over the years he has demonstrated time and time again his love for his hometown, Glendale. He is a genuinely good person.

Lupe Conchas is not good for Glendale. He is a radical Democrat that believes in the far-left ideology of that party. He supports diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) but at what cost to African-Americans and Hispanics? He is endorsed by the LGBTQ community and supports gender reassignment for children. Police officers are the very people we rely upon to keep us safe yet his record is one of disrespect and non-support for them. His background includes traffic citations with a failure to appear and financial judgements against him. When he breaks the law he shows that he cannot or will not support the laws. If he can’t manage his money, he cannot be expected to manage the city’s $1.2 billion dollar budget.  He is ambitious and would use this city council seat to move to higher offices. Some unions are throwing a boatload of money-tons of it- into his campaign. He is more than willing to have them buy his seat on city council.

I am also endorsing Dianna Guzman for my Yucca district city council seat when I retire this December. Dianna Guzman has proven to me that not only is she working hard to get your vote but that she is ready for the job. She has lived in the district for 27 years and was part of our citizens’ group that saved Heroes Park land from being sold for yet another cookie cutter residential development. She has attended every city council workshop and voting meeting in person since she announced her run for office. She serves on Glendale’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission. She is a graduate of Glendale University and the Citizen’s Police Academy. In the crazy heat of July, she is out there three times a week with her volunteers door knocking and talking to residents. In fact, just now, one of Dianna’s volunteers knocked at my door. She is supporting Dianna as they are fellow church members. She knows Dianna and believes in her candidacy by walking and knocking on doors. Dianna not only has my support but my respect as well. If, and I hope, she is elected I know the Yucca district will be well represented.

Lupe Encinas is a well-meaning person, but she is just not ready for the job. It appears that she went into this race half-heartedly. She was slow on getting nominating petition signatures and just barely got enough to qualify. Her campaign finance statements are rife with errors.

What has proven to be interesting and amusing is that her campaign manager, Natalie Stahl, co-founded a group called Arizona Law Enforcement Wives Network. It is a small, mostly inactive group. It’s last Facebook post was in December of 2021 and its site, www.alewn.com doesn’t go to any page. If you have seen Encinas’ campaign signs they say endorsed by the Arizona Law Enforcement Wives Network. Yes, the same, small inactive group co-founded by her campaign manager, Natalie Stahl. Sounds great but signifies nothing.

Encinas is simply spread too thin as an owner of 4 different companies. I don’t care how good a time manager she claims to be, she won’t have sufficient time to do justice to you as a councilmember. She has aligned herself with Lupe Conchas and shares his values as a registered Democrat espousing a “Woke” agenda. It’s not Lupe Encinas’ time and deep down I suspect she and her supporters know that as evidenced by a lack luster campaign.

Police and fire support and endorse Vice Mayor Hugh and Dianna Guzman. You can trust their judgement. They vetted all of the candidates before making their endorsements. Please don’t let them down by choosing candidates that don’t wholeheartedly support them.

Please make sure that you vote by Early Ballot or at the polling location on July 30th. This may prove to be the most crucial election in Glendale’s history and the nation’s.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Jun 24

12

Who is Lupe Encincas?

Posted by Joyce Clark on June 12, 2024
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale election 2024 • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Lupe Encinas has been a Glendale resident since 1993. She is a wife and mother. I’m sure she is a nice person. I have no issues with her as a fellow resident but as you will see, I do have issues with her candidacy for the Yucca district council seat.

She is the owner of four businesses and a manager of a fifth business. All of the following information regarding those businesses can be found on the Arizona Corporation Commission website.

  • On 4/4/2005 she and her husband started Goodie’s Glass, a commercial vehicle glass replacement company.
  • On 4/3/2017 she became a manager of Monsin LLC, finance and insurance.
  • On 9/3/2019 she established LE Services Enterprize LLC, real estate, rentals and leasing.
  • On 11/12/2020 she opened the Pink Door Tea Room
  • On 8/11/2022 she started Cactus State Insurance, insurance company

There is an old Elizabethan saying, “Jack of all trades but master of none.” It implies by definition, “a person who is good at a wide variety of things, but who isn’t great at any one thing.”

In choosing a Yucca district councilmember, voters should consider do they want a person that is good or a person who is great at responding to you and representing your interests?

Another issue to consider is that of time to give to the job of councilmember. Owning 4 businesses and managing a fifth business creates incredible demands in terms of time. Just when will Ms. Encinas find the time necessary to also serve as a councilmember?

Serving is not only time-consuming as two full Tuesdays a month must be devoted to attending council workshops, executive sessions and voting meetings. These meetings are absolutely critical.  That is certainly not all the job entails. She will be expected to do her “homework” in preparation for those meetings as well as attending various meetings with city staff, attending city events, working with district constituents, and serving as a representative of Glendale regionally. It is possible on any given day that a councilmember will attend a groundbreaking in the morning or a networking breakfast; meet with staff members or a member of the development community during the day; and then attend a city or regional event in the evening.

It is not a 9 to 5 job, and one has to be extremely flexible in devoting time to the job. Ask yourselves, when considering her qualifications, does she have the time needed or is she already spread too thin?

I think we can get some insight into her future performance as a councilmember by observing how she has run her campaign. She filed to run over a year ago in 2023. She could have been out collecting petition signatures during that entire year. Instead, she waited until the last minute…the month before signatures were due to actually collect them. As a result, she barely collected enough signatures to meet the minimum required and was scrambling to get them.

Her campaign finance reports have had missing information and some of the figures she reported have been wrong. She has a campaign chair, Natalie Stahl and a campaign treasurer, Jody Serey. Did they help her to double check her campaign reports to make sure they were accurate? Apparently not. These errors demonstrate that the candidate is not detail oriented, a necessary prerequisite when reviewing the city’s annual budget in addition to city contracts and much of its business dealings.

At a recent Meet N Greet Ms. Encinas was asked why she was running. She never truly answered and appeared at a loss to explain her motivation. She did say something along the lines of she wanted to “do good.”

At recent interviews where she was seeking endorsements it has been reported that her answers demonstrated that she has no knowledge of basic Glendale government. She could not respond to Glendale budgetary questions and did not know that the legislature’s removal of a city’s ability to collect rental tax meant that Glendale took a $14 million dollar hit.

How about her political alliances? Although she has done some door knocking, she appears to be relying on a series of Meet N Greets at Bitzee Mama’s. In attendance, among the few who show up, are Jamie Aldama, the failed mayoral candidate who withdrew after his nomination petitions were challenged for allegedly fraudulent signatures and Jose “Lupe” Conchas, an extremely radical, woke Democrat, running against Vice Mayor Ian Hugh for the Cactus city council seat. There’s another old saying, “You are judged by the company you keep.” The two Lupes (Encinas and Conchas) have aligned with one another because they share values that you may not support.

Many of her endorsements include the buzz words, “gracious” and “kind.” Great if you are running for Mother of the Year. Those attributes do not appear to be prerequisites for a city council candidate. Rather the call is for someone who is knowledgeable about city affairs, has demonstrated the desire to serve the people who will be represented, has the time to give to the job and doesn’t end up owing supporters who are a small, disgruntled, downtown contingent or disaffected councilmembers whose goal is to turn this city upside down.

Her endorsements include Natalie Stahl, her campaign chair; Jody Serey, her campaign treasurer; and David Serey, Jody’s husband. Additional endorsements include several downtown Glendale people including Yvonne Knaack (who no longer lives in Glendale or has any businesses in Glendale). These folks represent that faction of downtown Glendale who have opposed many city initiatives and appear not to be happy with anything the city does.

She has also received the endorsements of Councilmembers Lauren Tolmachoff and Bart Turner. That is no surprise. Their agenda for quite some time appears to be that of getting rid of our City Manager, Kevin Phelps. The strategy they have pursued in hopes of accomplishing that goal has been to support candidates who will align with them. Currently they are a minority on city council and their path requires them to try to create a new majority. If Encinas and Conchas are elected Tolmachoff and Turner will have achieved the goal of a new majority of council.

One recent, very interesting endorsement has been that of Arizona List. Its mission statement says, “Arizona List is a statewide membership network that works to recruit, train, support and elect pro-choice Democratic women running for office in Arizona.” This organization wouldn’t be endorsing Encinas unless she was a proven Democrat, and she is registered as such. Even though political races are declared as non-partisan, a candidate is often asked which party they belong to.

As a member of the Democrat party whose policies include open borders, gender transformation for young children, and the defunding of public safety one can assume that she shares those values.

Councilmember Tolmachoff is a Republican. I wonder how all her Republican friends, allies and constituents feel about her support for and endorsement of a Democrat?

The purpose of this blog is to educate you, the voter. It is important to know as much as possible about the person who wants to represent you. Lupe Encinas is a good person but she is not ready nor she is the right person for this job. She is relying on people with their own agendas to help her but they will expect her to support those agendas should she be elected.

Glendale is a city that is stable and financially strong. Our great bond ratings have allowed us to refinance existing debt at lower interest rates saving our city millions of dollars. Property taxes have not gone up in 8 years. This council has made it a priority to rehabilitate our streets, our parks and street right of ways. We have added more police and fire employees to serve you better. We have created a major employment center of 24,000 jobs at total build out in the Loop 303 area. Westgate and the surrounding area has become a major destination for sports and entertainment. These policy decisions were made by a majority of city council, Mayor Weires, Vice Mayor Hugh, Councilmember Ray Malnar and myself.

This election is perhaps the most critical in Glendale’s history. Do we continue to build a strong, welcoming, vibrant Glendale or do we do a 180 degree turn around and upend the values we all hold? I urge you to vote for a team that will continue to make Glendale prosper and that team is Mayor Jerry Weiers, Vice Mayor Ian Hugh, Councilmember Ray Malnar and the candidate for my seat, Dianna Guzman.

This is a team that will put Glendale first and just like you, want a finally sound city, a safe place to live with good amenities for a family and that provides outstanding basic services. Police and fire share these goals and that’s why they have endorsed Weiers, Hugh, Malnar and Guzman. Please be sure to early vote or vote on Election Day, July 30th in person. Let’s not turn Glendale into Chicago or Los Angeles. Please join me in keeping Glendale going in the right direction.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Jun 24

9

Our Koi Pond

Posted by Joyce Clark on June 9, 2024
Posted in City of Glendale • fish pond • Koi pond • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

In 2011 our Koi Pond was built. Over that year we would travel over to the Japanese Koi farms and buy a few fish at a time. Back then we paid $25 per fish. When all was said and done, we had 30 Koi about 5 inches long. As the years went by, we watched the fish grow to at least 2 feet as they are now 12 years old. We added our own pond filter system and a pond cover to keep the hawks, herons and owls at bay. We landscaped around the pond.

Pond looking west

Pond looking east

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our pond has been a joy and we have spent many hours on the patio just watching the fish. We have named many of them. But all good things must come to an end. When the pond was first built we had just turned 70. Today we are in our 80’s and maintaining the pond gets more and more difficult. Sadly, it is time to say goodbye.

Two potted Lily plants sitting in the pond

 

 

We have decided to sell the fish and our two pond lily plants. If you are interested in getting a Koi fish or two or would like to buy the pond lilies (2 plants) please email at clarkjv@aol.com or text to 602-320-3422 for further information and to schedule a time to come by. At the end of June, I will put the fish and plants on sites like Craig’s List to sell locally but I wanted to give you, my readers, first dibs on the fish. Even a small pond will support one or two fish.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Jun 24

4

Do you have the time to meet a candidate?

Posted by Joyce Clark on June 4, 2024
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale election 2024 • Heroes Park • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

As you know by now, I am supporting Dianna Guzman for my Yucca district city council seat. Coming up is your opportunity to meet her and ask her the tough questions. Dianna is well prepared about Glendale government and the city’s budget and is looking forward to meeting you.

Dianna is hosting a Meet & Greet event at Heroes Library on Wednesday evening, June 12th from 6 PM to 8 PM. Not only that, but Mayor Weiers and I will be there as well to take your questions and to tell you why Dianna is the right choice for Councilmember representing the Yucca district.

Dianna would appreciate an RSVP for the purpose of providing refreshments that evening. Please click on this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-dianna-guzman-candidate-for-glendale-city-council-tickets-918936984257?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please join us that evening. We look forward to seeing you again or meeting you for the very first time.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

May 24

15

Glendale’s Guzman Picks Up Key Endorsement From Arizona Fraternal Order Of Police

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 15, 2024
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale election 2024 • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

It is no secret that I am endorsing Dianna Guzman to replace me as the Yucca district councilmember when I retire after 24 years of service this December. Dianna has proven that she wants your vote. Every week she and her crew go to different Yucca neighborhoods and place door hangers. She is attending every city council workshop meeting and voting meeting so that she is prepared to hit the ground running when she takes office. She attends city events with regularity. She can carry out the duties of the office. She understands that there is a major time commitment and is prepared to fulfill it.

Not so much with Lupe Encincas. Her campaign thus far has consisted of attending two Meet n Greets at Bitzee Mama’s. At the most recent one coming out to support her were failed mayoral candidate Jamie Aldama and the radical Democrat Lupe Conchas, Cactus district candidate. Has anyone ever told her that we are judged by the company we keep? She was overheard to have said that she wasn’t sure why she was running but she did want to help people.

Lupe Encincas is a nice person but she’s in way over her head. It appears she has no idea how to run a campaign for office. If she is not committing the time needed to run, that demonstrates that she will not be committed to giving the time needed to be a councilmember.

On May 9, 2024, the Arizona Independent ran the following story about Dianna Guzman, Yucca district city council candidate:

“A long-time advocate for the residents of Glendale, Dianna Guzman, received a key endorsement from the first responders who provide for the residents’ safety. Guzman, a candidate for the Yucca District seat on the Glendale City Council, picked up the endorsement from the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police.

Supporters say the endorsement underscores Guzman’s commitment to ensuring public safety for the residents of Yucca District.‘Receiving the endorsement of the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police is a tremendous honor,’ said Guzman. ‘I am deeply committed to ensuring the safety and security of the residents of Yucca District, and I am grateful to have the support of the brave men and women who serve on the front lines of law enforcement every day.’

Guzman says her platform focuses on implementing proactive strategies to address public safety concerns, advocating for increased resources for law enforcement, and fostering stronger relationships between the community and local police departments.

Guzman’s comprehensive approach to public safety has resonated with voters and community leaders alike, say politicos, putting her on the Ballot with the maximum number of signatures and receiving the endorsement from current Yucca District Councilmember Joyce Clark.

In an official endorsement letter from the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police, it states, ‘based on your demonstrated support of significant public safety issues and reflects our belief that you best understand the difficult job faced by members of the law enforcement community. Your support of those efforts has not gone unnoticed.’

‘As a lifelong resident of Glendale of 27 years and a passionate advocate for her community, Dianna understands the unique needs and challenges facing the Yucca District,” said Clark. ‘With the support of the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police, she is poised to bring positive change and effective leadership to the Glendale City Council’.”

I urge you to vote for Dianna Guzman in Glendale’s Primary Election on July 30, 2024. Early ballots will be mailed out starting on July 3, 2024. Please mark your ballot for Dianna Guzman and mail it back promptly.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

May 24

4

What’s up with Lupe Encinas?

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 4, 2024
Posted in Candidate campaign committee financial reports • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

I am blocked from Lupe’s Facebook page. Gee, I wonder why? Is she that petty? It really doesn’t matter because my readers send me what she has posted. If her objective was to keep me from seeing her posts it hasn’t worked very well. Here are some of the latest FB posts that I have received from my readers.

This one is from Audrey Hickman’s FB page for Lupe (she is supporting Lupe). “She (Lupe) needs $20,000 to pay for her advertising materials and website expenses.” This post is very remarkable. It is two months before early ballots are mailed on July 3rd.  Candidates by this time have already raised money for signs and mailers. Signs are already being printed and will be put up in middle May, less than two weeks from now. Mailers are being designed and readied for mailing. Soon we will be bombarded with candidate mailers in May and June.

It seems that Lupe has not raised the money she needs to mount a campaign. We will know how she’s doing when the next campaign Financial Reports are due on May 11th, a week from now. Let’s hope that her next Financial Report is accurate. The last two have not been so.

Her seemingly lackadaisical attitude as well as her lack of financial accuracy in her reports as a candidate should not surprise anyone. After all, even though she filed a campaign committee a full year ago she didn’t bother to collect signatures until the very last month. As a result, she barely had over the minimum number of signatures required. I believe that she did not have the required number of valid registered voter signatures to qualify. I did not contest her petition signatures and her opponent Dianna Guzman chose not to contest because she is confident that she can beat Lupe in a head-to-head match.

If she cannot be accurate about reporting her financial activities as a candidate, will she be attuned enough to detail to report her councilmember expenses accurately? Will she pay enough attention to the city’s annual budget?

Then Adam Rolnick posted this on FB for Lupe. “Free auto insurance quotes if you’re elected!” Lupe responded with a ‘like’ and “100%.” She owns an insurance agency.

Or this observation, “Lupe is bribing constituents that if they vote for her they will get free auto insurance quotes.  Wow.”

I don’t believe this constitutes bribery because you, I or anyone can call an insurance agent and get a free quote. However, it can become a slippery slope if something of value is offered to obtain a favorable vote. She owns the Pink Door Tea Room. What if Lupe offers a free meal from the Pink Door Tea Room if you vote for her? She owns Goodie’s Glass. What if she offers you a discount on a vehicle glass replacement for your vote? She owns a real estate company. What if she offers a discount on the sale of your house in return for your vote? Then she will be on a very slippery slope indeed.

Lupe Encinas’ attitude and enthusiasm as a candidate for my Yucca council district seat has been lacking since she announced. That is troublesome on so many levels. Does she really want to be a councilmember? Will this be her attitude should she obtain office? Responding at the last minute? Whether it’s a constituent request or councilmember preparedness, this kind of service as a councilmember will not serve Yucca residents or all of Glendale well. Her attitude is not what Yucca district residents want or expect in terms of service.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 24

18

Second filing of Candidate Committee Financial Reports

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 18, 2024
Posted in Cactus District • Candidate campaign committee financial reports • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale election 2024 • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

 I am really pleased to see the number of Glendale candidates that filed clean Candidate Committee Financial Reports. Their current reports do not show any major expenditures.

I don’t expect to see large contributions or expenditures until the 3rd or 4th reports filed later this election cycle. That is except for Mayor Weiers who had reported a massive amount of campaign contributions in his first filing.

Here are the candidates that filed appropriately and the cash they have on hand as of April 1, 2024:  

                           Honor Roll for this reporting Period                                                                                                                         

  • Mayor Jerry Weiers                                            $219,409.79
  • Vice Mayor Ian Hugh, Cactus district                   $  29,278.60
  • Lupe Conchas, Cactus candidate                         $  11,481.90
  • Councilmember Ray Malnar, Sahuaro district        $    2,131.47
  • Dianna Guzman, Yucca candidate                        $    6,572.49

I have not included mayoral candidate Jamie Aldama or Yucca candidate Encinas for both had errors in this period’s filing. I also did not include mayoral candidate Paul Boyer’s filing for he failed to turn in nominating petitions and is no longer a candidate for mayor.

At the bottom of the first page are the Summary Figures. Here it what it looks like.

 (a) is a simple entry. You take the balance you had from the last reporting period and enter it here. (b) asks for the total amount of money collected during this reporting period. That goes in the first column. In the second column you add all the money you received prior to this reporting period plus the money received during this reporting period. (c) asks for the total amount of money spent during this reporting period. That goes in the first column. In the second column you add all the money you spent prior to this reporting period plus the money spent during this reporting period.(d) asks for the balance by subtracting what was spent this reporting period from what was received during this reporting period.

Simple? No? Well, not for some candidates. Lupe Encinas, Yucca candidate got nearly all of it wrong.

  • Her starting balance is $1,650.38 and this is accurate.
  • The second line is wrong according to her report. She said she received $688.07 this reporting period with just two contributions of $236.07 and $100 plus a personal loan of $350.00 (which, by the way, totals $686.07, not $688.07). Instead she filled in $3, 286.17. Where did this number even come from? The second column on that line is blank and should have reflected the money she received from the first reporting period plus money received from the current report reporting period.
  • The third line is wrong as well. According to her report she spent $300 and $565.76 for a total of $915.76 not the $1,883.45 she reports in column 1. The second column which is blank should show what she had spent previously plus what she spent this reporting period.
  • The third line is wrong also. Because her previous lines had the wrong information, this line results in the wrong balance.

Her current cash on hand for this current reporting period is $1,215.97. When and if her numbers are corrected this will prove to be wrong as well.

What’s even more unsettling is that she has a campaign treasurer, Jo Ellen Serey and between both reviewing the figures, both got it wrong. This is not rocket science. It’s a simple matter of paying attention to the details. How will Encinas perform during the council’s budget season discussions, usually lasting 3 months with intensive, detailed homework required? The last thing we all want to see is a repeat of her comment regarding my review of her first filing when she said she thought her report was “amazing.”

Aldama is a different matter. He has run before and has filed over 30 of these reports. On his second report of this cycle filed by the due date of April 15th, his Summary Figures were wrong. The following day he submitted an Amended Report and corrected those numbers. However, he still failed to include information on Schedule A(1), Monetary Contributions from Campaign Committees. On his first report of this cycle, he reported that his Council candidate committee (now terminated) had given his mayoral committee $16,197.12. He failed to include that on his current filing on Schedule A(1) under the column “Cumulative Amount this Election Cycle.”

He also failed to include information in his current filing on Schedule A(1)(a), Monetary Contributions from Political Action Committees. Again, on his first report of this campaign cycle, he reported that the UFCW PAC had donated $5,000, which was moved to his mayoral campaign committee. It, too, should have been carried forward on his latest campaign filing. These items would change “Election Cycle to Date” numbers on his currently submitted Financial Summary sheet.

His current cash on hand is $64,692.69.

I would suggest that these candidates consider hiring a professional to complete these reports so that accurate public information is provided.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 24

13

Coyotes moving

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 13, 2024
Posted in Arizona Coyotes • City of Glendale • City of Phoenix • City of Tempe • Desert Diamond Arena • Phoenix Metro issues • VAI Resort • Westgate • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Yesterday, April 12, the Arizona Republic reported (“Arizona Coyotes Relocating to Salt Lake City, reports say”) that it appears that the Coyotes will be moving to Salt Lake City, Utah. The General Manager, Bill Armstrong, advised players of the impending move on Friday night.

I am sharing my thoughts on the news. The move was inevitable, but I thought Houston would be the team’s new home. I was wrong.

Leaving Glendale was the beginning of the end. Alex Meruelo sent this team down this path with his arrogance and stubbornness. He could have and should have been more reasonable and negotiated a deal in Glendale that was mutually beneficial to the city and to the team.

Guess what? Sometimes it’s better to stay with the person that brought you to the dance.

 For all the naysayers about Glendale as a viable location, there were several factors overlooked. When the Coyotes put a winning team on the ice, the arena was packed. Witness their one and only play-off season. It’s not where you play but the quality of the team that determines attendance. When a team is winning, fans will come from everywhere. With the completion of Route 202, travel time from the East Valley was substantially reduced. The Coyotes were successfully building a fan base in the West Valley. The Westgate area with 15 new apartment complexes and the construction of the VAI Resort and Mattel Adventure Park adds a whole new dynamic that would have helped to grow the fan base.

Personally, I’m glad that the Coyotes left the Glendale arena. Since their departure revenues to the city from events have skyrocketed. With the addition of the Rattlers football team, the revenue picture for Glendale looks even brighter.

When the Coyotes were unable to relocate to Tempe and instead ended up playing in the 5,000 seat Mullett Arena, many sensed that a move was going to happen sooner or later. Muerelo had to be bleeding money. Many of his costs were fixed and the revenue from 5,000 seats could not possibly cover those fixed costs, no matter the price point of the tickets. Add to that dynamic, the head of the players union’s demands to know where the players would be long-term.

As for the bid on state land in north Phoenix, who advertises what they are willing to bid? I suspect there are other types of developers out there that would have outbid the Coyotes. That scheme was certainly not a done deal. When Mayor Ortega of Scottsdale publicly voiced Scottsdale’s objections, sentiment about yet another location not making surfaced quickly. Realistically, had the Coyotes been successful, the hurdles they were about to face guaranteed that it would be years before a hockey arena could be built at that location.

I feel sorry for the fans. They have been steadfastly loyal to this team and have proven it many times. They are sad, angry, and upset. Rightfully so. For the fans and the players to learn of the relocation through social media shows how little respect Muerelo and management has for the fans and their players.

After all the assurances that they committed to stay in the Valley, it appears that the reported $1 billion that Meruelo is asking for the team, outweighed any promises of staying. It’s all about the money, baby.

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 24

6

Desperation

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 6, 2024
Posted in Cactus District • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale election 2024 • Sahuaro District • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

As of April 1, 2024, we know the final slate of candidates running in Glendale’s Primary Election this July. This is the final slate of candidates:

MAYOR                                Incumbent Mayor Jerry Weiers vs. Jamie Aldama

CACTUS DISTRICT              Incumbent Vice Mayor Ian Hugh vs. Lupe Conchas

YUCCA DISTRICT                Dianna Guzman vs. Lupe Encinas (to fill my seat as Councilmember)

SAHUARO DISTRICT           Incumbent Councilmember Ray Malnar unopposed

Now is when desperation begins to set in for some candidates. Two cases in point.

Dianna Guzman’s campaign manager is a person by the name of Darius Diggs. I have met Darius. He is a fine, young man with a bright political future. It has been said that Dianna’s opponent, Lupe Encinas, has passed around a social media assertion from a person claiming to have been assaulted by Darius. It is defamatory, untrue, and pure, unadulterated dirt. In fact, Darius filed charges of assault against this person. Recently in court, the judge ruled in favor of Darius and found against the person who had been circulating his unfounded claim. Hopefully, this will put this episode to rest but I think we all know it will continue to be used to smear Darius and by association, Dianna Guzman.

Another case in point is the other Lupe, Lupe Conchas, and his recent actions. Recently Vice Mayor Ian Hugh hosted his twice yearly Cactus District meeting/BBQ. I attended as did the Mayor and Councilmember Malnar. All of council is invited. Some attend and some have other commitments. Also in attendance was the Vice Mayor’s opponent, Lupe Conchas. He appeared to be actively campaigning to those citizens in attendance. Not only that, but he stood on the street at the entrance to the event, waving his campaign sign. Was it illegal? No. Was it classless and tasteless. Yes.

These kinds of actions by candidates speak to their desperation. Let’s hope they will talk about issues. What are their platforms? What are the most important initiatives they seek to champion? What are their qualifications to serve?

Rest assured, as we go through the next several months before the Primary Election, I will be sharing answers to just such questions. Let’s hope the candidates have publicized their answers!

© Joyce Clark, 2024    

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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