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Joyce Clark Unfiltered

For "the rest of the story"

Jul 16

12

“The right priorities”

Posted by Joyce Clark on July 12, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances • Heroes Park • West Branch Library  | Tagged With: , , , | 2 Comments

PLEASE DONATE TO MY CAMPAIGN USING THE DONATE BUTTON TO THE LEFT.

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VIEW THE CHAVIRA VIDEOS ALSO TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN.

Sammy Chavira campaign signs were spotted today. They look like they are the same signs he used in his 2012 campaign. The slogan on his signs, “The right priorities” has proven to be ironic and totally meaningless. People are chuckling and saying, “Really?”

Let’s take a look at Sammy’s priorities during his first term:

  • His priority is to take lavish trips at taxpayers’ expense such as seeing the Pope on a large screen TV in Washington, D.C.
  • My priority is to publicize all of my taxpayer funded councilmember expenses on internet for all to see.
  • His priority is to ignore the law by failing to appear in court for a speeding ticket that resulted in his driver’s license suspension and eventual payment of fines when the media started to question him. He called it “a minor glitch.”
  • My priority is to advance the completion of Heroes Park.
  • His priority is to be largely invisible while serving as a councilmember by missing a dozen council meetings and holding only one district meeting during his term.
  • My priority is to restore regular district meetings and to be accessible in person, by phone, email and social media.
  • His priority while on council is, “I’ll be a voice for accountability and tight spending controls” except when it comes to burying his trip expenses in a mass of lost credit card receipts. His accountability has been non-existent.
  • My priority is to improve services for Glendale’s residents while keeping city government lean and mean.
  • His priority is to “fight to fully fund Head Start, promote education tax credit programs and make city-provided after-school programs more academically focused.” Unfortunately he didn’t tell voters that a Glendale councilmember has no control over local school board decisions regarding curricula, policies and funding.
  • My priority is to work toward a permanent west library branch.
  • His priority is, “no more sweetheart deals.” Yet he flip-flopped on the Coyotes management contract and approved a $15 million dollar a year “sweetheart deal.”
  • My priority is to attract new businesses and jobs while working to assist existent businesses.
  • His priority is as a double-dipper receiving $35,000 a year as a Glendale councilmember while also pulling close to an estimated six figure salary as a Phoenix firefighter yet he can’t seem to do his job as a councilmember.
  • My priority is to serve everyone by doing my “homework” on issues that come before council, attending all council meetings and helping citizens to solve problems.

All of his priorities reflect facts from the Arizona Republic, the Glendale Star, minutes of city council meetings and direct quotes from his 2012 political mailings.

There were those who counseled Sammy not to run this cycle but it appears that Sammy thinks Yucca district voters are too stupid to understand and appreciate his many misguided “priorities.”

Chavira has done nothing and contributed even less to council deliberations on major issues. Now the Arizona Republic in an Op-Ed piece has called for his censure for his extravagant trips paid by Glendale taxpayers. They did not go far enough. Chavira should reimburse the city. He can certainly afford to do so with his two jobs earning him a six figure salary.

He appears to have flown under the radar taking care of his friends and major campaign contributors. We know that he has repeatedly ignored the residents of Yucca by canceling scheduled meetings, failing to return their phone calls and failing to connect with Yucca residents through regular district meetings.

I decided to run at the urging of many and because Chavira, quite simply, has not fulfilled his responsibilities and obligations in service to his constituents. Add to that his blatant abuse of taxpayer dollars.

It’s time for Chavira to retire as a one term councilmember and for him to refocus on his job as a Phoenix firefighter. He’s done enough damage.Vote for Joyce

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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 16

11

July campaign update

Posted by Joyce Clark on July 11, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , , , | 2 Comments

PLEASE MAKE A CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION BY CLICKING ON THE PAY PAL BUTTON TO THE LEFT

CHECK OUT THE CHAVIRA VIDEOS TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN

July is perhaps the most important month of my campaign for Permanent Early Ballots will be mailed out on August 3, 2016. The campaign signs are here and this week they will  be put up throughout the district.

Campaign contributions continue to come in from Glendale residents and I am very grateful to each and every one of you. We are $2,000 shy of the amount needed for one political mailing. I need your help to reach this one last goal. Please send your contribution to: Clark for Council, 8628 W. Cavalier Drive, Glendale, AZ 95305 or use the Pay Pal button to the top left of this column. Thank you.

There are other ways you can help to defeat Sammy:

  • Host a small neighborhood get together so that I might speak to you and your neighbors. Simply call me (602-320-3422) or email at: clarkjv@aol.com with the time and date of your neighborhood get together. I would love to meet you and your neighbors.
  • Plant my free campaign sign in your yard. Give me your address and I will make sure a sign gets to you.
  • Pass out campaign flyers to your neighbors. You don’t have to pass out a lot – to 20 or 25 homes surrounding your house.
  • Attend my district meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 21, 2016 at 6 PM at the West Valley Family Church, 6115 N. 91st Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85305
  • And perhaps the most important of all — VOTE either by Permanent Early Ballot or at the polls on August 30, 2016.

I votedTogether we are an army. Together we can tell Sammy to stay at home – no more lavish trips using taxpayer money. Together we can restore ethics and integrity to the Yucca district council seat. Together we can assure that you have full and complete access to your councilmember.

Vote for Joyce

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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 16

8

Censure Chavira

Posted by Joyce Clark on July 8, 2016
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances • Light Rail  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

PLEASE DONATE TO MY CAMPAIGN BY USING THE PAY PAL BUTTON TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN.

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE CHAVIRA VIDEOS, ESPECIALLY “MONEY, MONEY” TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN.

It has been 18 years and 202 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

The July 8, 2016 edition of the Arizona Republic has an editorial penned by Phil Boas. Here is the link: http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/editorial/2016/07/07/sammy-chavira-glendale-travel/86789948/ . In part he says, “Glendale council members have also shied away from tackling the problem head-on by censuring Chavira. Shying away from that action also would be a mistake.” He goes on to say, “It is important, indeed, to refine policies and procedures to ensure ethical, professional practices. And we hope Glendale officials come through soon with clearer standards, including on junkets, freebies and late fees.

“But those efforts don’t preclude the mayor and council from passing judgment on a colleague’s decisions that were clearly inappropriate. And sending a message to constituents that the illegitimate use of their taxes isn’t tolerated. That requires and overdue – and well-deserved – censure.”

I agree. The problem is that a majority of council may not. Obviously Chavira must recuse himself in such deliberation and consequent action. That leaves a council of 6 members. Lately there has grown to be a 3 to 3 split between them with Turner, Tolmachoff and Aldama vs. Weiers, Hugh and Malnar. Take the latest major issue, light rail. The vote was 4-3 to approve and move forward – Turner, Tolmachoff, Aldama (and Chavira) for approval and Weiers, Hugh and Malnar against, citing the need for more information on their unanswered questions.

There are mechanisms in council guidelines that allow fellow councilmembers to sanction one another. They have never been used but it seems appropriate in Chavira’s case. How can a split council decide on censure for Chavira? The public perception, rightly or wrongly, is that Turner, Tolmachoff and Aldama would not support Chavira’s censure. So, they are at an impasse and the public may never see the very message the Arizona Republic calls for – that of “sending a message to constituents that the illegitimate use of their taxes isn’t (and will no longer) be tolerated.”

Add to a split council, the fact that Glendale’s City Attorney, Michael Bailey, had given Chavira a pass by publicly stating that he could find nothing wrong with Sammy’s spending. City councilmembers are his bosses so of course, he’s not going to throw one of them under the bus. What should have occurred and did not, was for Bailey to ask an independent third party, such as a city attorney from another jurisdiction, to review and make a decision.

In governmental terms, $25,000 is not a lot of money. In citizen terms, especially when it’s their taxes, it is. There are people at the poverty level who earn no more than that in an entire year. There are senior citizens who receive no more than that amount each year from Social Security. Chavira makes far more than that annually. Between his Phoenix firefighter position and his councilmember salary it seems he would be in the six-figure range.

That brings up another action that should be required and that is reimbursement to the city. Obviously Sammy can afford to do so but don’t hold your breath. It is unlikely that Glendale taxpayers will see this council censure one of its own or will see Sammy repay the money he lavished on trips.

Sammy’s only censure will come from the voters of the Yucca district at the Primary Election on August 30th for they will make clear their anger.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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 16

7

Yucca district meeting in July

Posted by Joyce Clark on July 7, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances • Glendale zoning issues  | Tagged With: , , , | 2 Comments

Strike up the band ! 1195436089266192967johnny_automatic_marching_band_1.svg.hiHold a parade!celebrate_newoptimistclub I am hosting a Yucca district meeting !! bTynXyXTLSave the date!  Tell your friends and neighbors!hug-club-clip-art-335

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2012

6 PM

WEST VALLEY FAMILY CHURCH

6115 N. 91ST AVENUE

GLENDALE, AZ 85305

(East side of 91st Avenue, directly across from the Cardinals football stadium)

It is not appropriate as a candidate for the Yucca district city council seat to have city personnel at this meeting. That will have to wait. Be assured, if I am elected, I will host another meeting immediately upon taking office with city personnel present. I am giving the Pastor of the Church an opportunity to greet everyone. I have also invited Mayor Jerry Weiers to make a presentation and to answer any questions you may have. I, too, will speak briefly and then open the meeting to all of you.

This is a great opportunity to tell me your thoughts on a wide variety of issues that are important to you. Tell me about the code enforcement service you have received, or not…how about the police response in your neighborhood? Share your thoughts about light rail in Glendale or any other issue. I will listen. I will take notes. I will act.

For those of you who are new to the district or have never met me, you will have an opportunity to ask questions of me and to find out why I am running to represent you.

It is also an opportunity to meet other Yucca district residents…your neighbors. There has not been a Yucca district meeting since May of 2013. You have been disenfranchised by your councilman. Now, finally, you will “get your voice back!”

Please share the news of the Yucca district meeting with your friends and neighbors. Please help me to get the word out. I’d love to see 100+ district residents in support of resuming district meetings.

It will be great to see you all again!

Jul 16

6

Sammy refuses debate invitation

Posted by Joyce Clark on July 6, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances • Glendale zoning issues  | Tagged With: , , , , , | 4 Comments

PLEASE DONATE TO MY CAMPAIGN BY CLICKING ON THE PAY PAL BUTTON TO THE LEFT.

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE CHAVIRA VIDEOS TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN.

It has been 18 years and 200 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

On June 27, 2016 I sent a letter and an email to Sammy inviting him to a debate. Here is a copy of the letter I sent (email was identical).

Debate invitation June 27 2016

Debate invitation to Chavira June 27, 2016

I secured a site for July 14, 2016 at a local church and Robert Heidt, CEO of the Glendale Chamber agreed to moderate. I asked Sammy to respond by close of business on July 5, 2016.

Surely it is not difficult to make such a decision within a week.  I clearly stated in my letter that if  I did not receive a response by July 5th that meant that he was declining my invitation and I would cancel the arrangements I had made. As of posting this blog I have received no letter of acceptance or rejection; no email of acceptance or rejection; and no phone call of acceptance or rejection.  I have cancelled the debate arrangements. Sammy does not have the common courtesy to respond to a debate invitation and to confirm or refuse that invitation. He should not be surprised if he turns up at the church on July 14th to find that no one is there.

It is July 6, 2016 and Sammy has not responded, period. Not an, “I’m sorry. I have another commitment on that date.” Nothing. Just silence. That seems to be his habit and practice. He has been contacted by the media on numerous occasions to explain his lavish travel on taxpayer dollars. Once again, nothing. Just silence. Does he really believe that ignoring a situation will make it disappear?

In the July 7, 2016 edition of the Glendale Star, Sammy was asked by Darrell Jackson, the reporter, if he would take part in the debate to which I had invited Sammy and had scheduled for July 14, 2016. Chavira’s response? “Let’s just say my record speaks for itself.” It certainly does. His record consists of abuse of taxpayer money on lavish trips, a dozen absences from council workshops and meetings, one district meeting held during his entire term and failure to appear in court with a subsequent driver’s license suspension. That is a record that certainly speaks for itself.

Is Sammy afraid to debate? One could assume that is the case. After all, he and I would have been asked questions without the benefit of knowing them beforehand. Sammy would not have had time to ask others to help him to prepare his answers. If you have ever watched Sammy at council workshops or meetings, he is heavy on thanking everyone for everything but light on offering a substantive response on anything. He doesn’t appear to be very articulate on any subject and seems to have trouble responding without prepared notes (crafted by someone other than Sammy).

So, Sammy will remain, for the time being, as the Yucca district’s invisible councilmember. Sammy, has repeatedly shown how little he respects the voters of the Yucca district and has not earned your vote.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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 16

5

Chavira’s campaign finance report

Posted by Joyce Clark on July 5, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , | 1 Comment

PLEASE DONATE TO MY CAMPAIGN BY USING THE PAY PAL BUTTON TO THE LEFT.

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE CHAVIRA VIDEOS TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN.

It has been 18 years and 199 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

Last week I posted my campaign finance report on this blog. It is appropriate to look at Sammy’s campaign report. If you wish to see mine or any other Glendale candidate’s finance report, please follow this link: http://www.glendaleaz.com/Clerk/PoliticalCommitteeCampaignFinanceReports.cfm .

Chavira begins with the $16,671.14 from his January report. Those funds came from 3 sources: $5,000 from Mark Becker of Becker Billboards; $6,250 from the UFCW99; and $5,000 from the Arizona Pipe Trades #469. Here is the link to Chavira’s report: June 30 2016 .

In this current report he received campaign contributions from 2 sources: the Tohono O’odham Nation contributed $6,250 and Arizona Pipe Trades 469 gave him another $5,000 for total contributions of $11,250.00. By Arizona law an Indian tribe is not a PAC but is considered an individual and the maximum amount an individual can contribute is $6, 250. So the tribe is maxed out on an individual contribution.  If I read the regulations correctly, the Arizona Pipe Trades may contribute a maximum amount of $12,500. It is close to maxing out with total contributions to Chavira of $10,000.

Have you noticed something? Chavira has received nada, none, zilch…not a scintilla of a contribution from anyone in Glendale since January of 2016.  He has received nothing from a Yucca district resident or a Glendale resident. It may be that his lavish trips on taxpayer money, his many absences from city council meetings and his failure to appear in court with a subsequent suspension of his driver’s license have caused many to be reluctant to contribute to his campaign.

 If he has received individual contributions, he may be holding them back to report them after the Primary but a candidate is not supposed to do that.  When a candidate receives contributions they are supposed to be reported when received…not months later.

Chavira has spent to date $13,397. $4,000 has been paid to Patrick Barrett, a consultant who is currently the finance director for Kyrsten Sinema for Congress and the campaign manager for Navarro for Tempe City Council. Barrett was also campaign manager for Glendale fire fighter and Phoenix City Councilman Danny Valenzuela.

Chavira paid the LA Machine, a petition gathering company, $2,797 to collect his petition signatures. He also paid Benjamin Scheel of Bright Phoenix $1,500 for consultancy. I wonder if there is any connection between Benjamin Scheel and Billy Scheel, a partner at Javalina Consulting?

Lastly he paid the Torres Law Group $1750 for petition verification. I assume it was to check my petition signatures. If that’s what this expense was for, he wasted a lot of money because we checked my petitions for valid signatures before turning them in. We knew that we had several hundred extra valid signatures when my petitions were submitted.

Chavira made $3,000 in disbursements to various persons/organizations: $1,000 to the Center for Neighborhood Leadership; $1,000 to Kim Romero; and $1,000 to the Citizens Police Academy Alumni. There is a Stan Chavira on the board of the Center for Neighborhood Leadership. This same Stan Chavira lists himself as the Community Affairs Director for the UFCW (the same UFCW that donated $6,250 to Chavira according to his January, 2016 campaign finance report). Are Stan Chavira and Sammy Chavira related? I don’t know.

In summary, Sammy spent approximately $5,000 on consultants; another approximate $5,000 on petition signature collection and verification; and disbursed $3,000 to persons/organizations.

It certainly is a small world, isn’t it? It appears that all of Sammy’s connections are intertwined. Stan Chavira (is he a relative of Sammy’s??) is on the payroll of the UFCW and on the board of the previously mentioned leadership group. This leadership group received a $1,000 donation from Sammy.  Sammy received $6000 from the UFCW. The LA Machine, the company that collected Sammy’s petition signatures, has ties to Ruben Gallego (the very friend Sammy spent taxpayer money to see sworn in, in Washington, D.C.) who appears to be the only supporter of Sammy’s campaign.

Patrick Barrett, apparently Sammy’s consultant or campaign manager (??) was also campaign manager for Sammy’s buddy, Danny Valenzuela. Danny and Sammy were members of the International Association of Hispanic Firefighters (IAHF) and left after apparently Tony Herrera and Art Jimenez, 2 friends they recommended to sponsor an IAHF fundraiser, produced nothing for the organization.  Herrera and Jimenez left the IAHF holding the bag for event expenses they never paid and the event never raised a dime for the IAHF. Sammy and Danny were among the hosts of a recent fundraising event for mayoral candidate Burdick.

It is evident that Sammy and I are running very different campaigns. Sammy is relying on contributions from special interest groups and is using consultants to run his campaign. The email contact provided on Sammy’s campaign report is ben@brightphxaz.com , Benjamin Scheel, a consultant Sammy hired…it’s not Sammy’s email address.  Sammy appears to have very little involvement in his own campaign.

 I am relying on contributions from people like you. My petition signatures were collected by myself and Glendale volunteers. Sammy paid a company nearly $3,000 to collect his signatures. We verified my petition signatures and Sammy’s petition signatures ourselves. Sammy paid a legal firm over $1,700 to do the very same.

Sammy may have $14,000 left to spend on his campaign, twice the amount I have received to date. The contributions I have received will be spent efficiently and effectively. Sammy seems to have spent his money unwisely. However, the major difference is that it is clear that Sammy no longer enjoys the support of Yucca district residents. On August 30, 2016, at Glendale’s Primary Election, I ask for your vote. It’s time to restore honesty and integrity to the Yucca city council seat and to “get your voice back.”

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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 16

29

My June campaign finance report

Posted by Joyce Clark on June 29, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale  | Tagged With: , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

PLEASE DONATE TO MY CAMPAIGN USING THE PAY PAL BUTTON TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN.

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE LATEST CHAVIRA VIDEO FROM TV CHANNEL 15.

It has been 18 years and 193 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

All candidates must turn in their finance reports by Thursday, June 30, 2016 by close of business at 5 PM. If they are turned in after June 30th they are late and there is a fine imposed. If you would like to view everyone’s campaign finance reports please use this link: http://www.glendaleaz.com/Clerk/PoliticalCommitteeCampaignFinanceReports.cfm .

As I pledged in the spirit of full disclosure and accountability I am posting my campaign finance report for June, 2016 that I submitted to the City Clerk. Here is the link to my submitted report: Clark campaign finance report June 2016 .

The total receipts for my campaign to date are $7651.80. I am half way to my goal of $15,000 for the campaign. I can run an efficient and effective campaign with $15,000. I don’t need special interest money for I am seeking to represent you, not special interests.

My opponent, Chavira, begins his campaign with $16,958.13 (January 2016 finance report) from 3 sources: Mark Becker made a contribution of $5,000; the UFCW99 made a contribution of $6,250; and the Arizona Pipe Trades 469 made a contribution of $5,000. Chavira is relying on special interest money to fund his campaign. That makes him accountable to special interests, not you.

That’s where you come in. I need your help. I have paid for campaign signs but I don’t have enough to cover the cost of one campaign mailing. A campaign mailing can run around $4,000; $1,000 to $1,500 for printing and the rest is for postage.

If you have given before and can give some more I would appreciate it. If you haven’t made a contribution but have intended to do so, now is the time.  No amount is too small and no amount up to $6,500 is too large.

Please send your contribution to:   thermometer w new numbers June 30 2016

Joyce Clark                                             Clark for Council                                    8628 W. Cavalier Drive                     Glendale AZ 85305

Or click on the PayPal link to the top left of this column and make a donation today! Together, the residents of Glendale, not special interests, will remove Sammy from office and restore honesty and integrity to the Yucca district city council seat. Together, let’s restore accessibility and accountability and “get your voice back.”

Please make a donation to my campaign today.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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 16

26

Another milestone

Posted by Joyce Clark on June 26, 2016
Posted in Arizona Cardinals • City of Glendale • Gila River Arena • Glendale and the NFL Super Bowl • Glendale elected officials • Heroes Park • NFL • University of Phoenix Stadium • West Branch Library  | Tagged With: , , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE CHAVIRA VIDEOS TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN. EACH IS ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF IN LENGTH.

It has been 18 years and 190 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

June 24, 2016, marks another milestone of 350,000 reads of my blog since I began in February of 2013. That averages about 100,000 reads a year. I am pleased and very grateful to all those who have become faithful readers. Thank you. In addition, in 3 months, over 1,000 people have viewed my 3 Chavira videos. Again, thank you for taking the time to view them.

In Sammy Chavira’s latest weekly e-newsletter of June 24, 2016, he said, “After serving 17 years as a Phoenix firefighter and Glendale City Council Member, Chavira helped bring a Super Bowl to Cardinals Stadium.” Gosh, in addition to all his other misdeeds now we can add embellishment and exaggeration.

While Sammy may have served 17 years as a Phoenix firefighter, he certainly, thankfully, hasn’t served as a Glendale councilmember for 17 years. He has only served one term of 4 years. As for “Chavira helped bring a Super Bowl to Cardinals Stadium.” Really? And how might he have helped? The bid for a Super Bowl and the choice of the stadium for the last Super Bowl was made long before Sammy became a councilmember.

We have just another example of Sammy’s misdirection of the facts and an attempt to give himself recognition for something he did not do.  Add to his practice of embellishment, his lavish trips at taxpayer expense, his failure to attend council meetings and to hold district meetings and his failure to appear in court with a subsequent suspension of his driver’s license while he claimed it was “a minor glitch.”

While we’re at it, let’s take a look at some of the promises made by Sammy in the campaign mailings he sent to voters in his first run for office in 2012. In one campaign mailing Sammy said, “On the City Council, he’ll fight to protect funding for local schools and excellent, academically-enriched after school programs.” Or how about this from another campaign mailing, “Sam understands that good jobs and good schools go hand in hand. He will fight to fully fund Head Start, support education tax credits for our local schools, and make after school programs more curriculum based.” These statements represent one of two positions – take your pick. Fact: The Glendale city council has no authority over federal or local education policies, curriculum or funding. That is the responsibility of your district school board whether it is the Pendergast Elementary School District or the Glendale Elementary School District. Sammy either didn’t know the facts — which makes him ignorant or he knew the facts and he chose to be deceptive.

Here’s another promise from Sammy.2012. “Too many sweetheart arena deals for out-of-state corporations have left us deeply in debt. Sam will prioritize public safety, education and public libraries and isn’t afraid to say no to special interests.” Or how about, “No more sweetheart deals. The city needs to be a tough negotiator, making smart planning decisions that preserve Glendale’s future.” It would appear that Sammy never met a “sweetheart” deal that he didn’t like. He apparently traded votes with former Councilmember Sherwood, flip-flopping on his promise to protect taxpayers from exorbitant, $15 million dollars a year arena management fees with…you guessed it…an out-of-state corporation.

He seems to favor those who contributed large sums of money to his campaign such as Mark Becker of the Becker Billboard issue that surfaced in Glendale last year.

How has he “prioritized public libraries” by supporting a 7,500 square foot modular building as west Glendale’s branch library? It’s insulting that he thinks so little of his constituency that he throws them this kind of bone.

How has Sammy made “smart planning decisions?” By allowing a residential project like Stonehaven in the Yucca district? A residential project in which 43% of the homes will be on 5,500 square foot lots (smaller than that which is required by the city’s standard R1-6 zoning that requires a minimum of 6,000 square foot lots). That kind of “smart planning decision” devalues all of the homes that surround this project.

There’s more, so much more of Sammy’s deceptions…for another blog, I think. Sammy promised a lot and delivered…nothing. Sammy earns a fire fighter’s pay check as well as a councilmember’s pay check of $35,000 a year. Yet he has failed to do his job as a Glendale councilmember. He’s often absent from council meetings and can’t seem to find the time to reach out to, much less listen to, his Yucca district constituents or their concerns.  It’s time to let Sammy go back to being a fire fighter and not a double dipper. It seems as if he can handle only one job at a time.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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 16

23

Glendale travel policy…follow up

Posted by Joyce Clark on June 23, 2016
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances  | Tagged With: , | No Comments yet, please leave one

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE SAMMY CHAVIRA VIDEOS TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN. EACH IS ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF.

It has been 18 years and 187 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

My thoughts. On June 21, 2016 Glendale’s city council discussed the travel policy issue during its workshop meeting. Here is Channel 15 TV’s take on the situation: http://www.abc15.com/news/region-west-valley/glendale/glendale-city-councilman-sammy-chavira-comps-23k-in-travel-expenses-since-2013 .

Council consensus was that it rejected the use of per diem and wanted to foster more “transparency.” The most disturbing aspect of this issue is that historically there has been no known councilmember abuse of the travel policy….until Sammy Chavira. Sammy’s questionable spending of nearly $25,000 on lavish trips has created a problem where previously there was none. His decision making has proven to be flawed. This brings into question his votes on important city issues such as the previously approved arena management agreement with IceArizona. Were his votes the result of flawed decision making? Were his votes in support of certain councilmember pals or because he received large campaign contributions?

The city has had to spend its valuable resources in terms of staff time and effort to present to city council in a workshop meeting only to learn that it must do further research to be presented once again at a future workshop. City council has been distracted from policy making on the larger issues the city faces. Sammy not only wasted taxpayer money on his travel but he has caused the waste of taxpayer money to redress an issue that had never been an issue before.

In response to Councilmember Tolmachoff’s justification for council travel to D.C. to meet face-to-face with Arizona congressional members; there are other means to achieve the same goal. All Arizona congressional members have offices locally and are often in the Valley meeting with constituents and others. If any councilmember wants a face-to-face with an Arizona congressman he or she can call the local office and schedule a face to face when the congressman/woman is in town. It obviates the necessity of traveling to D.C. for a face-to-face and saves thousands of dollars in airfare/hotels/meals.

As it reads now, the travel policy allows a councilmember to determine if the travel is reasonable. Reasonable is practically impossible to define. What is reasonable to you may be totally unacceptable to someone else. Rather the public wants full disclosure and accountability. If a councilmember is traveling there should be a robust explanation of exactly how the purported city business is a benefit to the city and the taxpayer…with whom will they be meeting? When? Where? The result achieved? All of this information must be publicly posted.

Councilmember Turner during workshop focused on councilmembers’ lost ProCard receipts. Here is an example of just one of many turned in by Councilmember Chavira:

Lost receipt

The illustration is fuzzy and not as clear as one would like. The Lost ProCard Receipt Form shows a date of purchase on 7/10/2015 at Durants’ Fine Foods in the amount of $97.23. Yet Sammy didn’t turn the form in until 4/6/2016….a full 9 months later. Why? Also note the items purchased were 3 specials and 3 drinks. Brent Stoddard, City Council Office Manager and Director of Intergovernmental Relations, is charged with reviewing and approving councilmember submissions such as this one. It is Mr. Stoddard who corrects the record with the notation, “tea/soda? Non-alcoholic.” So, Sammy, what were the “drinks?” Alcoholic? Non-alcoholic? Is this why the receipt was “lost” with the report form being filed 9 months later? To bury it? It’s questions like these, in the light of Sammy’s past actions, that now lead everyone to question why he does the things he does.

The majority of Glendale’s city council, historically and now, is quite respectful and mindful of the use of their taxpayer funded budgets. It just takes one to cause a problem and to reveal flaws in the system waiting to be gamed…in this case it was Sammy Chavira.

Resolution is now required and it must be quickly implemented, clear and concise, based upon the principles of full disclosure and accountability. Taxpayers should be able to easily access information that discloses where the councilmember went, how much it cost and for what specific city business. It’s not that complicated nor is posting it online on each councilmember’s page.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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 16

22

Glendale city council workshop on travel policy

Posted by Joyce Clark on June 22, 2016
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances  | Tagged With: , , , , , | 3 Comments

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE THREE CHAVIRA VIDEOS TO THE LEFT OF THIS COLUMN. EACH IS ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF IN LENGTH.

It has been 18 years and 185 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

Glendale city council travel policy…It certainly was an interesting topic that had been requested by Councilmember Chavira after he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Ironically, Chavira, after having made the request for discussion, had not one substantive suggestion or comment to make. He remained largely silent as councilmembers opined and only said he thanked staff for their work on the issue and wanted Glendale, “to set the standard in travel.” That was it. That was Sammy’s entire contribution to the discussion. If you would like to view the complete council discussion, use this link:

http://glendale-az.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=2452 .

City Manager Phelps introduced the item with an apology explaining that the staff work on the issue was lacking. Councilmember Aldama was visibly upset. Why, you ask? He wanted to provide input to staff prior to bringing the issue to workshop and did not have that opportunity. Later in the discussion he suggested a citizen’s Ad Hoc Committee to draft council’s travel policy. The idea went over like a lead balloon with the rest of council literally ignoring his suggestion. He did offer one interesting statement saying “he has never misspent” taxpayer money. Yet some Glendale residents are curious as to why he gave thousands of dollars to the Glendale Women’s Club with the understanding that they would pass it on in support of yet another Glendale festival. Hmmm….

Paul Giblin of the Arizona Republic had a story online on the evening of June 21, 2016, several hours after the city council workshop. Here is the link:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/glendale/2016/06/20/glendale-consider-tougher-taxpayer-funded-travel-rules/86152722/ . In his story Giblin says, “The newspaper (Arizona Republic) reported on March 4 that Chavira expensed $2,075 to see his friend Ruben Gallego sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, and $1,933 to watch Pope Francis address Congress in Washington (on a large screen TV for overflow crowd).

“The Republic also reported that the first-term councilman billed taxpayers a combined $1,033 for poorly documented business-development trips to the Los Angeles area, and a combined $3,136 for airline ticket change fees, seat upgrades and baggage charges since taking office in January 2013.”

The council word “du jour” was “transparency” begun by Councilmember Malnar and repeated continually by the rest of council. It is a word so over used by politicians as to lose all meaning. What Glendale taxpayers expect and deserve is full disclosure that leads to accountability when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars. Several interesting comments were made by various councilmembers. 

Councilmember Tolmachoff spent the better part of five minutes explaining the importance of councilmember travel. For a moment I thought I was back in school. Her rationale centered on the building of relationships that would further Glendale’s agenda as well as the personal development gained through travel. I would suggest that both of those arguments are debatable. She indicated that she wanted staff to develop a method of posting her spending of taxpayer money online.  This is not a new or original idea. This is a concept that I have publicly advocated for as part of my campaign platform for four months, ever since I announced my candidacy to replace Chavira.

Councilmember Turner, after a vigorous defense of staff’s work on the issue, proceeded to offer a litany of specific changes that he wanted. They ranged from provision of itemized documentation; the use of pre and post travel reports; justification for reimbursement of travel change fees; alerting the City Manager of planned travel; and CFO approval of travel expenses. Generally there was council consensus on the rejection of the use of per diem by councilmembers and the desire to post councilmember travel reports online in order to provide greater transparency (there’s that word again). Assistant City Manager Duensing summarized the discussion by stating that staff would be back at a future date with recommendations to increase council “transparency.”

Three recent opinion pieces clearly offer the reasons as to why the need for Glendale city council travel policy review was required. The first is a Letter to the Editor by Ron Myers, constable of the Arrowhead Justice Precinct in Glendale offered on March 10, 2016:

“As an elected public official in Maricopa County who lives in Glendale, I am appalled and dismayed to read a story in The Republic that Glendale City Councilman Chavira has abused the trust of the taxpayers in Glendale by spending lavishly on questionable trips and meals charged to his expense account that we all pay for.

“What possible city business could it be for him to fly to Washington, D.C., to observe the Pope’s speech on a TV monitor or to watch his friend get sworn in as a congressman? Does he really think he can justify spending over $400 on dinner for his superiors in the Phoenix Fire Department while out of town?

“The City of Glendale takes one more black eye from out-of-control politicians. Shame on him and shame on the City of Glendale for allowing this fraud and abuse.”

Another is an opinion piece by Laurie Roberts of the Arizona Republic on March 25, 2010. She said:

“Glendale’s travelin’ man, Councilman Sammy Chavira, is asking for a review of the city’s travel policy. Apparently, it’s not clear to him that taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the $2,000 tab for him to travel to Washington, D.C. to see his pal, Rueben Gallego, sworn into Congress. Apparently, he believes it was a legitimate taxpayer expense to fly him to the nation’s Capital so that he could watch Pope Francis address Congress. Clearly, Glendale citizens needed to spend $420 for a posh seafood dinner party at a celebrated restaurant in Washington, D.C. Giblin reports that Chavira’s 2014 dinner party included several Phoenix officials, including two of Chavira’s bosses. Chavira is a Phoenix fire fighter.

“Yeah, I can see where there would be a clear need for Glendale taxpayers to foot that bill.

“Chavira said this week that recent medial reports (read: Giblin’s excellent dogging of this story) have led him to believe the city needs to review its policy. ‘While I have always followed the travel policies of the city, I am also completely supportive of reviewing the council’s policies and guidelines,’ he told his colleagues. The policy allows elected officials to decide what is and is not reasonable. Essentially it relies upon the city to elect ethical and honest leaders who don’t look to lax policies as an excuse to rack up frequent flier miles at the public’s expense.

“Given that that isn’t working in Glendale, perhaps it is time for the council to review travel. Or maybe it’s time for the citizens to review who they are putting on council.”

The third piece is a short video conversation by Columnist E.J. Montini and reporters Paul Giblin and Craig Harris as they talk about government officials expensing questionable trips to taxpayers and the lack of accountability in monitoring how they spend taxpayers’ money. Here is the link:  http://azc.cc/1p4sVnQ  .

Laurie Roberts had it right when she said, “…it’s time for the citizens to review who they are putting on the council.” It’s time to remove Sammy Chavira from city council.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

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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