Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us April 22, 2005 Anonymous letters return to Phoenix Letter threatens to push for a recall of councilors who don’t fall in line with Mayor Bear By Robert Plain Ashland Daily Tidings The so-called Citizens for Honest and Responsible City Government that roiled politics in the city of Phoenix during the last campaign season has returned. The anonymous group that attacked past council members is turning its sites to the new council. In the words of the most recent letter from the group received on Wednesday by the mayor, the members of the city council and the chief of police, “We are back and we are not happy with the new city council.” The unsigned political newsletter expresses disappointment with Councilors Steven Schulman, Otto Caster and Dean Martin. It says “we” are considering having a recall election, though it does not indicate who might be the subject of such. Schulman believes he is the target of the potential recall election. The new letter says, “Mr. Schulman, we voted you into office and we can vote you out.” Schulman, though, did not seem intimidated. “Personally, I take it as a compliment,” he said. “If I wasn’t being effective against them they wouldn’t be screaming.” Who “they” are has long been the issue as this group for “honest and responsible government” has never made themselves known, even after Mayor Vickie Bear said in a news article that she wanted them to come forward. Though Schulman would not directly speculate as to whom he thought was behind the letter writing campaign he did say that, because it references comments he made at the April 4 city council meeting, that it is likely that someone who attended that meeting is involved. When asked if he thought any current members of the city government may be involved, he replied, “If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, chances are it is a duck.” Schulman noted the letters from the Citizens for Honest and Responsible City Government that were released prior to the November election were critical of the same powers former Mayor Parducci exercised that the letter writer is now advocating for Mayor Bear. “It’s very interesting that the previous letters criticized Mayor Parducci for using discretionary powers and now they want Mayor Bear to have these same powers.” The letter criticizes councilors for not better supporting Mayor Vicki Bear. “Why do some councilor members want to remove duties and responsibilities of from Mayor Bear?,” says the four-page letter in the fourth paragraph. “Why don’t all of you get on board and work together as a team?” Bear has denied any involvement with the group, saying, “I have never been involved with these letters.” She added that she “has no idea” who was behind the letters. The letter specifically rebukes Schulman for taking Council President Carlos DeBritto to task for violating the rights of a city employee by allowing a private citizen to view the employees personnel records. Personnel files are considered confidential and DeBritto allowed David Lewin, who was later appointed to the council with the endorsement of DeBritto, to participate in her exit interview. Schulman submitted a letter at the April 4 council meeting that admonished DeBritto and accused him of using the employees exit interview to try to remove the administrative department head Betty Smith. It said Lewin was appointed to the council as a “quid pro quo” for his assistance in the exit interview. DeBritto was given a favorable review in the letter attributed to the Citizens fore Honest and Responsible City Government. “Why do some council members publicly criticize Councilor DeBritto for supporting Mayor Bear,” it reads. “Councilor DeBritto has surprised us. He has gone from one of those who we believed blindly followed [former] Mayor [Larry] Parducci to a real self-thinking council member who is trying to look out for our community. We hope he keeps on this path. A lot more people than you think support him.” DeBritto has not returned calls from the Daily Tidings. The letter writer is also unhappy with the Phoenix Police Department as it contains several references to alleged misdoings by Chief Bob Kershaw, other officers and their families. “We are outraged at the conduct of some of our police officers and the chief of police,” it reads. “If the city council is not willing to fix our police department then it is time for our police department to be disbanded and for the city of Phoenix to contract with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department for police services.” Kershaw said he could not comment on the letter based on the advise of the city attorney. Staff writer Robert Plain can be reached at 482-3456 x 3040 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Free Musick Downloads Slippers Women's & Men's Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks heloc Calenders 2005 Calender 2005 Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress tcg student loan consolidation home equity loans teleconferencing W2 Forms Tatoos student loans African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems diamonds Currancy Exchange Online Casinos Community Student Loans Tatoo Poker Games Homeschooling Click Here .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams