This ain't Denmark, but something's rotten

Guest Commentary
By Al Poskanzer
Gazette Investor

The Gazette is calling it quits. It was a good run. Unfortunately, the Rim Country and especially the people of Payson have lost an important watchdog.

Just like one-party rule is bad for our federal and state governments without loyal opposition, the health of our town will hang in the balance. The so-called good old boys network will surely rule our town with no one to hold them accountable.

The last time they were not held in check, they flushed three-quarters of a million dollars down the drain by giving it away to a private developer to build a water pipeline for HIS own private developments – a sweetheart deal that screwed all of us.

Just take a good hard look at Payson and decide for yourselves who we are, what we are, and where we are after decades of rule by local special interests and power brokers. Payson is a town that has no vibrance. There is little to do here, save for a few events now and then that few participate in. There is no culture, few decent restaurants, no downtown where we can shop and entertain ourselves.

What do we have? We have some of the worst slums and blight in the state – a result of years of neglect by an old boys’ network. Take a short drive down Main Street from the Beeline. Turn left on McLane, then left on Phoenix Street and drive around that area. Drive down Colcord and over Frontier Street and you will see much the same in residential areas.

How did we get here? Neglect! How on earth can we even talk about promoting tourism when parts of Payson are such an eyesore? Even the south Beeline has a ramshackle appearance.

Then we have the Main Street fiasco. If they were serious, they would develop a genuine plan that would include a master plan for the development, financing and partnering with private developers and even possible eminent domain where necessary. But, nooooo…. There is no real thought; no real support; and no vision for the future.

Vision? Who cares about vision? If they were serious, they would look at other towns that have revitalized their historic districts, towns such as Tombstone, Old Town San Diego, Old Sacramento, Bisbee, downtown Flagstaff, and numerous others.

I recently visited Sisters, Ore., a town with a mere 2,000 residents. What a great little place with all kinds of shopping and things to do – and NO slums!

Has anyone on the council even made an effort to clean up and revitalize Payson? The answer is NO! Why? THEY SIMPLY DON’T CARE. If it doesn’t satisfy their interests, why bother?

Then, what boneheads allowed Walmart to come in and dominate the center of Payson, putting all kinds of small businesses under? Sure prices are cheap and many have menial jobs. But where would we be without Walmart? We’d have many more shops and boutiques that might actually thrive. We might even have stores like Target and Staples.

And what do we have now by way of news media? Without a watchdog like the Gazette, we have a newspaper that chums up with the old boys network and even the mayor.

It’s no wonder the Roundup will not write anything disparaging about certain groups like the chamber of commerce and the town government. Its publisher has managed to worm his way onto a number of boards in town, such as the chamber board, the Rodeo Preservation Alliance board and the Mogollon Health Alliance board.

It makes them money. As an example, the Roundup’s relationship with the Rodeo Preservation Alliance has given them an opportunity to publish the “Official” Rodeo Guide. Just think of the advertising dollars they raked in from that.

Such relationships also lead to inappropriate power and influence. For example, who else has been involved with the Mogollon Health Alliance – none other than our mayor, Kenny Evans, who has been the president of the board.

Here we have the publisher of the local newspaper and the mayor sitting on a board together. Does anyone really believe that our local newspaper will print anything critical of the town government as long as such a relationship exists? Why has the town government actually claimed that the Roundup is the “official” paper?

Without the Gazette, who will be the watchdog now? Clearly the Roundup doesn’t care, and why should they? The Town council doesn’t! We passed two sweeping ironclad ethics policies for the town in 2007 and this new council just quietly swept it under the carpet.

Under these policies, they were required to provide comprehensive ethics training for all members of government. No such training has ever taken place, and I would not be surprised to learn about all kinds of violations if we could get our noses under the tent. Without watchdogs like the Gazette and as long as the local newspaper is in bed with the mayor, it ain’t happenin’, folks!

And just who is part of this old boys’ network anyway? Many times, we have referred to it. The response is always a challenge to identify actual persons. This is disingenuous as hell! Those involved know full well that for us to name names can create legal liability; so they are simply taunting us.

It is the special interest groups in town that have had power for years and years: the developers, the old guard families, the real estate community, business people with a stake in what the town council does or doesn’t do, and yes, perhaps a certain religious group. Just look at the make up of our town council.

We have had a lousy town government for decades because of the special interests. Seems to me that the people of Payson have to drain the swamp. But how do we do that without a watchdog like the Gazette?

Of course, if someone actually put the cash together, we could always bring the Gazette back. Or perhaps even buy the Roundup. Then you’d see things happen! For sure! Interesting thought, eh?

In the meantime, my advice is twofold: Firstly, the town elections are coming up in the spring. Just look at who has alliances with special interests and vote for those who do not!

Secondly, READ THE NEW RIM COUNTRY GAZETTE BLOG! Just go to http://rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com/. It might even get habit forming!