By Jim Keyworth
Gazette Blog Editor
All the media got the press release - the one about Payson Mayor Kenny Evans' letter to one of Chaparral Pines fat cats giving him permission to build a swimming pool before the town council had rescinded a ban on such pools - at the same time, around noon on Monday, June 16. The Gazette Blog and KMOG ran the story the next day. The Roundup didn't, and now we know why. They needed a few days to concoct one of the biggest cover-ups in the annals of local journalism.
In its Friday, June 20 edition the Roundup ran a rambling, tedious, confusing news article that so obfuscated the issue that it was hard to tell what even happened. Suffice it to say, poor, innocent Kenny had been wronged by those bully opponents who concocted the press release.
But it was Editor Pete Aleshire's self-serving editorial that wins the trophy for biggest crock of poop ever to grace the pages of a once-proud newspaper. Here is Pete's editorial with a few comments of ours inserted at strategic places where we couldn't take any more. Then, for the sake of clarity and simplicity, you'll find a copy of the Gazette's original article based on the press release.
Pete's editorial:
Beware the politics of personal attack
Friday, June 20, 2014
Sometimes, the rules can trap you — even when you believe in
those rules with all your heart. So we struggled a bit with the first
salvo of what’s shaping up to be a fiercely contested battle for the
privilege and duty of serving as Payson’s mayor.
Challenger Randy Roberson asserted that a seemingly bland [Seemingly bland. Jesus Christ, Pete. You are soooo transparent!] letter Payson Mayor Kenny Evans wrote to a homeowner concerning the town’s restrictions on swimming pools was unethical and perhaps illegal.
We gave the story prominent play, since the allegations are serious and we have a sacred obligation [Yeah, right. And I've got a covered bridge for sale - cheap.] to our readers to give them the information they need to make a decision in the voting booth.
But it grieved us to do so.
Certainly, many grave and important issues face Payson. Everyone benefits from an open, vigorous campaign. Both Mr. Evans and Mr. Roberson have repeatedly proven their deep commitment to this community — and their admirable drive to serve their fellow citizens [Blah...blah...blah...blah...]. Mr. Evans has spent vast sums of time and much of his own money [Tell us more about that, Pete. How much of his own money and where did it go?] to help others. Mr. Roberson has devoted himself to charity work, saving lives by flying into disaster areas with urgently needed supplies and care. They’re both thoughtful, public spirited and brave [Please. How about thrifty, clean and reverent too?].
But we need a thoughtful, forthright debate [Now, there's an idea. Why don't you sponsor one between these two?]. The council must make crucial decisions in the next two years. The town must conclude its effort to bring a university to town [You're not still beating that dead horse?], confront the danger of wildfires, build a resilient, year-round economy, encourage growth without sacrificing our small-town virtues. The candidates have lots of issues to debate. Sometimes, we have agreed with the incumbents — sometimes we have challenged them [That's BS Pete, and you know it.].
But we hope both sides will refrain from unsupported personal attacks. Perhaps Mayor Evans has sometimes overreached and underestimated, but he has worked selflessly on behalf of this community. He has poured out his time and his energy. He does not deserve to have his integrity challenged on such thin evidence [Thin evidence? It's black and white evidence, Pete].
We felt compelled to report the allegations — along with the mayor’s defense. As a result, the hurtful [Hurtful? Oh, Lordy!] speculations got wide circulation. The rules we believe in to our deepest roots require us to report as objectively and completely as we possibly can in our news columns anything we feel our readers need to know.
Mind you, we don’t endorse in elections. We trust our readers to reach their own conclusions. So don’t read this as an endorsement [Gee, wonder whose side Pete's on?]. But we hope the candidates will also trust those voters. Don’t let the politics of personal destruction that has metastasized through national politics spread through our beautiful little town.
Let’s have a debate on the issues [OK, let's. I know for a fact that the challengers are ready and willing. Is Kenny?] — even if the personal attacks do get headlines.
By Jim Keyworth
Challenger Randy Roberson asserted that a seemingly bland [Seemingly bland. Jesus Christ, Pete. You are soooo transparent!] letter Payson Mayor Kenny Evans wrote to a homeowner concerning the town’s restrictions on swimming pools was unethical and perhaps illegal.
We gave the story prominent play, since the allegations are serious and we have a sacred obligation [Yeah, right. And I've got a covered bridge for sale - cheap.] to our readers to give them the information they need to make a decision in the voting booth.
But it grieved us to do so.
Certainly, many grave and important issues face Payson. Everyone benefits from an open, vigorous campaign. Both Mr. Evans and Mr. Roberson have repeatedly proven their deep commitment to this community — and their admirable drive to serve their fellow citizens [Blah...blah...blah...blah...]. Mr. Evans has spent vast sums of time and much of his own money [Tell us more about that, Pete. How much of his own money and where did it go?] to help others. Mr. Roberson has devoted himself to charity work, saving lives by flying into disaster areas with urgently needed supplies and care. They’re both thoughtful, public spirited and brave [Please. How about thrifty, clean and reverent too?].
But we need a thoughtful, forthright debate [Now, there's an idea. Why don't you sponsor one between these two?]. The council must make crucial decisions in the next two years. The town must conclude its effort to bring a university to town [You're not still beating that dead horse?], confront the danger of wildfires, build a resilient, year-round economy, encourage growth without sacrificing our small-town virtues. The candidates have lots of issues to debate. Sometimes, we have agreed with the incumbents — sometimes we have challenged them [That's BS Pete, and you know it.].
But we hope both sides will refrain from unsupported personal attacks. Perhaps Mayor Evans has sometimes overreached and underestimated, but he has worked selflessly on behalf of this community. He has poured out his time and his energy. He does not deserve to have his integrity challenged on such thin evidence [Thin evidence? It's black and white evidence, Pete].
We felt compelled to report the allegations — along with the mayor’s defense. As a result, the hurtful [Hurtful? Oh, Lordy!] speculations got wide circulation. The rules we believe in to our deepest roots require us to report as objectively and completely as we possibly can in our news columns anything we feel our readers need to know.
Mind you, we don’t endorse in elections. We trust our readers to reach their own conclusions. So don’t read this as an endorsement [Gee, wonder whose side Pete's on?]. But we hope the candidates will also trust those voters. Don’t let the politics of personal destruction that has metastasized through national politics spread through our beautiful little town.
Let’s have a debate on the issues [OK, let's. I know for a fact that the challengers are ready and willing. Is Kenny?] — even if the personal attacks do get headlines.
The Gazette's original story:
Swimming pool letter lands mayor in hot water
Photo by Jim Keyworth
Payson
Mayor Kenny Evans wrote a letter on town letterhead allowing a
Chaparral Pines resident to build a swimming pool at his mansion while
such pools were still banned by the town according to a press release
issued by a group of town council candidates.
By Jim Keyworth
Rim Country Gazette Blog Editor
A group of candidates for the Payson Town Council issued a press release Monday accusing Mayor Kenny Evans of behavior that is either “unethical” or a “violation of law.”
Evans, according to the candidates, sent a letter Feb. 19 on town letterhead “granting permission for a friend to build a swimming pool at his multi-million dollar (Chaparral Pines) mansion a full two months before the council” voted to allow pools. The group, which includes mayoral candidate Randy Roberson and council candidates Charlene Creach Brown, Chris Higgins and Robert Lockhart, provided the Gazette Blog and other local media outlets with a copy of the letter obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
In the letter, Evans grants Fred Wagenhalls permission to build the pool to facilitate the sale of his 9-bedroom, 10-bath home at 901 Indian Paintbrush Circle for $2.7 million to Fountain Hills resident Lou Laskis, who was copied on the letter. Until the town council voted to allow in-ground pools on April 17, such pools were banned by the town for purposes of water conservation.
“I found this information to be very disheartening as it raises the question of a violation of the open meeting law prior to Feb. 19, or Mayor Evans feels such a sense of power over the six other council members that he was confident enough to write this letter before the issue was ever brought forward in a public council meeting in April,” Creach Brown said.
Roberson questions the mayor’s intentions: “First we heard the mayor say it was OK for pools because it would generate impact fee revenues. Then it was to attract resorts. Now we learn it is really because of a promise made months ago to a home seller who wanted to attract a buyer with a pool.”
This is not the first time Evans has been accused of giving Chaparral Pines preferential treatment regarding water. He was criticized last year by the Gazette Blog and others for striking a deal with the tony gated community to provide a 49-year supply of water for its private golf course. The mayor claimed the water from the C.C. Cragin reservoir that will be supplied for the golf course will not be potable because it will bypass a treatment plant that makes the water chemically compatible with Payson groundwater sources.
The council candidates who issued the press release are known on Facebook as “The Voice of Rim Country.”
A group of candidates for the Payson Town Council issued a press release Monday accusing Mayor Kenny Evans of behavior that is either “unethical” or a “violation of law.”
Evans, according to the candidates, sent a letter Feb. 19 on town letterhead “granting permission for a friend to build a swimming pool at his multi-million dollar (Chaparral Pines) mansion a full two months before the council” voted to allow pools. The group, which includes mayoral candidate Randy Roberson and council candidates Charlene Creach Brown, Chris Higgins and Robert Lockhart, provided the Gazette Blog and other local media outlets with a copy of the letter obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
In the letter, Evans grants Fred Wagenhalls permission to build the pool to facilitate the sale of his 9-bedroom, 10-bath home at 901 Indian Paintbrush Circle for $2.7 million to Fountain Hills resident Lou Laskis, who was copied on the letter. Until the town council voted to allow in-ground pools on April 17, such pools were banned by the town for purposes of water conservation.
“I found this information to be very disheartening as it raises the question of a violation of the open meeting law prior to Feb. 19, or Mayor Evans feels such a sense of power over the six other council members that he was confident enough to write this letter before the issue was ever brought forward in a public council meeting in April,” Creach Brown said.
Roberson questions the mayor’s intentions: “First we heard the mayor say it was OK for pools because it would generate impact fee revenues. Then it was to attract resorts. Now we learn it is really because of a promise made months ago to a home seller who wanted to attract a buyer with a pool.”
This is not the first time Evans has been accused of giving Chaparral Pines preferential treatment regarding water. He was criticized last year by the Gazette Blog and others for striking a deal with the tony gated community to provide a 49-year supply of water for its private golf course. The mayor claimed the water from the C.C. Cragin reservoir that will be supplied for the golf course will not be potable because it will bypass a treatment plant that makes the water chemically compatible with Payson groundwater sources.
The council candidates who issued the press release are known on Facebook as “The Voice of Rim Country.”
3 comments:
To me, it looks like the Roundup is playing a game of mind control with its readers. They're twisting reality with platitudes, bromides and inferences rather than solid evidence. I hope people see through it because what they are doing is not in the best interests of Payson.
Anonymous Anonymous said.. "Mind Control"
Yes you got it... and they are very good at it
Look up ... Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming
A word to those who would use NLP
I learned it well and it does work, however the Lord God told me that a curse would come upon me if I used NLP on people.
"All the curses in this book (the bible) shall come upon thee and all thine wives and children" if you use NLP
Not my words, just though I would give ya a heads up.
"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more." The Roundup that is. I'm cancelling my subscription today.
Post a Comment