Full disclosure for a second. I have written a column about Proposition 301 that may also appear in the Miner in the coming days. Folks will be free to fisk that column at will, and anyone who does indeed fisk my column would be a daisy if they did.
Here is the link to Mrs. Gillman's column.
Let's get this party started...
Let's wait and see what a year brings
Gwen Gillman
Just Thinking
Just thinking?? Does it hurt?? I ask because the current state of the local economy is not something that I'd want to see anyone sit back on not do anything about for another year. No, not with the identifiable needs that this community clearly has at the moment.
Then again... If I was retired... What is another year anyway... Right??
Even though some people say we should "get over and get on with it," which means we should just get over our common sense and get on with allowing a flawed City Council a $56 million blank check and allow them to sell 168 acres of open space/park land on the south side of I-40 in order for them to buy more park land around the city, this just doesn't make any sense.
My question is who is saying that we should sell 168 acres of open space designated land?? That doesn't make sense as it would not bring in top dollar. How quickly Mrs. Gillman forgets that it is her group that is trying to keep the Kingman residents best land asset handcuffed at its lowest and worst use. Which in turn limits the interest from potential buyers.
I certainly would not want our City Council agreeing to sell the property that the Kingman residents own for the least amount of money. Yet RAID's ongoing efforts to continue to devalue our property will only give us that option. That option is one I would not support.
As far as the 'flawed' City Council remark goes... I've yet to meet one politician that can make everyone happy. Especially those people with big self interests (like keeping traffic off their 84 foot wide street).
Several months ago, it was one $46 million bond issue. We pleaded with them to make each issue a "stand alone," to give the voters the opportunity to pick and choose. We received a resounding no from the City Council, saying that that was not an option - it was either all or nothing!
Within the last several months, it was broken into three separate issues. Do we need some of these items - Yes! Do we trust this City Council and department heads with this kind of money - No!
I'm confused... Mrs. Gillman you contradicted yourself. You said the City Council said it was all or nothing, but now clearly you admit that the Bond Issue has been broken up into three separate issues. Sounds like you got what you wanted to me and the City Council responded to your wish.
Now, I'll agree with you on your last bit here to a degree. I don't trust all that many folks with $56 million dollars either. However by default I will trust the voters. The voters that decide the fate of the Bond Issue, and the voters that put the elected officials in office. Mrs. Gillman, you may not like the current Council and in a manner of a few weeks we will begin to know Kingman citizens that will campaign for our votes to sit on City Council. In just a few short months into next year (this year is just about over) we, as voters, will decide who will manage the Bond Issue money... if the Bond Issues are voted in favor of by the voters.
Seriously Mrs. Gillman... what happens next year if we take your advice and defeat all of these measures AND you still don't like the make up of the City Council?? Wait longer?? How long??
Just when did Kingman pass an ordinance that elected officials have to first kiss the ring of the members of RAID before they are allowed to attend to city business??
What is the hurry? Let's see what next year brings, both in the local, state and federal economy and in the City Council election early next year to see if we have a more responsible group working in the best interests of the citizens of Kingman. Let's vote no and start again with a real list next year - not just a wish list that can be changed at any time by a vote of four people.
Yeah... just what is the hurry?? Jobs are plentiful. The local economy is booming. New businesses open every day. Property values are skyrocketing. What?? You mean that is not happening?? I guess I should take off my rose colored retirement glasses and have another look eh??
And now that I am looking around I see that Frontier Communications laid off 50 or so folks and chose to make another location a major call center, with another 150 or so employees. I see that Foxworth left town. I see a new Kohl's and Target being built in Bullhead City which will no doubt attract sales tax dollars from Kingman shoppers for a neighboring community to help those citizens instead of our own.
I see accidents on Stockton Hill Road on many occasions that back up traffic in all directions that hinder the folks that have really no other real option to get from one side of town to the other in a normal business day.
Yeah... waiting a year to see more of this is just what Kingman really needs (sarcasm).
With regard to the proposed Kingman Crossing traffic interchange, if you vote yes Nov. 6 to enable the City Council to sell the city's 168 acres south of I-40, I can practically guarantee that this City Council will start the process on Nov. 7 to sell that property to Vestar at a bargain price (it is probably already in the works)
Mrs. Gillman, please adjust your tinfoil hat... looks like it is slipping a bit. Oh and you shouldn't make guarantees on something you don't know anything about either. You see, Vestar is hired to develop and manage commercial property, they are not landowners.
Remember that the Nugent group sold their 200 acres on the north side for $12 million to Vestar.
No, I don't. Probably because that didn't happen. Vestar didn't buy the land.
Particularly since we have been told repeatedly by the city that Vestar would pay 50 percent of this interchange. Then, a couple of months ago, a Vestar representative admitted at a public meeting that Vestar would not pay any portion of the proposed interchange!
Once again, Vestar is NOT the land owner and never made any deal with the Nugent group. The new landowners, however, did make a deal with the Nugent group... and to my understanding one of the terms in that deal was that the landowner would pay for half the cost of any traffic interchange if one was ever built. I'm still waiting for someone to call me on this fact if it is wrong. I can take it.
When that happened, I truly expected our mayor and City Council to rethink this project and state that they had been duped by Beecher and Vestar and would withdraw this sale of the city property because it was wrong. Did that happen? No - it is like they totally ignored that very important point worth $11 million. Unbelievable irresponsible behavior on the part of the City Council! Who are they working for?
What on earth are you babbling about now Mrs. Gillman?? The residents of Kingman still own the 168 acres of land on the south side of the Interstate near Kingman Crossing. The landowner on the north side of the Interstate near Kingman Crossing still has agreed to the term that has them paying for half the proposed traffic interchange.
Just what are you RAIDers doing behind your locked doors at your meeting at the library anyway??
At the City Council meeting where the Council added $10 million to the Bond Issues in 10 minutes, Byram's big push was to put a railroad crossing (underpass, I assume) at Topeka for the cost of $5 million! He said, those "folks deserve one in case of a fire on that side of town." $5 million!
I guess I think smaller.
I think you are right.
How about, instead, putting a single-wide or small building as a fire sub-station, dedicate a fire truck and make sure water is always available to the truck in case of fire. Sure beats the heck out of a $5 million underpass, don't you think?
I'm not sure. There is still a public safety issue with over 100 freight trains cruising through Kingman on a daily basis. I think I'd rather see less railroad crossings that have to be driven over to get to the other side, but that is just me.
Listen up brave and courageous men and women that serve in the fire department, Mrs. Gillman wants to put you up in a single wide!! Nothing but the 'best' for you fine folks.
Again, it does take guts to put something like this in public. I applaud Mrs. Gillman for her attempts. Once it is out there though, folks like me like to have their way with it. And of course because I too am putting something in the Miner, my attempts are up for public scorn and criticism in the same manner that Mrs. Gillman's are. So look for that soon... and in the meantime I will continue to scan for RAID submission and apply the necessary course of action.
Until next time...
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