Can I disagree for a second??

I'm in a bit of a quandary lately. It has come to my attention that my use of sarcasm is a bit too much over the top for some. The use of words like 'mouthpiece' is now considered derogatory by people in the community (even though the definition of 'mouthpiece is as follows... -- One, such as a spokesperson, through which views are expressed. --).

I've also been publicly chided in the media for having a propensity for violence (swinging my fists and stomping my feet), for having a limited capacity to read at a normal speed (taking all night to read a five page document), for being regarded as someone who talks down to people (talking to Kingman Daily Miner readers like they are imbeciles), and for not being able to hold my own in a debate with a nine year old.

Wow... what a magnificent bastard I have become!! I didn't realize.

A little over a month ago I was also clearly accused of being involved in an effort to have a certain reporter at a certain newspaper removed from his duties. This accusation happened repeatedly on the Internet for all the world to see in a local issues forum hosted by the TOPIX.net website. I say clearly because my name was used (my name meaning Todd Tarson) by an individual who chose to withhold his or her real identity. The blatant accusation was clearly slandering my name and reputation. The ironic thing of all this is that I had nothing to do with anything of the sort and the editor of the paper told me he never heard of such an effort nor could he imagine that I would actually do something like that. Again, that was over a month ago, well before a certain column appeared in the media that I alluded to earlier.

Now readers of MOCO Real may not have known any of that above because I've never mentioned the slandering on the Internet, nor have I responded to the column ON THIS BLOG. Well now the cat is out of the bag on the slandering thing, yet I am still not going to respond to the column that ran last week or the one that leaves me scratching my head in wonderment today. What's done... is done.

What I am going to do going forward is attempt to be a kinder and gentler communicator when I decide to respond to information that I believe is in need of some friendly disagreement with. I know that it will be extremely difficult to quell all of the sarcasm that I use when I am disagreeing with published information, or for a better Internet word, fisking.

My first exercise towards being a kinder and gentler disagree'er appeared to me today on the RAID website. It was offered by my favorite person, such as a spokesperson, through which views are expressed from that local community organization. Please join me to see if I can accomplish my first steps towards my new personal goal, won't you??

CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?
Suggestions to City Council by columnist Gwen Gillman

The title and author. I'm skipping ahead in the column from the title to later on.

Now here’s a news flash: “The citizens of Kingman really WANT a lot of these Bond projects! They really want to grow our City responsibly. However, you’ll hear the “special interest” groupies use the old white that voters don’t want growth. YES WE DO! There are people who say no one comes up with ideas and solutions. Here’s a few examples and I am begging the City Council to at least form a committee of citizens from all walks of life throughout the city to discuss ideas for actually getting GOOD bonds approved. For example:

One... I'm not sure what 'old white' refers to. Two... who are the special interest groupies?? Well, lets get to the solutions shall we??

1) approve a $10 million bond to provide the funds to make the Rattlesnake Wash Interchange a reality (ADOT has it on the Plan and will pay 70% of the total);

I have to admit when I'm wrong, and I was wrong here. Part of the reasoning I saw on RAID's website for NOT passing the bond was that people in the community shouldn't have to have their property taxes increase because of bonding.

I was also wrong when, based on the above, that RAID and the good old boys would be at odds on the issues for public funding to improve property for developers and land owners.

Let me be clear, I too would cast my vote in favor of a capital improvement bond to pay for Kingman's obligation for the Rattlesnake Wash interchange. That interchange will provide all kinds of great things for the community at large and beyond.

If I may add a slight correction or two though, nicely and gently...

One... Kingman's obligation for the Interchange and the roads that would lead north towards airport from the interchange is reportedly 30% of $36 million dollars. Using my calculator on my desk, it tells me that her dollar figure leaves our obligation short nearly a million bucks. Okay fine... I'm splitting hairs. I'm sure she means $10.8 million, it's only property tax dollars anyway (sorry about that, got to rid myself of the temptation to use sarcasm).

Two... phase two of the full project that is part of Kingman's obligation has to be paid as well and the state of Arizona is not putting any of our state tax dollars (that we, as state residents pay) towards that part of the project. While the exact dollar figure escapes me at this very moment, I do believe the amount of money needed for phase two was over $10 million bucks.

I'm willing to add the phase two amount to Mrs. Gillman's proposal for public financing for the project.

Oh... and three... the state of Arizona won't begin the project until 2013... it is still 2007 as I type.

2) approve bonds for both the 911 Center and the police/fire training facility. They are both important and should be done.

Queue Kyle Broflovski's Mom please. I believe she (Kyle's Mom) would say the following... "what, what, what!?!?"

But... well... hmmm... didn't... uhhh... oh my...

However, instead of only bonding for the property and the “scoping” (I’m pretty sure scoping means the design and solving any engineering problems), actually build the buildings AND buy the equipment (which was NOT included in the failed bond).

I'm confident that Mrs. Gillman does her research, so I'm not going to argue with her here. However, all I have in my hand to address her at this point is the cute little handout that the city gave me describing the Public Safety Improvements. It says as follows...

To provide funds to acquire land for and design, construct, improve, relocate, furnish and equip fire station facilities, and public safety training facilities and communications.

I don't see the word 'scoping' at all on this part of the handout (I did see that word on the road improvement portion of the pamphlet I have though). The word 'scoping' may indeed be on the long version of the bond and I am NOT accusing the writer that she is misinformed. Also I did emphasize the -- furnish and equip -- passage only because the pamphlet seemed (to me at least) to indicate that the bond did indeed include the equipment that Mrs. Gillman said the bond didn't.

And, due to the good thinking of the citizens of Kingman, we have property (168 acres) for both of these facilities! (With that much acreage, there will still be plenty of land available for parks and open space).

I'm simply going to disagree here on this. My view of proper asset management does not lead me to the same conclusion.

3) reevaluate a good plan for another underpass between Hualapai Mountain Road and Airway. A GOOD ONE!! We need to be able to get those thousands of people off the Hualapais in case of an emergency.

Hmmm... Hualapai Mountain Road and Airway... Hual... a... pai... and... Airway. Let me reference my trusty Mohave County, AZ Road Guide for a minute or two please.

Well I'm looking on page 15 of the guide and I see Hualapai Mountain Road in the lower right hand corner of the map and extending northwest a bit until it hits Route 66, or as it is also called in Kingman, Andy Devine. Airway stretches east to west from Western to Prospector (along the way or in the way is Stockton Hill, Andy Devine, and the railroad underpass). Airway is north of Hualapai Mountain some 2 to 4 miles depending where you might be at the time on Hualapai Mountain.

The guide also shows me a major obstacle in the way between Hualapai Mountain and Airway. Insterstate 40.

[Come on Todd... stay the course... remember that you are now kinder and gentler]

Well... Mrs. Gillman... here is a thought. Earlier you mentioned having the public pay for a new interchange at Rattlesnake Wash and I agreed and even added to your idea by suggesting that we add the phase two obligation on the taxpayers of Kingman to connect Hualapai Mountain Road to the Interstate. This moves the thousands of people off Hualapai Mountain in the case of a disaster or some other kind of emergency. Done deal.

Let's just cross our fingers that there are no emergencies that require the removal of thousands of people off Hulapai Mountain until the work is completed on Phase one and two of the Rattlesnake Wash interchange. I mean, it was part of your reasoning, you brought it up... and besides... what are the odds??

Or...

We could, of course, reconsider another traffic interchange project that could be located near the Kingman Crossing area... one that we could all ask the developers on the north side of Kingman Crossing to pay for (on their own) in exchange for an agreement not to sell the Kingman resident owned property on the south side of I40 for an agreed to number of years... and since you are in a mood to pass bonds now, propose one to improve the street system that would improve the roads that lead from Hualapai Mountain road to the developer built Kingman Crossing interchange... you know, like ask the state for easements through their section of undeveloped land for roads... and even widen existing streets like Seneca in order to allow safe passage to the thousands of people fleeing the emergency on the mountain.

Of course I realize this is a long shot. The folks on Seneca would never go for this. But if we could convince them... I think the rest is easy.

Until next time...