Last Thursday in the Miner, a staff writer wrote a column that addressed some concerns for younger families living in Kingman and was written as a response to a post made by a RAID member.
Here is the link to that column again. Please click on that link and scroll to the bottom if you have already read the column as there are many comments submitted to the Miner on that column. Interesting comments I may add.
When I first read the column I knew that a response would be in the offing from RAID, and low and behold I found it. Now I have my scissors out and would like to make some of my own comments and responses as I doubt the Miner staff writer is going to get into a back and forth with the RAID member (I certainly don't think the writer is going to submit basically the same column with some smart ass retractions either as I'm sure that is below her abilities).
Response to Andraya Whitney
A new Powerhouse for Kingman
by Loyd D. Peterson, Sr.
Title, something like a declaration, and author. I'm skipping ahead to the actual response, over the review of his original response to yours truly that Andraya Whitney responded to.
Now, Andraya, please understand that I view the recent election results not as a setback but as a new and bright opportunity. With a responsive city council, Kingman can become a wonderful community for everyone.
Well of course RAID does not look at the election results as a setback, they won. They even went so far as having a scrolling banner (that is not up any more) on their website stating that all of RAID's positions won and all issues were defeated. I almost heard trumpets in the background.
And I'm not sure what the comment about a 'responsive city council' is either. I'm still quite certain that RAID is not going to get any council to approve an 80 acre retention pit on the Kingman resident owned property along with Kingman's very own version of Central Park anytime, as in ever.
Look at the positives! We have MedCath committed to Kingman mostly because they know this retiree boom is coming and a lot of it is coming to Kingman. Chrysler’s purchase of the Ford Test Facility will be bringing many high-paying jobs along with the MedCath contribution.
I am excited about the MedCath project as anyone else short of the board of directors at KRMC. As far as the car company deal goes though... remember everyone that this place is not in Kingman. There is no retail sales tax dollars generated there. There were jobs out there when Ford was the owner and operator and those jobs were torched. Now there will be jobs out there again when Chrysler opens up for operation. I wonder if it is a net add for jobs?? Enough at least to trumpet this as a huge success for Kingman??
Kingman isn’t dying at the hands of sunset-aged voters but instead they have set the stage to revive our local economy in a way the rest of the nation may well come to envy. Be patient. Nothing will move forward until the shake-out from the housing boom/bust settles, the sub-prime mortgage fiasco finds some reality and the housing glut is absorbed.
Oh I can't wait to hear how the retiree's that voted to kill all the issues on the ballot are going to save and improve Kingman... please expound on this in the coming days... I can't wait.
I will agree that there needs to be a 'shake-out' on the housing boom/bust as Mr. Peterson describes. I know of one way to help with the housing glut... get working people to move here instead of moving out of here. So far though, I've seen RAID stand in lock step with fiery critics of developers that could bring more amenities to Kingman and stand together to keep a developer out of the area that had planned for a large marketing effort to draw interest to the Kingman and Mohave County area. RAID stands idly by as the terms 'crooks and scoundrels' get tossed around at will towards the folks that could actually move people from all walks of life into the area to help with our own little housing glut. Supply and demand. RAID, I believe is creating more supply while defeating the needed demand. But that is just me.
80 acre retention pits will not solve the demand part of the equation.
Recently, I wanted curbs, gutters and sidewalks in front of my home. Neighbors agreed and they joined with me and soon we had an improvement district. The improvements went in, I shelled out my nearly $13,000 share and it was done. The developers that own property at and around proposed interchanges are going to have to do the same thing. The improvements directly enhance their properties on a day after day basis and they are the ones that should pay for it. It is not the city’s responsibility to put in an interchange and it wasn’t the city’s responsibility to put curbs and sidewalks in front of my home.
Mr. Peterson, wow, I hope you win the day at the next RAID meeting because already we have seen that another member of your group has proposed spending public money to enhance properties of other certain developers for an interchange along I40. Sending mixed messages is nothing new for RAID, I've pointed out the other hypocrisy's from RAID plenty of times.
Andraya, you cite all the marvelous shopping that Sun City and Sun City West enjoy. Do you think they built all that marvelous shopping first, then the retirees came? Absolutely not! What did Del Webb do? He built (or had built) a huge hospital at the entrance to Sun City as the “eye catch” for prospective home buyers (sound familiar, like maybe MedCath?). All that marvelous shopping you refer to was built “AFTER” the retirees started buying homes at a clip of 100 PER DAY – – – I watched it.
Umm... hello... Kingman already enjoys a nice large hospital at the moment. As I've said before, I am excited about the prospect of another one as well.
And just what is this 'eye catch' going to do for people that live within a long tee-shot and a five iron from the new location of the hospital, but can't get there in a timely fashion because there is hardly any real access for those folks that currently live on the southeast side of town?? Yeah, I'm talking about an interchange that make a ton of sense that would connect that part of town to the new location of this 'eye catch' you speak of. The interchange that RAID has been against since day one. The new hospital is only part of the solution if RAID is being honest.
You describe my vision for Kingman as a “backwards thinking little utopia”. Shame on you. Kingman has always been a vibrant and constantly growing community. We have survived mine shutdowns, steel mill shutdowns, tourist slowdowns, cattle industry downturns, big box stores slamming of small hometown merchants and more ups and downs in lockstep with the national economy than you can even dream of. We’re still here and doing fine.
I won't argue, you've been here longer than I have. Hey everyone, we are doing fine, eat your cake. Many of us know the huge potential the area has. Let us not forget that RAID told us all to wait at least a year instead of working towards fulfilling that potential.
We will emerge from this choke-hold that others (and I mean the speculators) have imposed on this city, and we will continue. I know you are young and struggling just as I once was – but that’s called life. That journey is never anything more than a set of choices and the principles apply to me, to you, to this city and to everyone. Make the right choices and you wind up pleased, make the wrong choices and despair is your future – but the choice is yours. The voters have applied that choice to their city – that’s called democracy.
Let's face it, the retired voters spoke and told us all that things are just hunky-dory. If there is despair in the future for this town we can thank those voters.
I doubt that anyone who voted yes on the ballot thought they were doing it to enhance their personal lives. Those of us that did were likely doing so because we thought that now was a great time to invest and improve the city. We also wanted to correctly manage the Kingman resident owned land asset to condition the property for highest and best use... meaning someday getting the best value in return to avoid other taxes and the like for other future improvements. We wanted new neighborhood parks, better public safety assets, road improvements, and neighborhood convenience. I'm not speaking for those that did not vote in the last election, just for those that lost on the issues on election day.
You do not have to convince me that there must be a constant infusion of capital to build the infrastructure that we need and with specific and well described projects with single-shot guarantees, I believe this city will step forward, as it has so many times in the past, and support bite-sized fixes to this city’s problems. It’s pretty obvious that the voters gagged on the city council’s bond proposals.
I'm already gagging on the first proposal that RAID has made publicly for a future bond proposal, especially in light of things that you yourself have said. RAID certainly has a funny way of accepting infusion of capital to build infrastructure that is needed.
Finally, in closing Andraya, the biggest threat to Kingman’s long-term future is “WATER”. It is a big and complicated issue that will move to the front burner in the near future. If the citizens of Kingman don’t start requiring the Mayor and city council to start working on this thorny issue, then Kingman will become a sand-covered ghost town and I will guarantee that your great-grandchildren won’t be living here, or anyone else.
Water is a statewide political game. One of the only things I could see the local leadership actually have a positive affect on in the water game is to extend the water district of Kingman and begin a real drive to annex more land into the city limits. The more a municipality like ours can control the better when the state comes knocking on our door with their big straw they wish to put in the ground in Mohave County to transport the precious water back to the Phoenix area.
I realize the dialogue may sound harsh at times moving forward. The key though is to continue the discussion. As of right now I'm not on board with much of what RAID has to say but I know that could change in the coming weeks, months, or even years. Meanwhile I will be monitoring what groups like theirs say and adding my own comments. Please feel free to add yours as well, even if you disagree with me.
I'm putting away my scissors for today, but they remain within reach. See you next time.
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