The Partisan Non-Partisan Election

One word best describes the city's 2018 election: Confusing.

Proposition 420: One group wants to change the City Charter to prevent commercial development in the Preserve. Another group says the Preserve is already protected against commercial development and the proposition creates a chain reaction of unintended consequences. 

Question 1: Even though $800 million is needed to restore the city's failing infrastructure, the majority of the City Council rejected placing a bond on the ballot that would not have raised taxes. Instead councilmembers unanimously support raising the sales tax that would generate $100 million over 10 years, dedicated to repairing roads. 

As if Prop 420 and Question 1 haven't already confused voters enough, unexpected alliances in the City Council race have people puzzled even more. 

Five candidates are running to fill three council seats. Four are Republicans and one is a Democrat. Incumbents Kathy Littlefield, Linda Milhaven and David Smith are Republicans, as is challenger Bill Crawford. Solange Whitehead is the Democrat. 

That's where the clarity stops and more confusion begins.

Councilwoman Littlefield, the Republican, has aligned herself with Whitehead, the Democrat. Both are advocates for Prop 420. Crawford is too. But there's bad blood between the Littlefield and Crawford clans. Crawford, also a Republican, didn't just support Mayor Lane in his re-election bid two years ago against Kathy's husband, Bob, he attacked Littlefield repeatedly.

The Littlefield-Whitehead alliance has thrown dyed-in-the-wool Republicans for a loop. It didn't, however, prevent Councilwoman Littlefield from being the only candidate for City Council that the Maricopa County Republicans endorsed - not Milhaven, Smith or Crawford. 

To make matters even more confusing, a local precinct committee person produced campaign material patterned after the Maricopa County Republican group. The look-alike literature endorsed Littlefield and Whitehead. That forced the Legislative District 23 Republican Committee to disavow the fraudulent material and remind its members that Whitehead is a Democrat.

In reaction, the three "unendorsed" council candidates by Maricopa County Republicans (Milhaven-Smith-Crawford) pooled their resources and created a mailer touting their Republican values. Republican Kathy Littlefield was excluded. 

And, last at least for now ... Mayor Lane's political action committee, At Our Best, also got in on the action. The PAC sent two mailers to voters asking them to "keep Scottsdale headed in the right direction" by voting for Milhaven and Crawford. Incumbent Councilman David Smith was left out.

The 2018 election is arguably the most confusing election the city has ever experienced. Even the experts are confounded about the possible outcome.

Nevertheless, it raises intriguing questions:

When voters are confused, they typically vote No on issues. So does that mean Prop 420 and Question 1 will be rejected? Will this be the first time in the past 10 years a Democrat is elected to the City Council? Will the three incumbents be re-elected or will one of the challengers unseat an incumbent? If so, which one? 

These questions and many more will be answered in less than a week.

Pranks Backfiring On Prop 420 Group

Some are saying it's too little too late and others say it's better late than never. 

Whichever it is, the important thing is that Mayor Lane intervened in the Proposition 420 issue in an attempt to cool down the community's political climate. 

Arguably, Prop 420 is the most complicated, confusing and divisive issue that has faced our city since, perhaps, the inception of the Indian Belt Green Belt almost 50 years ago. Like then, emotions and tempers are boiling over. However, unlike the controversy in the 1970's over the Green Belt, today's dialog about the future of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve has become down and dirty, thanks to the dominant role social media now plays in politics. 

So the mayor stepped up ... and into the fray of the fear and loathing. 

It wasn't hard to know where to start. After seeing his name bandied about on one of the fake sites created by supporters of Prop 420 created to confuse voters, Lane contacted the leaders of the pro Prop 420 campaign. It took a couple of conversations, but the misleading comments attributed to the mayor were eventually deleted. Although the bogus site remained active, as many other of their fake sites still are today. 

Next, Mayor Lane learned about a site called "Boycott Scottsdale: Preserve The Preserve" It was said to be the handiwork of Mike Norton, one of the directors of No DDC. The site had been active for about a year and urged people to boycott Scottsdale businesses that supported the Desert Discovery Center and the defeat of Prop 420. Norton was persuaded to delete the anti-business site. 

Because he's aware of who the real culprits are, Mayor Lane hasn't felt it necessary to contact the Protect Your Preserve campaign that's advocating a "no" vote on Prop 420.

The mayor deserves credit for trying to stem the tide against the wave of rudeness. But there's only so much he can do. It's like Whack-A-Mole. After all, who has time to stay on top of all the games being played by the different tribes behind Prop 420?

Meanwhile ... the shenanigans continue: Frivolous complaints filed against councilmembers that waste the time of the city attorney's office, tattle-tail emails to the Mayor and City Council whining about being bullied and a series of other silly stunts like putting Yes Prop 420 magnets on No 420 supporters' mailboxes. So far they haven't toilet papered a councilperson's home. 

Most of their antics have been clownish. But some are creepy.

For instance, Jason Alexander, one of the co-directors of No DDC, has cyber stalked four women connected to the NO Prop 420 issue. He has been fixated on Jan Dolan, Scottsdale's former city manager and now the chairperson of the Protect Your Preserve Committee. His fixation has also included Lynne Lagarde, the treasurer of the same committee. Councilmembers Virginia Korte and Linda Milhaven have also received what seems to be more than normal attention from Alexander. 

Mayor Lane supports Prop 420. That doesn't mean he approves of the raunchy behavior by some of those promoting the proposition. 

Few do.

The Path to the Mayor's Office

In the good old days, the city used to be politically divided between North Scottsdale and South Scottsdale. The only thing up for debate was where one started and the other ended.    

Today the divide is no longer just geographical. It's political. It cuts through the entire community -- and if you don't recognize the deep political division, you haven't been paying attention.

In case you haven't ...

Using the Desert Discovery Center/Desert Edge as a wedge issue, No DDC has been the driving force behind the divisiveness. For more than a year, No DDC has waged a war of words aimed at those who support the DDC. Supporters have been called every name under the sun. Some City Council members have been called out as "garbage," and that's one of the milder comments.

The organization has also harassed businesses that have dared to support the DDC and even encouraged boycotting scores of Scottsdale establishments.

Ironically, the members of No DDC have convinced themselves that they are actually uniting the city behind their boorish behavior.

Solange Whitehead, City Council candidate who emerged from the ranks of No DDC, went one step further: "The notion that Scottsdale citizens are divided or uncivil is a myth. A myth perpetuated by some on the City Council."

No DDC is now on a mission that's less about the DDC/Desert EDGE. The group has moved on to changing the City Charter via Proposition 420. They're also working to unseat Councilwoman Linda Milhaven and replace her with Whitehead, who serves on the board of Protect Our Preserve (POP) -- which has become this election cycle's premier dark money group that's filtering anonymous contributions to help pass Prop 420.

As for No DDC, it has evolved into what the Coalition of Pinnacle Peak (COPP) once was, but without the integrity: a special interest group committed to changing the direction of the city by hook or by crook.    

For them the real change starts in the mayor's office in 2020.

Even though former three-term Councilman Bob Littlefield was trounced by Jim Lane and his wealthy friends in his run for mayor in 2016, he has remained active behind the scenes. For the past year Littlefield has been managing his wife's re-election campaign. It appears as though he has been living vicariously through Kathy's last three years on the City Council and keeping his skills sharp. Some say he's crazy ... like a fox.

Whatever the case ... if the current political trends continue, Bob Littlefield, who was left for dead two years ago, could be on the comeback trail with the political wind at his back ... and the support of No DDC members.

Could Littlefield have been ahead of his time?

Although he often seemed to be the odd man out during most of his 12 years on the Council, the issues consuming today's political environment seem remarkably similar to those he struggled to champion from the dais in the Kiva.

Old political proverb: Good things come to those who wait.

Meet The New Crop of Council Candidates

What began as a grassroots crusade appears to have grown into a greenhouse environment in which candidates are being cultivated to run for the City Council. 

Solange Whitehead, who is lives in the epicenter of the Desert Discovery Center resistance in North Scosttdale, is one of the five candidates campaigning for a seat on the Council. She has served on the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission and is currently a director of Protect Our Preserve, the outfit that has been used as a pass-through for anonymous contributions to fuel the petition drive to put Proposition 420 on the ballot. 

Former Mayor Mary Manross is Whitehead's campaign chairperson. 

Although Whitehead is a real estate agent, she was passed over by the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors (SAAR) when the organization recently endorsed candidates. Bill Crawford and councilmembers Linda Milhaven and David Smith received SAAR's endorsement. She was predictably endorsed by No DDC and the Coalition of Greater Scottsdale Political Committee, along with Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield. 

Whitehead entered the council contest because of her fierce opposition to the Desert Discovery Center. Up until now, she hasn't strayed far from her anti-DDC message - and seems content to campaign on her opposition to the education center. 

As mentioned here last week: Some believe Whitehead could be the leading edge of a new wave of candidates spawned by their opposition to Desert EDGE.

Enter Jason Alexander, the one with the Napoleon Complex who's the leader of the No DDC protesters. 

The egotistical "environmentalist" has now declared his intention to run for something in 2020. Probably City Council. He can run but he can't hide from his past posts on social media which are coming back to haunt him.

According to the blog the Arizona Progress & Gazette that strongly supports Linda Milhaven, the nemesis of No DDC, Alexander is the author of a series of despicable statements that reveal his true character.

The blog warns that Alexander is a "hypocritical individual who may not really care for Scottsdale residents and the community he lives in." It goes on to imply that Alexander has a chip on his shoulder about our city by repeatedly calling it "Snottsdale." 

Alexander's distasteful comments don't stop there. The blog discloses a pattern of elitism mixed with an acute case of NIBYism. He has called drivers "dumbass egocentric North Snottsdale trash." He referred to some city employees as "Hitler youth." And he called those who use the trails in the Mountain Preserve "slack-jawed hikers." 

The blog continues by siting examples that Alexander has even engaged in politically incorrect posts where he repeatedly used the term "n*gga."

Yes ... you read that right.

Now, Alexander would like people to believe he's "born again" and the days of the off-color comments are behind him. 

That's hard to believe, and should be even harder for No DDC followers to defend - including those who have jumped on No DDC's bandwagon to pass Proposition 420. 


To Be Continued: Can Bob Littlefield Make a Comeback?