By Gary Shapiro | Point of View
Growing up, we all knew or heard stories about the spoiled brat in our neighborhoods that didn’t play well with others. When he didn’t get his way, he stormed off the playground and took his ball with him.
I often wonder what happened to those kids.
Now, I know. Some of them live here in Scottsdale.
They are now in their sixties, seventies, or eighties, yet they still have not learned to play well with others. They’re still up to the same shenanigans. You probably know who they are.
When something happens in our community they don’t personally approve of, they challenge and try to overthrow it.
We are fortunate to live in a city that is the “gold standard” of communities in America. It has a well-deserved worldwide reputation as an outstanding city to live, work, learn and play.
It wasn’t easy earning this reputation. Over the years, there were countless leaders and stakeholders that took the high road and worked cohesively to achieve our collective goals.
One of our long-time consistent goals has been to attract and retain high quality employers to Scottsdale. Their presence creates good jobs for our residents, fills our public schools, and provides a sound economic engine that benefits us all. That’s just a short list of the benefits.
Part of the process attracting those firms is the due diligence that takes place. It takes many months, if not years, to have all the public hearings, plus commission and city council meetings to adopt zoning and plans for the company to be headquartered in Scottsdale. The process is transparent and thorough with plenty of opportunities for citizen input and engagement.
Currently, a team of naysayers/disruptors is challenging and trying to overturn Axon’s ability to develop their world headquarters in Scottsdale, despite the fact they followed all of the prerequisites and were formally approved.
These naysayers/disruptors are now circulating petitions to put Axon on a referendum ballot citing some vague platitudes to encourage signatures under the mantra of “let the voters decide”.
Some of this is part of our normal democratic process. However, it distresses me that the petition employees are misleading the public as they knock on doors throughout our neighborhoods or engage us in public settings.
The team of saboteurs supporting and funding this effort are the older versions of those bad news kids from the playground.
What the naysayers and disruptors are doing is not good for Scottsdale, or any community, or any public institution. They have ulterior motives and mysterious sources of funding.
One of my heroes was former Mayor Herb Drinkwater. He was courageous and knew how to play well with others and how to build a strong and viable community.
I first met Herb in the early 1970’s when he and I were members of the Scottsdale Jaycees. In 1989, I was honored when he asked me to be involved in Scottsdale’s bond election that I chaired. In 2013, I was the recipient of the prestigious Drinkwater Award from Scottsdale Leadership.
A typical elected official today might enjoy an approval rating of 50 percent, give or take a few points. Herb had a 96 percent approval rating during his decades of service.
What made Herb special, was that he was concerned about outcomes and labored to get the remaining four percent on board. He was skillful at bringing people into the proverbial tent. He had zero tolerance for disruptors or naysayers.
His enthusiasm for our community was contagious. We all pitched in and made things happen while sharing our diverse opinions and collective wisdom.
I bet Herb is turning over in his grave today watching this small ill-guided group of disruptors destroy our beloved city.
One of my favorite philosophers is Jean Paul Sartre. He said, “Only the guy who isn’t rowing has time to rock the boat.”
Herb welcomed everyone into the tent for ideas and debate. Once the issues were aired and decided, he expected everyone to row in the same direction. He knew we were all in this together.
Since we lost Herb, also known as Mr. Scottsdale, in 1997 at the age of 61, there has never been a leader like him. I wish I had met Herb when we were both little boys. What an amazing playground that would have been.
In honor of Herb and our fellow friends and neighbors, here is my call to action. Don’t sign the petition and tell others not to sign it. Let’s let the playground bullies take their ball and go somewhere else. We’re better off without them and the consequences of their actions.
