Phoenix City Councilman, Sal DiCiccio, is popular with the voters and his candid approach has won him fans across the state. So much so, that according to Arizona Republic columnist Doug MacEachern, big money has stepped up to step on him.
MacEachren reports that a “few days before the Phoenix City Council was scheduled to vote on ending the 2 percent “emergency” food tax, residents of Councilman Sal DiCiccio’s District 6 got a mailer whacking the Republican for having voted to increase the salary of City Manager David Cavazos.”
MacEachern revealed that “an obscure trio of Democratic operatives — are not actually “outraged” about DiCiccio’s vote on Cavazos’ salary hike. All the Phoenix council except Republican Jim Waring voted for Cavazos’ raise, including all the Democrats. And none of the three activists lives in DiCiccio’s district.
Nor are they likely all that worked up over continuation of the food tax, since the three people named on the group’s incorporation forms all are activist allies of Democratic Mayor Greg Stanton, the Phoenix elected official singularly most responsible for keeping the food tax in place.
But the activists know that a lot of DiCiccio’s constituents do object to Cavazos’ big raise. And if they can use that issue to besmirch the council member who most drives their main man the mayor to distraction … well, whatever works. DiCiccio is up for re-election, and if a little disingenuous voter manipulation might help get him out of office, there surely are plenty of Stanton supporters willing to cough up cash for that noble, anti-Sal cause.”
The statutory agent for “Better Neighborhoods” said their “donors are ordinary folks,” according to MacEachren. Chapman refused to name those ordinary folks.
Writing that “it is difficult to do,” Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio last month questioned “business as usual” at the City of Phoenix. DiCiccio asked the “tough questions” because “made a commitment for change and I will keep that commitment.”
DiCiccio told the public that the “food tax pledge wasn’t the only promise broken by Mayor Stanton.
DiCiccio said “what concerns me is the trend of not following through on promises made to the citizens of the City of Phoenix. After the food tax debacle of 2010 we have made great strides to repair the damage done. Now, it appears we are moving back to the same old “business as usual” at the City of Phoenix.”
DiCiccio points to the Stanton’s promise to take away lobbyist influence at City Hall. “This wasn’t just a campaign promise of Mayor Stanton, but a pledge. In fact, it was the only pledge the Mayor made. The previous Mayor had a policy of banning any family member or their firm from doing business at City Hall. This policy was overturned with days of Mayor Stanton taking office.”
According to DiCiccio, Stanton’s deputy chief of staff has a family and financial interest in a lobbying firm that was established within days of the Mayor taking office that includes a former staff member of the Mayor’s as well. This firm has lobbied city hall on issues and has lobbied other municipalities with whom the City of Phoenix works with.
In February 2012, Stanton said, “While there is certainly a role for lobbyists within the community, I believe it is critical that the public have full confidence that the City decisions are made in the public’s interest, not a special interest.”
Stanton also promised that the food tax would be gone by April 2013. “Without the Mayor’s commitment we are one vote shy of getting this tax abolished. Only pressure from the public on the Mayor to change his mind, or be open to alternatives, will make this go away. The mayor made his announcement that he supported the food tax within minutes of the release of the budget. Even Evelyn Wood, noted speed reader, could not have read the budget, studied it and made a thoughtful analysis that fast. The only conclusion is that there was never intent to fulfill this promise.”
DiCiccio said that “After two years of battling city hall to enact significant reforms, we are now sliding back to business as usual.”
Anonymous donors appear to want to keep business as usual.
To read more of Doug MacEachern click here.