We expect our candidates for Town Council to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and knowledge to serve effectively as our representatives. We also expect our candidates to demonstrate that they have sound judgment, value collegiality, and have a temperament that is conducive to respectful interactions with constituents, staff, and other elected officials.   

Without regard to their experience and knowledge, candidates who have repeatedly demonstrated that they lack judgment do not value collegiality and are incapable of controlling their emotions and are unfit to serve.  

Rick Watts publicly suggested that Ashley Earle, Gayle Earle’s daughter-in-law, should be “beaten” presumably to dissuade her from continuing her public support of Joe Arpaio’s mayoral candidacy. Gerry Friedel instigated a barroom brawl at Batchelor’s Pad on the night of the primary election that resulted in an assault charge being brought against his wife, Barbara.  

Watts, a ROT-supported candidate for Town Council and Friedel, the ROT-supported candidate for mayor, have conclusively demonstrated that they lack judgment, do not value collegiality, and are incapable of controlling their emotions. Their bad behavior has resulted in threatened and actual acts of violence, two reports filed with the MCSO, and brought more unwanted attention to our town.    

RICK WATTS PICKS ANOTHER FIGHT –  

The Candidate’s “Euphemism” Lands Him in Hot Water. 

In considering the most recent controversy resulting from Watts’ poor judgment, it is important to recall his less than collegial interaction with Vice Mayor Kalivianakis, who months after the relevant events he continues to attack.   

The earlier controversy arose out of Watts’ service on the Planning and Zoning Commission and his conviction that he is an expert on 5G technology, a topic under consideration. Watts repeatedly demanded that the Town Council provide him with a document discussing 5G prepared by an outside attorney who had been retained by the Council. The Council did not share the document with Watts or other members of the Planning 

Commission based on the advice of the Town Attorney, who was apparently concerned that the communication would lose its privileged status if it was disclosed to a person who did not qualify as a “client.” Watts did not accept the determination but responded by publicly accusing the Council of “misdirection, stalling, and concealing information.” Watts also lambasted Vice Mayor Kalivianakis for the following statement made during the June 4, 2024, meeting: “The Planning and Zoning Commission is not made of telecommunications experts. They are farmers. They are butchers. They are people of the town.”    

The Vice Mayor subsequently apologized to any members of the P&Z who may have found her reference to “farmers and butchers” disrespectful or demeaning.  

Watts refused to accept the apology and during a sternly delivered three-minute lecture made it clear that he was deeply offended that he had been compared to “farmers” and “butchers.”  Watts concluded with: “I can accept the Council’s direction but not its insults.”   After Vice Mayor Kalivianakis responded to his critique Watts jumped up from his seat, turned his back on the Council, and as he moved to the back of the chamber looked down at the floor, shook his head, and angrily said, “bullshit!”   

Months later, Watts still cannot let it go, as demonstrated by the following communication:  

+ 

The recent controversy arose out of a comment made during a telephone conference call with other ROT-supported candidates, including Gayle Earle. The topic under consideration was the obvious risk that Joe Arpaio’s insistence on remaining in the race would “split the vote.” Watts was irritated by Ashley Earle’s continued, ardent support of the former sheriff.  

According to Chris Earle, Ashley’s husband, Watts said: “If Ashley was my kid, I’d take a baseball bat to them.” According to Watts, what he actually said, was: “If Ashley were my kid, I would take her out behind the barn and take a bat to her.”   

Subsequently, during a meeting of the Fountain Hills Republican Club, Ashley and Chris Earle confronted Watts and demanded that he repeat his “threat” to their faces. According to Ashley, in response Watts told her “that I should be afraid that he is going to come at me with a baseball bat.” Also, according to Ashley, Watts then said: “let’s take this outside.” At that point cooler heads prevailed, and no one went outside. Ashley, however, filed a report with the MCSO claiming that Watts had threatened to harm her. 

On the evening of June 29—primary election eve—Ashley used her Facebook page to vent, the resulting conversation follows: 

Recently, Watts attempted to provide “context” in an effort to explain his behavior:  

There are issues with the sufficiency and credibility of Watts’ attempt to explain his actions by providing context. However, most would accept his representation that there was “no physical malice intended.” But clearly there was “malice,” a word that encompasses an intent to cause distress”.  

Watts must have known that his incendiary suggestion that Gayle Earle “take a bat” to her daughter-in-law would cause her, as well as her son and daughter-in-law, distress. If Watts was concerned that Ashley’s support of Arpaio might cause voters to defect from Friedel’s camp, why didn’t he offer to “calmly and civilly” discuss those concerns with her? 

As evidenced by his recent explanation, Watts still does not understand that what was most offensive and shocking was not his “intent” but his suggestion, “tongue-in-cheek” or otherwise, that a woman should be beaten for expressing an opinion. “Maybe a poor choice of words” does not come close: how about “abhorrent”?  

Watts’ judgment and temperament are more than concerning, they are disqualifying. Rick Watts is not fit to serve as a member of the Town Council. 

FRIEDEL’ S VINDICTIVENESS RESULTS IN A BARROOM BRAWL 

In recent days, Gerry Friedel’s vindictive and mean-spirited nature has become more apparent. The ill at ease guy, who struggles to appear affable, engaged, and sincere in his weekly video performances, has been replaced by an angry guy who, while still clearly ill at ease, is ready to engage in scorched-earth politics. The kind of scorched-earth politics where the truth doesn’t matter and you eagerly sacrifice, whatever is left of your integrity, to mindlessly attack your opponent.  

Friedel’s emergence as a consistently malevolent and angry man will be addressed at a later date. For now, let’s focus on his instigation of the debacle at Batchelor’s Pad. 

Those familiar with the facts of the June 30 Batchelor’s Pad brawl won’t be surprised to learn that they do not differ significantly from the  dramatized” version that was circulated on social media as “The Dust Up” and now posted on the Flourish  website. 

On the night of the July 30^th election, the “true Republicans” convened a watch party at 

Batchelor’s Pad. In the beginning the attendees were in good spirits and hopeful 

(considering the voter turnout) that their concerted effort, to convince Republicans that a vote for Arpaio was a wasted vote, would result in a primary victory for Friedel. The atmosphere became less convivial when the early returns established that the vote was, in fact, splitting. 

As the evening wore on a person (whose identity is known by Friedel but not by this author) became aware that Vice Mayor Kalivianakis was meeting with Arpaio.   For months the Vice Mayor had been attacked on social media and during Town Council meetings as a “traitor” to those who supported her as one of ROT’s “conservative” candidates.  

The yet to be identified person, trespassed onto Arpaio’s property, stood outside his office, took a surreptitious photo of the two siting together through the window. 

The trespasser’s photo was sent to Friedel who then forwarded it to Vice Mayor 

Kalivianakis, who was still visiting with Arpaio,  and unaware that she had been stalked.  Because the Vice Mayor is nothing, if not plucky, she texted a response to Friedel saying that if he wanted her to stop by his watch party he should have just asked. Shortly thereafter, accompanied by her boyfriend, the Vice Mayor entered the premises where she encountered a mostly hostile crowd!  

To her credit, Vice Mayor Kalivianakis has been circumspect in discussing the ensuing chaos, pending the results of the MCSO investigation.  Upon her arrival she was verbally assaulted by several people and physically assaulted by Friedel’s wife, Barbara.  During the ensuing melee, the Vice Mayor’s boyfriend, who had attempted to come to her aid, was ejected from the restaurant, sustaining injuries in the process, that were subsequently documented.  

When it was clear that the crowd could not be controlled, MCSO was called, at approximately 9:00 p.m., by one of the attendees. Three vehicles responded and their flashing lights attracted the attention of Mayor Dickey’s supporters who were meeting just up the street. Friedel’s watch party came to an abrupt and ignominious end.  

In the aftermath, Vice Mayor Kalivianakis charged Barbara Friedel with assault. The MCSO recently completed its investigation and forwarded the completed report to the Maricopa County Prosecutor.  

To date, Friedel has not issued a public statement or even acknowledged his role in instigating the confrontation. At a minimum, one would expect a man who aspires to be our mayor and constantly complains about a “lack of transparency” to apologize to Vice Mayor Kalivianakis for the injury she sustained, and to the community , for the public embarrassment resulting from a barroom brawl, at an event he sponsored. But Gerry Friedel is a man, whose outsized ego and narcissism are so entrenched, that the mere thought of admitting to and apologizing for his use of a trespasser’s surreptitious photo to lure the Vice Mayor to a gathering where he knew she would be met with hostility and was physically assaulted by his wife, is impossible for him.   

Gerry Friedel is unfit for office.  

The Appeal to Heaven Flag and the Second American Revolution 

Recently, Councilmember Allen Skillicorn changed his on-line profile image to a painting depicting George Washington holding the “Appeal to Heaven Flag”.   The Appeal to Heaven Flag, also known as the Pine Tree Flag, dates back to the Revolutionary War, but in 2020, became a symbol of the “Second American Revolution” proposed by the Heritage Foundation in Project 2025.  The Second American Revolution will end with the “reform” of our government and institutions to “transform” the United States into a Christian nation where all aspects of society are controlled by Biblical Principles.  https://www.baptiststandard.com/news/nation/appeal-to-heaven-flag-tied-to-christian-nationalism/

Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation and one of the principal authors of “Project 2025  the Mandate for Leadership” recently warned: “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless, if the left allows it to be.”  https://www.newsweek.com/project -2025-promises-second revolution-1920506

The Pine Tree Flag was carried by rioters during the January 6^th  attack on the Capitol. The Pine Tree flag was displayed outside of Justice Alito’s vacation home resulting in considerable controversy. Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House flies the flag outside of his office. https://www.au.org/the-latest/articles/appeal-heaven-flag24/.  State Senator John Kavanaugh sponsored a a bill that would have required HOA’s to allow residents to fly the Pine Tree flag. 

And now, Allen Skillicorn, following the election of his ally, Gayle Earle, to the Town Council, has openly announced his allegiance to the principles of the Second American Revolution and, with the anticipated support of a “conservative majority” on the Town Council, his intent to follow the Project 2025 playbook. 

The Project. 2025 Playbook

The Introduction to Project 2025’s “Mandate for Leadership, the Conservative Promise” describes the book as an “agenda prepared by and for conservatives who will be ready on Day One of the next Administration to save our country from the brink of disaster”.    (Mandate for Leadership p.3) To avoid this “disaster” conservative leaders must focus on fulfilling the following “promises”:

1. Restore the Family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.
2. Dismantle the “administrative state” and return self-governance to the American people.
3. Defend our nation’s sovereignty, borders, and bounty against global threats.
4.  Secure our God-given individual rights to live freely-what our Constitutions calls “the Blessings of Liberty”.      

(Id.)

Some of the radical changes proposed in the Mandate for Leadership primarily involve the federal government.  However, the Second American Revolution, envisioned by Project 2025, goes beyond dismantling and transforming the federal government to create an autocracy.  The goal is to create a Christian autocracy. 

https://baptistnews.com/article/are-our-churches-prepared-for-christian-autocracy/.  That goal can be met only by winning the culture war on the federal, state and local level. According to the Mandate for Leadership the Second American Revolution won’t be complete unless and until the culture war against “wokeness” has been won.  (Id. p. 4)   

According to the Mandate for Leadership terms such as “sexual orientation and gender identity (“SOGI”), diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”), gender equality, gender awareness, gender sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights, and any other term used to deprive Americans of their First Amendment rights” must be deleted from legislation, rules, regulations, grants and contracts. (Id. p. 5)  

The Mandate for Leadership also calls for the “noxious tenets” of “critical race theory” and “gender ideology” to be excised from the curricula in every public school because: “(T)hese theories poison our children, who are being taught on the one hand to affirm that the color of their skin fundamentally determines their identify and even their moral status while on the other they are taught to deny the very creatureliness that inheres to being human and consists of accepting the giveness of our natures as men or women”.  (Id.) 

Project 2025 and Fountain Hills 

The culture war against “wokeness” cannot be won solely through action taken at the federal level. To win the culture war action must be taken by state and local governments.  To create an autocratic theocracy state and local laws will need to be revised to adopt” biblically based” definitions and principles.   These revisions to the law cannot be made unless supporters of the Project 2025 conservative agenda are elected.   In Fountain Hills we have now elected two committed Project 2025 culture warriors and may well have elected a third.

During the past two years many have been so distracted by the orchestrated conflict between “conservatives” and “leftists”, manufactured and fueled by Reclaim Our Town (ROT) that we failed to take notice the of the efforts undertaken by religious and political extremists to pursue the Project 2025 agenda in Fountain Hills. 

In 2022, Fountain Hills elected Hannah Toth and Allen Skillicorn to our Town Council.  Both Toth and Skillicorn are unabashed supporters of the primary goal of Project 2025: the establishment of an autocratic Christian Theocracy.   (see: http://www.appealtoheaven.org).  Skillicorn views the Bible as having supremacy over the Declaration of Independence. 

Although both Skillicorn and Toth appear to have higher political aspirations, for now, they are intent on orchestrating a takeover of the Town Council.   With the election of Skillicorn’s avowed ally, Gayle Earle, they are only one vote away from achieving this goal. 

Enter Allen Skillicorn

Before Skillicorn entered the political arena in Fountain Hills he served as a Trustee for the Village of East Dundee and went on to serve three years and 11 months in the Illinois House of Representatives. 

In November of 2021 Skillicorn was defeated by his Democratic opponent, who during the campaign noted his association with right wing organizations (like “Illinois Gun Owners Together”) and described him as “Too Extreme for Illinois”, a description he eagerly embraced:

On January 5, 2021, before the end of his second term, Skillicorn, who had been the subject of an ethics investigation, abandoned his position in the Illinois House, leaving his constituents unrepresented.  

Why Skillicorn selected Fountain Hills as the launching pad for his failed political career remains a mystery.  It appears that he may have been invited or at least encouraged to come here to pursue his far-right political agenda. Skillicorn very quickly, and probably not coincidentally, attached himself to State Senator John Kavanagh.  

Skillicorn also formed an alliance with Hannah Toth. Toth and Skillicorn appear to have recognized early on that they had more than their purported fiscal conservatism in common.   

The Attack on “Cultural Marxism”

In 2022 Skillicorn announced that he would run for the Fountain Hills Town Council.  In relaunching his political career Skillicorn invoked one of the central themes of Project 2025: “cultural Marxism”. See, https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/report/how-cultural-marxism-threatens-the-united-states-and-how-americans-can-fight/

Throughout his campaign Skillicorn described his opponents as “Marxists”, “Socialists” and “Leftists”. During a meeting of the Fountain Hills Republican Club Skillicorn pledged to rid Fountain Hills of the “Communists” and “Socialists” that were intent on destroying the Town. 

The Attack on “Wokeness” 

A core belief shared by Skillicorn and the authors of Project 2025 is that the Second American Revolution must, through political action, defeat the “woke cult” that has legitimized “affronts” to morality like gay marriage and abortion.  Skillicorn believes that the Gospel of Christ has been subordinated to a false gospel of secular liberalism. 

During his two years on the Town Council Skillicorn has characterized those who support reproductive freedom, gay rights, asylum seekers or the homeless as “woke” a mindset he considers to be both “evil” and “satanic”:  

Skillicorn has repeatedly attacked Mayor Dickey as “woke”, and falsely claimed that, like other “woke mayors”,  she has brought crime and homelessness to Fountain Hills and suggested she be “fired”. 

The proponents of Project 2025, like Skillicorn, believe that the “woke cult” is intent on subverting the family, to “replace people’s natural loves and loyalties with unnatural ones.”  (Mandate for Leadership, p. 4) They believe that marriage can only be between one man and one woman and homosexuality is unnatural.  Skillicorn has personally endorsed the proposition that you cannot be a gay Christian:

  Skillicorn has targeted “woke” schools, teachers and our library for condemnation:

The authors of the Mandate for Leadership refer to “transgender ideology” as “pornography” and labeled members of the transgender “child predators” (Mandate for Leadership, p. 5)      Both Skillicorn and Toth have repeatedly attacked and demeaned members of the transgender community:

Toth demonstrated her disdain for members of the transgender community by sitting in the front row of the Candidate Forum wearing a shirt embossed with the caption “Real Men Aren’t Women”.

As noted above, the Mandate for Leadership supports outlawing abortion and curtailment of a woman’s right to reproductive freedom as do Skillicorn and Toth. Both view abortion as murder: 

Project 2025 is intent on ending all policies directed toward the goal of creating diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”).   Skillicorn has stated his belief that “DEI” must die:

Skillicorn attempted to introduce a Resolution that would have banned what he described as “DEI discrimination”.   The measure failed for lack of a second when it was determined that only Toth, Gerry Friedel and Skillicorn would vote in favor of the measure.

To date, Skillicorn and Toth’s efforts to enact ordinances or pass resolutions to support the culture war have been sporadic because they lacked a majority.  They were successful in restoring an Invocation prior to Town Council meetings but disappointed to discover that they could not Constitutionally limit the speakers to those who supported their religious views .  They were also successful in passing a Resolution that would prohibit the issuance of future mask or vaccine mandates which the Mandate for Leadership would also outlaw. (Mandate p. 19 and 475) 

It is apparent, however, that if Skillicorn and Toth obtain a reliable majority there is no limit to the cultural issues they could attempt to regulate. Unfortunately, they now need only one more vote.

Enter Gayle Earle

Last year, Skillicorn identified Gayle Earle as the most likely candidate to provide him with the unwavering support he and Toth require to support them in their culture war.  Earle has made no secret of her devotion to Skillicorn.  During a presentation to the Rio Verde Republican Women’s Club, Earle described Skillicorn as Fountain Hills’ “boldest councilmember” and referred to the hearing, that led to the imposition of sanctions against him as a “public lynching.”  Clearly, Gayle Earle was a critical component of Skillicorn’s plan to assume control over the Town Council.

We do not have concrete evidence that Gayle Earle shares Skillicorn’s and Toth’s commitment to the establishment of a Christian autocracy.  However, given the fact that Wendy Rogers “loves” Earle and based on her relationship to Ashley Earle, it is a safe bet that Gayle Earle will support any far-right social agenda item advanced by Toth and Skillicorn.

Gayle Earle shares a close bond with her daughter-in-law, Ashely Earle. Ashley is a proponent of Project 2025 and holds a leadership position with Moms for Liberty, identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center in its 2022 annual Year in Hate and Extremism report.  https:www.npr.org/2023/06/07/1180486760/splc-moms-for-liberty-extremist-group/   Ashley Earle is also an unabashed fan of Jacob Chansley, the January 6^th “Q’Anon Shaman”.

In this photo, where she is pictured standing next to Chansley, Ashley proudly displays her “We the People” tattoo, a phrase found in the preamble to the Constitution that has been co-opted by alt-right antigovernment organizations and the January 6 rioters. 

Enter Turning Point USA 

TPUSA, founded and led by Charlie Kirk, began in 2012 as a campus-based campaign to recruit students to support conservative candidates and causes. Today, TPUSA is a multifaceted, multi-billion-dollar behemoth that supports far-right and alt-right causes and candidates. Its related entities include Hannah Toth’s employer, Turning Point Action, as well as Turning Point Faith. The announced mission of Turning Point Faith is to restore America’s biblical values and empower Christians to assume control over local, state and federal government. http://tpusafaith.com. 

Some may recall the unhinged presentation made by Ben Larrabee during a Town Council meeting. Larrabee, who does not live in Fountain Hills, but is one of Toth’s senior coworkers at Turning Point Action, provided a three-minute rant on the topics of “grooming,” “sex trafficking,” and bathroom assaults allegedly committed by transgender school children.  Larrabee falsely claimed that he was “cut-off” by the Mayor:

Larrabee has injected himself into town governance, serving as a “consultant” to Skillicorn, Toth and Gerry Friedel regarding the “Ban DEI Resolution”. 

TPUSA is poised to continue to meddle in Town governance and use its considerable resources to support the take over of our Town Council.

The Skillicorn/Toth/Earle/Friedel Alliance

Although Friedel is on record as saying he considers Skillicorn to be a “bully” and does not “agree with his character,” it is clear that he will continue to back the bully as long as the bully has ROT’s support.  

As to this point it is important to recall that Friedel voted: 

• against imposing sanctions on Skillicorn for his clear ethical violations, including the unlawful pursuit of the Town Code Enforcement Officer; 
• in favor of Skillicorn’s resolution to instruct the Town Attorney not to defend the litigation arising out of the failed Four Peaks Referendum, which would have resulted in an admission by the Town and the Town Clerk of illegal conduct; 
• against the zoning change that would allow the Four Peaks Development to proceed; 
• in favor of Skillicorn’s grandstanding motion to reduce the Town’s budget cap by $1; and
• against accepting the $100,000 grant from Maricopa County to develop an EV Charging Station site plan.

Skillicorn, Toth and Earle can be confident that Friedel will do nothing to thwart their ambition to take control of the Town government and continue the culture war. 

The Skillicorn/Watts/Corrigan Alliance

Recently, on his X Account, Skillicorn posted a photo of him standing beside a Watts/Corrigan sign that had been paid for by the NICOPAC. Nico Delgadao, the founder of the Political /action Committee, is the posterchild of the far-right in Arizona politics and a Skillicorn ally. 

In the post Skillicorn endorsed both Corrigan and Watts touting the signs the NICPAC purchased to support their candidacy.  Although Skillicorn deleted his post endorsing Watts and Corrigan, Delgado’s posts were preserved.   In one of these posts Degado warned that the election of Watts and Corrigan was necessary to “Save Fountain Hills”.

We now know that both Watts and Corrigan are supported by ROT, Skillicorn and the far-right activist, Nico Delgado.  Both fit into Skillicorn’s plan to take control of the Town Council. 

HOW CAN WE STOP THE TAKEOVER?

The self-styled Christian warrior, Allen Skillicorn has his sights set on taking over the Fountain Hills Town Council to pursue the extremist war on “wokeness” described in the Mandate for Leadership.

If Skillicorn, Toth and Earle attain a majority on the Town Council we can expect the Project 2025 culture wars to be waged during every meeting of the Town Council. We can expect the presentation and passage of ordinances and resolutions that would: stop any development that would diversify our community; place restrictions on access to public restrooms; ban DEI; disavow any provision of the Strategic Plan aimed at protecting our environment; and allow religious symbols and even the Pine Tree flag to be displayed on Town property.  Attention would be diverted from the business of government: budget management, strategic planning, economic development and allocation of resources. 

Fountain Hills is not unique. What is happening in Fountain Hills is being replicated in small towns and cities across the country. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/21/michigan-christian-nationalists-0008321

We are 60 days out from an election that threatens to take Fountain Hills down a treacherous path. Those of us who believe that:  local governments should be nonpartisan; that the culture wars should not be waged during Town Council meetings; and that the separation between church and state should be maintained have work to do.

We need to support Ginny Dickey, Peggy McMahon and Clayton Corey candidates who can be relied on to actively oppose the planned takeover. We need to be vocal and vigilant in voicing our opposition to Friedel, Watts and Corrigan. 

Consider supporting the Political Action Committee, Flourish Fountain Hills by joining and liking our Facebook and donating to our effort to stop the takeover. https://flourishfountainhills.com       

Fountain Hills forward!  We can do this!

It is campaign season in #FountainHills and, true to form, ROT with the avid support of Councilmember Allen Skillicorn have made every effort to ensure that the slime continues to ooze down Avenue of the Fountains. This time, they are relying on Tony Pierce, the pastor of Cornerstone Family Church and an unabashed proponent of the tenets of Christian nationalism, to create another false narrative by claiming that Mayor Dickey violated Pierce’s constitutional rights by discussing her concerns about his hateful, dangerous rhetoric with Reverend David Felten.

This tempest in a teapot has now resulted in two ethics complaints being filed against Mayor Dickey and a cover story in the Fountain Hills Times.

This absurd contention that a public official can violate the First Amendment or the Establishment Clause through a private conversation about the incendiary rhetoric of a community leader has been circulating on social media for weeks. Local politicians, apparently ignorant of the scope and intent of the First Amendment, have piled on. Hannah Toth accused Mayor Dickey of acting “illegally.” Gerry Friedel and Art Tolis have expressed their stern disapproval.

📌Mayor Dickey Did Not Violate the First Amendment

It is both alarming and inexcusable that our current, past, and aspiring public officials have so little understanding of the First Amendment. For their edification this is what it says:
“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

At the time it was enacted the First Amendment applied only to the federal government; its provisions were made applicable to state and local governments by the Fourteenth Amendment.

Here there was no attempt to enact a “law” (ordinance) that would regulate Pierce’s First Amendment rights to speak freely or to practice his religion. The courts have recognized that in addition to enacting legislation, public officials can infringe a citizen’s First Amendment rights by taking or ordering an official action that would prohibit or deter a person from speaking freely or practicing their religion.

Mayor Dickey took no official action to prohibit or deter Pierce from speaking freely. Reverend Felten recalled that during this conversation Mayor Dickey asked if there was a hierarchy in Pierce’s church that could “reign him in.” Mayor Dickey has a different recollection of their conversation. Mayor Dickey recalls asking Reverend Felten if Pierce was affiliated with an organization that might object to his daily condemnations of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Both mayor Dickey and Reverand Felten recall that following the conversation there was no communication of any complaint or concern to anyone – the matter was dropped. But even if Mayor Dickey had taken it upon herself to communicate her concerns to the “hierarchy” there would have been no violation of Pierce’s First Amendment rights.

A religious organization is not an agency of the government. Even if the “hierarchy” had been contacted and decided to take some action designed to control Pierce his First Amendment rights would not have been violated. To resort to “legalese” – there was no “state action.” Where there is no state action there is no violation of the First Amendment.

To illustrate, consider the case of a newly elected town councilmember who responded to criticism by two residents by filing police reports against them, falsely accusing them of making “death threats” against him. In this case a compelling argument could be made that the First Amendment had been violated. A government official attempts to enlist the support of a government agency to deter the exercise of the citizens’ right to free speech.

How ironic and hypocritical that the people who are now casting aspersions on Mayor Dickey are the same people who sat silently by when Councilmember Skillicorn filed a police report falsely accusing two residents, who had been critical of his performance, of making death threats against him.

📌Why We Should All Be Concerned About Tony Pierce 

As background, it is important to recall that these events took place in June: “Pride Month.” Tony Pierce, who has consistently demeaned and disparaged members of the LGBTQIA+ community, hates #PrideMonth.

Pierce has made it clear that he supports the belief that Christians are obligated to “transform” our country into a Christian state where all aspects of society are controlled by Biblical principles. He publicly portrays himself as a spiritual warrior engaged in a battle between good and evil.

Pierce has expressed his commitment to the purportedly “Biblical belief” that marriage can only be between one man and one woman. 

Because he believes God punishes nations for sexual immorality, Pierce believes it is his obligation to condemn members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Pierce is disgusted by the very idea of “Pride Month,” and Pierce’s attacks against the LGBTQAI+ community continued throughout June.

Pierce has repeatedly attacked Reverend Felten for his support of the LGBTQIA+ community and was outraged when the United Methodist Church recently voted to adopt policies that were similarly based on acceptance and inclusion. 

Pierce’s response was the following post stating: “The United Methodist Church is now run by demons…that happened years ago here at the (sic) Fountains United Methodists (sic) Church here in Fountain Hills. Progressivism is demonic and poison, straight from the pit of hell.” 

Every member of this community should be concerned when a religious leader targets an “at risk” and marginalized community. It is easy to understand why any concerned community member would reach out to Reverend Felten for advice.

Pierce claims that if Mayor Dickey had a concern with his incendiary rhetoric she was ethically obligated to bring her concerns to him. If Mayor Dickey had approached Pierce, how would he have responded? In all probability, his response would have been similar to the sentiment he expressed in this post, published shortly after he learned of her conversation with Reverend Felten:



It is important to recall that Ginny Dickey, like all citizens, has First Amendment rights. She has the right to engage in conversations about matters of concern to her as an individual and as our mayor. Her conversation with David Felten did not violate his First Amendment rights.

📌Allen Skillicorn Did Violate the First Amendment 

Since he took office 18 months ago Allen Skillicorn has repeatedly attacked Mayor Dickey. Given this history, it is not surprising that Skillicorn has joined the ROT chorus and accused the mayor of attempting to intimidate and deter Pierce from exercising his First Amendment rights. Although not surprising, this particular attack is ironic to those who are aware of Skillicorn’s history.

On December 6, 2022, Skillicorn took his seat as a newly elected member of the Fountain Hills Town Council. Shortly thereafter, Skillicorn anointed himself as the leader of the self-described “conservative” faction of the Town Council with the intent to make a “splash” by exercising their majority power to effect “change.” The strategy employed by the majority was viewed by many as unwarranted and ill-conceived.

During this period a resident published two letters to the editor of the Fountain Hills Times that were critical of Skillicorn and the other “conservative” members of the Fountain Hills Town Council.

In the first letter the resident observed: “It seems that our new council persons have a collective trigger finger.” The letter went on to describe the uninformed and disordered approach taken by the majority as: “Ready. Fire. Aim.” In the same letter, commenting on Skillicorn’s support of legislation that would result in the Town’s loss of millions in tax revenue, the resident suggested: “Let’s not lose more time and money due to his scattershot approach.”

In a subsequent letter, dated March 8, 2023, the resident commented on four Councilmembers’ refusal to consider the report of a committee tasked by the Town to evaluate the condition of the community’s streets as follows: “I can’t understand why our ‘ready, fire, aim’ council persons are disregarding the work of dedicated citizens.”

Weeks after the first letter was published in the Fountain Hills Times, Skillicorn filed reports with the Arizona Attorney General and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department (MCSO) claiming that in making these statements the resident had threatened him with violence or death. During the same period Skillicorn filed a police report against another resident based on a social media post suggesting that he could “go to Hell.”

Within days of receiving the complaints, the MCSO completed its investigation and determined that no threats had been made and no crime had been committed. But Skillicorn was not done with his effort to intimidate and deter.

In April, two months after the first letter to the editor was published, Skillicorn issued a press release captioned: “Fountain Hills City Councilman Allen Skillicorn calls for civility in light of death threats against him.” The press release states that the author of the letters to the editor had used “gun and threatening language” against him. The press release was submitted to various media outlets including the Fountain Hills Times.

Subsequently, one of the media outlets Skillicorn contacted published an article captioned: “Skillicorn says death threats have no place in the public square.” In that article the two residents were accused of making “not so subtle death threats.”

Skillicorn’s sole motivation in conducting this campaign of harassment was to intimidate and deter his critics. By filing reports with the MCSO, Skillicorn attempted to invoke the power of the state to silence them. Yet, no one objected.

📌How Does This End?

The recently filed ethics complaints are without merit and will fail. ROT and its supporters can be expected to continue and escalate their slime campaign.

This particular effort to embarrass and denigrate the mayor will end when the majority makes it clear to ROT and Skillicorn that we can distinguish a good faith effort to protect a targeted minority from harassment and a bad faith effort to silence the opposition.

“GARBAGEGATE” LIKE “REFERENDUMGATE” IS ANOTHER OF ROT’S DARK FANTASIES  

Another week and yet another false narrative circulating on social media generated by ROT and Allen Skillicorn, the tireless and increasingly tiresome agent of chaos.  As a result, we must now focus our attention on garbage: the literal garbage we place in bins and roll out to our curbs every week and the figurative garbage generated by ROT and Skillicorn on roughly the same schedule.

“Garbagegate,” ROT’s latest attempt, through misinformation and innuendo, to manufacture controversy and sully reputations, has been circulating on social media and has now appeared as an article on the website formerly associated with Larry Meyers.   This website, reportedly now under “new ownership” (enter Skillicorn), serves as a community archive of poorly written, fictitious “articles”  and nonsensical opinions whose anonymous authors use  pen names like: “Ely Skumin” and “Manny  Mojito”.  This piece of detritus, was authored by “Arthur Silot”, and is titled: “Followup (sic) to MCSO. It’s Garbagegate, What’s Next for the Dems”.

In examining this current controversy, we cannot help but reflect back to the summer of 2011, when many of the same players roundly criticized then, Councilmember Ginny Dickey, for spearheading the effort to convert Fountain Hills to a single-hauler community.  Thirteen years later we have all benefited from this transition.  With fewer trucks our streets are safer, quieter and sustaining less damage.  Rather than acknowledge Mayor Dickey for her foresight and innovation the same vocal minority has decided to throw more garbage in her direction while also taking aim at Councilmember McMahon. 

 Upon examination, this controversy, like its immediate predecessors, “Referendumgate” and “MCSOgate”, is a dark fantasy based on another “big lie” propagated by Skillicorn and ROT.    

In his “article”, Silot claimed that Councilmember Peggy McMahon and Mayor Ginny Dickey are conspiring with Republic Services to bring a fleet of electric trucks to Fountain Hills at taxpayer’s expense. It is suggested that the contributions made to their respective re-election campaigns by the Republic Services Employee PAC, is somehow tied to this “conspiracy” Silot also described as the “Green New Scam”.

MAYOR DICKEY AND COUNCILMEMBER MCMAHON DID NOT RECEIVE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM REPUBLIC SERVICES

As part of the latest smear campaign ROT and Skillicorn claim that Mayor Dickey and Councilmember McMahon received campaign contributions from Republic Services.   Gayle Earle kickstarted the campaign during the Town Council Forum in June when, in violation of her commitment not to cast aspersions on other candidates, she questioned the integrity of Councilmember McMahon as follows:

“I have a question that is very concerning to me regarding transparency, integrity. Why is it that one council candidate received a significant amount of money from businesses (sic) that have a financial interest in our town and those businesses serve all of us up here and I just wonder why they wouldn’t’ support all of us or none of us.  Again, why is it that only one of us was given a significant amount of money?”  

At the conclusion of her statement, Earle glared at Councilmember McMahon, seated next to her, as she dramatically lowered the microphone to the table.  

Earle’s carefully calculated breach of protocol caused many audience members to voice their objections. The disturbance was quickly quelled by the moderator but left many attendees asking themselves and others: “What was she talking about?”   

Earle has repeatedly acknowledged that she is a political novice. But her inexperience does not excuse her ignorance. Earle apparently doesn’t know the difference between a corporate entity (Republic Services) and an employee funded Political Action Committee. The donations to the Dickey and McMahon campaigns, were made by  the “Republic Services Inc Employees for Better Government PAC-Arizona Committee.”   

The “Employees for Better Government PAC” is organized, managed and funded by the Arizona based employees of Republic Services and not their employer, Republic Services. The corporation, Republic Services, has a corporate political action committee that donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to support candidates, most of whom are Republican.   In contrast, through March of this year the “Employees for Better Government PAC” collected a relatively modest $19,500. During this same period the entire amount collected was donated to six candidates for state and local office and one community organization: Invest in Phoenix. 

The Employees for Better Government PAC is not a party to contract negotiations. Given the PAC’s announced mission, it seems likely that the donations were based on a belief that the re-election of Mayor Dickey and Councilmember McMahon would result in “better government” for Fountain Hills.     Given the disfunction, resulting from the highly publicized ineptitude and antics of Councilmembers Friedel, Toth and Skillicorn, the PAC’s support of the two levelheaded, committed incumbents was clearly in the interest of “better government.”

MAYOR DICKEY AND COUNCILMEMBER MCMAHON ARE NOT CONSPIRING WITH REPUBLIC SERVICES TO BRING ELECTRIC TRUCKS TO FOUNTAIN HILLS 

Last week, the claim that Mayor Dickey and Councilmember McMahon acted improperly by accepting campaign contributions from the “Employees for Better Government PAC” become even more ridiculous. It is now claimed that the contributions were made as part of a conspiracy to bring a fleet of electric trucks to Fountain Hills at taxpayer’s expense.

According to the inarticulate hit piece authored by Silot, Mayor Dickey and Councilmember McMahon “instigated” the idea of bringing electric trucks to Fountain Hills because they “want the electric trucks”.  Silot also claims that a “secret meeting” was held with representatives of Republic Services to discuss bringing electric garbage trucks to Fountain Hills.

Although Silot refers to himself as an “investigative reporter” he was clearly not interested in the facts of the “secret meeting”.  If he had been, he would have, like any principled investigate reporter, contacted Mayor Dickey or Councilmember McMahon.  Mayor Dickey would have told him that she did not attend the meeting with representatives Republic Services. Similarly, Silot made no effort to contact Councilmember McMahon to determine the purpose of the meeting, why she attended and what was discussed.   But we did.

The meeting was not “secret”, and it was not “instigated” by Mayor Dickey or Councilmember McMahon. According to Councilmember McMahon, each year the Town Manager, Rachel Goodwin, meets with representatives of Republic Services to discuss any concerns that had come to her attention regarding the services provided under its trash hauling contract with the Town.  Councilmember McMahon expressed an interest in attending the meeting to discuss the feasibility of drop-boxes (where residents could deposit used light bulbs and batteries for specialized disposal or recycling) with the Republic Services representatives.   

During the meeting, Michael Celaya, a District Manager for Republic Services, did discuss the company’s long-range plan to convert its fleet to electric trucks.  According to a press release issued in February of 2023, Republic Services aspires to replace 50% of its current fleet of 17,000 diesel fueled trucks with integrated electric trucks by 2028. At the time the press release was issued, Republic was planning to introduce two prototypes of the vehicles (equipped to accept both trash and recycling) to its Phoenix routes that fall. 

According to Councilmember McMahon, Mr. Celaya is an enthusiastic proponent of the integrated trucks, but the discussion was conceptual and prospective in nature. Councilmember McMahon recalls the town manager raising concerns about the cost of replacing diesel vehicles with electric vehicles and Mr. Celeya acknowledging that the conversion would be expensive. There was no discussion of introducing electric trucks to the small fleet currently servicing Fountain Hills. There was a discussion of the drop-box program Councilmember McMahon was interested in.

Following the meeting Councilmember McMahon sent an email to the representatives of Republic Services who had attended the meeting. This email provided: 

“It was nice seeing you and I thank you for coming out to Fountain Hills to discuss the services Republic provides in our town and providing more opportunities for our town to be environmentally friendly.”

“The fully integrated electric recycle and waste pick up trucks sound great because they will be less damaging to our streets and more environmentally friendly. Please let us know the time frame and cost to have these in our community when this information becomes available.”

“Also, the disposal of small used batteries and lightbulb drop boxes would be a great incentive for our community to be more involved in proper waste disposal. I hope we can formulate a workable plan to make this happen.”  

Councilmember McMahon made no commitment on behalf of herself or the Town to support or participate in any electric vehicle “roll out”.  The vehicles currently in service in Phoenix and other locations are prototypes.  Following the meeting, Councilmember McMahon expressed an interest in learning more about this evolving technology of waste disposal and recycling.   

In the future Republic Services will make the determination of when and where to introduce electric trucks. If the conversion would result in higher rates, it will be up to the Town Council to decide if it is in the interest of our community to continue its contract with Republic Services based on a cost benefit analysis. But that isn’t happening any time soon.  

Like so many of the controversies fueled by Skillicorn and ROT “Garbagegate” is a molehill it is intent on turning into a mountain. The only conspiracy here, is the one Skillicorn and ROT continue to orchestrate, with the goal of creating a political environment that is as toxic as the diesel smoke billowing from the trucks Republic Services hopes someday to replace.      

        Fountain Hills Town Council Candidate Scorecard

              ROT-SUPPORTED CANDIDATES ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CLASS

The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce has published its 2024 Legislative Report setting out its “letter grade assessments” of the candidates for Mayor and Town Council. The report is the culmination of an extensive inquiry into each candidate’s qualifications. We have provided a link to the comprehensive report at the end of this post.

We were gratified to see that the Chamber Board of Directors awarded the highest marks to the four Town Council candidates who have made it clear that they will not engage in the ugly, hyper-partisan culture war being waged by Councilmembers Toth and Skillicorn and supported by Councilmember Friedel. 

Our Dysfuntional Town Council

Our current Town Council is the most dysfunctional in our history due primarily to Councilmember Skillicorn’s grandstanding and his deliberate efforts to create chaos and divide our community. In the past 18 months Skillicorn has been more than an embarrassment. He has been a disaster, causing untold damage to the once stellar reputation of our Town. But Skillicorn is not the only contributor to the dysfunction. 

Councilmember Friedel has attacked Councilmember Grzybowski and one of his constituents in an obvious attempt to impress his ROT constituency. Friedel has supported Skillicorn by voting in favor of even his most ridiculous and damaging proposals and by refusing to sanction him for his assault on a Town employee. Recently, in his campaign literature, Friedel has asserted baseless claims of misfeasance and malfeasance against our mayor. 

Councilmember Toth has also entered the fray by making an unfounded ethics complaint against Councilmember Kalivianakis ,who she has repeatedly attacked on social media. Toth has also engaged in a social media feud with Skillicorn. He accused her of lying and she scolded him for being childish. 

This dysfunction is not only embarrassing, it is harmful. There is work to be done by our Town Council. That work can be done only if a majority of the councilmembers are committed to and capable of calmly and collaboratively conducting the business of running our town.   

The “Top of the Class” candidates identified by the Chamber’s Board are both committed to and capable of bringing an end to the chaos and dysfunction.   

THE TOP OF THE CLASS CANDIDATES:

Art Tolis received an A+ from the Chamber Board. It is not surprising that representatives of the Fountain Hills business community would enthusiastically support Tolis:  he is a successful businessman, an avid supporter of local business, and has prior Town Council experience. However, the responses to the Candidates’ written responses were blind – the Chamber Board graded these responses without knowing the identity of the candidate who submitted them.

On social media Tolis has been treated harshly by Friedel supporters angered by his support of Joe Arpaio’s candidacy.  

Friedel’s supporters have also questioned Tolis’ judgment by referring back to 2017 when, as a councilmember, he spearheaded the drive to add a five-acre swimming lagoon, beach, and boathouse to Fountain Park. Fortunately, the plan did not make it off the drawing board. If this had not been the case, the result would have been an ecological, aesthetic, and economic disaster.  

Tolis has been criticized for his support of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio and accused of engaging in a conspiracy with “the other side” to split the vote to secure Mayor Dickey’s reelection. Although the suggestion of a conspiracy is patently absurd, we were also concerned by the fact that Tolis linked his candidacy to Arpaio, but for different reasons.  

Apart from his age and inexperience with local government Arpaio is not a viable candidate for mayor. Arpaio’s refusal to recognize or respect any authority other than his own has cost the taxpayers of Maricopa County more than $300 million. Arpaio has repeatedly boasted that he “would do it all over again.” Arpaio’s past and ongoing association with far-right extremists, including white supremacists, is a matter of grave concern.  

It is, or should be, apparent that Arpaio has no real interest in being the mayor of Fountain Hills.  Arpaio wants to relive his experience as a sheriff and envisions himself leading a volunteer posse through our streets. We don’t need a sheriff – we need a mayor. 

Tolis has justified his support of Arpaio by referring to the former sheriff’s name recognition and popularity with millions. Tolis imagines a future where tourists will be drawn to Fountain Hills because of our fountain and Fountain Park, the Dark Skies Discovery Center, and because Joe Arpaio is our mayor. The skeptics among us question that vision and believe that Arpaio has as many detractors as he does supporters. Arpaio is and always will be a loose cannon and a lightning rod – undesirable characteristics for a small-town mayor.    

Based on his past support of the lagoon project and his current support of Arpaio, #FlourishFountainHills would have awarded Tolis a B. 

Clayton Corey was awarded an A by the Chamber Board, a remarkable accomplishment for a first-time candidate for public office. Eight years ago, when he relocated to Fountain Hills, Corey dedicated himself to learning everything he could about our community, and it shows.  

For the past five years Corey has dedicated himself to serving our community as a member of the Planning & Zoning Commission and more recently, the Sanitary District. He has proven to be a knowledgeable and influential member of both.

Corey is a strategic thinker, as demonstrated by his responses to the complex and multilayered questions posed by the Chamber Board to the candidates, but he is also capable of thinking outside of the box. In addition, Corey is openminded, engaging, and unflappable. Corey clearly earned his A.

Peggy McMahon was awarded an A– by the Chamber Board. A review of her written responses to the questions presented to the candidates supports the Board’s determination that she belongs at the top of the class. Every one of McMahon’s responses was informed and thoughtful. Her vision for our town’s future was clearly and articulately presented. 

McMahon’s commitment to our community is also clear. During the past 18 months she has been targeted for abuse by those who want to stop all development and turn Fountain Hills into a giant, gated enclave reserved for people who are just like them. Given the ferocity and unfairness of these attacks it is a testament to McMahon’s tenacity that she decided to seek reelection. We are fortunate that she did.

Henry Male was awarded  a B+ by the Chamber Board. Male is a newcomer to politics but not to public service. Male has lived in Fountain Hills for more than two decades and during that time has served as the president of the Fountain Hills Theatre Board and been actively engaged in local and international public service projects.   

Male promises to bring a fresh but seasoned perspective to the Town Council. He has no interest in the mean-spirited, contentious backbiting engaged in by some of the current councilmembers. Male is extroverted, affable, and open minded and has, through his responses to the questions posed during the Candidate Forum and by the Chamber Board, demonstrated that he understands the issues and is qualified to serve as a member of the Town Council.

THE BOTTOM OF THE CLASS 

Robert Wallace was given a grade of B- by the Chamber Board. On its face, the grade was not unreasonable given Wallace’s responses to the written questions, which were both reflective and quirky. During the Candidate Forum, Wallace presented himself as inexperienced, self-effacing,  and sincere. Wallace readily conceded that he has no experience with local government but expressed his eagerness to participate and serve as the voice for a younger demographic. It is likely that during the in-person interview the Chamber Board found Wallace’s candor and lack of pretense refreshing. 

But there is a dark side to Robert Wallace that we believe disqualifies him from holding public office. 

Wallace prides himself for being a Chapter Leader for the organization Gays Against Groomers. An organization described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as “a chapter-based organization that amplifies dehumanizing anti-trans rhetoric, perpetuates anti-LGBTQ+ stereotypes by falsely claiming that LGBTQ+ supporters of trans rights are dangerous to society – including equating gender-affirming health with pedophilia and calling trans people a ‘blood thirsty terrorist cult.’”   

Wallace’s social media is revealing:

Based on his leadership position with Gays against Groomers and his very troubling social media posts, some of which are shown above, Wallace holds beliefs that are antithetical to our core principles. For this reason, Flourish gives Robert Wallace the grade of F. 

Rick Watts, a ROT-supported candidate, received a B- from the Chamber Board. From a distance, Watts looks like a viable candidate. He has been a resident of Fountain Hills for more than 35 years and based on his candidate bio, has experience as a business owner and contractor. Watts also reports that he has an “in-depth understanding of finances.”  Of the three ROT-supported candidates, Watts received the highest grade. 

But we have concerns about Watts that are unrelated to the fact that ROT supports him. It appears that Watts is both a prima donna and a hothead.

At the time it awarded Watts a B- the Chamber Board may not have been aware of his contentious presentation and inexplicable outburst during the June 18 Town Council meeting.  

As background, it should be noted that Watts is a current member of the Planning and Zoning Commission and considers himself to be well versed, if not an expert, in issues relating to 5G and its potential adverse effects on health. It appears that prior to the meeting Watts was frustrated by the Town Council’s failure to provide P&Z with a document prepared by an outside attorney, who had been retained by the Council based on his expertise in 5G regulation. 

During the Call to the Public, Watts contended that P&Z had been denied the opportunity to review this document, which it purportedly needed to prepare what he described as a “comprehensive ordinance that addresses the safety, health and well-being of town residents.”  During his presentation Watts accused the Council of misdirection, stalling, and concealing information from P&Z. 

Watts went on to lambast Councilmember Kalivianakis for a statement she made at the June 4, 2024, Town Council meeting.  During that meeting, in an apparent attempt to explain her view of the respective roles and responsibilities of advisory commissions and the Town Council, Kalivianakis said: 

“The Planning and Zoning Commission is not made of telecommunications experts. They are farmers. They are butchers. They are people of the town.”  

Councilmember Kalivianakis subsequently apologized to any members of the P&Z who may have found her reference to “farmers and butchers” disrespectful or demeaning. 

Watts was not, however, prepared to accept the apology and move on. He needed to vent. During a sternly delivered three-minute lecture,  Watts made it clear that he was deeply offended that he, as a member of P&Z, had been compared to “farmers” and “butchers.”  Watts dramatically concluded: “I can accept the Council’s direction but not its insults.” 

Later, in response to Councilmember Kalivianakis’ explanation Watts jumped up from his seat, turned his back on the Council and as he moved to the back of the chamber was overheard saying: “bullshit.”

Watts’ reaction was totally disproportionate to the perceived slight, and his subsequent outburst was inexcusable. After witnessing this bizarre behavior voters must ask themselves how Watts would react to a constituent’s direct criticism of his performance? 

The last thing we need is another self-important and volatile councilmember. Based on our concerns about Watts’ temperament, Flourish would give Watts a  grade of C-.

Mathew Corrigan, the second ROT-endorsed candidate, received a grade of C from the Chamber Board. We know relatively little about Corrigan. He attends Town Council meetings and sometimes shares his thoughts and opinions during Calls to the Public and Public Hearings. According to his candidate bio, Corrigan has also offered his thoughts and opinions in letters to the editor of the Fountain Hills Times. As a result of this involvement Corrigan reports that he was urged by other residents to run for the Town Council. 

We found Corrigan’s responses to questions posed during the Candidate Forum and his written responses to the questions published in the Chamber’s Legislative Report to be both unimaginative and uninspiring. Corrigan has no experience as a volunteer in our community and has not served as a member of any commission or committee. This lack of community engagement is unusual for candidates for the Town Council. For these reasons Flourish would give Corrigan a grade of C-.

Gayle Earle, the third ROT-endorsed candidate, received a grade of C- from the Chamber Board, the lowest score of any of the candidates for mayor or Town Council.  

Earle’s responses to the questions posed during the Candidate Forum and her answers to the written questions in the Legislative Report were peppered with promises to be the “voice of the people” and preserve “our desert oasis.”      

According to her candidate bio, Earle’s status as a long-time resident and business owner qualifies her to serve as a member of the Town Council. Earle has no relevant experience as a community volunteer. 

Our overriding concern with Earle’s candidacy is not her lack of experience, but her unabashed allegiance to ROT and Allen Skillicorn.  

When Earle announced her candidacy, she posed for a photo with Skillicorn. In Skillicorn’s social media post, commemorating the event, a beaming Earle is shown sitting next to Skillicorn over the caption: “I love it when a plan comes together.” 

During a campaign speech delivered to the Rio Verde Republican Women’s Club, Earle spoke glowingly of ROT and referred to Skillicorn as Fountain Hills’ “boldest councilmember.”  Earle went on to describe the hearing that resulted in the imposition of sanctions against Skillicorn as a “public lynching.” 

Another concern with Earle’s candidacy is her son, Chris and daughter-in-law, Ashley.  Chris and Ashley, who live in Scottsdale, are frequent attendees at Town Council meetings.  Ashley has frequently offered her “opinions” during Calls to the Public and both have been actively engaged in town politics.

Both Chris and Ashley, are intent on stirring up controversy and creating division.  Recently, Chris has made false claims of “stalking” and “doxing” against residents he believes to be his mother’s political opponents.  It appears that he has also participated in creating fake duplicate Facebook pages where he has attacked and attempted to embarrass the Mayor and other residents who he has falsely accused of being “left wing extremists” and members of “hate groups”.  

Ashley has a leadership position with Moms for Liberty and supports the infamous January 6^th QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley.  Ashley is shown proudly displaying her “We the People” tattoo on her right forearm. “We the People” is a slogan adopted by the white supremacist group, “Patriot Front” dedicated to “preserving” America’s identity as a “Pan-European nation”.   Chris and Ashley refer to themselves and their children as “The Patriot Family”.

Gayle Earle’s election to the Town Council will be viewed by Chris and Ashley as a sign that voters approve of their efforts to escalate the culture wars. Our Town Council does not need another disruptor or another Skillicorn supporter. Flourish gives Gayle Earle the grade of D.

In conclusion, it is our fervent hope that the residents of Fountain Hills recognize the importance of this election. Skillicorn, Toth, and Friedel are intent on taking us down a treacherous path that will stigmatize and further divide our community. In this election we need to vote as if the future of Fountain Hills depended on the results, because it does. 

Link to Legislative Report 

Full report: https://publuu.com/flip-book/12824/1271423/page/36

A candidate who feels compelled to enlist a spokesperson to reinforce his false campaign claims is in serious trouble. Gerry Friedel must believe that his campaign is on the rocks as evidenced by his recent ploy of trotting out his old buddy, David Spelich, to buttress his false claims about Mayor Dickey and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office  (MCSO) contract.   

Spelich was not up to the task. 

During an eight-minute disjointed dissertation, Spelich condescendingly explained:

• Why the MCSO contract is and always has been “bad”; 

• Why Mayor Dickey is solely responsible for the flaws in the contract and MCSO’s alleged failure to abide by its terms; and 

• Why Gerry Friedel is the only one with the skills and insight necessary to fix this mess.

Spelich then incongruously ended his star turn by looking sternly into the camera and by offering the following sage advice: “Here’s a suggestion, stop trying to turn the Avenue of the Fountains into Rodeo Drive.”  

During his cameo performance on “Friedel Friday” Spelich repeated his friend’s false claims that the MCSO owes millions to Fountain Hills and that Fountain Hills is paying for MCSO to police Rio Verde, Tonto Verde, and other areas outside of the Town limits. 

Significantly, Spelich failed to acknowledge that:

•  The mayor has no executive power to unilaterally enter into a contract for police services with the County or resolve disputes arising out of that contract.    

•  All of the contracts with the County to provide police services through the MCSO were approved by a majority of the Town Council, and Mayor Dickey was only one member of the negotiating team.

•  The settlement of the claim against the County, based primarily on personnel vacancies, was approved by the Town Council. That claim, which only Spelich and Friedel valued at between  $1 million and $3 million, was resolved for $722,000 – not  $600,000 as Spelich claims. 

• The Town Council adopted many of the recommendations made by Matrix Consulting, the firm retained in 2022, to provide an outside expert review of the MCSO contract. Matrix recommended that Fountain Hills continue its contract with the County and rely on MCSO to provide police services. At the time, then Councilmember Spelich described the Matrix recommendations as “spot on,” acknowledging that the citizens didn’t have the appetite to pay the costs of a stand-alone police force. 

•  Consistent with the recommendations made by Matrix, the current contract incorporates provisions expressly intended to ensure that Fountain Hills does not pay to police areas outside of its boundaries.

•  Fountain Hills pays less “per capita” for police services than almost every other town or city in the East Valley. Only Cave Creek pays less.    

•  The current contract, unanimously approved by the Town Council last year, will not expire until 2029. To renegotiate the contract the Town would need to advise the MCSO of an intent to terminate without cause 12 months prior to the termination date or provide notice of a breach of the contract, which would result in automatic termination if the breach is not cured within 90 days.

Spelich provides no support for his assertion that Friedel has the ability to “think outside the box” or the skill to spearhead an effort to create a independent police force, a transition that would likely cost more than $10 million the first year. During his nearly four-year tenure on the Town Council Friedel has offered no constructive, concrete suggestions as to how the current contract could be improved or even outlined a plan for transitioning to a stand-alone police force.     

It is apparent that Friedel’s current “dissatisfaction” with the MCSO contract is motivated by his desire to disparage and embarrass Mayor Dickey on the threshold of an election. An election that  Friedel is intent on winning at any cost, even if it involves deception, fueling unfounded rumors, and violating the Code of Ethics he agreed to uphold when he took office. 

It is not a coincidence that Friedel waited until the Candidate Forum to assert his claim that Fountain Hills is currently paying for the MCSO to police Rio Verde and Tonto Verde. There is no indication that Friedel has requested a report from MCSO or even spoken with Captain Kratzer to substantiate his claim before it was asserted at the Forum. To date, Friedel has only been able to substantiate his claim by reference to emails and anecdotal reports.   

During the Forum, Friedel stated: 

“This contract’s got to be looked at and reworked…We’re not getting what we’re paying for… That’s got to change. All these different towns, why are we the only ones getting a bill for this?   It’s got to change, and it’s got to be written.”

Friedel has yet to acknowledge the fact that the limitation he described is written into the current contract, which provides: 

“Staff will be assigned to the Town on a full-time basis and will work within the Town limits unless required to cross jurisdiction boundaries for pursuits, on-going investigation of town cases or other temporary law enforcement emergency situations including responding to requests for assistance from other officers in surrounding jurisdictions in emergency or dangerous situations.” (emphasis added)

During his defense of Friedel, Spelich doubled down on Friedel’s ongoing deception by  implying that Fountain Hills is paying for two deputies who are currently assigned by MCSO to patrol Rio Verde and Tonto Verde. Spelich also claimed that MCSO is dispatching deputies to calls outside of the town boundaries “almost daily.” Spelich, like Friedel, apparently made no effort to verify this claim by contacting Captain Kratzer or submitting a Records Request to MCSO.   

If, as Friedel and Spelich claim, officers assigned to Fountain Hills are “dispatched almost daily” for calls that do not fall within the exceptions, the County is in breach of the contract, and the Town is entitled to pursue its remedies that would include reimbursement or termination.

The fact that Spelich scoffed at the suggestion that Fountain Hills would be entitled to pursue a breach of contract claim against the County (if what he reported were true) is telling. Either Spelich knows that Fountain Hills is not paying to police areas outside of its boundaries in violation of the contract or he does not understand how contracts work.

There is no indication that Spelich ever held a job in law enforcement that involved the negotiation, review, or administration of service contracts. Given the nature of his past employment Spelich could clearly hold himself out as having expertise in investigations and interrogation, but not intergovernmental service contracts.  

The current MCSO contract was approved by the Town Council in 2023. The initial contract term expires on June 30, 2026, and is subject to one (1) three-year automatic renewal. Unless terminated, the contract will continue through June 30, 2029. Councilmember Friedel voted in favor of the contract.

If Councilmember Friedel were legitimately concerned that patrol officers assigned to Fountain Hills are being called upon to police areas outside of the Town limits that do not involve “mutual aid” (like responding to a recent homicide in Rio Verde), he would have requested a report from MCSO or, at a minimum, reached out to Captain Kratzer. Friedel’s apparent failure to seek verification confirms that his only interest in making the unfounded claim that Fountain Hills is paying to police Tonto Verde and Rio Verde is to embarrass his political opponent. Not surprising, given the other dirty campaign techniques he has employed, but certainly not ethical. 

Section 8.4 of the Code of Ethics obligates every councilmember to: “be dedicated to the highest ideals of honor, ethics and integrity in all public and personal relationships.” Under the subsection to Section 8.4 captioned “Public Confidence” Allen Skillicorn and other Councilmembers are obligated to:

Engage in constructive conversations and debates that encourage the exchange of ideas while avoiding personal attacks or derogatory language.

Refrain from making verbal attacks upon the character or motives of other members of the Council, Boards, Commissions, the staff, or the public.

Refrain from making disparaging remarks about the other members of the Council, Boards, Commissions, the staff, or the public.   

Section 8.6 of the Code incorporates the following relevant provisions:

B. Respectability. We shall safeguard public confidence in the integrity of Town government by being honest, fair, caring, and respectful and by avoiding conduct creating the unexplainable appearance of impropriety, or impropriety of which is otherwise unbefitting a public official.

Friedel’s conduct throughout this campaign has fallen short of the standards articulated in the Code of Ethics. He has repeatedly and falsely accused Mayor Dickey of misfeasance and malfeasance.

Near the conclusion of his video performance Spelich suggested that Mayor Dickey’s alleged mismanagement of the contractual relationship with MCSO could be attributed to the fact that Sheriffs Penzone and Skinner were registered Democrats. This ridiculous and offensive accusation may not have been made directly by Friedel, but it didn’t end up on the cutting room floor.  

They should both be ashamed.     

You can tell that election season is in full swing by the number and frequency of incendiary rumors in circulation. Many of these rumors are attributable to #GerryFriedel, the man who aspires to be our mayor and should be striving to earn our trust. Instead, he is following the ROT playbook by conducting one of the dirtiest mayoral campaigns in #FountainHills history. 

During the next 10 days we will be looking at the rumor mongering that Friedel thrives on. 

The Rumor

The Town of Fountain Hills pays #MCSO to police all of the unincorporated areas of District 7. 

The Reality

The Town of Fountain Hills DOES NOT pay MCSO to police the unincorporated areas of District 7. 

The patrol officers assigned to Fountain Hills are required to stay within the Town limits unless they are engaged in active pursuit, involved in an investigation of an incident involving the Town, or called upon to provide mutual aid in response to an emergency or dangerous situation outside of the Town’s boundaries.

Friedel has a copy of the contract with MCSO, voted to approve it, but apparently never read it.

Councilmember Friedel has seen the crazy rumor circulating online, most prominently on “Fountain Hills Connection,” that the taxpayers of Fountain Hills pay for the MCSO to police all of the unincorporated areas of District 7 — an area that encompasses the communities of Rio Verde, Tonto Verde, and Goldfield Ranch.  

We can thank Gerry Friedel for the resurgence of this ridiculous rumor. 

During the Mayoral Candidate Forum the three candidates were asked to address the contract between the Town of Fountain Hills and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as follows:

Question number two: Fountain Hills is one of the safest communities in Arizona and is served by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. In October of 2023, the town council approved an intergovernmental agreement with MCSO extending law enforcement services through June of 2026. The contract has a base value of $6.1 million, provides 18 personnel, as well as necessary supplies, equipment, and vehicles. Do you think this is a good deal?  Does this contract adequately serve the needs of Fountain Hills and what changes, if any, would you negotiate in future contracts?

Mayor #GinnyDickey was called upon as the first to respond to the question. Mayor Dickey began by expressing her belief that the contract was a good deal for the Town. She went on to discuss the negotiations; the recovery of just under a million dollars from the MCSO following audits of the service provided under prior contracts; and some of the compromises that had been made during the negotiation process. 

During her presentation, Mayor Dickey briefly addressed the ongoing rumor that Fountain Hills pays for the police services provided by the MCSO to unincorporated communities outside of the Town’s boundaries, including Rio Verde and Tonto Verde. Mayor Dickey assured the attendees that Fountain Hills does not pay MCSO to police Rio Verde or any unincorporated areas of Maricopa County.  

The question was then posed to Councilmember Friedel who responded, in part, as follows:

“This contract’s got to be looked at and reworked…. We’re not getting what we’re paying for…. I have two emails that I’ve gotten that confirm the fact that we’re still covering Rio Verde and Tonto Verde. They’re taking people from our force, our protection, and they’re going up there to handle calls…. They said they were going to give us a deputy to patrol Rio Verde and Tonto Verde or Goldfield Ranch…. That’s got to change. All these different towns, why are we the only ones getting a bill for this? It’s got to change, and it’s got to be written.”

So here we are.  Who to believe?

Our mayor said that Fountain Hills is not paying to police communities outside of the Town’s boundaries.

Friedel said the deputies assigned to Fountain Hills are “still covering” Rio Verde and Tonto  Verde and Fountain Hills was “getting the bill.” 

One would hope that before making this representation Councilmember Friedel would have reviewed the contract between the Town and Maricopa County. Under the terms of the contract: 

• MCSO is obligated to provide law enforcement services within the incorporated limits of Fountain Hills.  

• MCSO is obligated to assign 18 patrol deputies to Fountain Hills on a full-time basis. These patrol officers are required to work within the Town’s boundaries unless they are required to “cross  jurisdictional boundaries for pursuits, ongoing investigations of Town cases, or other temporary law enforcement situations including responding to requests for assistance from other officers in surrounding jurisdictions in emergency or dangerous situations.”

If a patrol officer assigned to Fountain Hills crossed town boundaries to provide police services in Rio Verde or Tonto Verde that did not involve an emergency or dangerous situation he would be subject to discipline and the MCSO would be in breach of its contract.  

The provision in the MCSO contract requiring the assigned officers to respond to emergency calls for assistance in surrounding jurisdictions is equivalent to a “Mutual Aid Agreement”— an agreement by first responders, when called upon, to cross jurisdictional boundaries to provide assistance in the event of an emergency. Mutual aid, whether provided on an ad hoc basis or by virtue of a formal agreement, is essential to public safety.   

Police and fire departments rely on one another to provide necessary assistance to protect people or property. The Fountain Hills Fire Department has been called upon to provide assistance to neighboring fire districts. 

Is Friedel suggesting that patrol officers assigned to Fountain Hills refuse to respond to a request for assistance involving a fatal collision on Highway 87 because it would take them outside Town’s boundaries? 

Does Friedel believe that the Fountain Hills Fire Department should refuse to respond to a call for assistance from the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Fire Department to put out a brush fire on the Reservation?  

If Councilmember Friedel is legitimately concerned that patrol officers assigned to Fountain Hills are being called upon to provide services outside of the Town limits that do not involve “mutual aid” he should, at a minimum, obtain relevant information before feeding the rumor mill. 

Under the terms of the contract, the town council or town manager could ask the MCSO to provide a report describing all incidents where patrol officers, assigned to Fountain Hills, provided police services outside of the Town’s boundaries.  

Friedel didn’t bother to seek detailed official information before fueling the flames. Rather, he relied on two emails to gain political capital and throw some mud at the mayor. 

We have filed a records request seeking copies of the emails Friedel referred to and will supplement this report after they are received.

The residents of Rio Verde, Tonto Verde, and Goldfield Ranch pay for police services through their property taxes.

Contrary to the rumor, the residents of the unincorporated areas of District 7 do pay for police services. The MCSO is required to provide police services to all the unincorporated areas of Maricopa County. The County recovers the cost of providing these services through the assessment and collection of property taxes from the property owners in these areas. 

Cities and Towns that are incorporated, like Fountain Hills, must either form their own police departments or contract for those services. Since 2003, Fountain Hills has entered into contracts with Maricopa County to provide police services through the MCSO

The MCSO has specifically assigned a deputy to cover the unincorporated communities in District 7. 

During the Forum Friedel also stated:  “[MCSO] said they were going to give us a deputy to patrol Rio Verde and Tonto Verde or Goldfield Ranch.” The statement implied that the MCSO had not made good on this “commitment.” It is our understanding that MCSO has created a position for a patrol officer to specifically cover these communities. The compensation for the officer or officers assigned to fill this position is covered by the County outside of the contract with Fountain Hills.   

Fountain Hills pays less per capita than the majority of cities and towns in the East Valley.

During the Forum Friedel claimed, “We’re not getting what we’re paying for.”  The data suggests otherwise.

In 2021, the Fountain Hills Town Council retained Matrix Consulting to conduct a review of law enforcement services. According to the results of that study, the amount paid by Fountain Hills for police services ($257 per capita) was lower than all but one other town (Cave Creek) in the East Valley. The study also found that the average per capita cost for law enforcement services for East Valley towns and cities was $474.  

Do we get what we pay for? Based on objective measurements, we do. The five-minute response time for Level 1 responses is below the national average. And crime statistics demonstrate that Fountain Hills is one of the safest places to live in the state.  

ONE RUMOR DOWN BUT MORE TO GO

One ugly, unfounded rumor has been debunked but there are more to address. Sadly, that’s what happens when ROT comes to a town and a candidate is desperately searching for mud to sling.        

Read the contract by clicking here.

It’s Friday again and time for another edition of “Friedel Friday.” Where will Gerry take us this week? 

He has already taken us to the Splash Pad and the Skate Park, both of which fall clearly within the “nice to have” category he has publicly disdained. Will he take us back to Falcon Field or the Planetarium/Library at McDowell Elementary while he pretends that he provided volunteer or financial support to either project? 

Since declaring his candidacy for mayor of #FountainHills, Gerry has tried really hard to portray to show us what a concerned, committed, and honorable person he is.  But, sometimes he slips up. 

Gerry has very thin skin. When questioned or criticized by constituents he very quickly shifts into attack mode. 

And there was the slip that precipitated the disastrous February Town Council meeting. Gerry abruptly summoned a resident to the podium, glared down at her, and announced that she had forfeited her right to request that sanctions be levied against Skillicorn because of an offensive cartoon she posted on social media featuring the former president and a Democratic donkey. 

Witnesses to this embarrassing spectacle who were aware of Friedel’s history of racist, anti-Semitic, misogynistic, transphobic and xenophobic posts were appalled by his performance and his hypocrisy. 

In this Special Edition of Friedel Friday we offer residents the opportunity to explore the true character of this man who aspires to be our community’s mayor. We will be taking a brief tour of Gerry Friedel’s social media posts. 

Please also note that Friedel has been shown a preview of his offensive social media posts and although he suggested that some were “taken out of context” or altered, he very pointedly failed to deny that he published them.

FIRST STOP: THE INTERSECTION OF XENOPHOBIA AND ISLAMOPHOBIA

The first stop on our tour is one of the most revealing of Gerry’s posts. Not only does it show that he is crude and Islamophobic, but it also shows that he suffers from profound cultural ignorance.

The woman in the photograph attached is wearing a turban – not a hijab. The hijab is a long scarf that is generally draped or tied to cover a woman’s hair and neck. The hijab is worn by Muslim women to express their commitment to modesty and as a “spiritual veil” to protect them from negative influences. 

The turban is worn by Sikh men and sometimes Sikh women to cover their hair which, as a part of their religion, they do not cut. Sikhism is a religion, separate and distinct from Islam, based on a shared belief in and commitment to religious freedom, equality, community service, and pacifism.

The woman in the photo could be Sikh, she could be a woman undergoing chemotherapy or she could be any woman, including a Muslim woman, who knows she looks beautiful in a turban. One thing is certain, she is not wearing a turban because she has “shit for brains.”

SECOND STOP: THE INTERSECTION OF SEXISM AND TRANSPHOBIA 

Sadly, many of us will recognize the hideously altered image of Michelle O. that serves as the second stop on our tour.

This “photo” appeared on social media at the time rumors were circulating that Michelle Obama was a transgender female. 

Friedel’s use of this image to demonstrate his disdain and disrespect for our former First Lady and transgender women is painfully ironic in light of the moral outrage he expressed at the cartoon image of a donkey’s assault on Donald Trump. 

THIRD STOP: RIDICULE LANE

Gerry has targeted members of the transgender community for ridicule, such as with his comment to the “AutoZone” image attached. This will serve as our tour’s third stop. 

This post, made after Budweiser featured a transgender internet influencer in an advertisement, is the only one on the tour that has been altered. A red circle was used to highlight Gerry’s comment.

STOPS FOUR AND FIVE: SEXISM STREET

Some may recall Friedel’s bold proclamation that he is viewed as a “champion of women.” The immediate challenge to this claim asserted by both women and men seemed to come as surprise to Gerry. He should not have been surprised in light of the disrespect he has shown for women on his social media.

Would a “champion of women” publish a post that implies that to succeed women must be prepared to sleep with powerful men?

Would a “champion of women” publish a post describing a former Deputy Director of the NIA as a “whistle blow job” and “pink vagina hat wearer”?

LAST STOP: MULTIFACETED BIGOTRY

No tour of Gerry’s social media would be complete without an illustration of his preternatural talent for discovering and reposting multifaceted bigotry. The sixth and final post on our tour combines anti-Semitism with sexism and ageism to promote a QAn*n conspiracy theory, using a doctored image of Hillary Clinton .

What Now? 

Our Friedel Friday Special Edition tour has come to an end. What more do we need to know about #GerryFriedel to conclude that he lacks the character and integrity to serve effectively and honorably as our mayor? 

The spitefulness, racism, and bigotry reflected on his social media are in and of themselves disqualifying. Our community’s mayor should make us feel proud – not ashamed. But Gerry has other shortcomings that are also disqualifying.

He Does Not Value Our Schools

Gerry did not support the School Bond. Gerry did not even try to correct the disinformation that was circulated by #ROT and other opponents of the bond. Although he claims to value “transparency” he refused to answer any questions posed to him about his failure to support the bond.

Our mayor must be able to work closely and effectively with the staff and administration of the Town’s largest employer, the #FHUSD. Friedel did not support the school bond. How can that betrayal be forgiven or forgotten?

Our mayor must have integrity and be committed to upholding the Town’s Code of Ethics. 

He Is Not Committed to the Town’s Code of Ethics

Gerry did not vote in favor of sanctioning Skillicorn for his clear violations of the Town’s Code of Ethics because he was afraid that he would be sued and wanted to avoid incurring the wrath of ROT. 

He is Not Loyal to the Town, Its Staff, and Employees 

Our mayor must be loyal to the Town, its staff, and employees. Friedel voted in favor of directing the town attorney to stop defending the Referendum litigation. Had it succeeded, the Resolution would have forced the Town attorney to act illegally and resulted in an admission that the Town and the Town clerk acted illegally. 

Gerry  Friedel has demonstrated that he does not have the character, integrity, nor skills to serve as the mayor of Fountain Hills. We cannot elect him.

#FlourishFountainHills

With apologies to Fall Out Boy

The Fire Starter Has to Go

More than a year ago, in February 2023, a grandmother wrote her very first letter to the editor. The newspaper, a weekly, was published in #FountainHills, a town known for its “close-knit community,” “tranquility” and “spectacular views.”

The subject of the letter was #AllenSkillicorn, who barely six weeks into his tenure as a member of the Town Council appeared intent on burning the whole place down. The letter included the following paragraph:

Following his ignominious retreat from Illinois politics Skillicorn has attempted to recast himself as a “rugged individualist” and “agent of geopolitical chaos” ready, willing and able to command Arizona’s political stage. Skillicorn’s aspirations appear unrealistic considering his recklessness and lack of political acumen. It would be easy to dismiss Skillicorn but dangerous to do so. In the process of attempting to elevate himself to Arizona’s regional and national platform Skillicorn has and will continue to do damage to our town.

There has been so much damage since that letter was written. Fifteen months into Skillicorn’s four-year term Fountain Hills is no longer known for its close-knit community or its tranquility – although the views remain spectacular.

Today, Fountain Hills is known for the chaos and ugliness Allen Skillicorn brought with him when he fled Illinois, a failed politician. Skillicorn arrived in our town, slapped a cowboy hat on his head and began employing the only “skills” he has: pandering to the powerful; attacking his perceived opponents; and setting fires fueled by lies and bigotry. In the process he has repeatedly made a fool of himself and brought dishonor to our town.

In his never-ending quest for the spotlight Skillicorn has filed sham police reports against his constituents; attacked members of the LGBTQ+ community; compared our schools to Sodom and Gommorah; repeatedly lied about the mayor; accused a town employee of being a “sign thief”; and called his colleagues on the Town Council “Corruptocrats” and ”Marxists.” Now, Skillicorn has upped the ante and decided to set a big fire by suing the town he was elected to serve.

Skillicorn has filed a Civil Rights action in Federal Court accusing Mayor Dickey, and Councilmembers Kalivianakis, McMahon. and Grzybowski of violating his First Amendment Rights by sanctioning him for repeated violations of the town’s Code of Ethics. The suit (https://dockets.justia.com/…/azdce/2:2024cv01074/1377270) also names Tina Vannucci, the outside attorney who conducted the investigation and made the determination, as a defendant. Gerry Friedel, who condemned Skillicorn’s conduct but lacked the courage to vote his conscience, was not named as a defendant.

Skillicorn is represented in the lawsuit by Timothy LaSota. LaSota has been actively engaged in right-wing lawfare for several years. He represented Kari Lake in her futile effort to overturn the results of the Arizona governor’s race and is also representing ROT in the litigation arising out of the Four Peaks Referendum.

The allegations of the Complaint bear little resemblance to the facts that led to the imposition of sanctions. For example, Skillicorn alleges that when he pursued Peter Lucchese, the Enforcement Officer who removed the illegally placed sign, he flashed his lights “in a request that this driver stop so that (he) could ask this government official what the legal basis for his removal of the sign was.”

In addition to seeking damages from the Town and the individual defendants Skillicorn is seeking an order from the court that would prevent the Town from issuing additional sanctions based on his failure to comply with the directive that he apologize to Mr. Lucchese.

Skillicorn is also seeking an order from the court that would preclude the Town from investigating or taking action on a pending Ethics Complaint filed by Bethany Culp (erroneously identified as Beverley Culp) on the grounds that he was engaging in Constitutionally protected speech.

Hopefully, this latest attempt by Skillicorn to torch our town will be resolved quickly and decisively. There is Supreme Court precedent directly on point. In Houston Community College v. Wilson, 595 U.S. ___ 2022 the Court found that the protections afforded by the First Amendment do not preclude a public body from sanctioning one of its members for ethical violations. Unfortunately, a quick resolution of this lawsuit will not undo the damage that Skillicorn has done to our community or prevent him doing more damage.

We can take some comfort in the fact that Skillicorn is doing himself no favors by continuing to put himself under the spotlight. He can’t pull it off. His plea to “patriots” to provide financing for his lawsuit will fall on deaf ears because he is neither likeable nor trustworthy. Many of the right-wing celebrities he forces to pose with him seem uncomfortable. There is no indication that Skillicorn is viewed by any in his party as a viable candidate for state or federal office. They too, see him as toxic troublemaker with no redeeming qualities.

Skillicorn will hold a press conference that few will attend. Reporters who represent reputable publications will not see him as a champion of the First Amendment. They will see him as he is: a singularly inarticulate, socially awkward attention seeker who lacks the charisma and political savvy to succeed as a politician. They will see him as a phony “entrepreneur” whose only registered business has its headquarters at a PostNet in Payson.

We can’t wait for Skillicorn to self-destruct. The distraction and dissension caused by the fire-starter is ruining our town. We need to get him out of office.

Cap: Does Councilmember Friedel mean what he says?
Posted Friday, March 15, 2024 10:51 am

Pam Cap | Fountain Hills
The next council meeting will be a nail-biter. Especially when it comes to how Councilmember Friedel votes regarding Councilmember Skillicorn’s ethics violations.

Back in December when I read Friedel was running for Mayor, I sent him an email about Skillicorn’s attacks towards the LGBTQ+ community and residents.

This was his response: “Pam, thank you for sharing this with me. Let me make one thing clear please, Councilmember Skillicorn and I are polar opposites when it comes to our town. I don’t condone this kind of behavior and have very little tolerance or control over his personal behavior. I will have a conversation about this with others. Respectfully Gerry Friedel.”
So, on March 19, at the next council meeting, will mayoral candidate Gerry Friedel vote to admonish a councilmember who blatantly violated their code of ethics? Or will he vote along party lines to absolve him of wrongdoing? It will be very interesting to watch how he maneuvers around holding one of his own accountable for breaking the rules.

Friedel portrays himself as a defender for those that cannot defend themselves. His campaign states he will put Fountain Hills first. Putting Fountain Hills first means putting its people first. All of its people first. Can he live up to the image he is campaigning on? We will see.