Arizona Town Changes Climate Plan After Finding ‘Green New Deal’ Items Included
By Cameron Arcand
An Arizona town is moving forward with an amended environmental plan its conservative officials originally said resembled California’s green initiatives.
The Fountain Hills, Arizona, town council narrowly passed an altered version of its environmental plan after some conservative council members expressed concern that it echoed progressive climate goals.
The plan passed in a 4-3 vote, with the four conservative-leaning council members voting in favor due to the changes made. The amendments included removing a section that said it would focus on “alternative transportation modes” to lower carbon emissions and a section that said it would encourage less “automobile dependence,” among other items.
One item originally pushed to “continue to require the utilization of native, drought-tolerant landscapes that eliminate the use of gasoline-powered landscape equipment.” It was then changed to saying they would “work towards” eliminating it instead.
“We’re not California, and I don’t want to slowly slide into California either. We are America, this is Arizona. I like it as amended, and I would argue for that and that’s why I made the motion to do it as amended,” Councilman Allen Skillicorn said at the Feb. 21 meeting. “And I don’t want to go back to California language, period.”
Skillicorn worried that the original version could have led to the banning of leaf blowers, for example.
However, Mayor Ginny Dickey, who voted against the amended plan, told The Center Square that she believes it became politicized.
“The majority saw fit to change wording that had been approved by voters in 2020. They altered the Environmental Plan as created and recommended to Council by a citizen’s Strategic Plan Advisory Commission 6-1,” Dickey said in an email statement.
“While accusing the proposal… again, created from the General Plan approved by largely conservative voters… of being ‘politically charged,’ they used phrases such as ‘Green New Deal,’ ‘becoming California,’ and ‘virtue signaling’ which have far more divisive connotations than any words cited in the Plan,” she added.
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This article was published by The Center Square – Arizona and is reproduced with permission.
TAKE ACTION
There is an important runoff election for the Phoenix City Council District 6 on March 14. Conservative Sal DiCiccio (R) is term limited and will be replaced by the winner of this race. The two candidates are Republican Sam Stone and Democrat Kevin Robinson. If you live in District 6 (check here), you either received a mail-in ballot or you must vote in person (see below).
This is a very important race that will determine the balance of power on the City Council. Phoenix, like many large cities in conservative states, has tended blue with the consequences many cites suffer from with progressive governance. Have you noticed the growing homeless problem in our city?
Conservative Sam Stone is the strong choice of The Prickly Pear and we urge our readers in District 6 to mail your ballots in immediately and cast your vote for Sam Stone. Learn about Sam Stone here. Sal DiCiccio’s excellent leadership and term-limited departure from the Phoenix City Council must not be replaced by one more Democrat on the Council (Democrat Robinson endorsed by leftist Mayor Gallego). Sam Stone is a superb candidate who will bring truthful and conservative leadership to the Phoenix City Council at a time when the future of Phoenix hangs in the balance between the great history of this high quality, desert city we can live in and are proud of or the progressive ills of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Mail-in ballots were sent to registered voters in District 6 on the February 15th. Mail your ballot no later than March 7th – it must be received by the city no later than March 14th to be counted. If you are not on the Permanent Early Voting List you must cast your ballot in person.
In-person balloting at voting centers will occur on three days in mid-March:
- Saturday, March 11: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Monday, March 13: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 14: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m
In-person voting can be done at the following locations:
- Sunnyslope Community Center, 802 E. Vogel Ave.
- Bethany Bible Church, 6060 N. Seventh Ave.
- Devonshire Senior Center, 2802 E. Devonshire Ave.
- Memorial Presbyterian Church, 4141 E. Thomas Road
- Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave.
- Eastlake Park Community Center, 1549 E. Jefferson St.
- Broadway Heritage Neighborhood Res. Ctr., 2405 E. Broadway Road
- South Mountain Community Center, 212 E. Alta Vista Road
- Cesar Chavez Library, 3635 W. Baseline Road
- Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St.
You can also vote in person at City Hall through March 10th on the 15th floor. City Hall is at 200 W. Washington St.
This article is courtesy of ThePricklyPear.org, an online voice for citizen journalists to express the principles of limited government and personal liberty to the public, to policy makers, and to political activists. Please visit ThePricklyPear.org for more great content.
