Questions 4 and 5 are about Pork Barrel Politics, not Parks and Flood Control
by Ed Kahn

Every time Pima County bureaucrats “need” money, they don't look to their savings – they have none – or cut their budget. Instead, they attempt to saddle Pima County taxpayers and our children and grandchildren with mortgage debt.

So we taxpayers need to look very carefully at what exactly the bureaucrats say they need so badly that cannot be paid for out of current revenue.

When Mr. and Mrs. Average worker don't have enough money to buy something, they look at their budget and priorities and then decide whether they can afford the expense.

If they are looking for a long- term project like buying a home - then and only then - do they go into debt via a mortgage.

Not so with County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry and his fellow empire builders.

Just take a look at the goodies that are so vital to our health and safety that we must burden ourselves and our posterity with long term debt.

The game is to highlight each bond question with something important and then bury lots of unnecessary, special interest projects in the debt package, where no one will notice.

Whether Parks & Recreation and River Parks and Street Drainage, disguised as "Flood Control," are things that should have been provided without a bond issue.
Whether the government should purchase ("acquisition") more land, when government already owns almost 90 percent of Arizona.
Whether private outfits such as the Sierra Club, the YMCA and friends of wildlife, the arts, and literature and archaeology should be spending their own money on historic, cultural, riparian and community center activities, which they favor.
Why county Wastewater Management allowed its system to deteriorate without routine maintenance.

Tucson Citizen readers should take a look at some of the "vital" projects buried in the almost billion dollar bond issue - items they will not find listed in the Pima County Election Pamphlet - and ask themselves, whether these expenses are worth mortgaging our future.

$3.75 million for the acquisition and interpretation of trail segments and locations along approximately 70 miles of the Santa Cruz River.
$2 million for the acquisition of acreage and rehabilitation of the historic Cañada del Oro Steam Pump Ranch.
$2 million for the acquisition of extremely significant prehistoric archaeological sites.
$1.2 million for the preservation and adaptive use of Dunbar School for an African-American historical, cultural and educational center open to everyone.
$3.5 million for the Flowing Wells Community Center.
$3.5 million for the Southeast Regional Park/Shooting Range.
$3 million for the Brandi Fenton Memorial Park for development of an equestrian staging area and multiuse buildings just west of the Jewish Community Center.
$2.25 million for Rillito Race Track.
$2 million for Picture Rocks Pool, just west of the Tucson Mountains in Avra Valley.
$6 million for an Eastside Sports Complex and Senior Center.
$1 million for improvements to riparian and recreational features along the Arroyo Chico urban watercourse.
$2 million to buy land to preserve an important riparian area along Atturbury Wash. The project expands an existing sanctuary and will provide passive recreation amenities.
$2.7 million for construction of a major segment of the Pantano River Park, incorporating a commemorative tree-planting area in partnership with Trees for Tucson.
$1 million for a Regional Heritage and Cultural Park in Marana.
$3 million for the Naranja Town Park Site, a community center, aquatics center and performing arts center.
$12.6 million for new and expanded libraries.

Question 5, totaling $46.2 million, includes:

$8.28 million for Urban Drainage Infrastructure Program.
$17 million for river park and riparian habitat improvements for the Paseo de las Iglesias . . . for enhancement of vegetation along the south bank of Rillito River.

If any of these items in the bond package are vital to the health and safety of the citizens of Pima County, they should have been provided for in the regular county budget. On the other hand, stuff that is "nice" - such as "Performing Arts Center Rehabilitation" for structural and "other" repairs, $682,000 - should NEVER be purchased by mortgaging our children's future.

The simple, obvious fact is that Pima County bureaucrats and the supervisors, who cozy up to them, are not good stewards of the public trust.

They should not be entrusted with hundreds of millions of our hard-earned dollars to play with over the next few years, until they misspend our money again, and then come back to the voters and ask for yet another bond issue in 2007 or later.

Vote NO on Questions 4 and 5 and save yourselves $142.65 million. Better yet. Vote NO on the entire May 18 Bond Issue and save everyone $732.25 million. Your children and your children's children will thank you.

Ed Kahn is a lawyer and executive director of the Arizona Constitutional Rights Union.