If you are not a student of history, you may not understand the reference.  Via Wikipedia:  The expression was coined by Adolf Hitler, about the use of a lie so “colossal” that no one would believe that someone “could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.”   Not for a moment would we suggest or infer that the issues of today even remotely come close to The Holocaust.  The technique unfortunately lives on in the political arena.

Our opposition has indicated that “No other municipality in Arizona has passed anything like these propositions….”  Or a variation of that theme.  It is unfortunate that they are engaged in half-truths.  Most recently a letter to the Editor was penned to the local paper, The Roundup, by Mr. Lloyd.  Mr. Lloyd argues against the propositions.  That is a good and healthy thing.  Transparent Payson encourages debate, and we would welcome the chance to engage Mr. Lloyd.  Mr. Lloyd asserts:

No other municipality in Arizona has passed anything like these propositions and for good reason.

The full letter may be found here.

Our response?

Dear Mr. Aleshire and Ms. Bechman:

I can respect that political advertisement is the purview and burden of the advertiser.  I cannot respect that the Roundup prints a letter to the Editor without basic fact checking of the material.  The August 14^th letter from Mr. Lloyd stated: “No other municipality in Arizona has passed anything like these propositions and for good reason.”   Mr. Lloyd would be incorrect.

We have previously discussed prior similar initiatives.  A link to that discussion is here:  https://transparentpayson.org/updates/stick-it-to-em-phoenix-proposition-200-chapter-26-and-27/

You will note that Phoenix had the same issues and resolved them via, you guessed it, a proposition.  The matters were very similar to ours; involving the use of public lands and funding for special interests.

It is unfortunate the Roundup elects to accept and disseminate misinformation.  Parenthetically I note that if “prior success” were a pre requisite for the propositions, or for the project, neither CCP, an entity in existence from late 2017, nor Varxity Development, an entity with no track record of any project, would be qualified to undertake a project of the proposed scope and cost.  Finally, there is just a touch of irony that “carpet baggers” or other than life long citizens should be silenced while gleefully embracing “outsiders” for development of publicly owned lands backed by public funds.

Continued success in your journalistic efforts.

Thank you,

Jeffrey S. Aal
Chairman, Transparent Payson
A section 527 Political Acton Committee

As always, we encourage people to conduct their own research.  Investigate their own truth, as it appears “truth” is somewhat perception based?  Well, at least for those in opposition to our efforts.  A significant amount of research went into the underlying issues.

Stick it to ‘Em!  Save Payson from the same fate!