By Larry Kush, former Scottsdale planning commissioner, longtime resident
In a recent city council meeting, Councilwoman Tammy Caputi exercised her responsibilities as a Scottsdale Council person by questioning the motives and qualifications of several applicants for Planning Commission.
One applicant had a long record of sending vitriolic emails to council members criticizing Scottsdale’s growth as well as the pro-business actions of the council, especially those pro-growth votes of councilwoman Caputi.
As important as the commission position is, Caputi was hesitant to vote for someone who is so openly anti-growth and hostile to the council. She questioned this applicant on her beliefs and obvious hidden agenda to determine if the applicant, should she be appointed to the commission, would be fair and unbiased in her vote.
The applicant failed in her attempt to get on the planning commission and then claimed that Caputi bullied her from the dias and sent more hostile emails to council demanding an apology. The applicant’s reaction to being turned down was proof enough that she was unqualified for the job.
I for one, can tell you that as a previous six-plus-year member of the planning commission, the job requires a thick skin and the ability to answer tough questions.
Fearing push back, most council members hesitate to question speakers at public hearings. In fact, Councilwoman Janik told Caputi that her questioning of this applicant made her “uncomfortable,” which is curious since Janik failed to criticize Mayor Ortega when he insulted and chased a spokesperson for the Arizona Multifamily Association away from a public meeting for having the audacity to say that Scottsdale was seriously lacking in needed apartments.
Councilwoman Caputi is a constant target of Scottsdale’s masked (think hidden) crusader who publishes two newsletters called “The Scottsdale Edge” and “The Voice of Scottsdale.” Talk about bullies, this purposely anonymous writer is infamous for attacking anyone that has a positive message about the future of Scottsdale.
He insulted Caputi, a successful businesswoman, with infantilizing, sexist language suggesting she acted like a “high school girl” prone to “snit” fits. This masked person refuses to identify himself or allow anyone to respond to his ugly character assassinations. He is no doubt afraid that if he reveals himself, he will be called out personally as the coward that he is.
Fact is, most everyone active in Scottsdale politics has figured out who he is but does not want to give him the least bit of legitimacy by naming him. We cannot give oxygen to people who lead only with vitriol and hate.
Leadership often requires doing the hard things and making tough decisions knowing there will be blow back. We need more councilmembers who will continue to stand up to do the things that move our city forward into the future.
Caputi gets her share of criticism which is only because she is a good leader with strong convictions. She is pro property rights; pro business and pro housing, which in a city with so many NIMBY’s (not in my back yard) is not a popular place to be.
She recognizes that the city has a responsibility to provide a pathway for growth and not stagnate, unlike Janik; Whitehead; Littlefield and Ortega and now council candidate Barry Graham who all pander to the worst of our citizens who want Scottsdale to never change or grow.
