www.SanTanSun.com
Opinion
March 1 - 14, 2008 31
Letters
to the
Editor
Lawsuit dismissed
size” public safety improvements for $8,000 of personal debts by charging The bill has bipartisan support, with
Covance has always believed that
our community: Additional police them to the city. He never did disclose 80 of the 90 legislators in the House and
the entire lawsuit against the City of
training through department specifi c those expenses to the city or to us, the Senate signing on to co-sponsor the bill
Chandler brought by animal rights
programs, resources for credits for taxpayers. with Kavanagh. The bipartisan support
extremists was meritless. These out-
special training, additional seminars/ My last suspicious point involves has come after the governor’s 9-11
of-town groups like PCRM have not
workshops for offi cers, and automatic the City Clerk’s Offi ce. During the last Commission decided to remove only
only wasted taxpayer dollars, but also
budget provisions for necessary campaign, all candidates’ fundraising two of the controversial statements.
brought a disservice to patients and
equipment upgrades. These unreported reports were updated online for the If passed, the Arizona Department of
their families who depend on medical
components of the approved item public to view within 24 hours of each
administration will have the plates on
research performed by companies like
provide direct and indirect benefi ts to
submission of reports. Where are they the memorial removed or covered by
Covance. That’s why Covance helped
the residents of Chandler.
now when there’s some controversy September 10, 2009. It will also allow
defend the City of Chandler in court
During my service on the city council
over Sepulveda’s mistakes? Is there a the Speaker of the House and President
as we have always believed that this
a few years ago, we unanimously
cover-up going on within City Hall? Has of the Senate to form a committee to
lawsuit was fi led to push their animal
approved the legislative instrument that
a policy of public notice been changed begin fundraising for the replacement
rights agenda and disrupt the Chandler
allowed the residents of Chandler to
to protect Sepulveda? panels.
community.
vote upon a change to the City Charter
What is going on? Where are the state, September 11 belongs to everyone.
Covance is committed to medical
that permitted our employee unions to
county, and city attorneys on these This will be the easiest way to resolve
research that is necessary to help ensure
be offi cially recognized and to directly
matters? Where are the investigations? an extremely controversial issue in a
that medicines are safe and that new
deal with city offi cials for improvements
The City Council and/or City Manager respectful manner.
cures are brought to market as soon as
in working conditions, benefi ts, and
must take charge in getting to the Rep. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain
possible. Our work will continue with
salary. Voters overwhelmingly approved
bottom of all these allegations. It does Hills
the opening of the Chandler facility
the measure at the ballot box.
not look good for our city government
and will benefi t millions of patients
The last council meeting saw the
to be so slow in revealing the truth to its
around the world as well as the people
result of honest resolution through
citizens. It looks like a conspiracy.
of Chandler.
what is called a “Memorandum of
Ray Pilara, Chandler
Camilla J. Strongin, Covance
Understanding.” That “memorandum”
spokesperson
is the product of the voters’ demand for
Letters to the Editor
a better process.
9/11 memorial change
We know you have your opinion! Share
Government’s number one priority
gathers bipartisan support
it with the SanTan Sun News. Unless you’re
the Mayor, please keep your Letters to the
Undercover investigations
is to protect its citizens. The council’s
The House Government Committee editor around 200-300 words, or they may be
needed
agreement on Item #48 will go a long
recommended that the 9/11 memorial
edited for length. Please include your fi rst and
The recent revelation of the brutality
way to attract the best police recruits,
be altered to replace the sometimes
last name, community or development name
in Southern Chandler (Cooper Commons,
infl icted upon sick and non-ambulatory
keep our best offi cers, maintain high
offensive, sometimes confusing
Ocotillo, Sun Groves, etc.) or ZIP code and
cows by Westland/Hallmark Meat
morale within the department, and,
statements with a timeline of the tragic daytime phone number for verifi cation.
Co. workers again illustrates the
ultimately, provide better protection for
day’s events.
Anonymous letters are not typically accepted.
Email is the preferred submission method, to
necessity for undercover employees
residents.
I’ve proposed removing all the
Letters@SanTanSun.com.
and investigations. Such investigations
Congratulations to police leadership,
engravings on the memorial and
Opinions expressed in Community
have documented severe violations
city staff, and the council for providing
replacing them with a factual timeline of
Commentaries, Letters to the editor or
of minimum humane standards
a course of action that brought real
events. HB2700 passed the Government
cartoons are those of the author, and not that
of the SanTan Sun News.
set forth in federal laws such as the
change that benefi ts our collective
Committee 4-3.
Animal Welfare Act, as well as health
interests.
and safety guidelines for the food
Dean Anderson, former Chandler
industry. These companies claim to be
councilmember
“closely regulated” by the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA),
yet the USDA itself says that is false. Hartke a welcome change
The USDA, in fact, readily admits it is Wow. Watching our replacement
grossly understaffed, leaving it unable councilmember, Kevin Hartke, on TV
to suffi ciently and routinely inspect at the last council meeting was a stark
facilities such as Westland/Hallmark contrast to his predecessor, Martin
Meat Co. and Covance. The truth is Sepulveda. I also suspect that we won’t
there are only 5 USDA regional offi ces be reading about his misuse of city
in the U.S., each with approximately credit cards, leading an effort to fi re our
20 inspectors. This lack of manpower city manager, or hiding thousands of
makes it literally impossible for dollars of unreported campaign funds.
the USDA to police the hundreds of It is really a relief to have a minister
thousands of animal-handling facilities who is of high moral conduct in life as
in the country. Do the math. well as in offi ce.
We should all thank the brave Rick Baskin, Chandler
undercover investigators who bring
to light the despicable and unethical
practices of companies like Westland/ Political docs must
Hallmark Meat Co. and Covance. be made public
Jan McClellan, Sunstone I was reading in a recent news article
that Council member Martin Sepulveda
was having trouble with his campaign
Chandler police “super-sized” fi nance report for his next re-election
I read the 30-plus pages of Chandler campaign. He has had $20,000 in
City Council agenda item #48 for contributions of which less than 5%
the February 14 meeting. That item came from Chandler citizens.
provided a needed increase in police Furthermore, Sepulveda did not
pay. It brought our police department provide names and addresses of those
in line with other cities in Arizona our big time spenders who are out-of-state/
size. The two major Valley newspapers out-of-city contributors. According to
reported the pay increase information, state statutes, all campaign candidates
but left out other important elements are legally required to provide names of
of the ordinance. Here’s the rest of the contributors.
story. This seemingly illegal activity by
In doing my homework on Sepulveda is reminiscent of his city-
this issue, I noticed that it was not issued credit card/cell phone scam
reported that the council action also that he pulled a few months ago. In
brought forward a means to “super- that fi asco, he was hiding more than
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76