Another councilman has stepped up to disparage citizens of Fountain Hills and proclaim superior knowledge over them.
Councilman Scharnow saw fit to take up a third of a page last week to accuse residents of discriminatory bias against drug addicts, stigmatizing them and promoting uncalled for fear and paranoia. He does this while at the same time promoting misinformation about the Town’s legal insurance policy, proclaiming a guaranteed loss in court, all the while giving an industry that challenges any regulatory impedance of their ability to make handsome profits from this affliction, fodder to take legal action against the Town. This constitutes disrespect and malfeasance of grand proportion.
Truth is, citizens extensively researched ordinance language that holds up in court and reasonably integrates helpful facilities into the community while seeking the highest level of care in order to achieve the best results for folks in overcoming addiction. The Town’s P&Z, citizens as well, excelled and we support their efforts. There is no mention of banning, no disparagement, no stigmatization, no bias.
Four simple points: Lower occupancy levels for higher care, greater distancing for better community integration (clustering), business insurance for what is a business, backed by actual community demographics.
Councilman Scharnow’s devotion to the drug coalition is to be applauded. Conflating as he does, prevention with a for-profit recovery industry is deceitful. He stated at the last council meeting that he saw no proliferation of these facilities in Fountain Hills. January 2021, there was one. There are now six, a 500% increase, so add that to his misinformation campaign.
It is becoming apparent that with Councilpersons Magazine, Scharnow, McMahon and the inability to control this disrespect for citizens by our mayor, that Fountain Hills residents should all be looking for candidates with a new attitude in August. Vote!
