Now that the lantern festival has moved on it’s time to ask some questions. Why were the residents ever denied free and unfettered access to the sidewalks in the park?

The sidewalks should never be blocked for any reason. This is like the freeway Lexus lane proposal. Take a public space that has been bought and paid for by the people and charge the people to use it - instant toll road.

Why does the town make a gift to the festival, and others, in violation of the state constitution? The value of this gift is at a minimum the cost to rent a space on the south side of The Avenue of the Fountains.

Why did the town allow a blocks long fence to be placed on the sidewalk along Saguaro? Is everyone going to be allowed to erect whatever on the sidewalks around town or just the special few?

Why can't a neighbor have a two by two foot garage sale sign but the festival can have a sign six feet high and five blocks long?

Why is the parks department thinking about putting in fairy lights along the sidewalk and touching up the parking lot to the tune of a million plus dollars in a park that locks the residents out?

Why are we spending a million dollars redoing The Avenue of the Fountains? That’s two million dollars that should have gone to rebuilding Saguaro Boulevard.

In other words the residents were conned on the Saguaro bond issue vote. It’s past time the Town Council starts thinking more about the residents.

Consider this: If all the businesses left town today the residents would shop in Scottsdale tomorrow. If all the residents left town today the businesses would leave town tomorrow. Who really needs who?