SIERRA VISTA HERALD: Tues., Oct. 10, 2006
This is a smart plan for growth
By Les Thompson
To all my neighbors, friends and fellow citizens of our great county, I plead with you to get the facts and vote “yes” on Proposition 400 this Nov. 7th. Each of us has the opportunity and responsibility to make many critical decisions that will affect the future of our respective communities, our county, our state and our great country.
As you ponder who will best serve us in the U.S. Senate, as our next congressman, and in many other state and local offices, please don't overlook the very last issue on the ballot — Proposition 400. The future of our county is in your hands.
As many of you know, it was my privilege to serve as a member of the Cochise County Board of Supervisors for 12 wonderful years. While I served District 3 with honor and pride, I considered it my responsibility to watch out for all county residents. I took seriously my obligation to know the issues, to balance regional needs and to protect all of us from extremists and those groups or individuals that put their selfish agendas before the greater needs of the county. And that is exactly what is happening here.
Wake up, Cochise County! A small group of environmentalists is trying to derail a smart and healthy future for all of us. Please don't let them win. Just more than three years ago, while I was still a member of the Board of Supervisors, a Tucson-based company put under contract 2,000 acres of land close to the interchange of Highway 90 and Interstate 10.
Because I lived close to the property, I chose not to vote on any of the issues surrounding the project. However, the county's procedure to approve the land use change took so long that during the process I retired, sold my home and moved to the east side of Benson more than 10 miles from the project.
I was thrilled for the future of my hometown of Benson, and for the future of the county when the Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-2 to approve Smith Ranch. I was equally excited when all three supervisors, including the new District 3 representative, voted 3-0 to approve it. What does this tell us? All three supervisors listened to the concerns and objections, they listened to the county staff and, in spite of their different political views, voted unanimously for project. Why? Because they know what I know — this is the smart way for our county to grow.
So why are we here now? A very small group of opponents have led some in the county to believe that this project would negatively affect their “rural lifestyle”. A majority of these opponents live over two miles away from the ranch and are on the opposite side of Interstate 10.
Even though the county required and the owners agreed that the project will have 50 percent natural open space, they want to take away private property rights and override the supervisors decision.
I find their claims of protecting rural values to be hollow and unsubstantiated. Is it a rural value to promote unregulated wildcat subdivisions? Is it a rural value to drill hundreds of unregulated wells that have no monitoring or reporting requirement? Is it a rural value to ask others in the county to pay more taxes to support their lifestyle? Is it a rural value to take employment opportunity away from our kids? I am about as rural as they come and I think our rural values should be protected too, values such as hard work, honesty, private property rights, smart growth, freedom of choice and paying your fair share.
Many in the county think this is only a Benson issue. That simply isn't true. To all you good people in Sierra Vista remember, the opposition is united with those who continue to sue Fort Huachuca and want to see it go away.
Is Fort Huachuca in line with their definition of “rural values”? No. If they can kill projects such as Smith Ranch, they will be emboldened to go after the fort with renewed focus. Help protect the fort. A “yes” vote will give future active duty, civilian contractors and retired military much needed housing alternatives.
What about the hard working people in Douglas? What companies will consider expanding into the county if Prop 400 is defeated? None.
To all my ranching and farmer friends, what will you do when the environmental extremists say you are using too much water?
Finally, to my longtime friends in Benson, I hope that my years of service have shown my love for our hometown. I honestly feel this will be a great project for all of us.
For the future of our great county, I encourage all to vote “yes” on Prop 400.
LES THOMPSON is a Benson area resident and former Cochise County supervisor.