Several decades ago, when I sat in history class, I read about carpetbaggers who would ride into town seeking their own personal gain at the expense of local town folks. I’ve been reminded of this many times over the past year as we’ve battled the developers of Daybreak, a 400-unit rental apartment complex proposed for the corner of Shea and Palisades.

Our carpetbag developers don’t live in Fountain Hills and so they’re free to wreak havoc in our quiet little town by blasting our hills and creating traffic hazards and then they’ll ride off into the sunset, back to their lovely homes in Scottsdale or maybe Paradise Valley, and smile all the way to the bank. They pride themselves in tooting their horns about all they’ve done for Fountain Hills, but have they mentioned how much money they’ve made along the way? Good for them. It’s not personal; it’s business.

But this time, as they continue to search for more ways to make more money off of Fountain Hills, they’ve chosen the wrong project for the wrong location. So, if you don’t want to allow out-of-towners to exploit those of us who live here every day – we who love our homes and take pride in our town; we who will be left to live with the mess they want to create – then you must vote no to Prop 427 and Prop 428 when you receive your main-in ballot within the next day or two. Now is the time to stand up and be counted, take control and let your voice be heard.