Scottsdale political notebook: Pink Taco takes new shot at Manross

The Pink Taco is acting as though it still holds a grudge against Mayor Mary Manross, more than two years after turning her opposition to the name into free publicity for the restaurant’s opening at Scottsdale Waterfront.

“Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross, who is running for reelection this November, has made no secret of her disdain for Pink Taco, calling the tongue-in-cheek name ‘disgusting’ and ‘offensive.’ Pink Taco feels the same about the mayor and her reelection effort...”

It was the one political line in a press release sent by a New York public relations firm office that otherwise was filled with vulgar wording and sexual innuendo in describing a restaurant promotion.

“I heard it was trash and I don’t respond to trash,” Manross said.

Mary Kaye Daniels of BWR Public Relations, who sent the release, said the promotion is all in fun. She also assumed Manross was a Republican, until it was pointed out that the two-term mayor is a Democrat.

CHAMBER OFFER

The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce is staying involved in the Scottsdale mayor and City Council campaign, this time asking all the candidates to respond to a survey of 16 questions registered voters were asked earlier this year in a chamber survey.

Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce president Rick Kidder said the answers may be used for a possible debate or a public information piece.

The 16 questions have five potential answers ranging from strongly agree to not sure.

The business-related questions include whether it’s appropriate to allow greater heights in exchange for more open space, parks and a people-friendly downtown environment. There’s questions on urban infill projects, whether McDowell Road should become a technology corridor, is it sometimes appropriate to provide incentives and is it appropriate to preserve the downtown historic and specialty retail districts while allowing for boundary extensions.

There are also more philosophical ones such as: “The city is at a crossroads.”

With the chamber under attack by the activist community, it wasn’t surprising that council candidate and activist-backed Tom Giller used the opportunity to throw some questions back at the chamber including who funded a campaign mailer that has been the subject of multiple election complaints.

The four-page glossy mailer, which was sent in August on behalf of the Scottsdale Campaign for Economic Development 2008-09, highlighted the four candidates the chamber is endorsing — Mayor Mary Manross and Betty Drake, Ron McCullagh and Suzanne Klapp for council — as those who endorse the chamber’s economic platform.

ONE LESS SIGNER

The complaint signed by every candidate not featured in the chamber mailer is still under review by the Attorney General’s Office and no ruling has been made, a spokeswoman said.

Over the past week, however, that complaint alleging a violation of campaign finance laws for not forming a political committee lost one signer. Former write-in mayoral candidate Bill Crawford asked for his name to be taken off, saying he did not believe the complaint had merit.

TRIBUNE DEBATE

The Tribune will host mayor and City Council forums Thursday that may be seen on CityCable Channel 11.

The mayoral debate will be live at 9:30 a.m. and the council debate will be live at 11 a.m. Replays will be at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. for mayor and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. for council on the next two Sundays, Oct. 5 and 12.

VOTING STARTS

Early voting for all city, county, state and federal races begins Thursday. The last day to register to vote is Monday