Says Chevalier should “shake the dust, rattle the walls and bring the house down” when asking questions of the Community College about the impact of programs and projects on Verde Valley
Sedona Red Rock News Managing Editor Christopher Fox Graham
The Sedona Red Rock News was sharply critical of the treatment afforded Third District Yavapai Community College representative Paul Chevalier at the November 16 Governing Board meeting held at the Career and Technical Education Center located at the Prescott airport. In an editorial Managing Editor Christoper Fox Graham argued that Mr. Chevalier should continue to fight for his constituents; he should not be silenced.
Editor Graham wrote that Mr. Chevalier’s:
“job as an elected official is to fight for his constituents in District 3 and thus, every time a college staffer makes a presentation, Chevalier should ask, “how does this benefit my people in District 3?” Department heads are spending our tax dollars to educate our population and if they can’t demonstrate how it helps our students and benefits our taxpayers, then the program should be culled to make room for a better one that does help our residents.”
Editor Graham was also critical of Fourth District Representative Chris Kuknyo’s view that performing arts programs and courses offered only on the west side of the County are easily accessible to east side residents. Graham wrote that:
“Kuknyo then stated that any of these west side performing arts programs are`available’ to students on the east side. His false claim is misleading because geography exists. Programs are `available’ to anyone on the east side, but not offered here, meaning our taxpaying students have to drive 90 minutes a day to attend a class in Prescott. Kuknyo’s dumb claim is akin to saying Arizona has oceanfront beaches right there, on the west side of California.”
On silencing Mr. Chevalier, Editor Graham wrote that:
“Kuknyo explicitly wants Chevalier silenced; he told Verde Valley’s Chevalier to shut up and smile while the county community college steals our tax dollars and provides us nearly nothing while dumping our tax money on Prescott area campuses. That’s not hyperbole: Toward the end of the meeting, an irritated Chevalier asked the board, “So at public meetings, I should never mention discrepancies or inequities in the Verde Valley?”
“Not at all,” Kuknyo immediately answered. Kuknyo explicitly told Chevalier to stop representing us, his voters. If Kuknyo demands Chevalier’s silence, we demand Chevalier shake the dust, rattle the walls and bring the house down. We demand Chevalier get louder. We demand he be more combative about getting what our tax dollars pay for.”
There is much more to Mr. Graham’s editorial. You can read it in its entirety by clicking here. Or by clicking on the link below.
http://www.redrocknews.com/2021/12/04/yavapai-college-board-needs-to-retake-basic-geography/