Don’t leave Guy Phillips to voters. The Scottsdale council should at least censure him – AZCentral

Tammy Caputi, opinion contributor Published 6:00 a.m. MT July 9, 2020

Opinion: Leaving Guy Phillips' offensive comment to the voters misses the point.We need leaders who will govern with facts and have the courage to take a stand when it matters.

Scottsdale City Councilman Guy Phillips speaks during a press conference regarding calls for his resignation because of his "I can't breathe" comment at a recent rally on June 30, 2020, outside Scottsdale City Hall.(Photo: Sean Logan/The Republic)

The recent protests about systemic racism have brought national awareness to the issues of justice and equality for all.

When a group of people cant count on the machinery of justice to treat them fairly our country is not living up to its ideals.

Scottsdale need to reach higher as a city. The tumultuous events going on around the world are also felt here at home. This is a wake-up call to do better, not just talk about it.

Scottsdale is a Golden Rule City; we embrace the values of kindness, empathy, respect and civility. Our city leaders have a responsibility to uphold and model our values.

A member of our city council recently degraded the city nationally and beyond. Responsibility to speak out lies with our civic leaders, who must include consequences in their condemnation. Those aligned with Council member Guy Phillips should separate from him, following the examples of the Coalition of Greater Scottsdale, the Police of Scottsdale Association and the United Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association.

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As suggested by Gov. Doug Ducey, resignation is the appropriate remedy. If Council member Phillips will not do the honorable thing, then the city council should condemn his conduct publicly.

Leaving this to voters misses the point.We need leaders who will govern with facts and have the courage to take a stand when it matters. We got to this watershed moment because no one helped a man who was being choked to death. We cant stand by while others do something immoral, illegalor unsafeits our duty to stop it.

Scottsdale must be open for business and welcoming equally to everyone. Its the right thing to do, the right message for our city, and the right remedy for Scottsdales brand. We need to leverage this moment of increased awareness of systemic injustices to make our city even better.

We should immediately pass a nondiscrimination ordinance that allows all our citizens to enjoy the same rights. Scottsdale is a golden rule city, and a business and tourism leader; lets own this message.

We needto create a more robust Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The department has one staffer out of 2,000 city employees. It's buried four levels deep on the org chart.We have a Human Relations Commission that could lead on this topic if the mayor and council members made it a priority.

Our neighbors in the city of Tempe lead Arizona in addressing systemic racism. They have invested in a larger staff to support their efforts. They have an initiative called The Right to Breathe,which will examine the areas where there are gaps to better address the underlying issues. They are reexamining core services like schools, courts, and discrimination complaints.

We can collaborate with other cities and share best ideas through the Maricopa Association of Governments with programs that could be consistent on a regional and state level.

Justice is not a zero sum gameone group doesnt have to lose for another group to gain; we can all win. I support fair treatment for all, balancing the needs of all our citizens, including our dedicated public safety/police officers.

The reputation of our city has been damaged and businesses and tourists are being deterred while we struggleto revive our economy and secure our future. Lets be proactive. Lets be leaders. Scottsdale needs to heal the wound and move forwardas a community, better than ever.

TammyCaputi is president of Yale Electric West and a candidate for Scottsdale City Council in the Aug. 4 primaryelection. Reach her at tammy@tammycaputi.com; on Twitter,@tammycaputi.

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Don't leave Guy Phillips to voters. The Scottsdale council should at least censure him - AZCentral