Tucson's Unique Opportunity-Housing

Number one, I have complete confidence in Tucson's Mayor!
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild has his ear to the ground, is in touch with his city and its massive needs and opportunities.  In other words a progressive, sharp and informed man of outstanding abilities.

While its manager-council type government and the elections of membership on the council are under attack with suggested changes, luckily enough the Mayor has an elected council he can work with and generally support his leadership.  In any city of any size that is important, yet the Pima County governing Board of Supervisors desperately needs the kind of cooperation among its board members to match that of Tucson the largest city in the county.

This city situated 60 miles from the United States - Mexican border with all the flavors and memories of the old west, the cowboys, the gun fights affectionately called The Old Pueblo is the 33rd largest city in the United States. Tucson metropolitan statistical area is home to over one million people and in spite of overwhelming problems continues to be one of the fastest growing areas of the country.

Mayor Rothschild is pushing an initiative, Help for Homebuyers, which seeks to boost home ownership through assistance programs for low and middle income Tucsonans.  Great BUT!

Many different government sponsored financial programs are available to "put" people in homes they own.  In order to participate "money and credit management" classes are required to place new homeowners on solid footing and teaching them of financial responsibilities they may not have been aware of prior to purchasing a home.   Good BUT!

First before I become identified as a crusty, ill-tempered old curmudgeon,
let me assure our readers, I totally and completely believe in any program that improves the vitality and quality of life of our "inner cities".

Rededication of land, land recycling, infill, renewing neighborhoods, urban renewal...all boil down to putting the existing infrastructure to its highest and best use while not fostering the downhill side of property values.  Nor on the other hand urban sprawl and costly new infrastructure.

Resource Library:  Urban Renewal
Urban renewal is a state-authorized, redevelopment and finance program designed to help communities improve and redevelop areas that are physically deteriorated, suffering economic stagnation, unsafe or poorly planned.

Portland, Oregon Urban Renewal

The Portland Development Commission plays a major role in making Portland one of America’s most livable cities, using urban renewal as a tool to focus public attention and resources in specific areas of the city.  PDC helps Portland realize capital projects ­– parks, streetscape improvements, community centers –that would not happen on their own.

PDC leads the planning and implementation of comprehensive projects that fulfill Portland’s goal of creating healthy, vibrant neighborhoods throughout the city. The agency focuses on implementing plans unique to each urban renewal area, using an integrated approach to revitalization that includes commercial, retail/institutional, residential/mixed use, streets, mass transit and parks development.

Portland's Urban Renewal dates back to the late 50's and the Federal Government's funds made available to the Portland Development Commission to wipe out a whole area of downtown Portland and rebuild new. Eliminating negative surroundings and influences leading to day and night positive activity in the core city area promoting a wholesome environment for all people.

While state and federal funds are not always available Portland has used the tax system and special bonding programs to finance urban "rebirth" over the years.

Tucson needs a dedicated commission or board to oversee vitalization and preservation of historic sites and all landmarks, yet bring vitality to urban life. 

Back to, Yes But!

There is more to home ownership than financing the purchase of a property.  <I remember the time I received a call from a tenant about seven at night.  They had no electricity, yet all the surrounding homes had electricity, could I come out and see what was wrong?  Make a long story simple and short, I went out and found the "fuse box" in the basement with a flashlight and replaced a fuse.> 

With these home assistance programs, no money down, total financing the new home owner will face a number of problems.  Many of those problems are going to be the age of intercity homes.  To help the new owner, bringing as much of the property up to date as possible and smoothing out the transition from tenant to "landlord" is going to be necessary.

****Such things as insulation, thermal pane windows and other updates for the new owner prior to purchase can be the home saver if unforeseen things happen such as a job offer and a necessary move or broke down water heater pop-up.  Don't expect these subsidized buyers to have enough equity to pay the costs of selling if absolutely necessary.

<Caution, I have had NO experience with "Home Warranty Programs" but wrapping a policy with a new buyers purchase plan seems like it might make a lot of sense if something desperate happens in the first couple years of ownership.>

In years past, inflation or appreciation on homes was one of the huge benefits of home ownership.  That gets to the other, BUT!

In the last few years the "real estate bubble burst" and it has taken a long time to get property values back on the upswing.  Tucson did not recover as fast as a few other areas of the country.  Property values depend a lot on government services, taxation and schools.

In order to make it practical to be a home owner gaining property value in Tucson a lot depends on the political powers in the state.  That final But, People have needs to justify a move to Tucson to create a real estate market to repay that 30 year debt, jobs, family and their opportunities for lifestyle.  <Meaning Yes Schools>

For that, Mayor Rothschild needs more than just cooperation from other local governments and other local officials.  An informed electorate that actually votes.

****6/21 Added  Prepare Homes for New Owners

Notes from readers have encouraged me to add additional information and comments on home ownership.  As new first-time "landlords"/owners move into their newly purchased homes with minimum out of pocket cash and long-term commitments every effort should go into helping them with their cash flow and monthly housing expenses.

Up grades such as adding insulation, installing water-conserving toilets in bathrooms, replace the HVAC system and get rid of those leaky old windows and doors not only add value to the homes but will cut monthly housing expenses.

HET Single-Family Residential Rebate Program

The High-Efficiency Toilet (HET) rebate program is available to Single-Family Residential Tucson Water customers whose homes were built prior to 1991, or if located in the County, built prior to 1994. Rebates are available for replacement of toilets that use 3.5 gallons per flush or more with HET models that use 1.28 gallons or less per flush.

Makes so much sense to give new owners  <and existing owners> money saving features.  Tucson Water customers can receive $75 per HET with a maximum of $150 for two toilets.
https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/water/docs/HET_SF_ToiletREBATE_0416.pdf  Click

Save Water & Reduce Monthly Expenses

YOU, the most important plug in the next election.

One of our active unpaid writer friends <CLYDE STEELE> forwarded this link and it verified everything I have been thinking for a long time. Important as the message is, it will go totally unnoticed unless we, all of us, progressives, move to seal the information gap.

Who even subscribes to the local newspapers, maybe at times pick a copy from a FREE rack somewhere?

Demise of Local News May Be Ruining Congress

http://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-05-31/demise-of-local-news-may-be-ruining-congress

"claim credit for accomplishments"

Example of that claiming credit is a recent opinion piece by Arizona Southern District Republican Congresswoman Martha McSally in the Tucson Daily Star .

"Congress helps fight national--and local--opioid problem."

<prescription opioids such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, and codeine, and the illegal opioid, heroin> 

Congresswoman McSally, use your efforts to push the Republican leadership in Congress to fund drug treatment, nationally and locally with federal grants.  Get the Republican controlled Legislature to provide some reasonable access to rehab patient and drug treatment centers rather than funds for more private prisons.  Require and Fund treatment for those already serving time in state and local incarceration.

Us against them, the collapse of real accomplishments of Congress, the donnybrook and gridlock that has given the negative view of Washington as seen by far too many Americans.

"Why stick with the district's needs over party loyalty when no one in the district will ever hear about it -- except the die-hards who support the party line no matter what?"

The article writer hits the nail on the head, unless we carry the message who really knows the happenings, getting it from the likes of the Koch Brothers paid minions bringing a "doctored" message?

Letters to the editor, comments in social media all help but the biggest is the word of mouth to all of our spheres of influence.  Talk as you walk, family, friends, neighbors all need to know how Congress is failing us, who locally are failing us, and the replacements available to replace failed politicians.

Start off with a solid progressive, knowledgeable former state legislator, Victoria Steele to replace Martha McSally in Congress.  Victoria Steele has demonstrated dedication to the causes of "helping people rather than punishing them".  There is no such thing as "boot straps", some of these folks don't even have shoes.

Numbers count, who controls Congress to help improve our next progressive President's course of action is a reliable majority.  Arizona is in a very unique position to elect a US Senator with experience, talent and smarts, Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick.   Promote Ann Kirkpatrick to the Senate and begin the come back of progressive congressional actions.

Ann Kirkpatrick has lived in Arizona her whole life. She’s spent her career fighting for Arizona families. Now she’s ready to bring her record of results and join our next President to bring America forward in a world needing progressive thinking.

It is up to us, volunteering with our local progressive organizations, or as elected Precinct Committee members standing with our local party organizations in our county and legislative districts.

There is a hole in government and it is up to us to plug it.

Before your child is born, plan for their prosperity.

Parents have the choice of their child's lifetime of poverty or prosperity. What is the magic connection of being poor or respective economic stability and better financial circumstances?

SIMPLE  -  Education and Skills
Planning for your child's lifetime of prosperity boils down to active participation in their education and building useful skills. It is important that you are prepared, no matter where you are on the ladder of education, to foster, enhance and actively promote your child's education from day one. Being a parent is more than changing diapers, potty training and sending a child off to school. Engage in every step of the educational experience, guide and encourage your child.

Demand educational opportunities and access to building useful skills for your child.  Participate with your child's teachers, make sure you take the time and make the effort to be there and set aside for hands on educational experiences with your child.  NOT ONE PARENT-But BOTH!

Technological advancement does displace workers, outside economic conditions does effect unemployment, however education and skill sets will provide a combination of abilities and pave the path toward innovating and reshaping their prospects in a changing world job market.

Creative people will find ways to move forward faster even in a world of global economic challenges.  You must provide the solid base for your child to move forward with encouragement of gaining the educational and skills for a modern society.

Your task is not done, an informed and educated citizen on matters of education is a must.  Attending parent - teacher conferences showing an interest in your child's education is an important role of every parent.  It may hurt taking your time to attend parent teacher groups, but knowing and exchanging with other parents and teachers demonstrates commitment to your child.

Another important step are the school board meetings, just being a member of the audience, watching and listening keeps these public officials on notice.

Do your duty, VOTE.  A little effort on a parent's part to vote on school proposals, ballot measures and candidates prone to support educational opportunities for children is a must.  Support those who are willing to move forward and are progressive in their actions toward public education on all levels.

GUILTY? Trump Fashion Painting Twisted Truth

TIM STELLER, a very talented Tucson Arizona Daily Star investigative reporter and columnist paints a half truth story of incentives used by government to steal or otherwise attract employment to our state. In his headline story, "Incentives are fine, but job deals have to be good" he cites a number of failures of companies that moved to Tucson lured by incentives then packed up and left. One of those companies Steller points to was American Airlines who opened a "call center" in 1991 building a new building and at one time was home to approximately 1,500 employees. He places them with Weiser Lock who while giving the company credit for bringing 1,100 jobs to Tucson and being a good corporate citizen "sponsoring the Copper Bowl for several years" but eventually moving its' operations to Mexico. Yes, American Airlines updated their operations in Tucson and closed their physical call center plant, but they did not leave Tucson and like so many other companies move their operations overseas or out of the country. No one in India, the Philippines or Mexico are answering calls for American Airlines. Many calls are still being answered right here in Tucson from the same skilled, company trained dedicated call center specialists as before the building was closed in 2012 and many of their employees became stationed in their homes. A couple facts, the Philippines was purchased from Spain in 1898 it became a US commonwealth in 1935 and remained so until independence was finally given in 1946, after the World War II. Official languages are Filipino and English giving way to why so many companies have moved their operations to lower wage English speaking Philippine Islands. American Airlines is a permanent fixture in Arizona with a huge presence out of both Tucson and Phoenix. New labor contracts have moved their "call center" home-based employees to the top of the wage, benefits packages for the United States. Mr. Steller's characterization of American Airlines as an incentive based corporate failure is totally without merit. American Airlines move to Tucson lead the way to a number of other employment based call centers, job opportunities and payrolls feeding a growing Southern Arizona economy. Not all marriages work out, and not all business proposals are perfect, let's hope Comcast's huge move opening a customer support center in Tucson works for them and additional incentive programs bring more solid employment to our area. Another factor not mentioned in the STELLER article about American Airlines is the still active full-time American Airlines employees feeding their payroll dollars into the Tucson economy are the thousands of dollars received each month by the dozens of retired American Airline folks also paying handsome returns on the incentives used to lure the call center to Tucson.

Governor Ducey payback time

A dark money group backed by Charles and David Koch is behind a well-funded effort to undermine protections at the Grand Canyon and overturn the Antiquities Act, the law President Teddy Roosevelt used to permanently protect the area in 1908. If successful, the campaign could stop a permanent ban on uranium mining near the canyon’s rim, despite support for such a ban by a vast majority of Arizonans.
“Dark money” groups can raise unlimited amounts of money from donors they do not have to disclose, thanks to two infamous Supreme Court decisions.
The Koch brothers’ anti-park effort is being run through the Arizona-based Prosper Inc. and its sister organization the Prosper Foundation Inc., which share a physical address, a logo, a staff, and a founder — Kirk Adams. Adams served as Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011, ran a failed attempt for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, and is currently the Chief of Staff to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey.
Earlier this year, Prosper co-authored a report with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which declared that protecting the public lands around the Grand Canyon National Park as a national monument would be a “monumental mistake” that represents “unwarranted and unwanted federal overreach” and would “undermine” the state of Arizona. It calls the Antiquities Act — which has been used by 16 out of the last 19 American presidents to protect places like the Grand Canyon, Chaco Canyon, and Arches — “the worst kind of federal overreach.”A dark money group backed by Charles and David Koch is behind a well-funded effort to undermine protections at the Grand Canyon and overturn the Antiquities Act, the law President Teddy Roosevelt used to permanently protect the area in 1908. If successful, the campaign could stop a permanent ban on uranium mining near the canyon’s rim, despite support for such a ban by a vast majority of Arizonans.
“Dark money” groups can raise unlimited amounts of money from donors they do not have to disclose, thanks to two infamous Supreme Court decisions.
The Koch brothers’ anti-park effort is being run through the Arizona-based Prosper Inc. and its sister organization the Prosper Foundation Inc., which share a physical address, a logo, a staff, and a founder — Kirk Adams. Adams served as Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011, ran a failed attempt for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, and is currently the Chief of Staff to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey.
Arizona’s Native American tribes, small businesses, and conservation groups, have asked President Obama to use the Antiquities Act to protect the 1.7 million acre gateway to the Grand Canyon and permanently prohibit new uranium mines on the canyon’s rim.
Havasupai Tribal Councilwoman Carletta Tilousi, a proponent of the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument, told the The Arizona Republic that “everybody has a right to go to their church and enjoy peace and quiet and not be disrupted by truck hauling uranium, and not be contaminated.”
Prosper, which was formed in 2013, covers nearly its entire budget with funds from Koch-backed American Encore — formerly known as the Center to Protect Patient Rights. According to tax filings, American Encore has funded 83 percent of Prosper Inc.’s total budget since its creation, donating over $1.5 million to the organization in 2013 and 2014.
The President of American Encore is Sean Noble, a longtime Koch lieutenant who was “plucked from obscurity” in 2009, according to ProPublica, and quickly ascended as a key player within Koch’s dark money network. Noble’s organization is placed squarely in the center of the Koch’s funding network. American Encore (and the Center to Protect Patient Rights before it) was described by the New York Times as a “conduit for tens of millions of dollars in political spending, much of it raised by the Kochs and their political operation.” The organization has donated over $177 million to conservative causes between 2011 and 2014.
This is not the first time Kirk Adams and Sean Noble have made headlines for their ties to Koch money. In 2012, the Center to Protect Patient Rights and Americans for Responsible Leadership — another dark money group run by Kirk Adams — were fined $1 million by the state of California for failing to disclose its donors, a violation which amounted to political money laundering. And Noble has been a long-time financial supporter of Adams’ political career: Noble donated to Adams’ 2010 reelection to the Arizona House and Noble and his ex-wife maxed out their donation to Adams during his failed 2012 bid for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Kirk Adams, Sean Noble, and Prosper also have deep ties into the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, which is partnering with Prosper to fight against protections at the Grand Canyon. Noble’s business partner at Axiom Public Affairs — an Arizona-based lobbying firm — is Jim Norton, who is also the Arizona Chamber’s contract lobbyist. And the Chamber’s Chief Operating Officer, John Ragan, is married to Prosper’s Vice President, Ashley Ragan.
Protecting the Greater Grand Canyon as a national monument has an extremely high level of support in the state. A poll released in February by the Grand Canyon Trust found 80 percent of Arizonans support the proposed monument — including 65 percent of Arizona Republicans. But most of Arizona’s congressional delegation — including Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, and Representatives Paul Gosar, David Schweikert, Trent Franks, and Matt Salmon — want the gateway to the Grand Canyon open to uranium mining.
Local news reports have noted that these politicians’ views are out of the mainstream in Arizona, even within the Republican Party.
“It wasn’t clear why some Arizona leaders would defy overwhelming support for protecting the Greater Grand Canyon region,” said Roger Clark, the Grand Canyon Program Director with the Grand Canyon Trust. “Now we know: backing a national monument would undercut their political patrons who are invested in undermining efforts to protect public lands.”
Just last month, Senator John McCain was the beneficiary of Koch-backed dark money when the Judicial Crisis Network ran paid ads on the senator’s behalf to provide cover for obstructing consideration of Justice Antonin Scalia’s replacement.

Just last month, Senator John McCain was the beneficiary of Koch-backed dark money when the Judicial Crisis Network ran paid ads on the senator’s behalf to provide cover for obstructing consideration of Justice Antonin Scalia’s replacement.
A recent report from the Center for Western priorities highlights the long history of private interests opposing protections for America’s public lands. In the late 19th century, early attempts to permanently protect the Grand Canyon were called “a fiendish and diabolical scheme.”
In the final year of the Obama presidency, groups are urging the White House to do more to protect lands in the face of congressional gridlock. In February, President Obama used the Antiquities Act to declare three new monuments in California. The focus has now turned toward proposals to protect the Greater Grand Canyon and Utah’s Bears Ears regions.
Greg Zimmerman is the Policy Director at the Center for Western Priorities. Nicole Gentile is the Deputy Director of the Public Lands Project at the Center for American Progress. You can follow them on Twitter at @GregorZimmer and @nicolegentile.

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People in America feel helpless right now. Our political system is gridlocked, politicians either don’t care or are bought via campaign contributions, and that fighting back is a waste of time and energy.

It’s not true, though.
I know it’s not because of my own experience. In 1982, I managed the campaign for an initiated amendment to the Nebraska Constitution that outlawed non-family corporate farming in the state.
Giant insurance companies had just bought 30,000 acres of environmentally-sensitive land—and then slapped on center-pivot irrigation systems—and while a lot of people were upset, no one did anything about it.
However, I was working for the tiny Nebraska Farmers Union, and we decided to do something about it, and we announced an amendment to the Nebraska Constitution that, if passed, would stop non-family farm corporations not only from buying Nebraska farmland, but also from expanding their factory farms.

When it was announced, we were almost laughed out of the state.
Who were we to challenge the might of giant, mega-rich insurance companies like Prudential and Travelers?
Plus, by the time we got it written, we only had 4 months to get 60,000 signatures—and we had no money to hire paid circulators, this would all have to be done with volunteers.

Even we thought we were screwed.
Nebraskans were mad, though, just like everyone in the country is now, and—to my amazement and delight—completed petitions flooded into our office like the “mighty river of justice” described in the Book of Amos, and we qualified for the ballot.
We still had to win the election campaign, of course, and things once again looked bleak when the insurance company consortium announced that they planned to raise and spend $500,000 to beat us. Bleak, especially, since we didn’t have two nickels to rub together, as the saying goes.
But we’d come to far to stop, and we took our case directly to Nebraska, giving speeches, TV debates, radio shows, anyplace that we could gather a few people together.
Every time you turned on your TV or radio, or opened up your mailbox, you were told that we were going to destroy Nebraska agriculture, we were socialists, that we were misguided fools.
In the end, though, more Nebraskans believed us than the giant insurance companies, despite the fact that we were outspent 13-1, and we kicked their butts—beating them 56%-44%.
And proving that if everyday people believe they can win, they CAN win.
Which takes me to the initiatives that TakeItBack.Org is doing, both of which take on the deadly status quo that is slowly strangling our democracy.
We’ve chosen, like Nebraska Farmers Union did years ago, to fight back. If we pass our “Trifecta of Reform”, it will transform South Dakota not only for the present, but for generations to come.

1. a constitutional amendment to do away with gerrymandering by establishing a nonpartisan redistricting commission creating fairer elections
2. a constitutional amendment to do away with divisive party politics by establishing a nonpartisan election and electing candidates based on merit and ideas
3. a statute to hold the elected and the government accountable that reduces the undue influence of ‘big money’ calling all the shots
And we will then take these reforms to other states, believing—as we do—that moving pieces around the chessboard no longer works, we need to CHANGE the chessboard. 
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