You Are Not What You Earn

Nice thought, but ....

Published on Aug 31, 2017

Views: 4,094

The modern world firmly equates how much we earn with how good, noble, wise and worthy of honour we are. This is a brutal misunderstanding of how salaries are determined. We need to operate with a far more nuanced view of what the money we earn says about us. If you like our films, take a look at our shop (we ship worldwide):https://goo.gl/1PeSbY
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PUBLIC RIGHT-TO-KNOW: Something In The Water Here In Mesa?

An announcement from the City of Mesa Newsroom yesterday

Temporary change in water taste and odor

August 30, 2017 at 1:46 pm

Mesa residents may notice a slight change in the taste and odor of their water for the next few weeks.

Readers might like to take a look at this post from yesterday
https://mesazona.blogspot.com/2017/08/28m-arizonans-live-within-vulnerable.html

The temporary change is caused by a byproduct of seasonal algae in surface water called geosmin.    
Cyanobacteria: Anabaena solitaria ~ the organism associated with geosmin 

This it what it looks like >

Even at low concentrations, geosmin causes a musty or soil-like taste and odor in the water.

Geosmin is not harmful and the water is safe to drink and use in daily activities.
???

The City of Mesa's Brown Road Water Treatment Plant is using carbon treatment to reduce geosmin in the water distribution system.
Question: Reduce to what level that is safe and how fast does the carbon treatment produce results?
Here's an Info-Graphic with absorption rates >


Mesa's water continues to meet all state and federal drinking water standards.
That may be true, but there are certain potential carcinogens that are not required to be tested for. . .  the monitoring sites the City of Mesa uses may not be in sufficient numbers to do water sample testing nor may they be frequent enough to monitor and detect incidents.

For more information about water quality, the City of Mesa's Consumer Confidence Report can be found online at www.mesaaz.gov/ccr.


For questions or hard copies of the report, please contact (480) 644-6461 or water.quality@mesaaz.gov.

PUBLIC RIGHT-TO-KNOW: 2.8M Arizonans Live Within Vulnerable Zones from Toxic Chemical Leaks

2.8 million Arizonans live within vulnerable zones from toxic chemical leaks
[Editor’s Note: This is part of an ongoing series of stories in which the ABC15 Investigators and the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting collaborated to explore how Arizona regulates the storage and transportation of hazardous chemicals across the state.]
By Brandon Quester, AZCIR | Lauren Gilger and Maria Tomasch, ABC15 

BLOGGER NOTE: This study was done in 2014 and needs some updating.
Here in Mesa an additional facility needs to be added to the list of the four vulnerable sites farther on this post.
_________________________________________________________________________

PHOENIX – More than 2.8 million Arizona residents — or 44 percent of the state’s population — live within areas that are most vulnerable to a catastrophic accidental release of gaseous, and sometimes explosive hazardous chemicals.

BLOGGER NOTE: Interactive map is included in the report using the link below

The toxic agents, which the Environmental Protection Agency deems extremely hazardous, include chemicals such as anhydrous ammonia, chlorine and hydrofluoric acid. They are stored in more than 100 facilities that dot the Arizona landscape and, when released, can cause temporary blindness, searing pain, suffocation, and even death.
The “worst-case” scenarios are part of  the EPA’s Risk Management Plan (RMP) law, which requires facilities storing large amounts of hazardous materials to file the plans for emergency planning and risk assessment purposes. The companies include water treatment plants, grocery store distribution centers and commonly known businesses such as Target, Wal-Mart and Shamrock Farms.
HOWEVER, as noted in the report Toxic and flammable worst-case scenarios are limited in scope
> the worst-case scenarios only describe leaks from the containers of specific chemicals that exceed storage thresholds. It doesn’t take into account the proximity of other containers storing the same chemical, the total amount of all chemicals stored at the facility, or the combination of different chemicals at that location.
> plans also fail to determine realistic estimates of residential populations surrounding these facilities. The estimates don’t include employees within the facility or the schools, hospitals, businesses and transportation routes nearby.
> it’s unclear whether facilities importing these chemicals are following RMP laws.
One Arizona facility was mentioned, but not identified, in a recent EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report that questioned whether that facility was reporting its chemical imports. According to the OIG opinion, the chemicals weren’t identified on the company’s current RMP documents
“The public should be greatly concerned about these facilities,” said Sean Moulton, director of Open Government Policy, which is part of the Center for Effective Government, a nonprofit organization dedicated to government transparency and public access to information. “As a public, as a country, as a general population, we probably know less now and are less prepared for emergencies at these facilities than we were 15 years ago when the (Risk Management Program) started. . . The RMP is a great first step in terms of understanding the risks in our front yard, but it has a number of holes that prevent it from really giving us the full picture."
knowing this information is an important part of emergency planning for communities and first responders.

“. . . the most fundamental level in terms of emergency management, you can’t plan for an emergency if you don’t know that there’s a risk,” Moulton said.

 

Information exists on the EPA’s Vulnerable Zone Indicator website, which allows residents to search for RMP facilities to determine if their home is within a worst-case danger zone. The website will send an email notification to anyone searching for facilities and will inform them if an RMP facility is nearby.

Arizona is one of several states that are singled out in the report

Read More > http://azcir.org/az-risk-management-plans-epa/ 

VULNERABLE SITES IN MESA  
All sites can be located on the interactive map in the link

Not included in the 2014 report is the SIGNAL BUTTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
Here's an upload of City Manager Chris Brady talking about the new water treatment plant

 

 

Here's an image of the facility

And how the water treatment plant fits into development plans in SE Mesa











Facility Name: VAL VISTA WATER TREATMENT PLANT
Chemical: CHLORINE
Chemical Physical State: GAS LIQUIFIED BY PRESSURE
Scenario Type: GAS RELEASE
Hazard Zone: 0.9 miles
Population within hazard zone: 5,546 people
Schools: YES
Residences: YES
Hospitals: NO
Recreation areas: YES
Prisons or corrections: NO
Commercial and industrial: NO
Other: n/a

Facility Name: BROWN ROAD WATER TREATMENT PLANT
Chemical: CHLORINE
Chemical Physical State: GAS LIQUIFIED BY PRESSURE
Scenario Type: GAS RELEASE
Hazard Zone: 1.3 miles
Population within hazard zone: 8,400 people
Schools: YES
Residences: YES
Hospitals: NO
Recreation areas: YES
Prisons or corrections: NO
Commercial and industrial: NO
Other: RED MOUNTAIN MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER

Facility Name: MGC PURE CHEMICALS AMERICA, INC
Chemical: AMMONIA (ANHYDROUS)
Chemical Physical State: LIQUID
Scenario Type: LIQUID SPILL AND VAPORIZATION
Hazard Zone: 2.6 miles
Population within hazard zone: 898 people
Schools: NO
Residences: YES
Hospitals: NO
Recreation areas: YES
Prisons or corrections: NO
Commercial and industrial: YES
Other: n/a

Facility Name: S.W.D. URETHANE COMPANY
Chemical: FORMALDEHYDE (SOLUTION)
Chemical Physical State: LIQUID
Scenario Type: LIQUID SPILL AND VAPORIZATION
Hazard Zone: 0.1 miles
Population within hazard zone: 65 people
Schools: NO
Residences: YES
Hospitals: NO
Recreation areas: NO
Prisons or corrections: NO
Commercial and industrial: YES
Other: n/a
__________________________________________________________________________
Unless otherwise noted, all AZCIR content is covered by a BY-NC-ND 3.0 US Creative Commons license.

 

AZ State Legislators + Business Leaders Return From Mexico Trip

Hamer Times:
1 Wrap-up from Mexico (Vol. 1): The World’s Most Consequential Trade Bloc
Posted on August 28, 2017 by Glenn Hamer 
2 Mexico trip wrap-up Vol. 2 – “What’s good for Arizona is good for Mexico”
Posted on August 29, 2017 by Glenn Hammer
Glenn Hamer returned Saturday from a visit to Mexico City that provided a large, bipartisan delegation of Arizona legislators and business community representatives an insider’s view of the Arizona-Mexico relationship and the gravity of the ongoing renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Link > http://www.azchamber.com/blog

1. Here are his takeaways from an outstanding trip (with more to come):
Twenty-six Arizona legislators – possibly the largest state delegation of lawmakers ever to visit Mexico City at the same time – Corporation Commissioner Andy Tobin and business leaders were promoting increased trade, and stronger educational and cultural ties between Arizona and our southern neighbor.
Kudos to Rep. Tony Rivero and his co-chair Rep. Gabaldón for pulling this off.A recurring theme of the trip was the importance of building on the prosperity of the North American economic bloc, and doing so in a way that’s a win-win-win for the United States, Mexico and Canada. Trade, despite the president’s rhetoric to the contrary, is not a zero-sum game. We can all grow and prosper. It’s about addition, not subtraction.
In addition to being our friend, Mexico is far and away Arizona’s largest trading partner. In fact, we trade more with Mexico than with our next four trading partners combined.

• About 40 percent of our exports go to Mexico.
• Approximately 100,000 Arizona jobs depend on trade with Mexico.
• Mexican visitors to Arizona spend over $7 million every day sleeping in our world-class hotels, eating in our restaurants, attending our sporting events, and shopping in our stores.
• Critical sectors of Arizona’s economy like tourism, mining, aerospace and semiconductors all enjoy a rich integrated relationship.
• Supply chains are developing in new areas, such as the modern auto industry.
• And a positive relationship with Mexico is important for Arizona to navigate its future water needs.

While the entire US economy generally would suffer were NAFTA to be dismantled – 14 million jobs, after all are tied to trade with Mexico and Canada – Arizona, as a border state, would get hit hard. The integration and increased trading volumes that have occurred in the past nearly 25 years are spectacular

2. More from Glenn Hamer on his recent participation in a historic bipartisan trade delegation to Mexico:

Our delegation met with Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who is leading the NAFTA talks for Mexico.

He could not have been any warmer in his desire to trade more with Arizona and he reiterated to our group how Arizona’s success is good for Mexico.

He also made clear of the stakes:

If the president were to terminate NAFTA, tariffs for US exports, such as milk and apples, would go from zero to double digits. That would mean the loss of US agribusiness jobs and higher prices for Mexican consumers; both bad outcomes. Instead of the win-win with trade, we would immediately feel the effects of a lose-lose.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

About Glenn Hamer

Glenn Hamer is the president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. View all posts by Glenn Hamer → 

Residential Rental Property Owners: A REMINDER about TPT

ADOR Reminding Residential Rental Property Owners To Obtain A Transaction Privilege Tax License

Property Management Companies also being advised of changes in licensing requirements.

The Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) is reminding property owners, who rent out residences in a city or town that levies transaction privilege tax (TPT) on residential rental activity, are required to obtain a TPT license with ADOR.

Also, property owners, who rent out residences for periods of less than 30 days, must have a TPT license and report and remit TPT under the transient lodging classification for State, County and City.

The Arizona Department of Revenue is the single point of central administration and collection of state and city taxes for all taxable businesses, including residential rental owners in the state. Owners of taxable residential rental properties are required to file one TPT return for all taxing jurisdictions with ADOR.

Residential rental owners can get license application forms, tax forms and other information regarding residential rental taxation from the ADOR website, www.azdor.gov. To file and pay taxes online, which is required for any taxpayer that has more than one taxable property, register for an account at www.AZTaxes.gov.

ADOR has a special hotline and dedicated email for residential rental taxpayers with questions about transaction privilege tax filing and payment. A residential rental owner can direct all TPT inquiries to: residentialrental@azdor.gov or by calling: 602-716-RENT (7368).

 Property Management Companies

The Arizona Department of Revenue is also reminding Property Management Companies (PMCs) to make sure their clients are properly licensed for TPT.

Additionally, the Agency is advising PMCs of the following licensing and filing changes:

• PMCs will no longer need a TPT license for filing residential rental TPT on behalf of their clients. PMCs that own taxable residential rental properties will still maintain their TPT licenses. 
• ADOR is currently working on a new electronic bulk upload function that will improve the filing process for Property Management Companies.
• The Arizona Department of Revenue is targeting January 2018 to have the new electronic licensing and filing functionality for customers.

 For more information on the TPT, please go to: https://www.azdor.gov/

Just saying THANK YOU, Dear Readers



 



All-Time High
Over 150,000 Page Views

As the say, "I am thrilled" . . .
[scroll down and watch a vide upload]

 

 

YOU CAN START ME UP ANY TIME YOU WANT   

Arpaio Pardon Doesn't Mean Conviction Just Goes Away

Arpaio Pardon Doesn't Mean Conviction Just Goes Away 

The judge ruled that he will have to hold a hearing before deciding to toss - or not toss - the former sheriff's conviction.   

By Colin Miner (Patch Staff) - Updated 30.08.2017 @ 3:02 am ET

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio may have been handed a very unusual pardon by President Trump but that doesn't mean his conviction for criminal contempt automatically goes away.

That was the ruling from federal Judge Susan Bolton on Tuesday.
Arpaio's lawyers, pardon in hand, had asked Bolton to vacate the former sheriff's conviction.
Arpaio had been convicted of ignoring a judge's ruling to stop immigration patrols that had been found to violate the civil rights of people picked up.
While Arpaio originally boasted of ignoring the judge's order, at trial, he maintained that the order had been vague and didn't intentionally disregard it.
Arpaio had been facing six months in prison when sentenced on Oct. 5.

Bolton canceled that sentencing and, instead, scheduled a hearing for the day before about whether Arpaio's conviction should be thrown out.

Source: https://patch.com/arizona/phoenix

______________________________________________________________________________

Also take a look at another report by Colin Miner yesterday

Joe Arpaio Pardon Roils Arizona Politics As Former Sheriff Shows No Remorse, Threatens McCain

     

"It's probably payback time," the once-convicted former sheriff said of John McCain, the state's senior senator who is battling brain cancer

Link > https://patch.com/arizona/phoenix/joe-arpaio

 

While presidential pardons usually come after the judicial process runs its course, an application is made and remorse is shown, none of those were the case with the Arpaio pardon.
(For more local news, subscribe to the Phoenix Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. For more information and updates on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch.)
The former sheriff - who was overwhelmingly voted out of office last year and who once compared his tent city prison to a "concentration camp" - has not only shown no remorse, he has said he plans to go after people, with McCain just being one of his targets. . .
Meanwhile, the state's junior senator - Jeff Flake, a frequent target of Trump's ire - put out a statement that while slightly more tempered than McCain's was nonetheless critical. . . Trump has told Republicans in Arizona that he would spend $10 million of his own money to help defeat Flake.
The question being raised by political observers is will Trump's pardon of Arpaio help - or actually hurt - Republican chances in the state next year?
The math says that a lot of the people who voted for Trump in Maricopa County also pointedly voted to cast Arpaio out of office, leaving open the question of who the pardon is supposed to appeal to in Arizona.
Krysten Sinema, a Democrat who represents the state's Ninth District and is expected to challenge Flake - or whomever the Republicans nominate - next year quickly seized on the pardon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PUBLIC INTEGRITY: Here and There

Members of Congress scoring personal loans from political supporters

Repayment terms often undisclosed, transactions together worth millions

Here in Mesa there is not a requirement for

personal financial disclosure. 

A review of mandatory personal financial disclosure forms filed by all current members of the House and Senate reveals at least 19 have accepted loans from organizations or moneyed individuals instead of a bank or traditional financial institution. Often, these organizations and individuals rank among the lawmakers’ key political supporters. In two of these cases, the loans were made to members' spouses.

Here's the link to Center for Public Integrity > https://www.publicintegrity.org/politics 

Unlike other large cities whose citizens are concerned about public integrity, for those elected to public office here in Mesa there is no mandatory reporting requirement for personal financial disclosures of any kind. The issue has never been in made, despite rumors of "undisclosed business associations" or connecting the dots between financial ties between friends-and-families that have dominated this city for more than 130 years.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Just yesterday, there was the curious case of a Mesa resident/businessman and politician - all wrapped up-in-one - who committed suicide at the age of 46 leaving behind five children.

That information was revealed by his wife

Wife Says Arizona Politician Wil Cardon, 46, Killed Himself

By Associated Press • Aug 28, 2017

Cardon's family said the man with a smile "as wide as Arizona" suffered from depression, a disease that he battled with "openness and honesty."

 

Hmmm... it might have something to with the recent FBI investigations here in Mesa and/or

in the 2014 Arizona secretary of state race, candidate Wil Cardon had openly The Free Enterprise Club with APS and Commissioner Pierce and "dark money". *

Allegations have been rampant here in Mesa about "dark money" poured in to support certain candidates in last year's General Election, as well as the over $500,000 spent in a privately-financed public relations campaign that turned into a major screw-up when Mayor John Giles used his private law firm address to be used by the VoteYes1 Mesa question on a ballot referendum - Mesa taxpayers rejected it.

________________________________________________________________________

 

*("What business does a utility have with a secretary of state race?" Cardon asked. He, like others who have marveled at the flow of money into the race, believes APS is thanking Commissioner Pierce for favorable votes by supporting his son's run for the state's No. 2 elected post.

Source: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/politics/2014/08/03/arizona-free-enterprise-money-election-season/13537793/ )

 

 

 

Op-ED Today: Mesa City Council District 3 Ryan Winkle Makes His Case To Rebuild Trust

Image from City of Mesa website

Ryan Winkle: Give me a chance to prove myself after my DUI

Ryan Winkle, AZ I See It Published 6:02 a.m. MT Aug. 29, 2017        

Source: http://www.azcentral.com 

"The solution for me now is facing the reality that I am an alcohol abuser and that I need help to change that. I need to address what isn’t working in my life, and build a path forward with humility, purpose and hope.

That path forward began immediately after May 6. I started alcohol counseling. I have eliminated alcohol from my life. I have accepted the legal consequences and served time in jail. I have apologized and taken responsibility for my wrongdoing. I have surrounded myself with a community that will hold me accountable.

Now I am asking my colleagues on the city council and my constituents for fair discipline, but also for an opportunity to rebuild their trust. . . "

 

BLOGGER NOTE: Obviously not the best time scheduling on a work-day for most residents here in Mesa, nonetheless the Mesa City Council has scheduled a Special City Council Meeting  for this Thursday 08/31/2017 @ 7:30 AM - 10:00 AM

 

 

 

 

 

I want to rebuild your trust

It is because of those relationships, and because of the forgiveness 

". . . We’re going to build a path into the future as one community, because despite my awful mistakes and my struggle with alcohol abuse, I still have a deep passion for the city of Mesa and for working with its people. This will always be one of my highest priorities, no matter which consequences the city council decides are appropriate for the terrible decision I made in May. . . "
______________________________________________________________
Councilmember Ryan Winkle
District 3
Elected to the Mesa City Council in August 2016, Councilmember Ryan Winkle began his first term representing District 3 in January of 2017. His term on the Council runs until January of 2021.
Winkle is one of the co-founders of the Mesa Urban Garden, a community organization that provides fresh produce directly to the community and local food banks. He was a key voice behind turning an empty dirt lot into a point of pride for Downtown Mesa. He is also a co-founder of RAILMesa, a registered neighborhood group that advocates for increased citizen participation, responsible development of housing, transit options and the creation of quality jobs along Mesa’s Light Rail Corridor.

Winkle works as a Community Economic Development Consultant, dealing with underserved communities around the East Valley in the areas of housing options, workforce development, neighborhood revitalization, public outreach and transit-oriented development.
Winkle holds both a Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Urban Dynamics and a Bachelor of Sciences in Urban Planning from Arizona State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Wilkes University Mesa. Raised in Mesa, Ryan and his wife Ericka have one son, Rian Erick.
Council CommitteesCommunity and Cultural Development- Chair
Economic Development
MAG Human Services Coordinating Committee- Council Representative
City Benefits Advisory Committee- Council Representative
Mesa Sister Cities- Council Representative
Mesa United Way- Council Representative

Arizona Boards and CommitteesMaricopa Integrated Health Services Governing Council
East Valley Filipino American Business Chamber of Commerce - President
Former member and Chair - Mesa Historical Museum Board of Directors
AAED Tribal Economic Development Committee
ABAKA Foundation Advisory Board
MAG Human Services Committee
http://mesaaz.gov/city-hall/mayor-council/councilmember-ryan-winkle

Sheriff Joe's Round-Up Reign of Terror

This could not get more upfront and more personal and more hyper-local featuring the memories and observations of George Gascon, Mesa AZ Chief of Police 2006-2009.

Joe Arpaio. Photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Living Under Joe Arpaio’s ‘Reign of Terror’

By Celeste Fremon/WitnessLA | 24 mins ago  

"As the debate over last Friday’s presidential pardon of Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., continues to roil the nation, TCR highlights a law enforcement figure who repeatedly clashed with the self-styled “toughest sheriff” of America for comment.

San Francisco DA George Gascon.
Photo courtesy @George Gascon

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, who served as chief of the Mesa, Ariz., police department between 2006 and 2009, possesses a trove of hard-won personal knowledge about how Arpaio works—perhaps more than nearly any other law enforcement figure in the nation. A 28-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, Gascón rose to become second in command of the LAPD under Bill Bratton, overseeing 8,000 patrol officers, before he became the chief cop in Mesa,a city more populous than Atlanta, Kansas City  or Miami. Although it’s been nearly 10 years since Gascón, who fled Castro’s Cuba with his family at the age of 13, clashed with “Sheriff Joe,” his memories and observations represent a vivid reminder of the activities that led to Arpaio’s conviction.
In a conversation with WitnessLA Editor Celeste Fremon, Gascon spells out the constitutional violations that he says were committed by the sheriff  “almost on a daily basis,” discusses what it was like to work under Arpaio’s “reign of terror,” and suggests how prosecutors and law enforcement should respond to President Trump’s “mockery of the rule of law.”
READ MORE > https://thecrimereport.org/terror/

Staring Down Sheriff Joe

WLA: At some point Arpaio appeared to go to war with you personally.

 

Immigration and Public Safety

WLA: Los Angeles Chief of Police Charlie Beck and other law enforcement officials have repeatedly stated that having local cops help ICE is not in the best interests of public safety. Please explain why you believe that is true

 

The Road to Criminal Contempt

1. WLA: Let’s talk about the court order that Arpaio defied that led to the president’s pardon. We know that the ACLU filed a federal class action lawsuit against Arpaio in 2007, alleging that he and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office engaged in racial profiling and unlawful traffic stops of Latinos. Four years later, the lawsuit went to trial. What came next?

2. WLA: So then, five years later, in May 2016, U.S. District Judge Murray Snow handed down a 162-page ruling finding Arpaio guilty of civil contempt of court. When Joe still didn’t stop, Snow referred Arpaio and three of his aides to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, requesting that they be prosecuted for criminal contempt of court. He was convicted in July 2017.

3. WLA: What are next steps for law enforcement, and for others who disagree with these actions?