Rich Mesa Mega-Millionaire AZ State Senator Wants to Freeze The Minimum Wage Hike + Increase Gas Taxes?

The Great State of Arizona has been Ground-Zero for "old-fashioned political-games" far too long when those in public office get caught using the faith in the integrity of the public trust to enrich themselves privately: Charles Keating, The Keating Five and the Savings-and-Loan Crisis stands out, as well as some Mesa office-holders like Governor Meacham forced to resign and Russell Pearce who faced a re-call election for other than double-dipping. For some reason Arizona politicians get it their way for awhile with one-hand in the public-front and another behind-the-back.

The public is kept in the dark until politicians and legislators get caught, by hook or by crook.

Worsley's squeaky-clean, conservative and religious public image took a drubbing just days ago in this State House scandal: Who's ex-boyfriend is whose?

Worsley, Business Partner Behind Alleged Revenge Porn In Montenegro Texting Case

 

Arizona State Senator Bob Worsley texted Holford the night of January 31, 2018: “We would love to talk to you. Can you make this work?”

By: Loretta Hunnicutt February 23, 2018

"A press conference held by attorney Tom Ryan, regarding CD8 candidate Steve Montenegro and his relationship with a former Arizona Senate staffer has left reporters with more questions than answers. . . "
READ MORE > click here

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It's fair game to look  into the private fortunes of publicly-elected officials if they use their influence while holding public office for their own personal enrichment or for their friends. Exchanges of money for influence or so-called "pay-to-play" does not need to be made hand-to-hand nor in cash. There are others ways and means: originating or support funding for "pet projects", patronage jobs for friends-and-family with benefits, appointments or getting hired to salaried positions in government, public institutions and industries, job contract awards, and contributions to political action committees or election campaigns, just to name a few that provide support to a lawmaker or holder of public office. 

Following the paper trail of corporate formations, registration and business associations can be a daunting task to say the least
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Heads up everyone who lives and votes here in Mesa: If State Senator LD25 Bob Worsley's actions taken in the Arizona State House during this session are any clue whatsoever to worst case scenarios on workforce development [good jobs] his recent votes to freeze and limit minimum-wage increases for both lower-income and middle-income wage earners - and to increase gas taxes - could give you a clue that he robs from the poor and gives to the rich.

In public office Worsley is Chairman of the Transportation Committee, and a Member of the Judiciary and the Commerce & Workforce Development committees. True that he brings both entrepreneurial successes and friends-and-family business connections with him to the Senate: after acquiring a BA in Accounting at BYU in 1980, he began his career as a CPA with Price Waterhouse, became an audit manager before he left to start ExecuShare with former Mayor Scott Smith of Mesa (now the CEO/President of Valley Metro). Lightrail service through the Central Business Extension started in August 2015 laying the tracks for increases in property values along the line of the Main Street corridor. 


8 properties in the real estate acquisition

It's reported in this AZ Legislature Profile that Worsley has long had plans as a private real estate developer to somehow launch a world-class "Lincoln Center West" in Mesa, a concert hall, that didn't get too far off-the-ground on the old 10-acre Brown & Brown Chevrolet site demolished by the city in June 2018, while making moves to corner the commercial real estate market on Main Street here in downtown Mesa during the last two years in a one-time package to property owners with a  low-ball offer-to-purchase storefronts mostly on Main Street -100,000 square-feet - at fixed-prices totaling about $8M.  

In June of last year State Senator Bob Worsley partnered with his legislative campaign consultant Kent Lyons and Habitat Metro in this private $130,000,000 blockbuster proposal for a towering 15-story 75-room luxury hotel and 75-apartments "above market-rate" apartments atop less than a 1-acre parking lot on Drew Street.
A memorandum of understanding was reached with the City of Mesa in June and a Development Agreement was inked, signed, sealed and delivered in November 2017.
The proposed tower height is way out of proportion and way out of balance with 1-or-2-story buildings in the historic district.

At a Mesa City Council meeting this week he came out as a real estate wheeler-and-dealer/developer who has shown his cards running-the-table changing hands in various LLCs and holding companies to make sales transactions in private real estate holdings speculation gambling with "a bet" of $20,000,000 after he got inside information from John Giles that he had the votes in his council in favor of an IGA with ASU's Board of Regents for "educational facilities" here in downtown Mesa with an expiration date in December 2018 after the November General Election. Worsley's $20M gamble to acquire what might be a fortune in real estate works if  and only if,  the city council approved the ASU IGA  [it did 5-2] and his friend mayor John Giles and their close cohorts in the Old Boys' crony political machine can somehow convince Mesa voters to approve a $75,000,000 tax increase in a ballot proposition in the 2018 General Election to finance their schemes.
More than 80,000 voters REJECTED any tax increases for an ASU "satellite campus" downtown - SAYING NO to that Yes1Mesa public relations fiasco in 2016.
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Arizona Lawmakers Pass Gas Tax Decision To Counties

By  Holliday Moore, Howard Fischer   

Published: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - 9:20am

Updated: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - 9:29am

Carefully not wanting to get scarred politically or take the heat for raising taxes, “The gas tax needs to be addressed at some point,” Worsley tried to convince his colleagues.
But, without support for a gas tax hike by fellow Republicans or the governor, he has conceded this year to leave that decision at the local level.
“This means we're not raising taxes here," Worsley said. "But we let the counties do it if they feel like they need to."
Source: KJZZ A Higher Gas Tax Won’t Fix America’s Highways

With greater fuel efficiency and electric cars, another source of revenue is needed.

By Mark Niquette @mniquetteMore stories by Mark Niquette 

‎March‎ ‎2‎, ‎2018‎ ‎5‎:‎00‎ ‎AM Corrected ‎March‎ ‎2‎, ‎2018‎ ‎6‎:‎51‎ ‎AM

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says raising the gas tax, which hasn’t increased in 25 years, is the simplest and fairest way to generate money for roads and bridges. But key Republicans, including John Barrasso of Wyoming, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, are opposed. And so are billionaires Charles and David Koch, whose fortune comes from oil and who spend heavily to influence government policy. Opponents say the tax is regressive, putting a bigger burden on lower- and middle-income families. . . raising any taxes is simply off-limits for many Republican lawmakers. .
Source: Bloomberg News