Whole Lotta Heavy-Lifting To Dig Into Shovel-Ready Stories

Let's start off this post with a Dummy Hypothesis - we all know those great "Dummy Books": Windows for Dummies or Microsoft for Dummies or Accounting Principles for Dummies are good examples. Some mainstream media and independent news sources have a lot of resources (staff, equipment, tools), your MesaZona blogger uses all of his senses + a sixth-sense called "A Nose For The News"

. . . when something stinks, it stinks. Period. The same thing applies to other senses: what we see and what we hear if we keep our eyes and if we keep our ears open and Stay Woke.
Then again what we hear is another human sense that reacts to a whole spectrum of communication wave-lengths that get filtered through our perceptions of what's real or not, and what's believable or not. We may also all be reverting to our primitive hominoid Neanderthal Tribal Instincts self-segregating ourselves in cocoons of comfort-zones both mentally and physically where we live.
Here is Mesa that sets the stage for How Power Plays-Out.
Is seeing believing? Or can we can tricked some of the time?
Is what we hear believe-able?
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Left-to-right: Bob Worley, ASU President Michael Crow and ex-U.S. Senator 'Revolving-Door' Matt Salmon, who announced at the time of his retirement he was hired by ASU as Vice-President for Government Affairs  

March 11, 2018

ASU Devils: Sunday’s Comic

Arizona’s addictive subsidies game Robert Robb I don’t really like the phrase “crony capitalism,” even though I’ve used it from… 

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Fortunately at times it's very visible - you can see it and hear it if you pay attention. One of the recently broadcast episodes unfolded here on February 26, 2018 with a special appearance in front of the public at a Mesa City Council Study Session by Mega-Millionaire Bob Worsley taking on two roles at the same time - one as an Arizona State Senator holding public office and one a private real estate speculator. 

Here in Arizona - and almost anywhere else - that's a combustible mixture that's blown up more than a few times when real estate interests add fuel to the fire and it starts to stink. Let's just say they're Opportunity Zones or OZ for short
(wondering who the Wizard of OZ is yet???????)
In the 20th Century two outstanding examples pop up: Charles Keating/The Savings-and-Loan Crisis/The Keating 5, The Re-Call of Governor Meacham).

Let's flash-back to 2016 when Mesa Mayor John Giles appeared in his State-of-the-City Speech - it's the same plot line as the drama on 26 February where the devil's still in the details about ASU.
This time around there are more twists and details we need dig deeper to uncover the sources of what stinks.

Investigative news reporting on that was published on March 1, 2018 in the article from The Arizona Daily Independent linked to above. In the image to the right: AZ State Senator Bob Worsley outside the Arizona State House where bills and legislation he's introduced frequently get interpreted as "Crony Capitalism'

Thanks to digging by The Arizona Daily Independent we can see what's gone on behind-the-scenes after Mesa voters rejected the radical transformation of downtown Mesa into a "satellite campus" for ASU.
As things turned out it was beyond reality - projecting half-baked Pie-In-The-Sky proposals on promising to deliver anything concrete based on transient students to ride the boom in student housing that devoured downtown Tempe.
The central business district on Main Street has been left as 'The Old Donut-Hole' since the outflux to 1970's suburbia.

Now said Bob Worsley "the time is ripe and the moment has arrived" to revive the moribund CBD that's only been on flat line life-support for 12 years from the Mesa Arts Center opening in 2005 and the arrival on Main Street through the CBD by Valley Metro Light Rail Service in August 2015. Now another '15-year moment' has arrived for Investors - 'angel investors' or otherwise - to buy into The New Zion purchasing not just one property at a one but swooping in to grab up and assemble commercial properties all at once last year . . . Who's the designated dealmaker: take a look ^
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Take a look at the land-grab after reading some information about the perfectly legal accounting tricks 

CH Mesa Holdings was registered on June 27, 2017 in Delaware.
Why in the State of Delaware? DSTs

Why Delaware Statutory Trusts Are Becoming Popular

By Joseph J. Whitney, David Shechtman and Angela R. Raleigh

DSTs have grown in popularity as replacement properties for real estate owners seeking to reinvest sale proceeds into net-leased properties producing a steady stream of income.

"Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code is an important tool that allows real estate investors and property owners to exchange one business or investment property for another without immediately incurring taxes. This transaction, often referred to as a “1031 exchange” or “like-kind” exchange, allows an investor to reinvest the full amount of net sale proceeds into new investments while deferring capital gain taxes until the investor eventually cashes out. . . The DST’s structure also permits investors to engage in a subsequent 1031 exchange if they decide to sell their beneficial interest in the trust or when the trust terminates. However, in order to receive such tax-deferred treatment, DST investors should be aware of several important restrictions and limitations. . . "

READ MORE information and details using this Link > https://www.law.com

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MACDEVLLC, the entity listed on the City of Mesa's development agreement for the Worsley/Habitat Metro Drew Street Parking Lot project
Maricopa County Recorder documents shows that CH Mesa Holdings, LLC, a registered limited liability corporation (File Number: 6458344) filed deeds for the following properties that can be viewed below from an insert taken from this report
https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2018/03/01/mesas-asu-project-needed-to-make-good-on-worsleys-bet/
Mesa’s ASU Project Needed To Make Good On Worsley’s “Bet”

. . . Worsley pleaded with the Council to protect the speculative investments he made in the area based on the ASU scheme.
“My wife and I have been meeting with people all over the Valley,” said Worsley. “Just today my wife met two people who want to invest in Mesa. Last week, we met with wealthy people from Paradise Valley who want to invest in downtown Mesa based on what they hear is happening. ???
Speaking of dollars – hard dollars, we – the group I am invested with – we have invested over $20 million already on a bet that downtown Mesa is ready for what’s next.”
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Blogger's Note: Isn't that the same slogan used by Mesa Mayor John Giles for his election campaign and same slogan for his platform while holding office inside City Hall?
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Worsley concluded, “I just wanted to say one thing; we need this investment in ASU. We need this center in downtown Mesa.”
CH Mesa Holdings was registered on June 27, 2017 in Delaware. Maricopa County Recorder documents shows that CH Mesa Holdings, LLC, a registered limited liability corporation (File Number: 6458344) filed deeds for the following properties:

APN	Address	Last Deed Date
138-35-015	114 W MAIN ST MESA, AZ 85201	10/03/2017
138-35-016 120	120 W MAIN ST MESA, AZ 85201	10/03/2017
138-36-008A	18 W MAIN ST MESA, AZ 85201	10/30/2017
138-36-012 48	48 W MAIN ST MESA, AZ 85201	07/19/2017
138-42-022 155	155 W MAIN ST MESA, AZ 85201	07/07/2017
138-42-030	137 W MAIN ST MESA, AZ 85201	12/12/2017
138-55-004	202 W MAIN ST MESA, AZ 85201	10/03/2017
138-55-009	206 W MAIN ST MESA, AZ 85201	10/03/2017

All of the above properties show a mailing address of 4320 E Brown Road, STE 110, Mesa, AZ 85205. Lyons Development LLC shares the Brown Road address with CH Mesa Holdings, LLC. According to the Arizona Corporation Commission, as of 2017, Worsley has been registered as a member of Lyons Development LLC.
Lyons Development LLC registered the following entities in 2017:

L21665169	LYONS DEVELOPMENT LLC	MESA 114 W MAIN LLC
L21757686	LYONS DEVELOPMENT LLC	MESA 137 W MAIN LLC
L21853908	LYONS DEVELOPMENT LLC	MESA 48 W MAIN LLC
L21638767	LYONS DEVELOPMENT LLC	MESA 155 W MAIN LLC
L21657535	LYONS DEVELOPMENT LLC	MESA 18 W MAIN LLC

Ranch Communities of America, owner of 29 West Main Street, is listed on Worsley’s financial disclosure statement along with CH Mesa Holdings.
 [View Worsley 2018 Financial Disclosure Statement]

CH Mesa Holdings, LLC bought all buildings for sale in downtown Mesa within 1000 ft. of the proposed project; one such property being as close at 237 ft from the site.

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