MesaZona > Table of Contents : Here's The Menu. Enjoy: January 2020

31 January 2020

Five Years of UpSkill America: What’s Next

Economic Opportunities Program ....how to invest in front-line workers

Blackstone’s GSO Posts Third-Straight Distressed-Debt Decline

Burned again! . . . .

169 views

•

Jan 31, 2020

Why "biofabrication" is the next industrial revolution | Suzanne Lee

TED

16M subscribers

Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized Talk recommendations and more.

What if we could "grow" clothes from microbes, furniture from living organisms and buildings with exteriors like tree bark? TED Fellow Suzanne Lee shares exciting developments from the field of biofabrication and shows how it could help us replace major sources of waste, like plastic and cement, with sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives.

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a Media Request here: http://media-requests.TED.com

Follow TED on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TEDTalks
Like TED on Facebook: http://facebook.com/TED

Your Lucky Day >> Jonathan Pie Double-Feature

If U want to call it a BOGO, by all means please do!

Latest from Jonathan Pie

Brexit DAY!

Jonathan Pie

•

100K views8 hours ago

The Dawn of a new era is marked by The Tories lying through their teeth and remainers insulting everyone who voted differently to ...

New

PIE NET ZERO

Jonathan Pie

•

239K views1 week ago

When Pie gets a gig presenting a new documentary about climate change by eco-filmmaker Franny Armstrong, he thinks he's in ...

Historian Niall Ferguson on the State of the World in 2020 — and Beyond

More than 26K views after this was uploaded just 10 days ago

26,931 views

•

Jan 21, 2020

Asia Society

150K subscribers

HONG KONG, January 9, 2020 — Historian and author Niall Ferguson assesses the state of the world in 2020 — and beyond — in a keynote address delivered as part of the 12th Ambassador Burton Levin Memorial Lecture Series. Asia Society Hong Kong Chairman Ronnie C. Chan made introductory remarks. (35 min., 22 sec.)

U.S.-China 2020: A Year of Living Dangerously

1,380 views in one day. . . more about that "Thuycidedes Trap"

Asia Society

150K subscribers

NEW YORK, January 30, 2020 — Asia Society Policy Institute President Kevin Rudd discussed the dangerous year — and decade — ahead in the world's most important bilateral relationship with former financial diplomat Michael Greenwald. 

The program served as the launch event for Rudd's new collection of speeches The Avoidable War: The Case for Managed Strategic Competition which is available for download here. (1 hr., 28 mins.)

Related: Rudd sat down with Asia Society Executive Vice President Tom Nagorski for a conversation about the U.S.-China relationship in the latest episode of our Asia In-Depth podcast: https://youtu.be/rch0lNfpDA4

RUSSIAN NEW HYPERSONIC WEAPON IS READY FOR WAR #WARTHOGDEFENSE

How many more times faster than the speed of sound??
This video is made under fair use policy, also this material is made from public published domain for people with hearing and seeing disability Russia’s defense minister on Friday declared a new hypersonic weapon capable of striking the United States is ready for war. By: Amanda Macias https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/27/russi... Warthog Defense members are sharing stories, insider tips, news from the front lines, and unique slices of military life including the tough stuff of war. Warthog Defense provides headline news and technology updates since our community answers the call and makes news. We also cover the rest of the military experience —and in our military equipment guide we present what makes the military unique (and fun). We also wan't to revolutionize the way for Americans with military affinity stay connected and informed.

Art Therapize Yourself

Why you need a step-by-step playbook to harness your talent and sell your works . . .
direct to customer sales online

When Everything Else Fails, Try Humor ?????

It helps people understand - without having to deal with the hard stuff

Amanpour and Company

"Since October, tens of thousands of Iraqis have been demonstrating against the government over corruption, high unemployment and foreign interference. 600 people have been killed according to the country’s Independent Human Rights Commission. 

Ahmed Albasheer is an Iraqi journalist and comedian and host of his own political satire program, Albasheer Show, with 8 million viewers tuning in every week. 

Albasheer was forced to flee the country in 2011 after being injured in a suicide bombing. 

He speaks about his journey and mission to fight corruption and extremism with humor."
Originally aired on January 29, 2020

Running time: 18:41

_____________________________________________________________

2-HOUR STUDY SESSION: Mesa City Council Thu 30 Jan 2020 @ 7:30 a.m.

There was only a 24-hour advance publishing for yesterday's session agenda, leaving most people 'in the dark' on what was scheduled to hear and to discuss .
Once again a government cannot be effective unless and until citizens are actively engaged and involved.
If city officials have the time to create the presentations and create the documents, then the public needs more than 24 hours before public meetings to get the information.
Otherwise it's that same old tired business-as-usual.
_________________________________________________________________________

If that's the "Mesa Way" of doing things, it's simply not conducive to good government - and it certainly can explain why the City of Mesa and the Mesa City Council has a problem connecting with the public.
Period. No one can argue with that.
After watching and digesting the streaming video upload, the most recurring phrases used by city officials were "dialing-down" and
"skin-in-the-game".
_________________________________________________________________________

< Here's a more useful lens to look at city government - they have to do what is required, and frequently when asked say that's what they do.
Good example = agendas 24 hours ahead of time, and sometimes only 3 days ahead for certain other things.
It's true that the public does have by law THE RIGHT-TO-KNOW. . .
Then what?
Yesterday's 2-hour early morning study session in the Lower Council Chambers on 1st Street was interesting for more than a number of reasons
__________________________________________________________________________

1 Mayor John Giles has formed a Political Action Campaign to fund a run to get elected to in his-own-right for a second term in office - he's got a track record now and needs to hold on in the voting precincts that delivered the votes.
Two of his biggest blocks of loyal supporters are salaried employees in public schools [both city-operated and charter school owned- and-operated] with thousands of employees and a bloated bureaucracy/administration.
(His own father was a school principal for 30 years.)
On his own watch and time in-office, not one but two Mesa Public Schools Superintendents have been forced to resign.
Mesa schools achievement stats are lower than that State of Arizona's - #49 in the entire nation.

2. The second big bloc of the mostly-loyal supporters of Mesa's Political Machine are Public Safety employees in the Police and Fire-Medical departments.
Clearly the deck is also stacked by D1 Councilmember Mark Freeman (endorsed by Russell Pearce in Freeman's election campaign) earning a part-time salary on his City Council day-job on top of the generous retirement benefits accrued after retiring as a Mesa Fire Department Chief for 30+ years. He's a Double-Dipper at the political trough with an extended family going back for generations who just happen to own a lot of real estate here in Mesa, mostly citrus groves and alfalfa farms.
_________________________________________________________________________

The Mesa Superintendent of Public Schools, hired from Park City, UT last year and shown smiling with Hizzoner John Giles, didn't last too long on a job she was ill-qualified to fill from the start. It took weeks for Mesa School Board members to decide whether to fire her or make an agreement to get her to resign - it was a slow-play in the media.
In contrast, Mesa Police Chief Batista who was appointed by City Manager Chris Brady resigned by email abruptly so they say it was "unexpected". The vacancy was filled by a 20-year Mesa PD insider to dial-down a revolt-in-the-ranks.

_________________________________________________________________________

The second half of last Thursday's City Council Session featured the City Manager Chris Brady who was hired and took over the job in 2005 from Mike Hutchinson.
Mayors and City Council members - who are elected - might come-and-go in successive 2-year or 4-year terms (or not) or resign early. City managers typically stay a long time.
As the City of Mesa's Chief Executive Officer, the financial and administrative governance of the city is in his hands and on his watch for more than 15 years.
Brady is an alumnus of Brigham Young University like so many salaried and elected officials inside City Hall
_________________________________________________________________________

The second half of the Study Session is a robust discussion that's really the aftermath of the intense informed analytical
Issues raised in the budget approval hearings last year by District 2 Councilmember Jeremy Whittaker, who waged and won an uphill campaign challenged by the hand-picked candidate endorsed by the mayor to maintain "business as usual" - Whittaker definitely created waves in 2019.
Waves that gather more force out of his 2018 district election win.
_________________________________________________________________________
With all that being said, it's an eyes-open-wide perspective on the responses and reactions you can clearly see in last Thursday's Study Session from all the other 5 councilmembers, the mayor, and long-time salaried City Hall officials: City Manager Chris Brady, City Attorney Jim Smith, and both Deputy City Manager Mike Kennington sitting at the side of Candace Cannistraro - all of whom appeared prepared to supply some answers that pose more questions and an oblique defense in the second half of the video - you can start watching at 45 minutes into the two hours if you want.________________________________________________________________

Did you know that Mesa is now the 2nd Most Un-Affordable City to Live-In in The Valley?
( Next to the glitzy City of Scottsdale that has an entirely different demographic and data )
> In a so-called booming economy Retail Sales Tax revenues here in Mesa are down
> No one can ignore the fact that Mesa Public Schools - the administration and the bloated bureaucracy - have been failing students for more than 20 years.
That's at every level: primary, secondary, post-secondary in community colleges and trade schools and institutes of technology. The City of Mesa Public Schools produce achievement levels far below state levels and that's 49th in the entire country!
_________________________________________________________________________
BLOGGER INSERT: Almost the first 45 minutes of yesterday's study session is taken up by a presentation for the first Agenda Item [see below] - please do not Expect More on that.
Heads Up : John Giles mentions at the end of Mesa Achieves Higher Education Task Force
A private foundation of some kind to get involved . . . Watch out for that!
If anyone would like to see what one company that's located here in Mesa has to say about THE FUTURE WORKFORCE - this is a post on this site featuring Cognizant
https://mesazona.blogspot.com/2020/01/cognizant-center-for-jobs-of-future.html
_________________________________________________________________________________
BLOGGER INSERT OF STREAMING VIDEO UPLOAD TO YOUTUBE:
Please Note: The screengrab selection - D5 Councilmember David Luna, a long-time audio technician employed for more than 20 years in public schools who can retire soon with generous retirement benefits from both his full-time school job and his part-time salaried position holding a seat on the Mesa City Council - He's not about to rock-the-boat.
Likewise on the Mesa Achieves Higher Education Task Force are two new councilmembers, D4 Councilmember Jennifer Duff and D3 Councilmember Franky Heredia (who has an interim appointment). Enlisting all three of them to serve on the mayor's formation of 'a task force' simply is a calculated political ploy by the mayor.

________________________________________________________________________________

> It's soon obvious from seeing the streaming video, what elected city officials on the City Council and salaried city officials are prepared to hear and to discuss and to make recommendations . . at the same time any person can also see the loyalties involved from all sides of the seats occupied at the tables.
Elected: Mayor Giles, Vice-Mayor Freeman, Councilmembers in Districts 1-6
Salaried: City Manager Chris Brady, City Attorney Jim Smith, Deputy City Manager Mike Kensington, and once again Candace Cannistro.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Some segments of the study session readers of this blog might be interested in:

#1 The entire discussion for The Enterprise Fund that starts after 44 minutes
Please note that it's both District 6 Councilmember Kevin Thompson and District 2 Councilmember Jeremy Whittaker who are the principal ones asking some of the right questions.
Their questions are fielded by City Manager Brady and City Attorney Smith, with both Deputy Manager Mike Kennington and Candace Cannistraro filling in some important gaps not brought into light before.

#2 New Language
> Reliable and Affordable Utilities
> Public Assistance
> Franchise Fees paid by Utilities to the City
> Usage Charges for Public Rights-of-Way
> What goes into and come out of the Enterprise Fund
> Transfer Limits (started under former mayor Scott Smith)
> Different Accounting Standards for the City's Annual Financial Review CAFR and the OMB's accounting practices
> Explaining Financial Projections
> The Increasing Problem of The Homeless
_________________________________________________________________________
ANOTHER POST ON MESA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION 30 Jan 2020
https://mesazona.blogspot.com/2020/01/end-of-january-2020-study-session-mesa.html

Also note:
2 Acknowledge receipt of minutes of
various boards and committees (3)
Item 2-a 20-0169
Audit, Finance and Enterprise Committee meetings held on 01 July 2019 +09 Jan 2020

mMm

File #:

20-0169

Type:

Minutes

Status:

Agenda Ready

In control:

City Council Study Session

On agenda:

1/30/2020

Title:

Audit, Finance and Enterprise Committee meetings held on July 1, 2019 and January 09, 2020.

Attachments:

1. July 1, 2019 Audit, Finance and Enterprise.pdf, 2. January 9, 2020 Audit Finance and Enterprise

Item 2-b 20-0175
Museum & Cultural Advisory Board meeting held on November 21, 2019

Mm

Item 2-c 20-0177
Transportation Advisory Board meeting held on September 17, 2019

mmm