ONE-day Notice from The Mesa Chamber of Commerce??



 

Business Feedback is needed!
[sent on December 17, 2015]
. . . Due to the holidays, we really do need your survey by December 18th. 
Thank you in advance for your time and support. HUH??

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07ebyosaaqihz8j80h/start 

Maybe this CEO needs to take a refresher workshop in time-management, do ya think?

Thank you,

Sally Harrison
President/CEO
Mesa Chamber of Commerce 

 

 

Nonetheless, the issue in the email deserves attention: too bad that "your valuable feedback" might not get collected in time . . .

 

Raising Exempt Employees' salary eligibility from $23,660 to $50,440 could change your business forever.

 

The Obama Administration is moving closer to changing overtime regulations that will directly impact your business - whether you are large or small.  If you have any exempt employees you need to be aware of these major changes being proposed.  Please take a few minutes to  take this survey and provide your valuable feedback.  We have an uphill battle ahead of us on this issue, even with the help of the US Chamber and fellow chambers across the nation. 

 

The East Valley Chambers of Commerce is collecting data to share with our US Senate and Congress representatives on how this regulation could directly impact the East Valley business community - their constituents.  It is mind boggling that during an era where employees not only desire but expect a level of flexibility in the workplace, the federal government is looking at sending us back to the industrial age of punching a clock. 

Fly-Fishing In The Wrong Voter Pool: 5th District Congressman Matt Salmon

Just retrieved an email from our elected official in the U.S. House of Representatives - he had "a very disappointing final week" while most of us celebrated. [see post on this site about LIHTC financing]
Is he out of sync on issues that impact his constituency?
When a state like Arizona and the local economy here in Mesa get a big boost from federal spending on things like public transit, affordable housing, housing for homeless veterans, public safety, homeland security and defense industries, and airport improvements, he says in this recent email, . . . "When I came back to Washington, I pledged to fight for a more limited form of government and shrink our spending. . . " 

HE VOTED AGAINST PASSING THE SPENDING BILL! for his own narrow and partisan reasons.
To be balanced and fair, read his own release by going to this link
http://salmon.house.gov/blog/disappointing-final-week%20

Here readers can see how the big bronze brown bears on the sidewalk at the NWC of Main and Macdonald Streets enjoy catching a salmon  

Mesa NDO On-Hold? Human Rights Campaign Report 2015

The Mesa City Council has taken no action on a proposed non-discrimination ordinance for months, in spite of a public request to put discussion on the agenda.
Perhaps a new report on December 18, 2015 from the Human Rights Campaign will increase the momentum to ensure by the force of law the rights of all protected classes.
Although mayor John Giles has publicly stated "It's the right thing to do", he has not provided the leadership to get it done, even though a majority of City Council members appear to favor it.
The question remains who will take this to the next level for approval in upcoming election campaigns where three City Council seats, and the seat of the mayor, are up for grabs?

BLOOMBERG NEWS: Pumped Up Trump in Mesa

 



Yesterday at 5:18 p.m. EST Mark Halperin in "With All Due Respect" had more than a few things to say while he was inside the International Response Unit Hangar at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport on Wednesday talking to the crowds
Who turned out to see the flamboyant and talented Donald Trump . . .
Mark Halperin and John Heilemann are joined by Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, and Jim Rutenberg, chief political correspondent for the New York Times Magazine, on “With All Due Respect.”
Watch it yourself >>
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2015-12-18/with-all-due-respect-12-17-15-

 

Rancho del Arte > Mesa Development Celebrates the Arts

Image from Perlman Architects

This blog started with a feature post on Rancho del Arte. Just to wrap up the most recent "news" and put it all together looking forward to the next year, there are some things to keep in mind about Creative Place Making, transit-oriented development and financing affordable housing.
[see accompanying post from today].
Local Initiatives for Sustainable Communities LISC Phoenix invited John Williams, head of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, for an on-site tour in the new urban downtown Mesa that was the subject of another post on this blog.

An article by Cristina Serlin that appeared yesterday December 17, 2015 starts off with
"A new housing development in Mesa, Ariz., brings together affordability, sustainability, and the arts . . ."
Read more >>
http://www.housingfinance.com/developments/mesa-development-celebrates-the-arts_o

The $14.2 million development was financed with low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) allocated by the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH), which also provided gap financing through the HOME program and the state’s Housing Trust Fund. Alliant Capital was the LIHTC syndicator, with JPMorgan Chase as the investor. Additional funding included a construction loan from Chase and HOME funds from the city of Mesa.
According to Eric Paine, the CEO of Community Development Partners, "We designed El Rancho del Arte through a thoughtful, human-centered collaboration with the local Mesa stakeholders. We involved the community and local artists to create a housing culture that supports the arts and encourages community engagement,” says Paine. “We are very proud of the outcome as we feel we have achieved our goal of raising the bar on affordable housing.”
The second phase of the development is under way and has received an award of LIHTCs from ADOH. CDP plans to break ground on the 47-unit project in February. The development team also is exploring a community-supported food business accelerator program with a commercial kitchen.
Take a look at the overhead image below and you can see the inside atrium in Phase 1 that is not visible from the street. It's a masterstroke of design providing exposure to sunlight for inside-facing windows overlooking a recreation area with seating and an outdoor grilling area-gathering place.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/131697520" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/131697520">El Rancho Apartments // Mesa, Arizona</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/producofilms">Produco Films</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p>song - &quot;fantastic voyage&quot; by olive musique // licensed through premiumbeat.com</p>

Take ACTION >

LIHTC Industry Edges Close to Permanent 9% Minimum Rate In a huge win for the affordable housing industry, Congress has included a permanent extension of the 9% low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) rate in a final tax extenders package.

Proposed Tax Extenders Legislation Would Permanently Extend Minimum 9 Percent Housing Credit Rate . . . The House is expected to vote on the plan Thursday or Friday, with the Senate following soon thereafter.Congress set to vote on a critical tax extenders package.

http://www.housingfinance.com/finance/tax-extenders-package-includes-permanent-9-minimum-lihtc-rate_o

The LIHTC program financing tool that has created 2.4 million affordable housing units in the country.
Working to Protect, Strengthen and Expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
http://www.rentalhousingaction.org/take-action

NewsFlash> Trump Hits New High in Poll



That's according to two new press releases for media on his website http://www.donaldjtrump.com/media
One from The Hill and one from Business Insider

Did somebody in the media say Mesa "is trying to shed its conservative image" ??
How ya gonna do that with a popular Republican-multi millionaire + a right-wing controversial not gun-shy Sheriff staging a double-act here?
Trump is sky-rocketing in poll ratings and soaring on his own personal jet from a Las Vegas debate last night into the skies overhead touching down in a big conservative base at noon here in Mesa at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport to be introduced by none-other Maricopa County's top-gun Sheriff Joe Arpaio . . . stay tuned

Birds of a feather flock together - hawks in this case