Make Your Mark Downtown Today: Latino & African-American Heritage

The exhibit includes over 40 veterans from Washington-Escobedo Community.
Today from 12-3
435 N Hibbert [just above University Drive]
This community exhibit, taking place in one of the original buildings in what was once a segregated neighborhood, includes not only African-American and Mexican-American residents but also a Native American vet from the Lehi Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation. Bruce Nelson, the creator of this display of mostly archival published news images that were researched for his new in-the-works documentary, greeted visitors today taking the time to read the stories and talk with a good turn-out of guests who had even more stories and histories to tell him.
Heritage Room Mission: To preserve, publicize, educate the public on the African American and Latino heritage and culture of Mesa; while promoting local visual artist with interactive projects for youth and seniors.
A short screening of the trailer from the Veterans of Washington-Escobedo Community documentary and the Army recruiting film "The Negro Soldier" was shown to small groups.

History of the Washington Neighborhood is shown on the wall panel, along with some images of then-mayor Wayne Pomeroy playing a game of pool at the center with a group of residents.
Like much of the Confederate South, swimming pools were segregated by race way past the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
In one image Tom Ikeda, whose Japanese family is also an important part of Mesa's is shown awarding prizes for sports competitions on the athletic facilities.

Mesa-born and raised in the Washington neighborhood, documentary film producer Bruce Nelson is on the right  

 

Here again on the left 

 

Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness

Are we sliding down for all three?
These countries beat America in the latest World Happiness
By Quentin Fottrell

Published: Mar 20, 2017 5:21 p.m.

The U.S. doesn’t even rank among the Top 10 on a list of 155 countries. The report, introduced in 2005, involved polling of 1,000 residents per country by research organization Gallup.

 

It was put together by Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a group linked to the United Nations and led in part by economist Jeffrey D. Sachs, known for “The End of Poverty” and other books. Where necessary, Gallup seeks the permissions of national, regional, and local governments. The interviews are conducted by phone and face-to-face.

The U.S. has seen its happiness slide happiness over the last decade.

In 2007, it ranked No. 3 among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries.

Last year, it was 19th, down from 13th the year before.

“The predominant political discourse in the United States is aimed at raising economic growth, with the goal of restoring the American Dream and the happiness that is supposed to accompany it. But the data show conclusively that this is the wrong approach,” the report concluded.

For those interviewed in the report, perception is reality. At least, as far as their happiness is concerned and, experts say, the divisive political climate likely hasn’t helped.
“The United States can and should raise happiness by addressing America’s multi-faceted social crisis — rising inequality, corruption, isolation, and distrust — rather than focusing exclusively or even mainly on economic growth, especially since the concrete proposals along these lines would exacerbate rather than ameliorate the deepening social crisis,” the report said.

The U.S showed less social support, less sense of personal freedom, lower donations, and more perceived corruption of government and business, it said. “America’s crisis is, in short, a social crisis, not an economic crisis… Almost all of the policy discourse in Washington, D.C. centers on naïve attempts to raise the economic growth rate, as if a higher growth rate would somehow heal the deepening divisions and angst in American society. This kind of growth-only agenda is doubly wrong-headed.”

The U.S. economy’s expansion slowed in the fourth quarter of 2016, and annual growth failed to reach 3% for an 11th straight year, according to Commerce Department data released in January

All of the other countries in the Top 10 — Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden — also have high values in all six of the key variables used to explain happiness differences among countries: income, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on in times of trouble, generosity, freedom and trust, with the latter measured by the absence of corruption in business and government.

 

Fast-Forward To The Future [and a City of Mesa Electric Energy Survey]

Why the combination of the two in this post headline? One is the start of a revolution for battery power and the other is dinosaur thinking, relying on the grid of fossil fuel-generated electric energy in Sunshine-rich Arizona. What's the bright, or brightest, idea?
Think about it: do the survey.
Will Mesa become a solar city? It could happen in less than 3 years.Apple's global command center here may lead the way recently reaffirming its worldwide commitment to using 100% renewable energy.

Tesla’s Battery Revolution Just Reached Critical Mass

Three new plants in California show how lithium-ion storage is ready to power the grid.

by Tom Randall         @tsrandallMore stories by Tom Randall

‎30‎ ‎January‎, ‎2017‎ ‎4‎:‎45‎ ‎AM

Source: Bloomberg

" . . . this is a revolution that’s just getting started, Tesla Chief Technology Officer J.B. Straubel said in an interview on Friday. “It’s sort of hard to comprehend sometimes the speed all this is going at,” he said. “Our storage is growing as fast as we can humanly scale it.”

Tesla Motors Inc. is making a huge bet that millions of small batteries can be strung together to help kick fossil fuels off the grid. The idea is a powerful one—one that’s been used to help justify the company’s $5 billion factory near Reno, Nev.—but batteries have so far only appeared in a handful of true, grid-scale pilot projects. 

Three massive battery storage plants—built by Tesla, AES Corp., and Altagas Ltd.—are all officially going live in southern California at about the same time. Another one by Tesla in Hawaii.

A Question of Price
The battery storage industry—a key part of the plan if wind and solar power are to ever dominate the grid—is less than a decade old and still relatively small. Until recently, batteries were many times more expensive than natural gas “peaker” plants that fire up to meet surging demand in the evening and morning hours.

But prices for lithium-ion batteries have fallen fast—by almost half just since 2014. Electric cars are largely responsible, increasing demand and requiring a new scale of manufacturing for the same battery cells used in grid storage. 

Battery costs and profitability for utilities are difficult to evaluate. Companies are reluctant to give up their pricing data, and the expense is highly variable. Nevertheless, battery plants take up a much smaller footprint than gas-powered plants, they don’t pollute, and their instant response can provide valuable services better than any other technology. In a small but increasing number of scenarios, batteries are already the most economical option. 

City of Mesa flag

THE SURVEY
Affordability, Sustainability, Reliability: What’s important to you as an electricity customer in Mesa?

Post Date: 03/13/2017 4:55 PM

Mesa’s electric utility, the Energy Resources Department, is currently working on our 10-year Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to examine the different options for providing energy to electric customers (including solar, wind, hydro and traditional power sources) and is currently seeking citizen input.
Mesa’s current power supply is 20% renewable hydroelectric power and the remainder is composed of the sources that make up Arizona’s mix as a whole (nuclear, coal, and natural gas).

Mesa receives its renewable hydroelectric power from the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and is required to complete an IRP every five years.  
The IRP process helps both the Energy Resources Department and its customers follow the best path forward by determining the best resources for its stakeholders.
At the beginning of the IRP process, all resources are considered viable for meeting Mesa electric customers’ needs. 
These resources include:
1. Long Term Contractual Resources
This is where Mesa issues “Requests for Proposals” from energy suppliers whereby the suppliers can generate energy and sell it to Mesa for an extended period of time. 
The energy may be generated by any technology that the supplier chooses, but typical supplies in the southwest region may include

• natural gas generated electricity,
• coal generated electricity,
• nuclear generated electricity 
• possibly some small contributions from wind generated electricity or electricity generated at hydro-electric generators.

2. Purchasing Physical Resources
Mesa may have opportunities to own the resources that could provide electricity to its customers. 
This may include owning and operating

• natural gas fired generation,
• wind-powered generation or
• solar photovoltaic generation. 

Mesa may also have opportunities for joint ownership in tandem with other utilities in larger resources, accessing economies of scale.

3. Demand Side Management
Opportunities may exist for Mesa to facilitate programs which incent Mesa electric customers to reduce their electric consumption. 
This way, Mesa helps its customers to keep their demand low to avoid the cost of acquiring other resources -- through staff analysis and input from the public on what energy values are most important to them (sustainable energy options, affordability, etc.).

We invite you to share your thoughts on energy sources in this 5-minute survey:
English version: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MesaEnergy
Spanish Version: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MesaEnergyEsp
For further information on the IRP planning process, please contact Anthony Cadorin, Energy Resources Coordinator, at Anthony.Cadorin@mesaaz.gov.

This is a reply received 4 days ago in response to questions sent

Thank you for your response to our survey, we appreciate the feedback.  Regarding your questions:

 

1. What's the city paying now for electric supply?

 The cost of electric supplies for the City of Mesa’s electric utility are published monthly on our website in our tariff adjustment sheet.

·         The ELRF is the electric supply cost for our residential customers

·         The ELCF is the electric supply cost for our commercial customers 

·         The ELFF is the electric supply cost for our interdepartmental customers 

These costs are inclusive of generation, transmission, and all ancillary services required to deliver electric supplies from the energy market to Mesa’s electric utility:

http://www.mesaaz.gov/residents/energy-resources/energy-factors

2. Please be more specific about dollar figures, financing and proposed entities for joint ownership:

 

City of Mesa Energy Resources is always trying to keep abreast of any new resource opportunities that may be available to Mesa for electric supplies.  We’ve previously has evaluated resource options like the ones that you’ve listed, on multiple occasions.  In each case, the drawbacks of ownership, including unit contingent generation, have outweighed the potential benefits to the City when considering the City’s load profile and opportunities on the wholesale market.  However, we’re always interested in hearing about and evaluating new opportunities when they arise.

 

Thank you,

Amy McConnell

 

 

 

Amy J. McConnell

Transportation | Energy Public Information Officer

480-644-6553 - Office

Visit us at http://www.mesaaz.gov

Here We go Again! Dark Money In Politics

Dark money crucial to judicial group, helps others in Trump orbit
by Robert Maguire and Anna Massoglia Source: Open Secrets
Just after President Trump’s January announcement that Neil Gorsuch was his pick to fill the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s Supreme Court seat, a nonprofit that most Americans have never heard of launched ConfirmGorsuch.com.

[Blogger's Note: We're not dealing with 'little league' players here - two members of the Ricketts family, mega-millionaire owners of the Chicago Cubs elite sports franchise that has Spring Training here in Mesa at the taxpayer-financed Sloan Park at Riverview - are prominently featured in Open Secrets. It's only 'a secret' here]

Complete with a tender video telling how Gorsuch “ran a paper route, shoveled snow, worked the night shift” before becoming a judge, the site provides biographical material and recorded lectures from Gorsuch. ...cute homey and rigged snapshots.

The group behind the site, the  Judicial Crisis Network (JCN) let it be known that it was playing for keeps, pledging to put $10 million into ad campaigns and social media promotion and hiring multiple lobbyists, all meant to pressure senators into approving Gorsuch for the slot.

Originally called the Judicial Confirmation Network, JCN was started by a low-profile conservative fundraiser and lawyer named Ann Corkery (along with her husband Neil Corkery as treasurer). It had substantial early backing from “California foreclosure king” Robin Arkley II to help marshal support for President George W. Bush’s nominees to the federal bench.

Conveniently, the Wellspring Committee is also run by Ann Corkery, who continued to draw a $120,000 salary for her 10 hours of work per week for the organization fiscal year 2015. (The group’s 2016 filings will not be available until later this year.)...JCN rebranded itself the Judicial Crisis Network following President Barack Obama’s election, shifting focus to blocking the new president’s federal court nominees and spreading the network’s reach to state level races. Aiming to influence judges and like-minded attorneys general in several states, JCN began pumping millions into other groups that took big stakes in state Supreme Court and AG races, including Wisconsin Club for Growth, the American Future Fund, and the Republican Attorneys General Association.

Double-dark moneyIn 2015, the Wellspring Committee continued to bankroll JCN with more than $5.7 million, on top of nearly $7 million it gave the prior year to boost JCN’s spending in the 2014 midterms.
Wellspring’s donors remain a mystery, but their beneficiaries do not, because 501(c)(4) groups are required to report grants they make to other organizations in public portions of their tax returns.

Funding GOP data, opposition research and moreDespite its large grant to JCN, Wellspring still had some funds left for other groups. For instance, it also gave $100,000 to “AR2 Inc.,” the 501(c)(4) arm of the “America Rising” network that creates and disseminates opposition research for Republican candidates and groups.
Only a small circle of other groups have reported any funds going to or from AR2. The super PAC arm of America Rising reported receiving funds from AR2. And AR2 received a payment from Ending Spending the same year.
A 501(c)(4) that has earned a reputation as a heavy political spender, Ending Spending’s CEO is Todd Ricketts, President Trump’s nominee to be deputy secretary of commerce, and it is chaired by John “Joe” Ricketts, Todd’s father.
Coming full circleIn 2015, the Wellspring Committee also became an early backer of a shadowy nonprofit that eventually reported spending over $20 million opposing Hillary Clinton and supporting Donald Trump in the presidential race: the 45Committee. Wellspring gave $750,000 to this rapid-response political operation helmed by Todd Ricketts (remember America Rising and Ending Spending?) and worked in tandem with an affiliated super PAC called Future45.As Team Trump has made the transition from campaign to administration, 45Committee has likewise shifted from promoting or opposing candidates to spending millions supporting President Trump’s cabinet nominees.
And to bring the whole web back to its center, Wellspring gave $75,000 to the Federalist Society, an organization of conservatives and libertarians who “place a premium on individual liberty, traditional values and the rule of law.”
The Federalist Society is run by longtime Executive Vice President Leonard A. Leo. Leo has been credited with creating Trump’s list of possible Supreme Court nominees and was Gorsuch’s initial point of contact with the Trump administration.
And it’s not much of a coincidence that JCN pledged to spend $10 million to get Gorsuch confirmed. Leo, after all, was a major force behind the creation of Wellspring’s primary beneficiary, attending a formative dinner just after Bush’s re-election with Ann Corkery, Robin Arkley and…Justice Scalia.

Who knew how neatly it would all wrap up?
                        

 

 

AZ State House Round-Up

Legislative Roundup

By Christianna Silva / Arizona Sonora News Service on Mar 24, 2017

Source: http://arizonasonoranewsservice.com/legislative-roundup-2/

PHOENIX – This past week at the Arizona Legislature was the final week committees met to hear and discuss bills, which fueled long hearings and late nights. As of March 20, there were 103 House bills and 79 Senate bills awaiting hearings – and as of the end of the day on March 23, they were all heard. When does the session end? Officially, the end of April. But folks are still placing their bets.

What’s Up, Gov?
Gov. Doug Ducey got busy this week signing bills. On Monday, he signed House Bill 2268, introduced by Rep. Maria Syms, R-Phoenix, which requires all rape kits to be tested. The bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously.

Ducey also signed HB2092, HB2326, HB2371, HB2483, HB2536, SB1091 and SB1211, among other bills, this week. Possibly the most noteworthy of these bills is HB2092, which made wulfenite the state mineral of Arizona.

Show Me the Money
Gov. Ducey called for a minuscule proposed teacher pay raise in his budget a few weeks ago, and Republican lawmakers have continued to point toward Proposition 123, which passed in November, as a source for salary increases, saying that adding another pay raise would be redundant.
Amid this discussion, a bill was introduced to have Senate track how schools spend the funds they receive from Prop 123.
Senate Bill 1178 was introduced by Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, and made it through the House committees on Monday.

That Won’t Cost You

The Arizona Senate just barely passed House Bill 2402 on a 17-13 party line vote. The bill, introduced by Rep. Vince Leach, R-Casa Grande, would prohibit paying folks to gather signatures based on the number of signatures collected and outlines actions a person can take to challenge an initiative or referendum. 

Basically, HB2402 is a pay-by-signature ban.

Democrats in the state say the bill will make it more difficult for citizens to change laws and have their voices heard. Members of the Republicans party say fraudulent signatures is a problem that needs a serious solution.

Trust Fund Kids

Remember those students in college who lived off their trust funds?

Now the entire Arizona Highway Patrol will too (kind of). 

Senate Bill 1146, introduced by Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, will take various fees from motor vehicles and deposit into a new trust fund, including a newly imposed tax on natural gas.

The bill was fairly contentious.

The Arizona State Senate did end up passing it though, with a 16-14 vote.

Now, onto the House of Representatives.

Christianna Silva is the Don Bolles Fellow covering the Legislature for Arizona Sonora News, a service provided by the school of journalism at the University of Arizona. Reach her at christiannaj@email.arizona.edu.

GET OUTTA UR BUBBLE, Baby > The B-52's - "Roam"

Bringing Morality Into City Planning: ETHICAL REDEVELOPMENT??

Ethical Redevelopment makes the case for mindful city-building by utilizing cross-city networks and cross-sector innovation. Huh?

Ethical Redevelopment encapsulates a philosophy by which to shift the value system from conventional, profit-driven development practices to conscientious interventions in the urban context. Huh?
 

Arts and culture-led urban transformation.???? HUH? Is this the way it works in Mesa?

It is articulated by an emerging set of 9 Principles that were drawn from artist-led, neighborhood-based development work on Chicago's South Side.
Source: Place Lab

 By introducing these principles in their early stages of development, the intention is to share and refine collaboratively with other willing urban practitioners who also believe in spatial equity for cities.

https://vimeo.com/158374273

 

Visit placelab.uchicago.edu/ethical-redevelopment/ for more information on Ethical Redevelopment (including a downloadable PDF of the principles) and the Public Convening in Chicago on June 22, 2016.

 

Ethical Redevelopment: Pedagogy in Action on Vimeo

▶ 5:28

https://vimeo.com › Place Lab Chicago › Videos

Oct 28, 2016

The Ethical Redevelopment Salon is a membership-based, social-learning network and peer-mentorship club ...

https://vimeo.com/189303344