Animated Map: Repub AHCA Repercussions

AZ=Big Loser

Published on Mar 31, 2017

Views: 7,280

House Republicans introduced the American Health Care Act (AHCA) to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Analysts show that each state will be affected differently. Under the AHCA, many states that participate in the federal exchange would see a decrease in premium tax credits available to individuals.

New Player On Mesa City Council Team Steps Up To The Plate Hitting A Homer Outta The Ball Park

That's outta the usual boring tired-old business-as-usual-nobody-cares game of Good-Ole'-Boyz-PoliTricks  usually played out inside City Hall. No curve balls from the pitcher's mound slide across home plate this time around when homeboy-hero Ryan Winkle has gotten warmed-up in the bullpen and  knows the game how to use social media to connect with the public.
That's Amy Poehler from popular TV show Parks & Recreation giving a wink and a knowing nod @ left

You, dear readers, might be puzzled by this post so what's it all about when most people who live in Mesa simply don't care - or bother to get informed about local government - most times sitting on the sidelines if they get that close.
Your MesaZona blogger is so thrilled and so excited to say that local politics is not a spectator sport . . . let's qualify that by stating that the action is on social media: here and here

And all ya gotta do is lift a finger to see more on Facebook
Concerned? Curious?


1. Ryan Winkle on Facebook March 27, 2017[almost 50 replies and comments]
We have recently heard a proposal to privatize the Mesa jail operations. Please read (really read) and watch the following links and let me know your thoughts. Please keep in mind;
1. People Concerns
2. City Budget Issues
3. Jail vs. Prison (transport, booking and length of stay)
4. Unforeseen Consequences of being the first AZ Municipality to do this.
You can send your thoughts, addressed to all the Mayor and Council at council@mesaaz.gov
Please no knee jerk reactions, at minimum please review this.
Mesa Police Presentation on privatization for jail:
http://mesa.legistar.com/View.ashx…

2. Ryan Winkle on Facebook March 30, 2017 [over 100 replies and comments]
Long post warning. Some clarifications needed.
1. There are some councilmembers that want to use the allocation approved by voters and by council numerous times on other projects. Only one of which is a new council member.
2. If there is a change of mind regarding the use of this voter and council approved money, it should go through an open & public process.

Is The City of Mesa Making The Mark In WhatWorksCities? Apply + Get Certified

18 months ago Mesa City Manager Chris Brady, shown grinning in the image to the left, signed the city’s Open Data Management Policy in October 2015 in an article by the Sunlight Foundation
The story [excerpts and links provided farther along in this post] received a whopping 17 views and no likes, shares, tweets linked-in or otherwise.
The published - and little-noticed story - stated that When What Works Cities partners Sunlight and the Center for Government Excellence began work with Mesa — the first city to officially sign on to the $42 million dollar Bloomberg Philanthropies program — city leaders had a clear vision for advancing open data in their community. . .  Is the City of Mesa now ready to get certified that it's clear that they are headed down a path that will establish them as a leader in open data for mid-sized cities.

“I strongly believe that data and evidence are the fuel that will continue to power the positive momentum we’ve created as we work to grow Mesa into an even better place to live work and raise a family,” said Mayor John Giles in the city’s press release at that time featured in the image to the right, and as usual starts off with that we-are-excited thing: “We are excited that Mesa is a leader in open data for Arizona.”  One might ask how's it going, Mister Mayor?

How does Mesa measure up now?

There's now a certification to prove that leadership compared with the following statement made in the story last year:  BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES’ WHAT WORKS CITIES CERTIFICATION RECOGNIZES AND CELEBRATES U.S. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WITH A POPULATION OF 30,000 OR MORE, THAT ARE LEADING THE NATION IN THE USE OF DATA AND EVIDENCE TO INCREASE GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPROVE SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS.

By rewarding achievements and providing a clear path to excellence, What Works Cities Certification supports local leaders in leveraging what works to deliver unprecedented results for their residents.We encourage all cities to take the first step in the direction of understanding where they stand and what their next steps are to making, even more, progress for their communities. Please take a minute to let us know you’re interested in joining us by submitting your Statement of Interest by May 1.

 

HOW CERTIFICATION WORKS

When a city applies for What Works Cities Certification, its practices and policies are assessed across a number of criteria aligned with the What Works Cities Standard.
For each criterion assessed, a local government earns points that reflect the presence and caliber of each policy or practice. A team from Results for America, along with its assembled experts, will conduct the assessments in on-site visits. Only local governments that are certified will be announced publicly.
Based on the total number of points earned, a local government can achieve one of three Certification tiers:

SILVER

Local governments are good at understanding data, tracking process, and using data and evidence to make decisions.

Local governments work across at least two components of the What Works Cities Standard

GOLD

Local governments are great at understanding data, tracking progress, and using data and evidence to inform decisions.

Local governments work across at least three components of the What Works Cities Standard

PLATINUM

Local governments set the precedent in understanding data, tracking progress, and using data and evidence to inform decisions.

Local governments work across all components of the What Works Cities Standard

 

The city’s Open Data Management Policy, signed by City Manager Chris Brady last October 2 years ago, affirms Mesa’s commitment to joining the open data movement. Meeting the majority of Sunlight’s open data policy guidelines - it firmly establishes processes for the collection and release of quality data, It takes major steps to ensure that data release is timely and is prioritized based on city priorities and public feedback.

It also mandates an annual open data report and review process — an activity that will be fundamental in the effort to achieve the policy’s ultimate goals.
A mayor, whether working in a big city or a small one, sees needs every day that would benefit from the investment of public resources. With such opportunities essentially unlimited but resources quite constrained, how should a leader respond?
A comprehensive answer to this question was recently presented when Bloomberg Philanthropies' What Works Cities initiative lanched a certification program that provides much-needed clarity by identifying and endorsing clear, expert-tested indicators of the capacity to use data effectively.

HOW TO APPLY

What Works Cities Certification is currently open to all U.S. cities with a population of 30,000 or more. Certified cities will be announced annually, and any cities that do not initially qualify can reapply every other year. Cities earning Certification must reapply at a minimum every three years to maintain Certification status.

If your city is interested in beginning your journey to becoming What Works Cities Certified, we invite you to get started. Please contact certification@whatworkscities.org with any questions.

The What Works Cities Standard
What Works Cities leaders make powerful, public commitments  to achieving better results for  their residents by using data and evidence when making budget  and policy decisions;
What Works Cities leaders collect and use data and tools to measure progress and engage residents  along the way;
What Works Cities leaders consistently review and reflect on the data and evidence they have to learn  and make improvements; and
What Works Cities leaders use  data and evidence to inform  major decisions and take action  to improve outcomes.

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Mesa embraces open data with new portal and policy

Friday, March 4, 2016 11:40

Link: click or hover on this link




 

 

 

 

 

Are Parks Play-Grounds For Politics? ...or GREEN SPACES for ReCreation?

Your MesaZona blogger always wondered from the get-go why the newsroom for the City of Mesa registers its internet website as a non-profit organization using the domain suffix .org usually reserved for NPs.
Is it registered and licensed as a Non-Profit by the State of Arizona in official public records with all of its staff working inside City Hall as city employees earning salaries paid for with taxpayer dollars?
Do they do their job keeping residents informed in a fair-and-balanced way? ...or do they fall short of the mark?

What Works Here In Mesa??? Does Mayor John Giles Have The Grit & The Vision?

Ideas Welcome:

Philosophies and Priorities of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers of 2017
by News Staff / April/May 2017
Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers honors people inside and outside of government with a grand vision and the grit to execute on it. These are the people who aren’t afraid to bring a new, transformative idea to the table, and often times, that spirit is contagious.

Top 25 honorees also tend to foster that way of thinking in their teams.
Here are a few hints at their philosophies and priorities that have landed them on our list for 2017.

(Click on the infographic to view a full-size version of the image.)

An Inspiring Look at What’s Right in Government
BIG ideas, bold thinking and skillful execution on the potential of truly digital government.
Many commonalities run through this year’s honorees.
They think big.
They seize opportunity.
They collaborate.


Nobody has a monopoly on good ideas.

This 2017 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers
serves up a fresh set of stories that are filled with them. 

From The U.S. Census Bureau: On The Move: American Migration 01 July 2015-01 July 2016

Per usual practice, your MesaZona blogger tuned-into a sound-bite a couple of days ago to hear that where we live - Maricopa County - is the fastest growing county in the entire country. . . Are happy days and boom times here again? Let's leave that question and a few more questions on the table for now to see what is the source of that data.

 

It's the U.S. Census Bureau. Not surprising, right? What is surprising especially to a source sleuth like yours truly, the data was released was released in a Press Kit. Yes!    The infographic visualization of the entire country, including Alaska and Hawaii, is inserted on the left showing the net domestic migration by county for anywhere you might like to look for any reasons you might have. Keep in mind the color-coding: each color represents anywhere from 5,000 to a few in increases in the blue-green spectrum while the yellow-to-red are negative numbers. You can easily see to where people are migrating - no reasons are given since that's normally not a question in census reports. Keep in mind also these figures are estimated.

Need a Sound bite?

Sound Bites

Attribute to: Ben Bolender, Population Division
Maricopa County Leads Numeric Population Growth For Counties

Available on YouTube:

  With Lower Third

  Without Lower Third

"So this year, so between 2015 and 2016, Maricopa County was the fastest growing county in the nation by numeric change. They beat out Harris County which had been the fastest growing county by numeric change for several years. Maricopa County is growing primarily from domestic migration or people moving to and from other parts of the United States. Over the last year, they added about 81,000 people. That works out to a net of about 222 people per day."

 

 

Press Kit: County and Metro Area Population Estimates

March 23, 2017

You can find it right here >> US Census Bureau Press Kit

How cool is that?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017

Maricopa County Added Over 222 People Per Day in 2016, More Than Any Other County

March 23, 2017

Release Number: CB17-44

MARCH 23, 2017 — Maricopa County, Ariz., replaced Harris County, Texas, as the county with the nation's highest annual population growth, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released today. Harris County was the largest numeric gainer for eight years in a row.
Maricopa County gained 81,360 people between July 1, 2015 and July 1, 2016, or about 222 people per day, while the nation's second-largest population gainer, Harris County, gained 56,587 people, or about 155 people per day on average.
Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, primarily grew through the addition of 43,189 residents from net domestic migration, a measure of how many people move to or from an area versus other parts of the United States.
The county also added 25,428 people from natural increase (more births than deaths) and 10,188 people from net international migration.
Harris County, Texas, home to Houston, saw changes in net domestic migration, going from a net gain of more than 17,000 to a net loss of more than 16,000. Despite this, Harris County had the second largest gain in population due to high natural increase (46,412) and net international migration (27,922).
"In the early 2000s, Maricopa County was in the top one or two counties by numeric growth. From 2009-2011, Maricopa County saw much lower net migration than in the years before or after, which caused the county to drop out of the top population-gaining counties," explained Peter Borsella, a demographer in the Census Bureau's population division.
"While net international migration has not reached prior levels, net domestic migration and natural increase have continued to rise, making Maricopa County this year's largest numeric gainer."
In addition, Maricopa grew the fastest among the top 10 largest counties at 1.95 percent, an increase from 1.90 percent from the previous year. Harris County remained the third-largest county with 4.6 million people, and Maricopa County remained the fourth-largest county with 4.2 million people. Los Angeles County and Cook County, Ill., remained the largest and second-largest counties, respectively.
The statistics released today provide population estimates and components of change for our nation's 382 metropolitan statistical areas, 551 micropolitan statistical areas, and 3,142 counties, as well as Puerto Rico's metropolitan statistical areas, micropolitan statistical areas and municipios.
Find more highlights from this year's release below and local-level statistics on census.gov.
In the coming months, the Census Bureau will release 2016 population estimates for cities and towns, as well as national, state and county population estimates by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin.

While Maricopa County had the largest population growth neither Phoenix nor Mesa was among Top 25 Fastest-Growing Metro Areas (Percent Change): July 1, 2015 to July 1, 2016

 

The Census Bureau develops county, metro area and micro area population estimates by measuring population change since the most recent census. The Census Bureau uses births, deaths, administrative records and survey data to develop estimates of population. For more detail regarding the methodology, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/technical-documentation/methodology.html>.
The Office of Management and Budget's statistical area delineations (for metro and micro areas) are those issued by that agency in July 2015. Metro areas contain at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more population, and micro areas contain at least one urban cluster of at least 10,000 (but less than 50,000) population. Both metro and micro areas consist of one or more whole counties or county equivalents. Some metro and micro area titles may be abbreviated in the text of the news release. Full titles are shown in the tables.

New Project Narrative For FFEA: Falcon Field Economic Area

An overdue update on Falcon Field Economic Area was presented by Jaye O'Donnell at the Economic Development Advisory Board meeting at the regular meeting earlier this month on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 07:30 a.m.
Some background here:

MESA ZONING ORDINANCE

www.mesaaz.gov

www.mesaaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=12464

City of Mesa : FIRST QUARTER 2017

www.mesaaz.gov

www.mesaaz.gov/business/economic.../news.../first-quarter-2017

TOMORROW: A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 30, to discuss the city of Mesa’s plans to develop 63.5 acres west of Greenfield Road and Falcon Field Airport between McKellips and McDowell roads as the Falcon Tech Center.
The City of Mesa owns the property, which is managed by Falcon Field Airport. In 2008, the airport requested a property zoning change to planned employment park, which was granted with stipulations. Falcon Field Airport and the city of Mesa’s Office of Economic Development would like to modify the project narrative and some of the stipulations that were included in the 2008 planning and zoning case in order to develop the property as the Falcon Tech Center.  The city is seeking input from the public regarding this proposed change.  The city will retain ownership of the property.
A public meeting is scheduled to be held 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at the Falcon Field Airport Terminal Building, 4800 E. Falcon Drive in Mesa. The purpose of this meeting is to provide the public with further information concerning the Mesa Planning and Zoning case, answer questions and gather input from interested residents, Airport tenants and business owners.
For additional information concerning this planning and zoning case or the March 30 public meeting, contact Lori Gary, city economic development project manager, at 480-644-3964 or lori.gary@mesaaz.gov or Corinne Nystrom, Falcon Field airport director, at 480-644-2450 or corinne.nystrom@mesaaz.gov.
Source: Mesa Independent 

Falcon Tech Center -

Planning & Zoning Board Meeting Notice

City of Mesa - Falcon Field Airport Citrus Groves Property

Post Date: 03/29/2017 11:30 AM

Falcon Field Airport and the City of Mesa’s Office of Economic Development have submitted an application to amend Ordinance 4839, to modify a stipulation from zoning case Z08-022, and to modify the case narrative.
Zoning case Z08-022 re-zoned approximately 69.34 acres of property west of Greenfield Road between McKellips Road and McDowell Road for future development of the property. The rezoning case had a condition of approval that stated compliance with the basic development as described in the project narrative.
Falcon Field Airport and the City of Mesa’s Office of Economic Development would like to propose a new project narrative. Adopting this new project narrative requires a modification to zoning case Z08-022 and an amendment to Ordinance 4839. 

This application will be scheduled for consideration by the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board at the meeting scheduled to be held at 4:00 p.m., April 19, 2017 in the City Council Chambers, 57 East First Street.
The public is invited to attend this meeting and provide comment regarding this proposal.

The final decision regarding this case will occur at a City Council meeting.
This meeting will be held approximately six weeks after the Planning and Zoning Board meeting. Please contact City staff for the time and location of the City Council meeting.

For questions regarding this proposal, contact
Airport Director Corinne Nystrom at 480-644-2450/corinne.nystrom@mesaaz.gov or
Lori Gary, Economic Development Project Manager, at 480-644-3964/lori.gary@mesaaz.gov
The City of Mesa has assigned this case to Tom Ellsworth of the Mesa Planning Division.

For questions regarding the public hearing process, he may be reached at 480-644-2182/tom.ellsworth@mesaaz.gov.