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

Tuesday, October 02, 2018

Target of Investigative Reporting By Craig Harris: Eddie Farnsworth

This lawmaker stands to earn at least $11M on his own charter schools.

His votes helped lay the groundwork.

Craig Harris, Arizona Republic Published Oct. 2, 2018 | Updated 10:06 a.m.

On the last day of the 2018 legislative session, lawmakers were poised to pass a budget that would give educators large raises and require greater financial accountability for both district and charter schools.

House Speaker J.D. Mesnard and Rep. Eddie Farnsworth had other plans.

Well after midnight, Mesnard, with Farnsworth as point man during a testy floor debate with Democrats, added an amendment to the budget. It exempted charter schools from procurement and conflict-of-interest laws and from a requirement to disclose their entire annual spending plans on school websites. . .

Farnsworth wasn't just a lawmaker interested in the details of the legislation. He also runs a four-campus East Valley charter chain that — because of the amendment — would remain free of state oversight of its spending.

Farnsworth's involvement in the last-minute maneuver highlights how the Gilbert Republican's roles as a state lawmaker and charter-school operator have for years mingled at the Arizona Capitol, almost always to the benefit of Farnsworth and the state's other charter school operators. . .

"No one was advocating for less transparency," Farnsworth said.

He contends charter operators are private contractors and should be treated like the companies that build roads — not like traditional school districts. Many businesses, he notes, profit from building classrooms or selling buses and curriculum to public schools.

_________________________________________________________________________________

FACTOIDS IN THE REPORT:

> The first school started with just 125 kids, serving kindergarten to third-graders. There were six teachers and a principal.

> Farnsworth said finances were tight early on, and there were times when he didn't take a salary.

> Over the next two decades, Farnsworth's brand of public education took root in the East Valley, where the Farnsworth name is well-known in Mormon circles.

> By 2006, Farnsworth and his charter-school partners entered the construction business, building the first Benjamin Franklin school funded by millions of dollars more in debt, he said.

> Farnsworth, because of term limits, is running for the state Senate in District 12 — one of the state's reddest districts.

________________________________________________________________

Read more > Click here

_______________________________________________________________

REPUBLIC INVESTIGATION: Who's making money off charter schools?

ABOUT THIS REPORT: Throughout 2018, investigative reporter Craig Harris examines the finances of some of Arizona’s most prominent charter schools to reveal how they spend the tax dollars they receive, who profits off the operations, and what those deals mean for the future of education.

Reach the reporter at craig.harris@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8478 or on Twitter @charrisazrep.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Emerging Markets Double Trouble! Expensive Oil and Weak Currencies! Coul...

?????????
Published on Oct 2, 2018
Views: 2,583

Uncommon: What It Takes To Trip Up The Typical

Published on Sep 27, 2018

How do you be Uncommon?

Complex problems take uncommon solutions – and uncommon folks, like you,
who believe education and entrepreneurship can empower people to shape their futures.

Round-Up: Mesa City Council Meetings Mon 01 Oct 2018

Let's try something different here today for yesterday's two meetings of your Mesa City Council. Business-as-usual once again.

Next meeting in ten days on October 11th
Here's a link to the Calendar of Events
Council, Committee and Board Research Center
http://mesa.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
October Meetings:
City Council Meeting

~~11/05/2018 5:45 PM - 7:00 PM~~

City Council Meeting

11/19/2018 5:45 PM - 7:00 PM

________________________________________________________________________

Study Session 06:04

Regular Meeting 25:04
6 Views

Monday, October 01, 2018

OUR FUTURES ARE ON-THE-LINE: Candidates For Mesa City Council in Districts 3 & 4 Want Your Votes

Here's the Good News: Free Moderated Public Debate
For 4 Mesa City Council Candidates.
Now the rest is up to YOU and it's time for a change to demand candidates that are more open, more transparent and more accountable to represent the interests of residents in their districts.
Engaged residents do make government more effective.

Let's start with basics:
First of all
Do you know what district you live in?
If you have not registered to vote. Do it now.
What issues directly impact you?
> Jobs and incomes
> Affordability
> Quality of life
> Neglected and distressed neighborhoods
> Mesa's failing education system
> That old "Crony Capitalism"
> The entrenched political machine
> A vision where everyone is not included
> An increased public debt burden that serves and finances special interests rather than providing benefits to the public
_________________________________________________________________________________

Hear from 4 Mesa City Council candidates in a forum at Benedictine University on Thursday October 4, 2018 and learn more about the four candidates in runoff races in District 3 and District 4 for the Mesa City Council.

The Arizona Republic is partnering with Benedictine University and the Downtown Mesa Association to host the forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Republic reporter Lily Altavena will moderate the forum, with questions from the audience and sponsoring partners.

Early voting begins October 10, 2018

The forum is open to the public and admission is free.

SEND QUESTIONS

Have a question you’d like The Republic to ask candidates?

Send it to Editor Carrie Watters at carrie.watters@arizonarepublic.com.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Back-To-The-Drawing Boards: The Mesa LDS Temple + "Mesa-Authentic Architecture"

The LDS Temple here on Main Street is now "closed for renovations" for two years and is one of the oldest temples in the Church, one of the first not designed by a designated Church architect. Like an older temple in Cardston, Alberta Canada, they were built in a style called the “Solomon’s Temple” template.
The idea was to mimic, on the exterior at least, the design of the Temple of Solomon as described in the Old Testament. Since we don’t know precisely what it looked like, there is a lot of room for interpretation.
Interesting factoid: the design for Mesa Arizona Temple was actually put to a competition! Two entries that did not win:
________________________________________________________________________
Blogger Note:
The second one is more in keeping with Mesa's heritage and history >
See the map below
________________________________________________________________________
Here are some excerpts from 2016 published on a blog, reproduced in the italicized inserts below from Obsessive Temple Architecture Syndrome

"I’m not so crazy about this design. It looks like the beehive motif was used for the spire, and as much as I like beehives, it looks a little to me like the architectural equivalent of wearing a novelty hat in the shape of an ice cream cone or a wedge of cheese.
It is interesting to note that an Angel Moroni statue was proposed in that design—it would have been the third LDS temple to feature an angel on the spire, after Nauvoo and Salt Lake. Similar designs, at least from this front view, would later be used in some 21st century temples like, for instance, the San Salvador temple, but without the beehive on top."

" Now, for my part, I must confess that I am slightly sad that the Cannon and Fetzer entry did not win. I like the very Spanish/Pueblo style and the large window, a little reminiscent of Santiago de Compostela. . . "

______________________________________________________________

Here's an enlargement of the Omar-Turney Hohokan Canals Map that clearly documents and provides evidence of both the Spanish and First Peoples who were here for centuries before 'The Pioneers' arrived on their territory in the mid-!850's. It show Spanish place-names "Pueblo" designated towns or settlements that have names from The Book of Mormon appended to them, like Lehi and Moroni and Nephi

TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAP DETAILS:

You can see

Pueblo Moroni at middle left with many small reservoirs and temples

Pueblo Nephi: that was one of the first names Mormon settlers wanted to call Mesa

________________________________________________________________________

Pueblo Lehi: Locate that . . . you might be surprised to know that Pueblo Lehi became this: What did it take to dig into and re-claim this early heritage and history here in the City of Mesa > a group of citizens who organized and documented archeological evidence of indigenous earlier inhabitants who lived here for centuries before the arrival of Mormon settlers from Utah in the Mid-1850's ....Residents in the neighborhood in the LDS Temple area have said that artifacts have been found.

MESA GRANDE CULTURAL PARK

While there's demolition and digging already in-progress onsite on the Mesa Temple Grounds, it's also a GOOD OPPORTUNITY to have a team of archeologists onsite - the place could be hallowed and sacred ground . . . .

________________________________________________________________________

One account in a 1991 edition of a book called "Our Town" stated there were 300 Mormon settlers and 5,000 Papago Indians already living here.

_________________________________________________________________________________

HERE'S THE WINNER OF THE DESIGN COMPETITION:

The idea was to mimic, on the exterior at least, the design of the Temple of Solomon as described in the Old Testament

Ultimately, though, the design that won belonged to Don Carlos Young, Jr., and Ramm Hanson.

Huh? Jobs Pouring In, Firms Flocking, Job Numbers Sizzling + EV Numbers On Fire?

Looks like another East Valley Tribune staff writer Jason Stone was pushed into hyper-drive and hyper-happy talk using all the mixed metaphors in the post headline here . . . Are you ready for what gets spoon-fed to you from the East Valley Tribune as top story front-page "the news"?
Arizona’s job numbers are sizzling, but East Valley numbers are on fire. A recent report from the East Valley Partnership said the region’s six communities – Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Queen Creek and Apache Junction – added a total of 4,589 jobs from January through June this year. . . "
OK. So where's that report to be found?
Jobs. OK. What kind of jobs?

“It’s fun to be mayor when the economy is doing well,” Mesa Mayor John Giles said.
Here’s just how fun: The East Valley’s job gains were more than half of all jobs generated in the greater Phoenix area – which is impressive considering the growth that’s also occurring in the West Valley.
The investment and manufacturing sectors are seeing the biggest job growth in the region, followed by technology and financial services.
“It’s been a great ride for the East Valley and Mesa in particular,” Giles said.

MUST BE SOMETHING IN THE WATER
Local economic and government leaders agree there’s not just one reason big companies are either relocating to the East Valley or expanding here.
They say it’s a combination of low taxes, low regulations, space to expand, good weather and some forward thinking.

“Plus, people who move here actually like it here,” said Denny Barney, president and CEO of the East Valley Partnership and a Maricopa County supervisor.
“Businesses want to be here,” Barney said.
“Aside from a stable tax policy, we have affordable housing and a good quality of life. And the single biggest factor is we have an educated workforce that’s ready to be deployed.”
_________________________________________
"The job is also getting cities ready for businesses to set up shop. If ever the phrase “if you build it, they will come” was true, the East Valley is experiencing that.

For example, Mesa is laying the groundwork for much of its business momentum with improvements to its so-called “technology corridor.”
In April, the city voted to spend $10 million for improvements for the area, which stretches along Elliot Road from Ellsworth to Signal Butte.

Then we have that "$5-Billion Dollar Mile " .

__________________________________________

". . . And don’t forget about Arizona State University’s plan to add a satellite campus in downtown Mesa. Programs using augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence and 3D design will be the focus of the $63.5 million campus, giving Mesa another footprint in the tech world . . ."
__________________________________________
Go ahead and Read more >
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/jobs-pouring-into-east-valley-as-firms-flock-to-region/article_9685b402-c36b-11e8-b7b8-13b824f6f48d.html