The combined GIGANTIC size - almost half a billion dollars - of the bond debt requests and the sheer number of money-related ballot questions on this November 6 General Election are up to voters here in Mesa to make the final say. There's a lot more at stake on the State level with other Proposals to deal with that will affect and impact our futures, but let's keep it hyper-local here in this post right now.
Keep in mind that except for the separate massive unjustified $300M - that is $300,000,000 - budget OVERRIDE proposal for a failing Mesa public education system, other issues have been passed by the Mesa City Council to get voted on.
Mesa voters got that when we got smarter in 2016 two years ago to overwhelmingly defeat a sneaky $500,000 privately-financed scheme by Mayor John Giles and his closely-connected cohorts to trick taxpayers and voters into paying for an ASU satellite campus here in downtown that could only profit their personal profits in real estate speculation.
This time around they've had two years to 're-package' their underhanded bag-of-tricks into a Grab-Bag-of-Goodies they hope can trick everyone all over again.
How? By slow-jamming (and at the same time fast-tracking) a number of proposals through the Mesa City Council. This year it was not unanimous - it was contentious.
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Blogger Note: The issues and actions that bring the bond requests and budget to the 2018 November 6 General Election have been written about on this site multiple times
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People who read this blog might want to take a look at an article written by veteran Valley news writer Gary Nelson who's known this territory for years. It appears in tomorrow's Sunday East Valley Tribune that were distributed in hard copy earlier today.
Nelson's article has now been posted online just about an hour ago:
East Valley Tribune-1 hour ago
". . . In 1999, they overwhelmingly rejected a sales tax to build an Arizona Cardinals stadium and convention center. They gave the same answer three years later ..."
Here's the copy that runs with the single image seen to the left taken from today's online version, "These Mesa paramedics serve the booming community of Eastmark, which could get its own fire station if voters approve the city bond issue in voting that begins Wednesday."
Blogger Note 1: The secluded master-planned gated enclave Eastmark is classified as a CFD (Community Facilities District), a development that's governed by different rules.)
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Blogger Note 2: AN ERROR THAT NEED TO GET CORRECTED: Tuesday October 9 2018 is the last day to Register To Vote. Nov 9, as stated online is incorrect - that would be three days after the election!
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"When Mesa voters begin early voting on Wednesday, Oct. 10, a lot more will be at stake than their next elected representatives or, in two city districts, their City Council member.
They are being asked to open their wallets for an array of bond proposals, tax increases and budget questions affecting the city and Mesa Public Schools.The bond questions alone amount to almost half a billion dollars – $300 million for the schools and $196 million in two separate questions for the city.
In addition, the city wants to increase its local sales taxes to help pay for police and fire operations, and to hike the hotel room-rate tax to promote sports tourism.
HERE'S A LINK TO GARY NELSON'S REPORT that takes up half of the Front Page News and continues for another full page inside> Sunday Edition East Valley Tribune 07 Oct 2018
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Some of the take-a-ways about the so-called "voter fatigue"
"We are going to exhaust our voters' willingness to pay for some of these things" he said before the council pared back some of the requests.
"We can't do everything . . " Now why would we trust John Giles on anything???
An across-the-board no vote would include rejection of the so-called home-rule provision, represented on the ballot this year by Question 1. Approving Home Rule is like writing a blank check - would you do that do that again?
< The Great Explainer?
"Giles said he occasionally faces that same skepticism, but it tends to evaporate once he lays out the case for the spending measures. . . "
The killer quote that's more true than what he might realize:
“It looks like there’s more on the ballot than there is,” Giles said . . . Right!
Another trick to play residents and taxpayers for fools
While it might sound really good "Home" Rule, like the way so many other questions have been concocted on the ballot, it throws the budget out-of-balance hitting Mesa Taxpayers in the wallet
Voters in other cities have recently clearly voted NO on increasing more millions in public debt.
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Rejection of home rule would be a stinging rebuke to the city, District 2 Mesa City Council member Jeremy Whittaker is quoted as stating. . .
Mayor John Giles “Voters can use Question 1 against us as a council and basically tell us that we’re spending money unnecessarily and force us back to a state-mandated budget,” he said. “We run that risk. It’s definitely a possibility.”
Whittaker said he’s getting that vibe because “the sentiment I’m getting from constituents is they don’t seem very trusting of the issues that are on the ballot this year. .
. . . . I don't trust the data that I get any more . . . I think you get things that are politically motivated.
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“There are the usual suspects who are going to write ballot arguments that are trying to mischaracterize it as a long list of tax increases, . . .Certainly those voices are out there, but when you explain what’s going on, people quickly nod their heads . . ."
O Really???? Has Jivin' Giles explained the skepticism and doubt that tends to evaporate once he lays out the case for the spending measures. . . "
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Mesa City Council Member Jeremy Whittaker:
". . . I'm quite surprised that this mayor and council decided to overload the voters with six new questions and tons of new bond debt. I wouldn't be surprised if a good portion of it failed, if not all of it . . "
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