News Release from NYU
Mayors to Talk Through the Challenges and the Promise of Smart Technology – Nov. 13
Sponsored by NYU Wagner, the US Conference of Mayors, and the David Bohnett Foundation
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No one who lives here in Mesa, Arizona can doubt in any way that that former personal injury/accident-law attorney has his challenges after 'getting a calling' to fill in the unfinished term of former mayor Scott Smith who got defeated in his ill-fated run to become governor. Giles can talk-his-way through almost anything. He's 'a good-talker' for sure - just give the guy a microphone, put him on-a-stage and he can act just like any another politician.
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No one who lives here in Mesa, Arizona can doubt in any way that that former personal injury/accident-law attorney has his challenges after 'getting a calling' to fill in the unfinished term of former mayor Scott Smith who got defeated in his ill-fated run to become governor. Giles can talk-his-way through almost anything. He's 'a good-talker' for sure - just give the guy a microphone, put him on-a-stage and he can act just like any another politician.
"In the face of uncertain and vacillating support from the federal government, local governments are uniquely positioned to find innovative solutions to today's toughest problems. A growing number of mayors are stepping up and driving creative and dynamic, urban transformation across the US.
Join NYU Wagner, the United States Conference of Mayors, and the David Bohnett Foundation for a lively and timely discussion with a panel of leading mayors. "
SAY WHAT? No doubt Giles is a good talker, if someone writes the script and coaches him how/what to say. He's admitted publicly that he needs help with new ideas, or for that matter any ideas of his own at all.
They will discuss how they're changing their respective cities to meet today’s challenges—bringing forth big, bold, and inventive ideas.
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BLOGGER NOTE: Let's to a look back to the last time the same three sponsors included Mesa Mayor John Giles on a panel at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture.
Here's John Giles with South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg at New York University in April 2018
At forum, mayors depict city government as locus of action
The “Urban Transportation Forum:
Mayors Changing Cities”
You can watch a video of that forum CLICK OR TAP HERE
WHO'S EMERGED INTO THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
FOR BIG BOLD AND INVENTIVE IDEAS?
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg
South Bend’s “Mayor Pete” is laying the groundwork for a 21st century city
SAY WHAT? No doubt Giles is a good talker, if someone writes the script and coaches him how/what to say. He's admitted publicly that he needs help with new ideas, or for that matter any ideas of his own at all.
They will discuss how they're changing their respective cities to meet today’s challenges—bringing forth big, bold, and inventive ideas.
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Here's John Giles with South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg at New York University in April 2018
At forum, mayors depict city government as locus of action
The “Urban Transportation Forum:
Mayors Changing Cities”
Urban Transformation Forum:
Mayors Changing Cities
Published on May 9, 2018
Four leading mayors came together to discuss how they’re changing their respective cities to meet today’s unique challenges—bringing forth big, bold, and inventive ideas to tackle today's most pressing issues.[Left to right: Eleanor Randolph, Mayor Nan Whaley, Mayor John Giles who looks like he's left out of their conversation]You can watch a video of that forum CLICK OR TAP HERE
FOR BIG BOLD AND INVENTIVE IDEAS?
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg
South Bend’s “Mayor Pete” is laying the groundwork for a 21st century city
Clue: It's not Mesa Mayor John Giles, seen center left standing in the middle of an empty Main Street with two of the principals in the Caliber Wealth Creation Fund for private wealth-creation in Opportunity Zones - there are 9 OZones here in Mesa with concentrated extreme poverty levels in distressed, neglected and low-income census tracts that qualified for deferred capital tax-gains investments in The TCAJA 2017 - a federal U.S.Treasury and Internal Revenue Service program.
2 years later, there's only 5 deals in the car-driven Suburban Sprawl around the Inner Loops and Outer Loops, and data centers with only handfuls of jobs along tech corridors.
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As you can see in the image standing between the tracks on Center Street, Main Street downtown Mesa is not the image of a "vibrant and exciting' place Giles would like people to believe even 5 years after the extension of Valley Metro Light Rail Service through the Central Business District . . .
It's all about rampant real estate speculation fueled by a campaign push by Mesa Mayor John Giles to get Mesa taxpayers to pay for an ASU campus downtown. In February 2018 it became a public controversy when the AZ State Senator Bob Worsley admitted at a City Council meeting in February 2018 that he was gambling millions while holding public holding for his own private gains. His business partner in a number of holding companies, W Tim Sprague is shown at far left above.They scooped-up more than ten commercial properties on Main Street before the end of 2017
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The moderated conversation will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
The event – the Second Annual Urban Transportation Forum: Mayors Changing Cities – is free and open to the public and will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13., at NYU Wagner, 295 Lafayette St., (corner of Houston St.), 2nd FL, New York, N.Y. 10012. Registration is required, while members of the media may instead contact the NYU press officer listed with this release.
Among the mayors participating in the program are:
- Dan Horrigan, Akron, OH
- Becky Ames, Beaumont, TX
- John Giles, Mesa, AZ
- Gary McCarthy, Schenectady, NY
- James Langfelder, Springfield, IL
- Keith James, West Palm Beach, FL.
The moderator will be Gordon J. Campbell, clinical professor of public service and director of EMPA-Public Service Leaders Program at NYU Wagner.
