How the U.S. Government Obtains and Uses Cellphone Location Data | WSJ

The U.S. government is using app-generated marketing data based on the movements of millions of cellphones around the country for some forms of law enforcement. We explain how such data is being gathered and sold. Illustration: Laura Kammermann

5 Ways Trump Has NOT Drained the Swamp with Robert Reich

Truth to Power > 

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•Feb 11, 2020

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It seems like forever ago when Donald Trump promised to “Drain the Swamp” if elected president. Well, it turns out this was one of the biggest whoppers in modern American politics. Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich breaks down five ways Trump has made the swamp even swampier. Watch More: Trump's Emoluments Mess ►►https://youtu.be/xw3GLhIxjVU

Hizzoner John Giles: Cover-Boy

That's right! He's perfect that for job as "Cover-Boy" O Lordy!  
The Times Media Group Publisher Steve Strickbine featured an image of himself flashing a hard copy (the pulp-fiction print edition) of Mesa Mayor Jiving John Giles in full frontal exposure on the front page for a re-launch of the now corporate-owned namesake The Mesa Tribune - in the northeast Mesa edition.
WHOA! Could there ever be a more telling image of the unholy alliance between the mayor and spoon-fed media to deliver only the good news???
. . using the mayor as click-bait
"for the many people still want to hold a thick newspaper in their hands come Sunday. . ."
Let's go there and ask: THICK WITH WHAT????
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Corporate publisher Strickbine is in a profit-bind when it comes to attracting paid advertisers in online publishing, so now he's clearly aiming efforts for turn profits in the community news business. . . what he says is a new approach > to connect advertisers to would-be customers and clients.

Good news about the news

themesatribune.com |

By Steve Strickbine, Tribune Publisher

"If you’re passionate about reading the news, then without a doubt you’ve seen some dire stories about newspapers over the past few years. Media companies nationwide are struggling to make a profit when it comes to putting out print editions. . . "
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BLOGGER NOTE: Times Media Group owner and publisher Strickbine made sure to include a statement that Giles consented to pose by that 'iconic' delivery boy statue that's really in front of a vacant commercial storefront on Main Street [the opening image shows the other side]

Here's a more iconic real-life size bronze statue in front of 11 West Main Street >
Take a look at the headline: it reads TRUTH

Hmmm...
would Hizzoner also consent to pose with that??
 

The New Face of Mesa's Historic Preservation "Coordinator"

It took a while for city officials to figure out how to manipulate the news, change the narrative and flip-it-around after the stinging resignation of the previous Historic Preservation Officer veteran preservationist Kate Singleton who chose to leave her job in a rebuke and bitter rift with city officials for obstructing her efforts and blocking any real progress for preservation. . . here's the new re-jiggered narrative written by East Valley Tribune Contributing Writer Gary Nelson.
Notice the new face is a coordinator, not an officer.

"Months after a bitter rift with its former historic preservation officer, Mesa believes it has found the right person to steer its program into the future.

Arianna Urban, a Phoenix native who spearheaded historic preservation projects in the Bay Area, joined the city late last year in the role of historic preservation coordinator. . . "

Gary Nelson got that one detail right!

City Manager Chris Brady selects only people who will join a supporting cast of characters to follow the official script.

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Here we go deeper to get at the one of the BIG reasons for the rift and resignation in a pure piece of fluff written by Nelson to 're-invent' an earlier doubtful narrative that pitted a for-profit affiliate of The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-Day Saints to transform Mesa into a satellite of Salt Lake City using a replica of City Creek Reserve's urban mall in Temple Square. No financial details were ever disclosed to the public - from either entrenched city officials (most of whom graduated from Brigham Young University) or the for-profit real estate developer CCRI that's now under federal scrutiny for a tax fraud case.

Mesa hits reset on historic preservation

By Gary Nelson, Tribune Contributor Jan 31, 2020        

" . . . Some of those challenges involve the need to balance preservation with the constant, almost organic, tendency of a city to constantly reinvent itself. Nowhere is this more evident than on the east end of downtown, where a massive redevelopment program near the Latter Day Saints temple has swallowed up a slew of post-World War II homes. . ."

 

 

BLOGGER NOTE: swallow-up the rest of the story if you want > Click or Tap HERE
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" . . . Apart from specific preservation issues, Urban knows she is stepping into a role that in recent years has been problematic for Mesa. . .

Justice Delayed On Discriminatory Arizona Election Laws

Here we go again!

Ruling on discriminatory AZ election laws on hold, likely until after 2020 election

ByJim Small February 11, 2020 

An appellate court ruling last month that found Arizona laws barring the collection and delivery of early ballots and the state’s discarding of ballots cast in the wrong precinct are discriminatory likely won’t affect the 2020 election after that court halted its ruling to give the U.S. Supreme Court time to take up the matter.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s request that the ruling be stayed, a legal term for effectively suspending its implementation.

 

Brnovich plans to appeal the appellate court’s ruling to the Supreme Court.

The appellate court concluded that the ban on collecting voted early ballots was motivated by racism, not by sincere efforts to combat fraud in the elections.

The court also ruled that Arizona’s practice of throwing out ballots cast in the wrong precinct instead of counting the votes for races in which that voter was eligible to vote is an outlier, and doing so disproportionately affects minority voters.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals gave Brnovich 90 days to file his appeal to the Supreme Court, and ordered that the stay on the ruling will remain in place until the high court decides what to do. A decision by the Supreme Court whether to take up a case typically takes several months. If the Supreme Court decides to hear the appeal, it likely wouldn’t do so until fall 2020 at the earliest, and a ruling would be issued before the following summer.

READ THE ENTIRE REPORT AND VIEW THE DOCUMENTS INCLUDED:

Link > https://www.azmirror.com/2020/02/11

 

Say Again, Please > Mesa A Mecca For What???

Duh, Guys! Cheers for Beers! Sure looks like economic investments here in sleepy downtown Mesa aren't in retail at all but in "beer joints" with the promise of 800 students in 2022. That's a positive influx of party-hard beer-chugging students from ASU 3 weeks ago KJZZ News The Show used the word MECCA in a headline story. Mesa a Mecca?

How ASU Plans To Make

Downtown Mesa A Mecca For Media Creation

By Lauren Gilger

Published: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 - 11:30am

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OK ... How's this for A MEDIA CREATION

 

KJZZ

How ASU Plans To Make Downtown Mesa A Mecca
For ...

"With the recent groundbreaking of Arizona State University’s new campus at Mesa City Center, a lot of changes are on the horizon for once-sleepy downtown Mesa.

"The first conversation I had with Dr. Crow a few years ago, Dr. Crow said, 'If we come to your downtown, we will change it forever in a very positive way,'" said Mesa Mayor John Giles."
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BLOGGER NOTE: The year was 2014 when Hizzoner did a stunt on-stage at his 1st State-of-The-City Speech @ Mesa ConCenter (the Devil's always in the details)
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"And, with the new campus, ASU President Michael Crow and Mesa Mayor John Giles are not only promising a new building and 800 new students — they’re promising to put the city on par with other media giants like Hong Kong, Sydney, even New York City.
But what’s their plan to deliver? The Show sat down with the optimistic duo to find out. . ."

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UPDATE: On Monday here's what we learned from a report by Louise Poirier

Each year, ENR Southwest publishes the Top Project Starts from the previous year, ranked by construction cost, across the three-state region of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.

. . . keep in mind that since this ranking will be ordered according to construction costs, projects where costs are confidential will not be included.*

Here are the top 25 projects to date: AT THE TOP OF THE LIST

• Arizona State University Creative Futures Lab & The Plaza at Mesa City Center, Mesa, Ariz.

Did we miss a project that you know about or your firm is involved in? Please let us know via email. We’re still looking for projects valued over $20 million that began construction during calendar year 2019 across the Southwest region.
Also, keep in mind that since this ranking will be ordered according to construction costs, projects where costs are confidential will not be included.

ENR Southwest Previews 2019 Top Project Starts

 

The Creighton University Health Sciences Campus in Phoenix will include a four-year medical school, a nursing school, an occupational and physical therapy school, a pharmacy school, a physician assistant school, and an emergency medical services program.
Rendering courtesy Butler Design Group Inc.
(Image featured in Engineering News Report)

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* Too bad that Mesa won't be able to get on the TOP OF THE LIST if construction costs were "kept confidential"

What about that Massive Mormon Make-Over of Downtown Mesa ??

NO FINANCIAL DETAILS WERE EVER DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC



07:30 AM STUDY SESSION: Mesa City Council Thu Feb 2020

Maybe some day we can make Mesa a brighter place - more informed by shining some light for the public to see what's going on in an elected city government cannot be an effective government unless and until people are actively motivated to first of all find out what's up on the agendas for City Council.
Most people don't even care or know who represents their interests, other than spoon-fed junk we get thrown at us from the public information machine inside City Hall.

OPEN GOVERNMENT??
Now really, would anyone who has lived here in the City of Mesa for just a few years or whose family has lived here for generations, or those who have just arrived in a fast-growing city of more than 500,000 even dare to say that your elected Mesa City Government is open?
Add the words transparent and accountable
and ask that question again . . .
One clear example:
THE AGENDA FOR TOMORROW'S STUDY SESSION WAS MADE YESTERDAY: 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE
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That really needs to get changed - just ask. . . If salaried city officials have the time to plan and to prepare three presentations that probably consumed more than 24 hours - or a number of days and weeks - ahead-of-time for this study session, then the public at-large certainly deserves and can demand to respect the rights of citizens to know by providing the presentations in a more timely manner.
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BLOGGER NOTES: In the spirit of the annual Cubbies Spring Training Practice season that's starting now with the pitchers and catchers reporting first, it time for people here in Mesa to play some more hard ball. 
Too many times the game of city government is less known than the baseball games by the sports franchise arriving from Chicago for a few weeks ...
Time to see what your elected government "home team" has on its roster.
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Roll Call (City Council members participate in person or by telephone conference call.)
1 Presentations/Action Items:
20-0194
Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on a draft policy regarding City Council Community Outreach Funds. 1-a
PLEASE NOTE COUNCIL MEMO: Something going wrong?
TO:    Mayor and Council 
FROM:  Scott J. Butler, Deputy City Manager 
CC:   Chris Brady, City Manager 
SUBJECT: Community Outreach Funds 
DATE:   February 13, 2020  
City Staff was asked by the Council to draft revisions and updates to the Community Outreach Funds policy guidelines in order to provide additional definition and clarity as to their use. 
In addition, suggested improvements to the City’s reporting of those funds, along with draft disclosure forms have been provided.  
Last month, the Audit, Finance and Enterprise Committee members reviewed the drafted policy guidelines and disclosure forms, and recommended that Staff present them to the City Council for discussion and feedback. 

File #:

20-0194

Type:

Presentation

Status:

Agenda Ready

In control:

City Council Study Session

On agenda:

2/13/2020

Title:

Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on a draft policy regarding City Council Community Outreach Funds.

Attachments:

1. Council Memo, 2. DRAFT Community Outreach Funds Policy Guidelines, 3. DRAFT Community Outreach Funds Expenditure Form, 4. DRAFT Monthly Community Outreach Funds Expenditures Form, 5. Management Policy 200 - Purchasing Policy and Procedures, 6. Management Policy 201 - Travel Authorization and Expenses, 7. Management Policy 211 - Procurement Card Program

20-0200
Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on a proposed 2020 Transportation Capital Improvement Bond Program. 1-b

File #:

20-0200

Type:

Presentation

Status:

Agenda Ready

In control:

City Council Study Session

On agenda:

2/13/2020

Title:

Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on a proposed 2020 Transportation Capital Improvement Bond Program.

Attachments:

1. Presentation

20-0138 Hear a presentation and discuss
the City’s 3-year comprehensive review of the adopted General Plan,
its policies,
and implementation tools. 1-c

File #:

20-0138

Type:

Presentation

Status:

Agenda Ready

In control:

City Council Study Session

On agenda:

2/13/2020

Title:

Hear a presentation and discuss the City’s 3-year comprehensive review of the adopted General Plan, its policies, and implementation tools.

Attachments:

1. Presentation

General Plan Amendments

• Nana Appiah – Planning Director
• Tom Ellsworth – Principal Planner
• Rachel Prelog – Senior Planner

Page 5
ACCOMPLISHMENTS –
Plan Implementation Implementation involves functions of various City departments
JOB GROWTH & EXPANSIONS
PUBLIC SPACES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
NEIGHBORHOODS
DOWNTOWN

Page 10
CHALLENGES–
Plan Implementation Character Area Designation
CHARACTER AREA DESIGNATIONS

> INTENT

• Focus on the character of areas rather than parcel specific land use
• Promote a mixture of uses to provide vibrancy, sense of place, and to reduce auto dependency

> CHALLENGES - MIXED-USE & EMPLOYMENT DESIGNATIONS

• Lack of a well-defined standard for development of primary vs. ancillary uses
• Proposals for the development of ancillary uses instead of primary uses

Page 14
RECOMMENDATION –Chapter 7 Amendments Character Area Designation

CHARACTER AREA DESIGNATIONS

• Clarify the role and importance of primary uses for establishing the character of an area

• Specify primary vs. ancillary uses
• Establish priority for the development of primary uses

Page 16
CHALLENGES–Plan Implementation General Plan Amendment Procedures
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT CRITERIA

CHALLENGES

• Ambiguity in requirements for major vs. minor amendments
• Doesn’t consider the context of an area

Page 18
RECOMMENDATION –Chapter 16 Amendments General Plan Amendment Criteria
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT CRITERIA
• Adjust Major & Minor Amendment Criteria
• Establishment of Approval Criteria

PLANNING 2020 WORK PLAN
Adjust land use tools to respond to changing community needs and implementation

 

TEXT AMENDMENTS

• Leisure & Recreation Zoning Designation
• Form Based Code – Parking Standards for Mid- and High-Rise Buildings
• Group Home Standards
• Parking Standards
• Assisted Living Standards

• Planned Area Development (PAD) Standards

• Site Plan Review Procedures
• Subdivision Ordinance

GUIDELINES
• Small Lot Development Guidelines
• Adaptive Reuse Guidelines
• Historic Properties Design Guidelines

NEXT STEPS
• Developer Advisory Forum
• Community Meetings
• City Council Study Session
• Planning and Zoning Board
• City Council

 

Questions/Discussion

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