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Joyce Clark Unfiltered

For "the rest of the story"

The chicken issue in Glendale is still not settled. I suspect I may be on council when this issue is finally brought forward. But right now I am not and I can share some thoughts. If you look at my informal poll to the left of this column you will see that half the respondents don’t want chickens and half do want chickens.

This issue should never have been. It started as a neighbor dispute. From all that I have heard they were good neighbors and got along for years. Something triggered animosity (not the chickens) between them and chickens became a means of redress. One of the aggrieved parties went to his or her councilmember to complain. It could have been handled by the councilmember urging both neighbors to participate in mediation or working with them one-on-one. Instead the councilmember brought it forward during Council Items of Special Interest asking for exploration of and discussion of an ordinance to allow chickens.

It has consumed hundreds of hours of staff time and cost you, the taxpayer, thousands of dollars in terms of employee salaries to handle this issue. For years residents have silently had chickens throughout this city…some on large lot property, some on smaller lot property…and there was peace. It was a non-issue. Now we have warfare and it’s the north versus the south all over again. If this hadn’t turned into such a public and divisive issue people all over Glendale would have continued to quietly maintain chickens and no one would have cared. It would have continued to fly under the radar.

Generally north Glendale residents do not want chickens. It’s a NIMBY situation and they believe it will devalue their property. Whether it actually devalues property or not, it is still a matter of perception and therefore a valid consideration. The anti-chicken charge is being guided behind the scenes by former Mayor Scruggs. The public face of anti-chickens in north Glendale is Penny Knochenhauer and Michele Tennyson, her friends.

Now, I may be wrong but I don’t think so…99% of Arrowhead is residential and those neighborhoods are controlled by HOAs. Northern Glendale doesn’t have and will not have a problem with chickens ever…because their HOA regulations mandate whether or not they would be allowed. South Glendale residents appear to be more tolerant and are willing to accept chickens. Many south Glendale chicken proponents already have them and appear to be living in peace with their neighbors. So what do we do now? The staff manpower and expense to resolve this issue is becoming ridiculous. A speedy decision is required. Compromise may be in order. What could a compromise look like?

·       It doesn’t seem appropriate that there be chickens on small lot residential properties. Expanding permissible zoning districts to R1-8, (8,000 square foot lots) could be considered. Right now the smallest zoning district that allows chickens is R1-12 (12,000 square foot lots). This compromise would expand allowable zoning districts by adding R1-10 and R1-8. Properties smaller than that (R1-7, R1-6 and R1-4) could cause potential problems and don’t seem to be appropriate candidates for chickens.

·       Many Valley cities have restrictions on the number of chickens allowed. It seems reasonable to allow one chicken per every 1,000 square feet. On an 8,000 square foot property that would allow for 8 chickens…that’s a lot of eggs!

·       Another component of compromise should include setbacks, a restriction seen in other Valley cities. A setback of 20 feet from any residence (including chicken owner’s home) and 20 foot side and rear yard setbacks to protect adjacent neighbors seem to be in order.

·       Lastly a public acknowledgement in city language that recognizes that HOA regulations on this issue supersede any city codes is vital. This stipulation allows self-determination of the chicken issue in a vast number of neighborhoods in Glendale. It seems reasonable that neighbors decide what is in their best interest.

·       Roosters are prohibited and will continue to be prohibited in nearly all zoning districts.

You know a compromise has worked if those who are in favor are angry and those who are against are angry. This compromise would probably evoke just such a response. Those who are anti-chicken will be angry because the city has expanded the allowance to R1-8 properties. Those who are pro-chicken will be upset because there are restrictions. Perfect.

If  a majority of city council is unwilling to compromise and it comes down to a straight “yes” or “no” vote and I am on city council, I will have to think about the issue further before I make a final decision.

© Joyce Clark, 2016        

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

A few days ago while visiting my local grocery store as I was waiting in line to pay for them when some members of the Amazing Grace Christian Church (located at 73th Avenue and Glendale Avenue) approached me offering to pay my tab. I guess I must have looked extra needy that day in jeans and a sweat shirt. After I got over the surprise of the offer, I declined, asking them to give it to someone with a greater obvious need. In fact, I was so impressed with their act of charity, I gave them a donation on the spot. If you think this is an extraordinary and would like to support them, please consider making a donation to: Amazing Grace Christian Church, 7310 W Camelback Road, Glendale, AZ 85303.

As Councilmember Elect I am now receiving material for city council workshops and voting meetings. On Wednesday afternoon, November 16, 2016, I ran over to Glendale City Hall to pick up the current council book for the November 22nd meeting. Someone should have advised me to bring a hand truck! There are 55 items on the agenda! Take council-booka look…No guesses needed on what I will be doing this weekend. To date, the city has met all of my requests for further information including the current budget book. I am still waiting to receive all material related to the original development of Camelback Ranch.

Recently I had an opportunity to sit down with Glendale’s Planning Director, Jon Froke. He graciously brought me up to speed on already approved as well as potential, new development projects in my district, the Yucca district. We had a good philosophical discussion about the kind of residential projects that should be supported in Yucca. I was appreciative of the chance to share. In the Yucca district, there is already a large compliment of starter home and mid-range housing units. Currently there are 2,000 existing apartment units with another 4,000 approved as future development occurs. So the city has covered the bases in every area except for upscale housing units. I conveyed the need for this kind of housing stock as a priority for Yucca. We also discussed possible concepts for the type of development adjacent to the Loop 303, Glendale’s next economic frontier. I believe the city’s vision for the area, to attract distribution, manufacturing, etc., and mine are aligned.

I also recently had a meeting with the City’s Transportation Department, led by Director Jack Friedline. As you may or may not know, the city has committed to an aggressive street repair and maintenance program over the next five years. Here is what is planned for the Yucca district for Fiscal Year 16-17:

The following streets will be milled and overlaid this year:
79th Avenue from Myrtle Ave to Glendale Ave
77th Lane from Myrtle Ave to Glendale Ave
Myrtle Avenue from 79th Ave to 77th Lane
Midway Ave from 79th Ave to 77th Lane
78th Drive from Midway Ave to Palmaire Ave
Palmaire Ave from 79th Ave to 77th Lane
79th Ave from Camelback to the Grand Canal

The following streets will be slurry sealed this year:
Area between 93rd Ave to 91st Ave; Maryland Ave to Glendale Ave:
Sierra Vista Drive
McLellan Road
Tuckey Lane
Ocotillo Road
83rd Lane
84th Drive
89th Ave
90th Drive

These additional streets will be slurry sealed this year:
Area between 79th Ave to the Grand Canal and Camelback Road;
Vermont Ave                                                                                                                         
Georgia Ave
Oregon Ave
Colter St
Orange Drive
Medlock Drive
Reade Ave
Pasadena Ave
78th Drive
78th Ave
76th Lane
75th Lane

There are 3 Yucca district areas that are street sealant pilot projects. These areas will receive street sealants that are not the usual sealant. The idea is to find out how well each of these sealants perform and how long they last.


Pilot Project Street Sealant #1:
The area between Missouri Ave to Camelback Road and the Grand Canal; 71st Ave to 73 Ave and includes:
Denton Lane
Vermont Ave
Georgia Ave
Colter St
Medlock Dr
Windsor Blvd
Reade Ave
Pasadena Ave
71st Lane
71st Drive
72nd Ave


Pilot Project Street Sealant #2: I believe this sealant goes on pink and after a day or two becomes clear:
The area between Northern Ave to Glendale Ave; 83rd Ave to 89th Ave:
Lane Ave
Augusta Ave
Hayward Ave
Frier Drive
Carole Lane
Helen Lane
Orangewood Ave
Gardenia Ave
State Ave
Northview Ave
Nicolette Ave
Myrtle Ave
Midway Ave
Palmaire Ave
Glenn Drive
83rd Drive
84th Drive
86th Ave
86th Lane
87th Ave
88th Ave
88th Lane
88th Drive
89th Lane


Pilot Project Street Sealant #3:
the area between 87th Ave to 88th Ave;
Glendale Ave to Ocotillo Road:
Flynn Lane
Fleetwood Lane
Peppertree Lane
Lamar Drive
87th Drive
88th Ave

© Joyce Clark, 2016          

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

On Monday, November 14, 2016, Anthony LeBlanc, representing the NHL Arizona Coyotes, announced the possibility of a Coyotes move to a new arena in the East Valley. Note that I, as others, used the word “possibility.”

Here are the links to major stories about the announcement:

As one read media reports or watched TV reports about the announcement the impression given was that it was a done deal and we could expect construction of a new arena immediately. A very few of the media did admit that the Coyotes face tremendous obstacles. Everyone should take a deep breath and sit back and wait until next June to learn the results of on-going negotiations. 

What was really said at the announcement? Simply this…Catellus Development Corporation, master developer of the ASU Athletic Facilities District, and the Arizona Coyotes are in negotiation. In 2010 ASU was successful in getting the Arizona legislature to approve an athletic district, a special revenue district for lands owned by state-supported universities, which could be used as a funding source for some of its athletic capital projects such as the $268 million dollar renovation of Sun Devil Stadium. Shortly thereafter, in 2014, ASU announced Catellus as its master developer of the Karsten land.

The Catellus Development Corporation is described by Bloomberg as, “Catellus Development Corporation, a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the ownership and development of primarily industrial properties in the United States. The company operates in Core segment, and Urban, Residential, and Other segment (URO). Core segment manages and leases its rental portfolio, as well as acquires and develops suburban commercial business parks for its own rental portfolio and for selling land and/or buildings to users and other parties. URO segment manages residential projects and urban development activities, as well as the desert land sales. As of July 28, 2005, the company’s rental portfolio totaled 41.1 million square feet. It operates principally in California, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Georgia, and New Jersey. The company has elected to be treated as a REIT and would not be subject to federal income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. Catellus Development is headquartered in San Francisco, California.”

What I found to be most interesting about Catellus is that was a spin off of a major railroad company. This is from http://www.muelleraustin.com/about/catellus/ : “Catellus was founded in 1984, following a proposed merger of two railroad giants. When Santa Fe Industries (which owned the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) proposed a merger with the Southern Pacific Company (which owned the Southern Pacific Railroad), the new company created a wholly owned subsidiary named the Santa Fe Pacific Realty Corporation. The subsidiary was charged with managing the company’s non-railroad landholdings and turning unproductive parcels across the country into revenue generating assets. In 1990, after the merger of the railroads was denied, Santa Fe Pacific Realty Corporation spun off as a publicly traded company named Catellus Development Corporation (NYSE:CDX).”

Everyone by now is aware of the proposed site location and the proposal of a 16,000 seat, $400 million dollar Coyotes arena. What the announcement signals is Catellus has granted the Coyotes until June 30, 2017 to review the land and get the political, developmental, architectural and financial plans required to build it.

Take special note of two words…political and financial plans. Where were the political figures as this announcement was made? Governor Ducey, Phoenix Mayor Stanton, Tempe Mayor Mitchell, ASU President Crow or anyone representing the state legislature were all AWOL.  In fact, it was reported, “Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton who has pushed for a new hockey-basketball arena downtown, threw cold water on the Coyotes’ plan.”  He said, “A deal is far from complete, and appears to require new levels of support from both state of Arizona and City of Tempe taxpayers. My thinking hasn’t changed: Building a third professional arena in this market doesn’t make sense, especially when it would likely require new public dollars as a part of the deal.” The Governor’s office declined to comment. Mayor Mitchell of Tempe didn’t even know about it until the public announcement was made. Even Deputy Commissioner Daley’s comment was lukewarm, “I’m very pleased with where they are. I think this is an incredible opportunity for an exciting new future in the Valley.” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett reflected what many others are feeling these days when there is an Anthony LeBlanc announcement, “It’s good news. It’s early. A lot of us have been through a lot of this before. Hopefully, everything turns out as wonderful as it sounds.”

The Coyotes expect the state legislature to create a special taxing district that would require taxpayers to pay $200 million of the $400 million needed. They floated the idea last legislative year and were told to come back in 2017 for possible consideration. General sentiment is that the Republican-controlled legislature will view the Coyotes’ latest request for public subsidy with a decided lack of enthusiasm.

One has only to look at the snapshot poll run recently by TV Channel 10’s Sean McLaughlin. At last check 31% of the poll respondents supported using tax dollars for construction of another sports facility. 45% of the respondents did not support use of public money and 24% wanted the Coyotes to remain in Glendale. If this poll is an accurate gauge of public support, it isn’t there with 69% opposed to using taxpayer dollars. It appears the public/political will to use $200 million dollars of taxpayer money for another sport facility is no where to be found.

As for the financial aspect, the Coyotes said they would pony up $200 million dollars. Let’s revisit some history. When IceArizona purchased the team, relatively speaking, very little of investor money was used. Instead two loans were granted for the team’s purchase… one from the National Hockey League and one from Fortress investment. The actual cash investment by the IceArizona investment group was less than a third of the purchase price. The investment group came out of the gate heavily in debt. It is no secret that the Coyotes lose millions every year. That’s why the City of Glendale’s annual taxpayer subsidy was so important to them. It made the annual bleeding a little less.

If the Coyotes really want to control their own destiny, why not just buy Glendale’s arena? It certainly would be cheaper than building a brand new $400 million dollar facility and it would give them the advantage of having complete control of the building and all of the revenues it generates.

I have heard but not enough for ironclad confirmation, that AEG, new manager of the Glendale arena, offered the Coyotes a smokin’ deal. Reportedly LeBlanc’s response was to reject the offer and walk out of the meeting.

Where are the Coyotes going to find $200 million dollars for their portion of the deal? There are only so many Andrew Barroways around. Mr. Barroway currently owns 54% of the team and according to Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/teams/arizona-coyotes/ , the team is valued at $220 million as of November, 2015. Here are additional facts provided by Forbes:

  • Price Paid: $170 M
  • Year Purchased: 2013
  • Revenue2: $92 M
  • Operating Income3: $-4.5 M
  • Debt/Value4: 63%
  • Player Expenses5: $60 M
  • Gate Receipts6: $20 M
  • Wins-to-player cost ratio7: 62
  • Revenue per Fan8: $11
  • Metro Area Population: 4.5 M

It should be disconcerting to Catellus, ASU and Tempe to hear that the Coyotes hope the project “pays for itself” or as Barroway says the Coyotes finally might break even with a new Tempe arena. Glendale should be an object lesson for them. Even with all of the revenue sharing schemes in its deal with the Coyotes, the Coyotes’ projections never became reality and those revenues never compensated Glendale for its annual subsidy.

LeBlanc brought much of the continual speculation and fan pressure upon himself. He repeatedly assured everyone that an announcement about a new site was forth coming. Before the draft…after the draft…beginning of the summer…end of the summer. What he provided publicly with this announcement is merely a fig leaf designed to cover his…

I believe the Coyotes best option remains the Glendale arena. I, personally, would like to see them stay.Glendale’s City Manager Kevin Phelps said it best, “the city will keep operating as if their arena will house the Coyotes long-term, noting that new arenas are very expensive to construct. I don’t think the last chapter of this book has been written — and until it is written, we’re going to keep doing our part to see how we can add value to the Coyotes.”

© Joyce Clark, 2016        

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

On Monday, November 14, 2016, the Glendale city council approved a Settlement Agreement with the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AZSTA) and the Arizona Cardinals. Here is the link to the background material on the proposal: https://glendale-az.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2881276&GUID=C07EFD4F-664C-4A92-98FF-A23BF1C88B39&Options=&Search=&FullText=1 . Here is the link to the Settlement Agreement in full: final-settlement-agreement-11102016 .

The major points of the settlement are:

·       It settles an outstanding legal claim of $67 million dollars in damages initiated in 2012 by the Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority (AZSTA) and the Cardinals by paying them jointly $14 million over the next 5 years.

·       It creates $3 million dollars of infrastructure to enable pedestrians to cross Bethany Home Road without impeding the traffic on Bethany Home.

·       It includes construction of 95th Avenue from Bethany to Camelback Road at a cost of $3 million.

If I were on city council I would have approved the settlement. Let’s look at it point by point. I want to make clear since my election was not funded by special interests, my prime directive, based on being fully informed of the pros and cons, is to make the best possible decisions that I believe are in the city’s best interests. This would have been one of them.

Over the weekend, I downloaded the entire proposed 135 page settlement agreement, read it, made notations, and then was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to sit down with the City Manager to get any and all of my questions answered. The current councilmembers have had the luxury of discussion and information about settlement negotiations for the past two months.

At first I was angry thinking here we go again, paying millions more to support sports in our town. Are we nuts? After I calmed down, I started to really think about it. Yes, we could reject the settlement and the $67 million dollar claim would have wended its way through the court system….for a year? two years? There is, of course, no way of predicting the outcome but I will say the city’s track record of late, has not been one to inspire confidence in a city win. If the city had lost, it would have had to pay out $67 million plus not just its attorneys’ fees but the claimants’ attorneys’ fees as well.

It’s also a matter of doing the right thing. The city had the obligation to live up to its contractual agreement of providing 11,000 parking spaces, per the Parking License Agreement and other documents from 2005, over a decade ago.

The $14 million in damages is, of course, an onerous pill to swallow but it’s better than $67 million. It is my understanding that this $14 million will be used for upgrades at the Stadium Plaza and the stadium interior. The city was also able to structure payments over the next five years making it fiscally manageable. The city is no longer obligated to construct a $50 million dollar parking garage… ever. This agreement settles all parking claims forever.

Why is an underpass under Bethany Home Road and bridges over the SRP Canal and the Grand Canal Linear Park necessary? When the stadium and transportation infrastructure was originally built the intent was to drive vehicular traffic from the west and the north toward the stadium. However, when the city has completed both parking lots (one east of the stadium and one south of the stadium), masses of pedestrians will be crossing Bethany Home Road. If they proceeded on the surface street, Bethany Home Road, the pedestrian traffic would essentially block all vehicular traffic. Now that a major portion of fans (6,000 parking spaces) will be parking south and east of the stadium it becomes a necessity.

Lastly, let’s look at 95th Avenue. Another city promise broken for over a decade. This arterial opens up land for commercial development, especially on the west side of 95th Avenue between Camelback Road and Bethany Home Road. There will be new commercial properties locating along that arterial which, in turn, will generate more sales tax revenue for the city. It also puts to rest the alignment of 95th Avenue. It will now curve away from the Pendergast Estates neighborhood and will not connect to the neighborhood’s three interior streets of Missouri, Marshall and San Juan. For years as councilmember I advocated for just such a solution for this neighborhood. I am pleased to know the city has taken their concerns seriously and has devised an alignment to protect this neighborhood.

These reasons persuaded me that approval of the Settlement was the right thing to do: 1. fulfillment of the city’s long-standing contractual obligation; 2. avoidance of a possible $67 million dollar verdict; 3. mitigating pedestrian movement as a result of the installation of two new, massive parking lots; and 3. bringing closure and surety on the 95th Avenue alignment to the Pendergast Estates neighborhood.

What was city council’s decision? Mayor Weiers, Vice Mayor Hugh, Councilmembers Malnar and Tolmachoff voted in favor of the settlement. All councilmembers spoke before casting their votes and this majority of four recited variations of the reasons cited above. Councilmembers Turner, Aldama and Chavira voted against the settlement. They did not cite flaws in the settlement as their reason for disapproval. Why? Because even they know this settlement is acceptable. No, they used the theme of transparency and that the public was not given enough time to weigh in. It was, in all probability, a smoke screen so that they would have time to marshal their activist anti-settlement forces to march on down to council chambers.

While these three councilmembers  professed that they wanted to strengthen their relationships with the Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority and the Cardinals, it had been circulated that Aldama and Turner refused to meet with AZSTA and Cardinal representatives. Instead they gave both organizations the back of their hands. Surprisingly, disgraced and recalled former Councilmember Gary Sherwood showed up to berate this council for lacking transparency while asking for more time for council’s consideration. It seems that he did not consider two months of negotiation to be enough. Rampant conjecture is that three of them (Turner, Aldama and Sherwood) are using issues such as this to raise their level of visibility in order to position themselves for a run for mayor four years from now.

I do see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. It’s time to bury the past. The city manager and a majority of the council are to be congratulated for having made decisions that are designed to position Glendale forward and to clean up Glendale’s sports deals with its decade-old refusals to live up to its commitments. Make no mistake, former City Manager Ed Beasley and former Mayor Scruggs were very much aware of these obligations and refused to make good on them. Minority councilmembers such as me and Councilmember Lieberman were simply not privy to their inaction.

With the announcement of the Coyotes entrance into negotiations for an arena in the east valley I think it is time to do another blog on what this might mean. Look for my next blog which will be devoted to this topic.

© Joyce Clark, 2016        

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Is Main Stream Media now irrelevant?

Posted by Joyce Clark on November 10, 2016
Posted in City of GlendaleNational issues  | Tagged With: , | 3 Comments

I occasionally write about national issues and this blog is one of those. As people demonstrate in the streets of seven major cities tonight (11/9/2016) shutting down traffic (Portland , OR) or wreaking havoc (Oakland, CA) at the expense of small businesses and fueled by Black Lives Matter and other anti-Trump movements the talking heads’ post mortems have begun on not only why Trump won but why MSM did not see it coming.

 I felt compelled to comment after reading this tweet today: “Resonating comment from Peter Thiel: the media took Trump literally and not seriously while voters took him seriously and not literally.” I’m sorry. This statement is too simplistic and is but just one of the current rationales that popped up today, giving Main stream media (MSM) a pass for their actions during this election cycle. MSM still doesn’t get it. Who is MSM? It’s ABC, NBC, CNN, ad nausea and every major city’s newspaper.

I am a “deplorable” – a well-educated, middle class, senior, white woman. All of my life I valued MSM. I can remember every Sunday, after Mass, my parents would get the Sunday edition of the New York Times. We all divvied it up and would devour it. I cut my teeth on their word puzzles. News on TV consisted of objective reporting by the likes of Walter Cronkite and investigative reporting by the Morley Safers of the journalistic world.

Whether it is TV or print they have failed all of us (Republicans, Democrats, Independents, etc.) and I will not buy their theory that they failed to recognize the movement to which Trump has given a voice. MSM became corrupt as its members sought even greater recognition, fame, power and wealth. They salivated to be part of the “inner circle” – to be movers and shakers. They insulated themselves from the very people who relied upon their reputation for fair and unbiased reporting. They were not co-opted. They deliberately chose their path.

They believed to their very core that if they hitched their star to the Clinton campaign it would further their personal agendas. So, they corrupted themselves, through collusion by feeding Clinton debate questions, by submitting their reporting to the Clinton campaign for editing, by pushing a negative Trump narrative daily at the rate of 10 negative Trump stories to every 1 negative Clinton story. MSM deliberately and willfully ignored the consequences of Benghazi, Clinton’s failure to preserve our national security with her personal email server and the Clinton Foundation’s pay-to-play schemes. It willingly became a propaganda arm of the Clinton campaign.

Gone is fair and unbiased reporting and it has done a major disservice, especially to the younger generation. Gone is hard news. It has been replaced with drivel designed to placate and divert. Now the masses are fed the crime of the day, recipe of the day, new decorating ideas for your home…yada, yada, yada…all pablum, no substance, no facts, no hard news about our economy, the world we live in or anything else of real value. MSM has played a major role in giving birth to a generation that accepts no responsibility for anything and who wishes to be wrapped in a cocoon of emotional thinking whose only reality is to pursue the illusion of happiness and “safe spaces.”

In the past year and a half, first I stopped watching ABC, CNN, etc. Then I stopped watching cable stations, even FOX. Lastly I stopped reading the newspaper. I still get plenty of good, solid news from other sources like the BBC. I suspect I am not alone. Viewership and readership are diminishing daily. MSM is no longer relevant to half the country – the half of the country that they perceived to be stupid and ignorant – not of their ilk.

© Joyce Clark, 2016        

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

A constituent asked me to post this video of a young man who attempted to burglarize a house in his neighborhood. The area is Desert Sunset in west Glendale, just north of 83rd Avenue and west of Heroes Park. If you recognize this young man, please call the Glendale Police Department at 623-930-3000. Thank you.

Update: Saturday, November 11, 2016. This may be the young person in the video of a possible attempted burglary suspect. I guess you could call him “a person of interest.” He was skateboarding on 83rd Avenue just south of Berridge Lane, Yucca district, Glendale. If you know who he is, please call the Glendale Police Department. Thank you.

possiblesuspectcropped

As Arizona voters go to the polls this Tuesday, November 8, 2016 to decide the issue of recreational marijuana use it may be useful to consider some of the unintended consequences. The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA ) first preliminary report on Colorado’s passage of recreational marijuana has recently been issued. Here is the link to the report:http://www.rmhidta.org/html/FINAL%20Legalization%20of%20MJ%20in%20Colorado%20the%20Impact.pd . Here are some of the statistics offered in its Executive Summary:

·       Colorado Driving Fatalities: From 2006 to 2011, traffic fatalities decreased in Colorado 16 percent, but fatalities involving drivers testing positive for marijuana increased 114 percent.

·       Colorado Youth Marijuana Use: In 2011, the national average for youth 12 to 17 years old considered “current” marijuana users was 7.64 percent which was the highest average since 1981. The Colorado average percent was 10.72.

·       Colorado Adult Marijuana Use: In 2011, the national average for young adults ages 18 to 25 considered current marijuana users was at 18.7 percent. The Colorado average was 27.26 percent.

·       Colorado Emergency Room – Marijuana Admissions: From 2005 through 2008 there was an average of 741 visits per year to the emergency room in Colorado for marijuana-related incidents involving youth. That number increased to 800 visits per year between 2009 and 2011.

·       Colorado Marijuana-Related Exposure Cases: From 2005 through 2008, the yearly average number of marijuana-related exposures for children ages 0 to 5 years was 4. For 2009 through 2012, that number increased 200 percent to an average of 12 per year.

·       Diversion of Colorado Marijuana (General): From 2005 to 2008, compared to 2009 to 2012, interdiction seizures involving Colorado marijuana quadrupled from an average per year of 52 to 242. During the same period, the average number of pounds of Colorado marijuana seized per year increased 77 percent from an average of 2,220 to 3,937 pounds. A total of 7,008 pounds was seized in 2012.

·       Diversion of Colorado Marijuana (Postal Packages): In 2010, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service seized 15 packages with Colorado marijuana destined for other states. Seizures steadily increased through 2012 when 158 parcels were seized. From 2010 to 2012 Colorado marijuana seized by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service increased from 57 to 262 pounds.

There is no doubt Colorado’s political, social and economic sectors are changing as a result of its recreational use. Socially, the adjoining states of Oklahoma and Nebraska have filed lawsuits against Colorado because drivers with marijuana in their systems are impacting law enforcement resources in these neighboring states.

Increased use by teenagers has increased educational and disciplinary problems in high schools as well as a rise in the expulsion rate. The strategy used by marijuana sellers to create very enticing edible marijuana products that look like candy or cookies have proven to be highly attractive to younger children causing more emergency room visits.

Denver’s homeless population has exploded placing a greater burden on the area non-profits that service this population.

Politically, Colorado is experiencing regulatory confusion surrounding public consumption in the form of the maximum amount allowable in edibles as well as enforcement as it pertains to what amount in the blood stream constitutes impairment.

Economically, local governments have received almost $6 million dollars in revenues from the industry in 2014 and 2015. But at what price to those very same local governments? Communities are experiencing increased costs in law enforcement and increased gang-related crime activity. Companies are realizing a demonstrated loss of worker productivity. In fact, some Colorado companies have begun recruiting employees from out of state as many prospective Colorado employees can no longer pass drug tests for employment. Local governments and companies are beginning to question their cost-benefits related to recreational marijuana use.

Tourists are flocking to the state for the express purpose of purchasing and using recreational marijuana but those tourist dollars have been diverted from traditional tourism activities.

Since recreational use was legalized drug trafficking has increased with more seizures of marijuana smuggled into the state for legal sale as well as the export of Colorado grown marijuana to other regions of the country.

Sometimes it is prudent to be wary about what we wish for. Arizona’s residents have approved of medical marijuana use and that was a compassionate decision. Do we really want to see recreational marijuana shops using graphic images of lollipops and candy on their store fronts acting as a magnet for our children? It is occurring in Colorado. Do we really expect huge sums of revenue…only to be consumed in greater law enforcement costs and the creation of yet another new state agency to oversee its use? Arizona already has a high school dropout rate that is embarrassing. Do we really want to add another factor sure to depress that rate even further?

Beware of unintended consequences. It is a economic, social and medical force that Arizona is simply not prepared to deal with.

© Joyce Clark, 2016        

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

PLEASE NOTE: REPORTS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE TWO GLENDALES POLL.  HAVE REMOVED IT TEMPORARILY. WILL TROUBLESHOOT AND REPOST WHEN FIXED.

The City Manager Kevin Phelps has initiated a major initiative, Strategic Planning: A discussion of values, mission and vision for the entire organization.  The consultancy group facilitating the project is the Advanced Strategy Center located in Scottsdale. There have been two meetings involving the city council as well as other sessions involving various stakeholder groups. Unfortunately I cannot share any commentary made by the city council or the stakeholders who have participated thus far. The material received by council bears the following admonition,“This document in its entirety is Client Confidential and may not be reproduced or distributed without expressed permission.”

A council session on this topic was held on Monday, October 31, 2016. I want to take this opportunity to thank the city council. I remain at this time, a Councilmember Elect without the right to formally participate. Council, at the start of the session, invited me to do so. I thank them for their generosity in granting me the opportunity to be part of the discussion.

In reviewing the material provided for this session, it caused me, as I am sure it did the other councilmembers, to really think about and to reflect upon Glendale…past, present and future. The perspectives I am about to offer are mine exclusively and do not reflect support of or opposition to any of the remarks I may have made at this Strategic Planning Session. The following thoughts  are mine and mine alone and may or may not be shared by other councilmembers.

You will note that I entitled this blog, “Two Glendales.” There are two distinct Glendales with the central portion of the city acting as a buffer between the two. The central area of Glendale is predominately comprised of the middle class who tend to become more vocal and active when an issue directly affects them.

It is the classic north versus south scenario. North Glendale, with the exception of the major economic drivers of Bell Road and Midwestern University, is a sea of residential subdivisions. The residents are predominately more affluent, better educated, more articulate and vocal and certainly more activist. If 20 Arrowhead residents show up at a council meeting, city council will take note, listen and respond.  It suffers of crime but usually in terms of property theft and violent crime, although there is some, is quite low statistically. The demographic is mid to high socio-economic.

South Glendale, is comprised mainly but not exclusively, of zip code 85301, noted in the media for its concentration of a low socio-economic demographic. Here one will find the city’s greatest concentration  of auto loan businesses, pawn shops and bars. The Maricopa Adult Probation Center is located here along with the many non-profits who serve poorer, less educated populations. Its residents tend to be less educated, often poor and dependent on government/non-profit services. They tend not to be articulate, vocal or activist. There is certainly greater reluctance to interface with government. Crime occurs with greater frequency and tends to be more violent.

Take a moment to look at the comparative Census Bureau statistics (latest figures available via city documentation) between two locations. The 67th Avenue and Union Hills Drive 1 mile radius is representative of north Glendale. The 59th Avenue and Glendale Avenue 1 mile radius is representative of south Glendale. Demographically there are stark differences:               

                                             67/Union Hills Drive  1 mile        59/Glendale Ave   1 mile

  • 2014 Projected Population                            16,475                   21,462
  • 2014 Proj. Households                                   4,726                     5,788
  • 2009 Est. Median Age                                      35.9                       27.7
  • 2009 Est. Average Household Income          $99,243                  $37,528
  • 2009 Est. White Population                            85.8%                    59.7%
  • 2009 Est. Black Population                              3.1%                      6.6%
  • 2009 Est. Asian & Pacific Islander                    4.7%                      2.2%
  • 2009 Est. American Indian & Alaska Native       0.8%                      2.6%
  • 2009 Est. Other Races Population                     5.6%                      29%
  • 2009 Est. Hispanic Population Percent             17.3%                    65.8%
  • 2009 Est. Elementary (0 to 8)                           2.3%                   26.5%
  • 2009 Est. Some High School (9 to 11)               4.2%                   15.8%
  • 2009 Est. High School Graduate (12)               22.3%                   27.6%
  • 2009 Est. Some College (13 to 16)                   22.1%                  15.9%
  • 2009 Est. Associate Degree Only                        9.5%                      5%
  • 2009 Est. Bachelor Degree Only                       25.1%                      6%
  • 2009 Est. Graduate Degree                              14.5%                    3.1%
  • 2000 Home Value $200,000 to $299,999    32.3%       $100,000 to $149,999  11.4%
  • 2000 Home Value $150,000 to $199,999      42%         $50,000 to $99,999   66.4%
  • 2000 Home Value $100,000 to $149,999   21.4%        $25,000 to $49,999    15.9%
  • 2009 Est. Civilian Employed                             66.0%                     55%
  • 2009 Est. Civilian Unemployed                           7.0%                    7.1%
  • 2000 Percent White Collar Workers                   76.5%                  34.2%
  • 2000 Percent Blue Collar Workers                     23.5%                  65.8%

This is not an exclusive problem seen only in Glendale. Every other Valley city has some iteration of this same dichotomy. Part of the determinant of Glendale’s future rests upon how we deal with it now…finally.  For too long, probably the last twenty years, all of us have allowed this division between the two Glendales to become more pronounced. It is not hopeless just because it’s been easier not to face. We have failed to address the complicated issues needed to create mitigation and bring the two Glendales together. If we are to craft the Glendale of the future it is an issue that must be resolved.

I don’t pretend to know the solution. If I did I would have become a consultant making big bucks a long time ago. Perhaps part of the solution lies in open and frank dialogue between the two communities. Give them an opportunity to craft solutions that both segments of the community can embrace. It is not a situation that lends itself to imposed fixes but rather offers opportunities for collaboration. Perhaps it it is time to think in terms of equity rather than equality.

There are other issues as a result of my thinking about strategic planning yet to be discussed… in future blogs.

© Joyce Clark, 2016          

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.