I'm sure we all remember the voters of Oro Valley overwhelmingly said "no" to funding the Naranja Bond issue to the tune of $48.6 million.
What you may not recall is the fact that Mayor Loomis wanted the funding to be $150-160 million. Obviously, that would have also been defeated, probably even more so.
We also probably know that President-elect Obama is going to ask congress to approve a stimulus package that could exceed one trillion dollars. Our representative in congress, Gabieille Giffords asked Oro Valley to supply a "wish list" as to programs we would want to fund.
Anybody want to guess which were the top three PRIORITIES for infrastructure funds?
We'll tell you.
Number one: The Oro Valley Municipal Center.
Number two: Steam Pump Ranch.
Number three: ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS FOR "THE NARANJA RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL COMPLEX."
We must ask: Who decided that the Naranja Park gets this new name, and how was it determined that this defeated "sports complex" deserved to be more of a priority than our infrastructure needs, such as roads and water issues?
Yes---- we know the list had to be provided in a couple days, but as far as we're concerned, whoever determined that $150M is deemed necessary for this park, ahead of all the other necessary items, was not thinking rationally.
Perhaps, we'll find out in the near future who was responsible for (probably unilaterally) coming up with this 18 item list.
We thought our readers might want to know.
19 comments:
Very Interesting! I would think that our roads would be #1 on the Mayor's list of items needed for Oro Valley. The Mayor's request for the three items on his "wish list" are nice but not the most important.
I am wondering whether Mayor Loomis discusses his requests to Gabrielle Giffords with the Council members before writing his letters. In the past, our Mayor has made decisions without getting input from the Town Council.
Does anyone know how the Council members feel about these requests?
I can't speak for any council member, but I can tell you I believe at least some on the council were not at all happy to have this list go out without their prior knowledge.
Why the roads which require $5M was not a top priority along with water concerns is incomprehensible.
Larry Flint and the Porn industry have asked for a bail out, why not Oro Valley.
As I have asked on previous posting to this blog, how do we start a recall on the mayor?
I know there are wise bloggers out there who have the answer!!
Hey, I'm all for the no waste issue, I'm also not a big fan of Loomis, but I think we are beating a dead horse here. I voted against the bond issue, that was a no brainer, but, if they want to give us the money to get a park and a complex center, etc., etc. then that is no burden to the citizens of Oro Valley.
All this aside, we need to attract professionals, who most often have families, and if we have no amenities for them, they will look elsewhere. A park and conference center, will only increase our property values, we need to make up on the other end for our fallen economy. I think this blog is a great place to be up to date on our community and make our comments, but now it's just becoming an us against them place, or a place to air out every displeasure in our community. We need to move forward and stop fighting every fight, save some energy for the real battles.
JB
I thought that this was going to happen in that, at the last meeting, after a vote at a prior meeting had rejected the idea of hiring a lobbyist and one of the arguments during the rejection discussion not to hire same included mention that we (the Town) could ask for federal money i.e. for the Naranja Town Site, etc. I spoke at that meeting and tried to remind Council and Staff that money was NOT the only reason that was the cause for the defeat of the 'Park' issue. It was voted that a lobbyist not be hired and that the Town would itself attempt to obtain monies for NEEDED help. At the very next meeting I attended, it was stated that a list of 17 items was being forwarded to our Representative, Ms. Gabrielle Giffords asking for federal funding help; the list of items was NOT disclosed.
Who prepared this list? Who decided that these items included some kind of affirmation that a park, in it's 'whatever' format was a 'go' item? Who is in charge here?
HAS THIS PERSON OR THESE PERSONS BEEN KEEPING UP WITH THE NEWS OF THE SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS OF OUR FEDERAL FISCAL SITUATION??? Money is needed for a lot of things and Parks (in our case a sports complex) are NOT priorities! Will Ms. Giffords like to have it publicized nationally that she might be taking part in some more money skimming from the Federal Government relative to providing a Town with a place to play? Hmmm....
Town, you want a lobbyist? I can guarantee you that I will write letters to Ms. Giffords and others and utilize whatever power(s) I might have to get this/these 'earmark(s)' facsimile(s) OFF THE TABLE! Shame on the Town of Oro Valley!
And, Juan, you are dead wrong in your assessment that these kinds of amenities will attract businesses. I came here from a town that tried having everything, Raleigh, North Carolina; guess what Juan? They are in horrible financial shape now, the amenities aren't drawing, and the money ain't a comin' in! This idea that parks and rec, and convention centers, and meeting halls, and all the glitz is helping the THOUSANDS of towns all over the country is a bad dreamed fairy tale. Juan, maybe someone can have a Benz, a boat, a million dollar home with a pool, spa and marble floors and the like, but, if that person doesn't have the money to eat, what in hell is the point.
Jerene Watson, our Assistant Town Manager, headed up the extraordinary effort to get this requested wish list to Rep. Giffords' office. She notified the entire Council, department directors, and key staff of her efforts back on December 17.
Here is her response regarding the process. I hope it helps.
“In response to questions on how we got the federal stimulus projects drafted and sent off to Congress in less than 16 waking hours before the time & date due to Washington, here were the guidelines or parameters used to quickly get the information pulled together:
1. Projects had to be generally “ready to begin,” at least a first phase, within a short timeframe sometimes called ‘project ready.’ All projects that we submitted are in work plans and developed close to being able to start if funding was available. Examples of our qualified projects are those which may be active projects underway, such as the Municipal Complex; those that have master planning completed; design work underway or completed; road projects that are in the regional plan and can be bid out for design within an eight-week or less window; pavement management of local town street paving where contracts that can be let within eight weeks. The objective of the stimulus is to get jobs open and people to work as soon as possible, not months or years down the road.
2. All projects were listed by the amount of the project cost to the Town, with the exception of the CAP project. (CAP reservoir, part of the project, is an active project identified already in the President’s Bureau of Reclamation 09/10 budget appropriation bill and the entire cost was included). Projects such as the Municipal Operations Complex are already underway. Naranja Town Site was master planned and phases identified for building, ready for design of Phase I. Although the ballot item before the voters this fall was only for Phase I, the entire site has a plan, with phases and a cost identified with the entire buildout of the land, and we put the entire project amount as we did for all other projects.
3. Names of projects were give descriptive names where it was not clear what the name encompassed so that individuals completely unfamiliar with our Town and locally-known names of projects would understand what the construction would involve (Municipal Complex Construction & Town Hall Addition, Naranja Recreational & Cultural Complex Construction, Steam Pump Ranch Historic Site Restoration). All other infrastructure listed was very straight forward and understood simply in the title listed.
The new Administration’s objective is to get jobs going and the economy stimulated to provide a healthy basis for our economy again. If we bring back our federal taxpayer dollars sent back to Washington DC for even one project, we will be fortunate. We should remain realistic, but, if we receive funding for any one of these projects, then it frees up our local budget dollars to meet the needs and services budgeted for before the downturn and state recession which has reduced our revenues.
The likelihood of receiving federal help is diminished by the news this week that all the projects will likely be routed through the state in block grants. We haven’t been told what type of block grants and how that would work just yet, but those familiar with this expect funds will be then prioritized by their own state-identified projects and used towards those priorities before local jurisdictions get any potential cut. Whether it is population-based formula, need based or whatever is truly unknown at this point in time. We are having weekly conversations with Congresswoman Giffords' office to keep informed as soon as they know something.”
Thanks to Salette and Jerene for providing us the additional info;.
Not saying I agree or disagree with all of this spending, but I do think if the government is going to "give away" some of our money we might as well get in line :>)
Salette nailed the answer. It would have taken a simple phone call to any one Council member to have learned this before taking them all to task for not revealing the Mayor's so-called "secret" list."
Oro Valley should not receive one more penny than it is entitled to; but it should not receive one penny less. Remember that the stimulus program is meant not only to improve communities but also to provide employment and to build sustainable infrastructure that uses "green" technology when possible. And all of the projects need to be planned and ready to go, so the list was--by definition--limited.
Roads, parks, sewers, water storage facilities--the construction of all of these create jobs. But--down the road, we'll have to figure out how to maintain these facilities once they've been built.
If money is coming to southern Arizona, would you rather have it go to Oro Valley or to Marana where, apparently, a Council member can see that certain HOA's benefit? ;-)
I think Salette should run for Mayor. :-)
JB
Sorry, Salette, but whatever the justifications you perceive, the following are a couple of important FACTS: the Federal Government is in NO position to pursue 'earmarks' whether predetermined as having been available in whatever form within which it might be contained or that it yet be pursued regardless that this country is in dire financial straits. In addition, the citizens of this town voted NO on the 'park' issue and the Town has no business in attempting to override this vote by 'back door means' without the explicit consent of it's citizens.
This attempt to finance Oro Valley with federal money is a travesty!
b-b et al,
The 'stimulus package' is just one more ambiguous con on the welfare of the general public; to believe in 'it' at this point in time is one huge mistake. So far, it appears to be a garbled attempt to utilize a socialistic approach to 'help' the country. Financing playgrounds, and municipal centers is nothing but vote candy; same old farce, newly parsed script, and no real truths.
Zev--I understand your points but I think it's premature to make conclusions about the distribution of the stimulus funds.
It makes perfect sense to fund localities' infrastructure needs, particularly those that have been planned but for which there are no funds. The point is to get people working as quickly as possible.
Was the WPA a "socialist approach"? I suppose you could argue that. But, in the mean time, that project gave us the bridges and pathway up Sabino Canyon to say nothing of the Catalina Highway improvements.
If funds from Washington help to upgrade our sewers, streets and water delivery systems, I'm all for it. Likewise, if there are funds to begin the installation of ball fields on the Naranja Town Site (and the infrastructure that they require), I'm all for that, too.
Right now, everyone on this blog should be concentrating on getting those funds to be sent directly to the municipalities rather than to the states (which want to use the money to balance their budgets).
I believe (perhaps with some naivete) that this is one issue that everyone on this blog can get behind.
b-b, and yes I can understand some of your points, too. But, I ask you, how much understanding will a public have that 'available' monies can be used for something such as a 'park', a playground for the 'rich'? Is this akin to 'a bridge to nowhere', is this akin to assisting Larry Flynt of Hustler Magazine in his request for bailout money? After all, each and every one of these 'items' will add a few persons to the employment rolls, but to what advantage for the general welfare or necessity of the public? That an item such as a 'park' for Oro Valley is an infrastructural one is pure hogwash! Yes, there are other projects in Oro Valley that might be considered as a benefit to and for the general public and that truly reflect that which infrastructure is intended to mean; the 'park' is not a fit!
Now, I will repeat myself for the FOURTH time (only at the first council meeting where this potential for 'ear mark' money
was introduced did I receive positive statements that I might have a point), THIS PARK ISSUE WAS DEFEATED BY THE VOTERS! Who will account for this vote being arbitrarily overridden by Staff or Council? No, b-b and others, while the money was one of the factors in the 'no' vote it was not the only one and since the vote was 'NO' overall, duly voted against by the citizens of this community,
is an override of it a legally and/or tenable action.
Now, in addition, though I have, as an independent, supported Ms. Gabrielle Giffords, our Representative, on some other issues, IF support for financial aid becomes a fact relative to our 'playground', I will assure you that I will do everything in my power to have this travesty publicized nationally. People are tired of hearing about the benefits to the 'rich' (yes, that's how we are perceived in OV); let the chips fall where they may.
IT APPEARS THAT SELFISM HAS RISEN TO SUCH HEIGHTS IN OUR SOCIETY, THAT THOSE IN IT'S COMFORT ARE JUST NOT GETTING IT!!!
Yes, b-b, perhaps a bit of socialism might not be a terrible thing, but a whole bowl of it just might blow up in everybody's face.
I'm paraphrasing something that I recently read...
If capitalism is better than socialism, then why are we now using socialism to bail out the free market system?
Socialism that helps the poor and disadvantaged is one thing, but socialism for the wealthy is quite another. And as Zev said, THAT'S how we are perceived in OV.
Juan said we need these amenities (Naranja Park) to attract professionals and their families. Yet, 40,000 people have already moved to OV without the benefit of this park. Ventana Medical and Sanofi-Aventis have located here without the benefit of Naranja Park.
The park is still a want, not a need, and I don't think Federal funds should be used this way, especially when we're on the verge of another Great Depression! I was going to use "the bridge to nowhere" analogy, but Zev beat me to it.
Hi VC, good post!
By the way VC (and b-b), the main reason that socialism might be used to bail out capitalism is that for too long socialism has been deftly 'misappropriated' to the capitalist elite and NOT utilized in a manner and for the benefit of those historically and ethically intended.
I went over to the local AIG office today and asked for a cup of coffee, some pens, a cell phone and a back rub.
Gee for all the money the tax payer gave them, you would think they would have been a little more kind.
I was escorted out of the building.
Love, Nombe W
Hey, nombe, you just didn't ask for enough!
Zev, your right, I should have asked for a billion dollars to build my new park.
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