Downtown Mesa Association - I Have Some Question????

First off let me say I think Mesa Arizona's downtown is headed in the right direction, with that though I have some questions I would like answered.

Recently I attended a Mesa City Council meeting, the Downtown Mesa Association's was asking for a 3% decrease in the tax they charge business and property owners in the downtown area. The council granted their request but I was not impress with the information I received. Basically David Short the executive director of the association got up and said they want to give the businesses a break and stimulate the area and they could still continue to do that the decrease.

Good Right? I'm not so sure.

The few dollars that each business would save each and every month would have been better left with the DMA and earmarked for promotions and marketing, no salaries.


Next the association has revamped their website and I recommend that you take a look at it at downtownmesa.com. I like the brightness and colors of the site and I think it is a move in the right direction. That being said I'm a little disappointed in the association and the direction they have gone on some fronts.


To develop the website they used a company by the name of Local Thunder located in outside of Mesa and outside of Arizona. The company is located in Portland, Maine, clear across the country.

Questions:

1.  I thought the Downtown Mesa Association was to promote business in Mesa and the downtown area?
2. Is there not a web developer in the Mesa and the downtown area that could have built the new website keeping the money locally and supporting local businesses?

The purpose of the website is to promote the downtown area but in order for a downtown business to be listed on the site and be promoted the business must pay a monthly fee of $80, that is just under $1,000 a year. That brings me back to the first part of my post about the 3% tax decrease.

Question:

1. Why didn't the DMA just keep the 3% tax in place and just offer the service to the businesses for free?

This is just another example of how the DMA, driven by property owners hasn't had the interest of the merchants at heart. It is this attitude that has lead the merchants to distrust the DMA in the first place leading to the hard feelings and the possibility of gathering signatures to repeal the downtown tax all together. The tax has to be re-authorized next year.

If you are a business owner looking to cooperate with other business owners in the downtown area give me a call. I have an idea that would be more cost effective and if done right could bring the same or better results and I believe at a lower rate than what DMA is offering. I contact me at matttolman01 (at) gmail.com for details.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint OFFICIAL Position On Illigel Immigration.

Around the world, debate on the immigration question has become intense. That is especially so in the United States. Most Americans agree that the federal government of the United States should secure its borders and sharply reduce or eliminate the flow of undocumented immigrants. Unchecked and unregulated, such a flow may destabilize society and ultimately become unsustainable.

As a matter of policy, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discourages its members from entering any country without legal documentation, and from deliberately overstaying legal travel visas.

What to do with the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants now residing in various states within the United States is the biggest challenge in the immigration debate. The bedrock moral issue for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is how we treat each other as children of God.

The history of mass expulsion or mistreatment of individuals or families is cause for concern especially where race, culture, or religion are involved. This should give pause to any policy that contemplates targeting any one group, particularly if that group comes mostly from one heritage.

As those on all sides of the immigration debate in the United States have noted, this issue is one that must ultimately be resolved by the federal government.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is concerned that any state legislation that only contains enforcement provisions is likely to fall short of the high moral standard of treating each other as children of God.

The Church supports an approach where undocumented immigrants are allowed to square themselves with the law and continue to work without this necessarily leading to citizenship.

In furtherance of needed immigration reform in the United States, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supports a balanced and civil approach to a challenging problem, fully consistent with its tradition of compassion, its reverence for family, and its commitment to law.

Click here to read the official statement as published.

Barack Obama, Democrate & Left Wing Radicals Behind Recall Of Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce!

Who is the legal group backing "Citizens For A Better Arizona", it may surprise you. Perkins Coie is one of the law firms that this group has hired in its recall efforts to remove Russell Pearce from office.

So who is Perkins Coie?

The firm is counsel of record for the Democratic National Committee, and other political clients include nearly all Democratic members of the United States Congress, as well as several Presidential campaigns, including those of John Kerry and Barack Obama.


Perkins Coie also serves as counsel of record for the Democratic Party and its candidates; its political lawBob Bauer, and is now chaired by Marc Elias. Perkins Coie represented John Kerry's presidential campaign and the Presidential campaign of Barack Obama, and continues to represent President Obama. The firm represented Christine Gregoire in the prolonged litigation surrounding her 2004 Washington gubernatorial election, and a team of Perkins lawyers headed by Marc Elias successfully represented Al Franken in his legal battle over the 2008 Senatorial election in Minnesota. The firm also represents the Democratic Leadership Council, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

 In 2006, Perkins Coie made headlines when, led by partner Harry Schneider, it represented Salim Ahmed Hamdan, the alleged driver and bodyguard of Osama Bin Laden.

 So I ask the question again who is behind the recall effort to remove Russell Pearce from office? Do you still think it is the voters of District 18?

This is a high powered law firm with close ties to the failed Obama Administration. The administration which promised to bring us "Hope and Change" and has left us with just "Change," that is change in your pocket.

Show your support and fighting this kind of corruption. Go NOW to www.protectanamericanpatriot.com and make a donation today.

Don't let the Obama administration and the Democrats void your voice in Arizona, stop them no!

Pearce Recall - Does Daryl M. Williams, Esq Speak For The Mormon Church

Dee Dee Garcia Blase, President of Somos Republicano, one of the organization behind the recall of Russell Pearce and as some would say part of the "Recall Cartel" introduces Daryl M. Williams, Esq as an authority on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints position on SB 1070 and immigration at a fireside that was held on April 8, 2011 in Mesa Arizona.

To bring authority to what Mr. Williams has to say to the Mormon community she Dee Dee Blase cite his many accomplishments within the Mormon faith. " He is a member of the High Council of the Paradise Valley Arizona Stake. He has been a life-long Mormon, served in several bishoprics, on several High Councils, and in many other callings in the Church. His ancestors lived and are buried in Missouri, Nauvoo, and walked across the plains to Utah. He is a scriptorian."

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I find it offensive that she would use the positions that Mr. Williams has held in the Mormon faith to justify her cause in recalling Senator Pearce. I also find it offensive that Mr. Williams would pretend that he speaks for the church when he states “Russell Pearce, ... views, however, do not reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ... Indeed, Mr. Pearce’s views are inconsistent with the official position of his church.” I find nowhere on any official church website where it indicates that Mr. Williams is a spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Arizona. Mr. Williams does not speak for the church in any official capacity, therefore his words can not be taken as the churches official position. (A wolf in sheep clothing)

For the members of the church that believe Mr. Williams words are/is the official position of the church I would ask them to think about the stories in the Book of Mormon about the Freemen and the Kingsmen. I would ask them to think about the Title of Liberty and ask them what they are fighting for and if this recall fits into those standards.

My position is that this recall is wrong, it is going against the voice of the people who elected Senator Pearce to the Senate. I would ask you to look at who is behind this recall, not the people who gathered signatures but those behind it and their motives. They don't like the voice of the people, they don't like who the people elected into office. So they seek to destroy the will of the people by their craftiness, cunning, lies and flattering words . They seek to destroy the the rule of law by calling good bad and bad good.

Remember how other governments came crashing down, it was by the perversions of their laws. The recall was meant to be used to remove an elected official who committed a crime. I ask you what crime has been committed here? A man stands up for the rule of law and what do the Kingsmen do, they attempt to tear him down, they attack his family, they attack his friends and when they can't bring him down that way they turn to subverting the laws. In this case by the use of recall.

I don't care where you stand on the recall that is not as important to me as is the subversion of the laws by those who seek to gain from Senator Pearce being removed from office. They are corrupting the laws of this state and they need to be stopped, they need to be exposed for what they really are and for whom they work.

Committee Opposing Recall Of Russell Pearce Request Opinion of AG

Election Director's Opinion Violates Constitution

Pearce Requests Attorney General Opinion

Matt Tolman, Chairman of “Citizens Who Oppose the Pearce Recall RC-04-2011,” disagrees with State Election Director Amy Bjelland's opinion that does not allow corporate and union contributions. Tolman says: "This State opinion violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as it has been interpreted by the United States Supreme Court. The Court's opinion clearly states that corporate and union contributions to a campaign are legal."

The Secretary of State's Office has concluded that corporate and union donations are not allowed under Arizona campaign finance laws.

Attorneys from the “Citizens Who Oppose the Pearce Recall RC-04-2011” Committee fully disagree with the conclusion reached by the State Election Director. Therefore the attorneys are seeking an Attorney General opinion to clarify the issue.

Attorney for “Citizens Who Oppose the Pearce Recall RC-04-2011,” Lisa Hauser, said:

"The U.S. Supreme Court most recently said that corporations and unions cannot be prohibited from making expenditures to advocate the election or defeat of a candidate.  It previously held that corporate and union contributions to issue committees cannot be prohibited under the First Amendment.  Arizona law still prohibits direct corporate and union contributions to candidate committees.  But a recall committee is not a candidate committee – it is an issue committee.  It cannot be treated as if it is a candidate committee."

State Senator Russell Pearce formally requested an opinion on corporate donations in a letter sent today to Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne.

The opinion request is further asking about the application of certain financial disclosure statutes related to recall elections. “Citizens Who Oppose the Pearce Recall RC-04-2011” is following those laws although the Secretary of State's Office suggests that a recall committee need not give 24 hour notice of its large contributions. 

The pro-recall committee has released no financial disclosure information and claims that they don't have to report anything until January 2012 “Citizens Who Oppose the Pearce Recall RC-04-2011” intends to keep providing notice.

The Committee may still choose clarification through the Court system.

In the meantime, the Committee is not accepting any corporate donations.  It is assumed that our opponent committee will also immediately do the same and return corporate and union contributions.

###

(NOTE:  Matt Tolman is available to schedule Spanish-speaking interviews.)

Paid for by Citizens Who Oppose the Pearce Recall RC-04-2011

Senator Pearce Letter Requesting Attorney General Opinion

Who Is Behind The Pearce Recall - Randy Parraz

Who is behind the Russell Pearce recall. One of the many people behind the recall is Randy Parraz. That is Mr. Parraz in the picture above with Cesar Chavez. Mr. Parraz is a labor union organizer, who is organizing people in the spirit of the "SI, SE PUEDE" movement, for those who don't speak Spanish that is the YES WE CAN.

Mr. Parraz was the Arizona Director of the National AFL-CIO before making a failed attempt to run against Senator John McCain. Mr. Parraz also found the Student Institute for Social Change.

Here is a video of his stand on gay marriage.



Pay very close attention to what he is saying about marriage and religion and the founding values of religion in this country.


The next video show his views on immigration. As you listen to what he has to say look at the pictures in the background. Also listen to the contempt in his voice for the will of the people in Arizona in regards to SB1070



Listen to what is has to say about the ethic studies coursed being taught in Tucson Unified School District and which the attorney general has rule violate Arizona law.



Is this somebody you really want to follow?

Mayor Smith & $20 Million

Just so people don't think I tied completely up in the Citizen Who Oppose The Pearce Recall, here is my though on the $20,000,000 fund just established to support development along the light rail line.

I ran into Mayor Smith the other morning at KJZZ radio and heard that he and other mayors made announcement of this fund and my curiosity got peeked. 

The fund is called "The Sustainable Community Development Fund" and it is my understanding that it is being funded with private money.  The funds purposes is to promote development along the light rail corridor.

As Mayor Smith said, he expect the fund to show that development along the can "create a sense of place".

I believe that is what is needed a sense of place and this is step in the right direction. If you are going to have the kind of growth that is expected you need to get those one, two or three projects off the ground and as they are successful others will come.

Like the Mayor I want to see project that are more than just the ordinary, projects that are bold and push the limits.

Mayor Smith you are doing a great job keep up the good work.

What Do These People Have In Common? Russell Pearce, Ben Aredondo, Linda Lopez, Robert Meza, Paula Aboud

No it's not Mesa. No it's not the same party. No it's the same political ideology but the Fiesta Bowl.

The below is borrowed, taken what every you want to call it from Greg Patterson's the Arizona's Own Expresso Pundit. Now before anybody says that I'm taking things out of context there will be a link to the full story at the bottom. Greg does one of the best jobs I know of at making sense of and pointing the flaws in others arguments.

"....look at the local Fiesta Bowl investigation. The political leaders who accepted donations and took trips have fallen out of favor because the Fiesta Bowl --once an pillar of Arizona's political elite community--has tainted its reputation.

The Fiesta Bowl's new management and the media are looking to shift the blame for the malfeasance of the Fiesta Bowl to the actual victims of that malfeasance...the politicians who were lured into dealings with the Bowl. Actually, I should be more specific, the management is shifting the blame to the politcians and the media are focusing that blame on the Republicans*.

Could the candidates who received the tainted contributions have known that Fiesta Bowl management had criminally laundered Fiesta Bowl funds? Fiesta Bowl officials also invited candidates to football games and claimed that the activity was legal because management had complied with the requirement that all of the members of a single committee were invited. Could the elected officials have known that Fiesta Bowl Management didn't follow up on this requirement?

The answers to these questions are of course "no." The candidates and elected officials could not have known that the Fiesta Bowl was violating the law. Frankly, in the wake of the Citizens United case, it's not entirely clear that contributions by the Fiesta Bowl itself are illegal. The finance and gift laws are so vague and selectively enforced that it's hard to know which ones were broken and when.

And that's the point. The laws that govern politicians are so vague, convoluted and arbitrary that anyone who falls out of favor can be indicted--or at least smeared.....

....the candidates and elected official who were victimized by the Fiesta Bowl management don't deserve to be mocked and vilified in the media.

*Footnote: Remember the stories about Congressman Ed Pastor calling the Fiesta Bowl in order to get Super Bowl tickets for his Congressional buddies? Me neither. How about Ben Aredondo getting all those tickets? Paula Aboud? Linda Lopez? Robert Meza. Nope.

Russell Pearce? Yep, that rings a bell. Pearce appears to actualy be even less culpable than the other elected officialls. He paid for most of his tickets; some of the trips attributed to him were actually taken by others and on at least one occasion he attended an event as part of an official function. Yet, the media have not only focused on Pearce, but they have also mocked his attempts to provide a legal defense for each trip...."

As I told a reporter today if you are going to bring up the problems with the Fiesta Bowl and Russell Pearce you need to bring up everybody that ever received anything from the Fiesta Bowl Committee.

As promised here is the link to the full post.

Citizen Who Oppose The Pearce Recall

So there is no mistake about it. I am chairman of the committee "Citizens Who Oppose the Pearce Recall."

There has been a website set up and I invite to you visit protectanamericanpatriot.com

I firmly believe that out of state and out of district interest are attempting to manipulate the elections by using the recall process as a way of intimidating constitutionally elected officials within the state and district. I am opposing the recall effort in order to allow President Pearce and other officials to do the job that they where elected to do without being influenced by outside interest.

This recall effort is the latest in a series of attempts to punish Russell for his strong support on border security and for his hard work on balancing the state's budget in one of the most economically challenging times since the great depression.

The purpose of this committee is stop the recall by ensuring the validity of the signatures and the process. Chad Snow, the recall committees chairman has already admitted that there are duplicate signatures and signatures from those outside the district. His comments already brings into questions their motives in the recall process and shows their contempt for the voters of district 18 who have elected Mr. Pearce 16 times in primaries and general elections.

The committee will make sure that all the voters of District 18 know who is behind this recall effort and who is funding this effort to void the voters of District 18.

It is already believe that Mr. Snow and and Mr. Parrez have violated the law by not following the proper disclosure statements and hiding the names of outside donors. As a result we will be filing a complaint with the Secretary of State against the recall committee.