Chamber Now Claims Tucson Deserves Better
The head of the Tucson Chamber of Commerce Mike Varney recently penned a missive complaining about a recent decision by the City of Tucson to block the development of “a local McDonald’s franchisee who explored the opportunity to improve his business by moving his restaurant to a corner lot currently occupied by an abandoned, boarded-up and blighted former Shell gas station.”
In his rant, Varney complained:
“An entrepreneurial developer, a local real estate agent and the McDonald’s corporate hierarchy worked on this development for more than two years. City of Tucson PDSD staff supported the development throughout the two-year process and in December provided its formal recommendation of approval. The developers agreed to 29 development stipulations, the installation of enhanced landscaping and screening (decorative wall), creation of a neighborhood pocket park and 19 other development enhancements. These enhancements were done to mitigate some real and many perceived concerns from a handful of neighbors and one especially vocal community organizer.
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Pima County kids’ future is bleak
For years, many have watched as the leaders in Pima County dole out the proverbial fish to residents and deny them the proverbial fishing poles. Practices like social promotion passed as compassion, while business killing ordinances were passed by august chambers.
The toll on children is rarely discussed except when politicians are trying to pass blame or justify another tax hike. The true toll on children has never before been revealed until now.
According to an article in the New York Times, The Best and Worst Places to Grow Up: How Your Area Compares, “Pima County is very bad for income mobility for children in poor families. It is better than only about 5 percent of counties.”
The Times article refers to a new study by Raj Chetty and Nathaniel Hendren. Their Equality of Opportunity Project, used “big data” for their study; The Causal Effects of Growing up in Different Counties on Earnings in Adulthood.
To read more: Pima County kids’ future is bleak, click here.