I sincerely hope we don’t go down the sales tax increase route again. I don’t know for sure, but I would guess most people voted against Prop 414 because of its sales tax increase, not because of what it purported to fund. The messaging for constituents of all political stripes is “the city is making everyday purchases more expensive” (which, of course, is an oversimplification). Ward 5’s next councilmember would thrive if they found a way to locate private dollars for low-barrier shelter and infrastructure improvements (those seems to be what ward 5 constituents want, according to these canvassing efforts). If another prop makes its way to voters, it would have to be more creative than a sales tax increase. Despite activists’ efforts, it also seems like funding for law enforcement/public safety is popular among Ward 5 residents (unless I misunderstood that). I hold my own biases when it comes to law enforcement, but I will say my interactions with (and my observations of) CSOs have been helpful. I’ve seen them treat unhoused people and people in crisis with compassion and care. I wonder if future props’ messaging could focus on more CSOs first.
Also, amazing investigative work from AZ Luminaria to provide transparency about Project Blue. AWS would definitely bring jobs, but I worry that those jobs are for people with graduate degrees. And I also wonder if Amazon would relocate people to Tucson from other states (probably WA and CA), which clearly wouldn’t necessarily provide many local jobs.
There was additional funding for CSOs in 414 if I remember correctly. And from what I've seen, the total permanent jobs created by project Blue is between 75-180.
These are just data center caretaker jobs. Many of these jobs will be shift work, because the data centers run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's why they need even 75 people.
Don't count on any more jobs being added, unless they build more data centers.
I'm honestly not sure, and it seems like the number has changed and is maybe not guaranteed. From recent reporting and the info put out by the chamber, it seems like the 75 jobs is just for phase 1 with an average salary of $70,000.
Too bad Lugo isn't selling these items. An "escavater" for five-large is decent. Probably a Kubota. Ward 5 looks completely weird. Maybe Project Blue could start over there?
I don't think the issue with Project Blue is which Ward it's in so much as what it would cost our community vs the actual benefits it would provide.
That being said, Ward 5 needs more economic opportunities. Young people especially need more educational pathways and there's a lot we can do to make that happen.
Selina Barajas is far and away the best candidate for Ward 5. She was born, raised and graduated from high school in Ward 5. She overcame the odds and got an outstanding college education
She understands the uphill struggle and the financial challenges many of her neighbors face. She will represent them well.
I heard her and her opponent speak & answer questions at DGT. You can watch both video recordings on the DGT website and make up your own mind.
What I saw, convinced me that Selina Barajas is far better prepared to be the next city councilor for Ward 5.
Selina's great and I've enjoyed getting to know her throughout the election. In addition to the DGT videos, there are recordings of two of the forums online that you can check out. One with the League of Women Voters and one with the Southern Arizona Chamber.
We're lucky that there's a lot of good reporting on the race in Ward 5 and I hope everyone will take advantage of the resources available to make an informed decision.
I'm also a UA alum - I received my master's of public administration from there in 2013.
Selina Barajas graduated from the U of A and has a masters degree from UCLA in urban development. She has years of experience with community development initiatives.
I sincerely hope we don’t go down the sales tax increase route again. I don’t know for sure, but I would guess most people voted against Prop 414 because of its sales tax increase, not because of what it purported to fund. The messaging for constituents of all political stripes is “the city is making everyday purchases more expensive” (which, of course, is an oversimplification). Ward 5’s next councilmember would thrive if they found a way to locate private dollars for low-barrier shelter and infrastructure improvements (those seems to be what ward 5 constituents want, according to these canvassing efforts). If another prop makes its way to voters, it would have to be more creative than a sales tax increase. Despite activists’ efforts, it also seems like funding for law enforcement/public safety is popular among Ward 5 residents (unless I misunderstood that). I hold my own biases when it comes to law enforcement, but I will say my interactions with (and my observations of) CSOs have been helpful. I’ve seen them treat unhoused people and people in crisis with compassion and care. I wonder if future props’ messaging could focus on more CSOs first.
Also, amazing investigative work from AZ Luminaria to provide transparency about Project Blue. AWS would definitely bring jobs, but I worry that those jobs are for people with graduate degrees. And I also wonder if Amazon would relocate people to Tucson from other states (probably WA and CA), which clearly wouldn’t necessarily provide many local jobs.
There was additional funding for CSOs in 414 if I remember correctly. And from what I've seen, the total permanent jobs created by project Blue is between 75-180.
The total number of committed permanent jobs from Project Blue is only 75. The Tucson Agenda reported on the jobs in another article.
Is that in the first phase, or over the course of the project? If the latter, even 180 jobs seems so miniscule for such a project!
These are just data center caretaker jobs. Many of these jobs will be shift work, because the data centers run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's why they need even 75 people.
Don't count on any more jobs being added, unless they build more data centers.
I'm honestly not sure, and it seems like the number has changed and is maybe not guaranteed. From recent reporting and the info put out by the chamber, it seems like the 75 jobs is just for phase 1 with an average salary of $70,000.
75 jobs is the total number of jobs Project Blue has committed to deliver in writing. Any others numbers are just talk without any commitments.
Too bad Lugo isn't selling these items. An "escavater" for five-large is decent. Probably a Kubota. Ward 5 looks completely weird. Maybe Project Blue could start over there?
I don't think the issue with Project Blue is which Ward it's in so much as what it would cost our community vs the actual benefits it would provide.
That being said, Ward 5 needs more economic opportunities. Young people especially need more educational pathways and there's a lot we can do to make that happen.
Selina Barajas is far and away the best candidate for Ward 5. She was born, raised and graduated from high school in Ward 5. She overcame the odds and got an outstanding college education
She understands the uphill struggle and the financial challenges many of her neighbors face. She will represent them well.
I heard her and her opponent speak & answer questions at DGT. You can watch both video recordings on the DGT website and make up your own mind.
What I saw, convinced me that Selina Barajas is far better prepared to be the next city councilor for Ward 5.
Selina's great and I've enjoyed getting to know her throughout the election. In addition to the DGT videos, there are recordings of two of the forums online that you can check out. One with the League of Women Voters and one with the Southern Arizona Chamber.
We're lucky that there's a lot of good reporting on the race in Ward 5 and I hope everyone will take advantage of the resources available to make an informed decision.
I'm also a UA alum - I received my master's of public administration from there in 2013.
Selina Barajas graduated from the U of A and has a masters degree from UCLA in urban development. She has years of experience with community development initiatives.