On the front page of the Tribune this morning I was greeted with this headline, "More Tempe towers proposed." It continues, "Scottsdale firm seeks retail, residential space downtown." Tempe is doing what it needs to do as a city to survive as are other communities in the Valley. Chandler built the fashion Center and Glendale has state of the art facilities for the NHL and the NFL. We could have had that, but the NIMBY folks wanted this to remain a bedroom community, the quiet little hamlet they found decades past. So what do we have? We face an up tick in the number of "Pay-Day Loan" businesses. Rather than fixing our streets, funding our services, developing meaningful projects that will generate real revenue for this city they are now busy arguing over ordinances that would prohibit check cashing stores, car title loan stores and pay day loan stores from opening 1,200 feet from one another or whether or not they should be allowed to open 500 feet from a residential neighborhood. So who among you out there wants to tell me that this is in fact the city it once was? This bedroom community you want to protect the integrity of, where is it? Tell me we are headed in the right direction. Tell me that you would take your children to the same parks that you went to as a child and let them run freely. Tell me that the west end of Mesa looks feels and is the same place that you reflect back on with such fondness. Have you taken a drive around this city lately? Start out over on the Mesa-Tempe border. The Tri-City Mall area was at one time a beautiful place, moving west we have Fiesta Mall, also a nice area in our past, we continue to move east and now the place to be is the Superstition Springs area. Where do we go from there? The truth is that this city is decaying, it has been managed poorly, its growth was never addressed properly and we are all going to suffer now. I am disappointed that the property tax measure failed, but that is democracy in action. We now need to look forward, we now need to elect people to serve this community, take responsibility for its future and plan for our children’s future. There is that or you can visit the "Pay-Day Loan" store that will be opening next door and say hello to your new neighbor. (Thanks to Sarah N. Lynch Tribune Reporter)
Archive for May 19th, 2006Fraud Alert - Be Safe!May 19th, 2006, 10:23 am by SharonElderly residents a target in the Mesa area. Do you know about "diversion burglaries"? This is something we all need to be aware of….A Fraud Alert in the Mesa area posted May 18 by Crime Prevention Specialist Karen Stegenga, of the SAFE Senior Program, Mesa PD.We are having a string of "diversion burglaries" in the Mesa area targeting elderly residents. A diversion burglary or distraction crime is when a person attempts to lure an elderly homeowner outside while an accomplice enters the home and commits burglary. The criminal will use some kind of ruse to get the homeowner outside such as telling them they are with the City of Mesa and need to check the water, tell the elder they bought the house next door and need to see the tree in the backyard that overhangs into their property, or some other reason to get the owner outside. In other cases a female may approach the home asking for water for her child because their vehicle has broken down nearby.The suspects are usually a male and female, and often the female is holding a child. The suspects are taking cash and jewelry.If someone approaches your home please do not open the door to him or her. If they say they are with the City of Mesa you should ask for identification and then call their office to verity their identity. Write down as much information about the person’s description as you can, including any vehicle information, and call Mesa Police.If you have been a victim of fraud please report it to the Police. You can also contact the Arizona Attorney General’s Consumer Information and Complaints line at 602-542-5763. If you would like further information on fraud schemes and scams please visit the City of Mesa’s website or call (480) 644-5014. YOU MAY BE A TARGET, BUT YOU DON |