Save The Mesa Arts Center and Other Valuable Services

I am urging all Mesa voters to vote "yes" on May 16th for the property/sales tax to cover the budget shortfall and to keep many Mesa services intact, including municipal security officers, fire, police, libraries and museums. I am also urging all non-Mesa residents to write to
Mayor Keno Hawker and the Mesa City Council members to express their concern over this issue. Mesa has one of the best cultural services programs in the Valley and people from surrounding areas as well as from Mesa use them extensively. It makes Mesa one of the most desirable places to live and to visit. Cutting funding to services such as The Mesa Arts and Entertainment Center at such an early stage of its existence guarantees that it will never attract the businesses that the Mesa area needs to have a vibrant downtown that brings in tax dollars from people visiting from all over the Valley as well as tourism from out of state. Isn't tourism our biggest business here?? Empty buildings will not help tourism and a crappy downtown will not bring in visitors to spend money.

Below are 2 stories, I feel give a good background to the issue. I will be posting stories as they are published in the days up til election day so keep checking in. Feel free to leave a comment.

Tax opponents are misguided for arguing the Mesa Arts Center is at the root of the city’s funding woes

Tribune Editorial
April 19, 2006

.....The Mesa Arts Center dominates that downtown intersection, as it dominates
the arguments of many tax foes. Their assertions: The arts center is both a
symbol of the city’s overspending and the primary cause of Mesa’s budget
shortfall. Neither contention holds water. .....More

Property-tax advocates step up campaign in Mesa
Justin Juozapavicius The Arizona Republic Apr. 20, 2006 12:00 AM

Holding signs that said, "Read Any Good Books Lately? Better Hurry," dozens of
residents rallied this week against the city's reduction of library hours
because of budget cuts. It was one of several high-profile events planned during
the next few weeks to promote the May property- and sales-tax referendum. "It's
going, going, gone for our libraries," said resident Mitzi Pearce, with the
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which helped sponsor
Monday night's rally in front of the Dobson Ranch Library.
Tuesday
afternoon, about 30 people, mostly fire-union members, rallied near Power Road
and U.S. 60 in east Mesa and marched into neighborhoods encouraging residents to
vote. More

Private operator for MAC?
By Brian Powell, Tribune
January 18, 2006

Just months after the opening of Mesa’s grandest city project, new City
Manager Chris Brady wants to turn its operations over to a private company or
nonprofit group.
More