10 July, 2008 Screw you people!
Let's face it, the main page is going to take some time in completing because the Mesa site is getting all the attention. Kinda sucks if you don't live in Mesa, but since this is the fist time that's been said in a while, y'all can sit and spin for a bit. *thhppppttt*

3 July, 2008 Incipit Mesa Urbs
Looks like the Mesa section's seeing some activity. About damn time too.

1 July, 2008 Version 7 kinda sucked
The old site just didn't have schmaltz. It was uninspiring and as such inspired very little in the way of actual activity. This one is much better, because I say so. It's nowhere near done but when it is I think it'll be something worthwhile. Welcome!

Dear East Valley Tribune

Dear East Valley Tribune

10 July, 2008 Mesa wants your pound of flesh
The City has come up with a few cockamamie ideas over the years in an attempt to get people to recycle, and all of them came down to nagging reminders in the mail and a bumper sticker on trash cans. This one's actually not too bad: with funding cuts hitting City libraries, apparently someone has stepped up to offer up to $25,000 in donations if people will recycle what amounts to one more pound of recyclable materials per week. Interesting. More info here.

8 July, 2008 Breakfast with the Mayor
Busy days for VioPac agents in the field. We attended Mayor Smith's Mayor's Breakfast where he talked with some conviction about his catch-phrase, building a better Mesa. We like 'im, despite the lousy coffee. A write-up is forthcoming.

12 June, 2008 Light Rail Forum
VioPac agents provocateur attended this little gem, and heard some disappointing whining from local businesses. From where I was sitting, it seemed like Valley Metro was falling all over itself to appease the business interests in the audience, even if one of their spokesmen wasn't terribly engaging. The problem here seems to me to be one handily leveled at the old Council and Mayor: who the damn hell is responsible for light rail not going to the crumbling remains of Downtown?! The solution now, as Mesa scrambles to play catchup, seems to be this: in order to avoid tearing up the streets to put in light rail 6 months ago, ... we're going to tear up the streets 6 months from now to make a dedicated bus lane.

*sigh* This is what happens when residents think voting and writing the occasional letter is enough.

13 May, 2008 Mayoral Candidate Forum (plus District 5)
Since my notes on this were stolen at the now-defunct Essenza Coffee House, I'll just recap: GRISVOLDIUS REX was personable but condescending. Scott Smith won the day for me, as he had specific plans with deadlines, spoke about Mesa well, had good ideas about what to do with Southern and Alma School (I asked him, "Now, what about the corner of-" and he cut me off and said, "Southern and Alma School, right?"), and well, he stands like a man who's looking for someone to punch in the face. I was passionately undecided when I showed up, and left feeling sure that now-Mayor Smith could do the job.

Dina Higgins, whose campaign should be studied by anyone looking to beat monied interests in a political race, also impressed me. She's not the best public speaker but I felt she would approach her district's problems methodically and fairly. Were I in District 5 I would have voted for her.

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