Hopefully in Part 1, and from previous pieces going back 5+ yrs, Arizona’s legislative leaders can understand the growing danger of a Hard-Left, feral Tucson and its threat to the state as a whole.
If the state of Arizona were to “financially quarantine” Tucson, in terms of all non-essential spending, by 2030 the City’s prospects might actually look significantly better.
Otherwise, the demographics will be quite clear; 3 major groups all vying for the diminishing Arizona table scraps leftover from their wasted opportunities since the Cold War ended 39 years earlier (1991). That’s when Tucson, like other big southwestern cities, fell in a hole and failed to respond, quite unlike Albuquerque, El Paso, and the others who have since climbed out of that Cold War abyss.
Tucson will be the faltering demographic trifecta of white, wealthy, retired geezers (25-35%), then marginally employed, angry young brown people & their families (50-60%), and a mix of everyone else, most of whom want to leave. They will be trying to survive as the whole experiment devolves into a dysfunctional version of Arizona’s Mexicali.
So how might more of these healing consequences, originally listed in Part 1, be encouraged, for this saga in “Urban Tough Love 101”? Like…right now.
- “Bypass” as in an actual physical bypass, done using existing roadway R-O-W’s in Pinal and Cochise counties, from I-10 at Red Rock to the east of Tucson’s Metro, down N.Cascabel Road to Benson and/or over east to Willcox on W.Airport Road, where traffic can once again rejoin I-10. 99% avoiding the enviro-wingnuts running Pima County, and their increasingly dangerous & congested I-10 as the only crosstown freeway Tucson’s 1.1M metro’s got.
- Completely privatize UA athletics, such that it can be partially state-owned, and the rest spun-off in an IPO (initial public offering), and done in a manner that University administration doesn’t have to give a hoot-in-hell about what’s happening. They will have their hands full with rampaging AI by then anyway.
- Raise the state municipal insurance liability caps for malfeasance and general stupidity, per event, for PimaCo and the City of Tucson to $1 million from their ridiculously pitiful current levels; bring back punitive damages resulting from idiot bureaucrats. This will force some higher management attention (doubtful), but also force them to set aside a self-insured settlement pool ($$$) for future lawsuits (bound to happen).
- Suspend Arizona’s nutty anti-annexation laws, written to placate the rural fossils living under rocks in the desert, for 5-10 years. Give Tucson the ability to annex, within due process time frames, that unincorporated 40% of its uber-cheap, delusional Metro that believes Pima County is actually honest & effective. Let their Metro’s 12-13 Census Designated Places wakeup to the fact you-get-what-you-pay-for, and they’d better incorporate or be swallowed whole.
- Force UA to go back to its Land-Grant roots, and eliminate 100% of its useless-degree employment regimen of goofball Liberal Arts bilge (30-40% of UA total), spinning it off to Pima CC or similar state colleges in Thatcher or Coolidge. Revoke the TOTALLY BOGUS historic-designation quarter section of the Campus Farm site, and sell it for a private sector development that complements Tucson.
Of course, these are just for starters, but if some miracle occurs and they do happen, Tucson by 2040 will be a far more prosperous, beautiful, and opportunistic place for her citizens.
Sellers is a Southpark, Roosevelt-Republican (TR) living in incorporated Oro Valley; his background is federal technology commercialization, and administers the private group, Tucson E-P-T News, on Facebook
Maybe because it wasn’t always like this and people have the right, if not the duty, to fight for their homes? A couple of decades ago I fled a Blue city into which I was born. I didn’t move to a Blue city; if I had I’d have no one to blame but myself. The scourge/infection of illiberal Democrat-run city councils/mayors/city managers must be resisted and corrected. They’ve ruined plenty of cities already, their blight can stay there.
After 50 years left the commune of Tucson 8 years ago for the Free State of Florida. Couldn’t take it anymore. It’s too left to survive, terrible job market, loonie libs who hate Whitey and the worse roads in the country, just as bad or worse than Mexico and the political structure guarantees it can only go further left. No future for my children. Never turning back.
Agree 100% Michael. I lived in Tucson for 23 years and finally had enough of the BS liberal politics, crappy roads, poor services and sky high taxes. Say what you want about Sellers, but he is absolutely correct, Tucson has no way forward under the current government set up, it can only get worse and most likely it will. You have two of the most corrupt government entities in the country in the COT and Pima County BOS. They are all ruled by the Grijalva clan and his minions and it will continue that way as long as his daughter has any office in any government. So glad I left the armpit of Southern AZ.
Eloy is the place to be! Empty golf course and a wanna be theme park – one way or the high way.. Eloy is the place to be! Cottonville lane and the no light rail crossing – Eloy is the place to be! … and we’ve got NUTS!
Another rambling post from Bill. I don’t understand why you live in a place you hate so much. You should move to your dream city Bill.
Most, if not all of what he writes is true and accurate and I can relate to your statement, “why live here if you hate it so much” but, here is why you could be confused. I too am sick and tired of Tucson but can’t leave because my wife still works and for imbedded family. I don’t think Bill has many, if any at all, roots here but as he stated “the faltering demographic trifecta of white, wealthy, retired geezers (25-35%)” can monetarily afford to ignore the political BS that happens EVERY day in the liberal bastion of AZ but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to try and fix things!! Am I presuming Bill is part of that %, maybe yes but my point is Tucson sucks for many of the reasons Bill writes in his articles.
Hear, hear.
I did after 50 years and took my 6 figure income generated from out of state and my children with me. Geographically, it’s beautiful. But as a place to live with liberals in charge, a sh*t city.
Thanks, I’m sorry it came to that….Tucson has GREAT potential but people like Clint Reed & Co. are going to have to accept, either radical change has to happen or the place can devolved even WORSE… and EVEN FASTER in our tech/trade/cultural climate today. He’s just pissed some sacred cow or group of cows from his cult maybe affected negatively.