Rogue Columnist: Second time around?.
Solution ideas:
- Repeal SB 1070.
- Elect Terry Goddard governor.
- Throw out the Kook majority in the Legislature.
- Raise taxes on the rich and, if the Growth Machine ever revives, enact a real-estate transfer tax and a tax on long commutes.
- Stop all residential development outside existing urban footprints (and the extravagant planning maps of Buckeye, Surprise, Maricopa, et al, are not existing footprints). For one thing, there’s not enough water.
- Establish a real state commerce department employing best practices to attract high-wage jobs.
- Build out the Phoenix Biosciences Campus on a speedy schedule to include a hospital, large med school, pharmacy school and private-sector research facilities. Add a full-court press to lure biomed manufacturing from California.
- Eliminate GPEC. Let the cities go their own ways.
- Fund the public schools and universities to compete at top levels.
- Establish real infill incentives along the light-rail line.
- Put a premium on shade, including enhancing and reclaiming the shady oases in central Phoenix.
- Reform the tax structure so cities aren’t so dependent on sales taxes.
- Create a climate-change emergency plan now and begin acting by, for example, building intercity rail, commuter rail, light rail, streetcars and an integrated, easy-to-use transit system.
