Political Calendar: Week of November 24, 3013

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Political Calendar is posted on Sundays. Please send us notice of your political events prior to the Sunday before your event (7 days would be most helpful). See the calendar icon in the right-hand column of the blog page for easy access to the calendar.

Political Calendar For The Week of November 24, 2013:

Sunday, November 24, 2:00 p.m.: (New Day) Legislative District 11 meeting, at the Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Church, 3601 W. Cromwell Drive (Tucson). For more information please contact Jo Holt at jomholtaz@gmail.com. Find us at www.AZLD11Dems.org.

Monday, November 25, Noon: Democrats of Greater Tucson luncheon, Dragon's View Restaurant (400 N. Bonita, South of St. Mary's Road between the Freeway and Grande Avenue, turn South at Furr's Cafeteria), buffet lunch costs $8.50. Featured speaker is Congressman Raúl Grijalva for a Congressional Update; Nominations taken for DGT Board of Directors (Election is December 9). Next Week: James Duff Lyall, ACLU staff attorney on “In the militarized zone: documented civil rights abuses by U.S. Border patrol officers in Southern Arizona”.

Tucson City Council Election – last chance to mail your ballot!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

VoteThe City of Tucson votes by all-mail balloting (there is an early voting location for those of you who want to vote in-person). The ballots have been mailed to all registered voters in the City of Tucson. It should take you less than five minutes to mark your ballot, sign and date the affidavit envelope, and return your ballot by return mail. So quick and easy . . . you have no excuses!

2013 City of Tucson Election:

· Thursday, October 17: Ballots mailed to registered voters.

· Friday, October 18–Tuesday, November 5: Voting Location Open at Tucson City Clerk Elections Center, 800 E. 12th St. October 18-November 4, open Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. November 5, open 6:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

· Thursday, October 31: Last day to mail your ballot to ensure it is received by the City Clerk’s Office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.

· Tuesday, November 5: Election Day. Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Your choices for Tucson City Council are pretty clear — reelect the incumbent council members:

Ward 3 – Karin Uhlich (D) incumbent

Ward 5 – Richard Fimbres (D) Incumbent

Ward 6 – Steve Kozachik (D) Incumbent

There are two noncontroversial propositions on the ballot. Council member Regina Romero's office provided this explanation of the ballot measures:

Tucson City Council Election – return your ballot!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

VoteThe City of Tucson votes by all-mail balloting (there is an early voting location for those of you who want to vote in-person). The ballots have been mailed to all registered voters in the City of Tucson. It should take you less than five minutes to mark your ballot, sign and date the affidavit envelope, and return your ballot by return mail. So quick and easy . . . you have no excuses!

2013 City of Tucson Election:

· Thursday, October 17: Ballots mailed to registered voters.

· Friday, October 18–Tuesday, November 5: Voting Location Open at Tucson City Clerk Elections Center, 800 E. 12th St. October 18-November 4, open Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. November 5, open 6:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

· Thursday, October 31: Last day to mail your ballot to ensure it is received by the City Clerk’s Office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.

· Tuesday, November 5: Election Day. Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Your choices for Tucson City Council are pretty clear — reelect the incumbent council members:

Ward 3 – Karin Uhlich (D) incumbent

Ward 5 – Richard Fimbres (D) Incumbent

Ward 6 – Steve Kozachik (D) Incumbent

There are two noncontroversial propositions on the ballot. Council member Regina Romero's office provided this explanation of the ballot measures:

Ballots mailed in Tucson City Council election today – return your ballot!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

VoteThe City of Tucson votes by all-mail balloting (there is an early voting location for those of you who want to vote in-person). The ballots are being mailed to all registered voters in the City of Tucson beginning today. It should take you less than five minutes to mark your ballot, sign and date the affidavit envelope, and return your ballot by return mail. So quick and easy . . . you have no excuses!

2013 City of Tucson Election:

· Thursday, October 17: Ballots mailed to registered voters.

· Friday, October 18–Tuesday, November 5: Voting Location Open at Tucson City Clerk Elections Center, 800 E. 12th St. October 18-November 4, open Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. November 5, open 6:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

· Thursday, October 31: Last day to mail your ballot to ensure it is received by the City Clerk’s Office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.

· Tuesday, November 5: Election Day. Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Your choices for Tucson City Council are pretty clear — reelect the incumbent council members:

Ward 3 – Karin Uhlich (D) incumbent

Ward 5 – Richard Fimbres (D) Incumbent

Ward 6 – Steve Kozachik (D) Incumbent

There are two noncontroversial propositions on the ballot. Council member Regina Romero's office provided this explanation of the ballot measures:

Ronstadt Transit Center: City, Developers Ponder Proverbial Political Football (video)

RTCneon326-sig-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

Anyone who has lived in Tucson long enough knows that the vitality of downtown has ebbed and flowed with the winds of politics and the fortunes of capitalism.

Thanks to infrastructure investments, tax breaks, land deals, and the promise of Rio Nuevo college students with Daddy's credit cards, downtown is again on the upswing– with swanky bars, over-priced restaurants, micro-breweries, maxi-dorms, and a modern street car to deliver college students to the main gate of the university.

With the smell of money in the air, capitalists are ready to play "let's make a deal" with Tucson's Mayor and Council. One city property that developers have been trying to score for years is the Ronstadt Transit Center, on Congress. Once surrounded by seedy bars, funky diners, and shoe-string art galleries, the Ronstadt Center is now in the thick of downtown's rebirth as Mill Ave South.

Anyone who was around in 2009-2010 when developers lobbied for a land swap deal that would include ~40% of the Ronstadt Center for commercial development  should pay attention to what's happening now. Details and video after the jump.