Historic preservation “Grande Dame” G.G. George was highlighted in this spanning piece in Phoenix Magazine about the history of historic preservation in Phoenix.

Y’know, I like to think I have a good grasp on historic preservation. But comprehensive articles like this one really punctuate what a long struggle it has been to preserve our most unique neighborhoods in Phoenix. We have a way to go still in some neighborhoods. But we should all tip a hat to those who came before. They are the ones who presented us with this jewel in the middle of a creeping metropolis  that we have come to take for granted.

It is in their name that we should go toe to toe against people like Sen. Linda Gray, who want to undermine historic neighborhoods in Phoenix.

Enough from me. Please read this article.

Join your host committee for the annual Solstice Eve  to support our friends on Roosevelt Row in Downtown Phoenix.

Friday, May 21, 2010
5:00-5:30pm —  Hosts’ Reception
5:30pm til it’s over – Solstice Party!!
PTE Offices at 1017 N. Central Ave
Light Rail stop at Roosevelt

Tickets for this special event are $50 each and include food from Athenian Express, Four Peaks beer,  fabulous Arizona wines, and an evening of fun.
This year we will have an incredible selection of artwork AND one-of-a-kind experiences in a silent auction.

Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation started in 2001 as an informal affiliation of galleries and art spaces along East Roosevelt Street.  A more formal corporation was established in 2005 to further the unique character and assets of the area, to advocate for the continuing role of the arts in the revitalization of downtown Phoenix, and to foster a dense, diverse and walkable urban environment.

This fundraiser allows them to build programs like Phoesitval’s on First Fridays, gRow House, Roosevelt Row Community Garden, Mural Match / Eyes on the Streets – a program matching artists and building owners, and Community Phoestivals.

Tickets are limited and your donation is tax deductible.

This from the Historic Neighborhoods Coalition…

Will Phoenix Abandon Its Historic Neighborhoods?

Sources at City Hall indicate that the movement progresses to make the Historic Preservation Department a part of a larger department.  An appropriate department combination would be Historic Preservation with Community and Economic Development. As a nationally recognized asset to Phoenix, our historic neighborhoods have proven their economic value with the Home Tours and the Historic Neighborhoods Map utilized by many in the community.

While the Historic Preservation Office (HPO) may no longer be able to be an independent Department, under no circumstances should it be combined with the new DSD/Planning.  An attorney has said that his zoning attorney colleagues are basically “licking their chops” over this proposed combination.

Without a strong commitment to preservation on the part of the City Manager’s office and the Mayor and Council, the stability of the historic neighborhoods and the economic progress we have generated in the last decade will be lost.

Historic Preservation is good business, a proven Community and Economic Development driver, and should be recognized as such in any reorganization.

While there is still time, we are asking every neighbor to please send the above message by email or calling the following:

City Manager David Cavazos    david.cavazos@phoenix.gov 602-262-7958

Deputy Manager David Krietor  david.krietor@phoenix.gov 602-262-7957  or

His direct line for messages     602-262-6853

Executive Assistant to the City Manager  Lisa Takata   lisa.takata@phoenix.gov

602-262-6941

Mayor Phil Gordon                         mayor.gordon@phoenix.gov 602-262-7111

Vice Mayor Michael Nowakowski  council.district.7@phoenix.gov 602-262-7492

Councilwoman Thelda Williams    council.district.1@phoenix.gov 602-262-7444

Councilwoman Peggy Neely         council.district.2@phoenix.gov 602-262-7445

Councilman Bill Gates         council.district3@phoenix.gov 602-262-7441

Councilman Tom Simplot         council.district.4@phoenix.gov 602-262-7447

Councilman Claude Mattox           council.district.5@phoenix.gov 602-262-7446

Councilman Sal DiCiccio         council.district.6@phoenix.gov 602-262-7491

Councilman Michael Johnson       council.district.8@phoenix.gov 602-262-7493

Immediate action is necessary to protect our historic neighborhoods.

My friend Tazmine who owns Blooming Rock Development has a post that I like listing the tax credits you can get for energy efficient improvements to your home.

The tax credits are for things like new energy efficient windows, upgraded air conditioning, new roofs, etc.

When I was the director of the state Energy Office, we were always careful to point out that some of these things have a quicker payback than others. The quickest payback comes from new insulation in your attic, water heaters and heat pumps, higher efficiency A/C and just making certain your windows and doors are not leaking badly.

New windows are great, but unless they are really bad, you are not likely to make back what you put in to them for years, as they are so expensive.

However, much of this depends on the situation. I would talk to Tazmine, as she does home renovation planning for sustainability and she can make give you advice based on your entire energy profile.

SB1166 Fact Sheet

Courtesy of Arizona Preservation Foundation ~ http://www.azpreservation.org

WHEN & WHERE THE SB1166 HEARING WILL BE HELD

IN PERSON: The issue is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, starting at 1:30 p.m., Senate Hearing Room 3, 1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix.

BY E-MAIL/PHONE: If you cannot attend, you can still contact a member of the Senate Finance Committee before the hearing:

The Honorable Ken Cheuvront, 602-926-5325, kcheuvront@azleg.gov
The Honorable Ron Gould, 602-926-4138, rgould@azleg.gov
The Honorable Barbara Leff, Vice Chair, 602-926-4486, bleff@azleg.gov
The Honorable Debbie McCune Davis, 602-926-4485, dmccunedavis@azleg.gov
The Honorable Richard Miranda, 602-926-5911, rmiranda@azleg.gov
The Honorable Russell Pearce, 602-926-5760, rpearce@azleg.gov
The Honorable Jim Waring, Chair, 602-926-4916, jwaring@azleg.gov

If you would like to express your views to your own State Senator or State Representative (if they are not listed above), visit http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp

BY REQUEST TO SPEAK IN COMMITTEE SYSTEM: The online Request to Speak in Committee System replaces sign-in slips used by those wishing to testify in Senate and/or House committees.  Committee chairs will have electronic access to listings of everyone signed up to speak and will know in advance who is for or against a particular bill.  To use this application, you must have registered for a user name and password at any one of the kiosks positioned outside the committee rooms on the first floor of the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives, 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix.  Source: http://alistrack.azleg.gov/rts/login.asp

INTERESTING TURN OF EVENTS

One of the likely “yes” votes for SB1166 State Senator Pamela Gorman resigned, effective immediately, on Monday, January 24 to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.

A City of Phoenix P.L.A.N. Legislative E-Mail Alert on Historic Preservation was disseminated on Monday, January 24, 2010.  The City’s Historic Preservation Office is recommending that the Mayor and Council oppose this bill.

PROGRAM HISTORY

Arizona State Senator Juanita Harrelson (R-Tempe) proposed the legislation in the year of our nation’s Bicentennial.  According to Senator Harrelson, “I introduced the bill because I think Arizona lacks the historical background that the Eastern states have.  A lot of our buildings haven’t held up, but what remains represents a time and a way that we should preserve.  This bill would give owners an incentive to restore their home’s authenticity.”  (Source: Arizona Republic, March 3, 1976)

Arizona’s preservation-focused tax incentive has successfully countered private and public land-use policies favoring demolition and new construction, while providing financial benefits to building owners who might otherwise feel burdened by preservation projects.  The first properties joined in 1979: two in Tucson’s Armory Park and one in Prescott.  Today there are approximately 6,000 homes in Arizona that qualify for this tax treatment; approximately 2,900 of them are in Phoenix and approximately 2,000 in Tucson.

BILL SUMMARY

SB1166 would repeal the reduced property tax classification for historic residential property.  Under current law, qualifying historic residences are assessed at 5% rather than the 10% assessment ratio that applies to other homes — the effect of this bill would be to increase property taxes on those historic homes, approximately 6,000 throughout the state.  The full bill is available online: http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1166p.htm

ARIZONA SENATE FACT SHEET FOR SB1166 (property tax classification; historic residences)
Prepared by Senate Research Staff, January 22, 2010: http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/summary/s.1166fin.doc.htm

Purpose: Removes noncommercial historic property from the class 6 property tax classification.  Contains requirements for enactment and becomes effective on signature of the Governor (Proposition 108).

Background: The assessment ratio of a property establishes the percentage of the property’s value that is subject to taxation.  An owner-occupied home has a 10 percent assessment ratio since it is a class 3 property.  The result from applying the appropriate assessment ratio to the property value is referred to as assessed valuation.  Therefore, an owner-occupied home valued by the assessor at $200,000 has an assessed valuation of $20,000.  However, a noncommercial historic property, usually a historic home (class 6), has an assessment ratio of five percent.  Therefore, a historic home with a value of $200,000 would have an assessed value of $10,000.  The tax rate is then applied to the assessed valuation of properties.

Current statute (A.R.S § 42-12101) defines noncommercial historic property as real property in which no business or enterprise is conducted with the intent of earning a profit.  In addition, the property must be listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and meet the minimum standards of maintenance established by the Arizona State Parks Board.

According to the Arizona State Parks Board, a property must generally be fifty years old or older to be placed on the NRHP.   The property must also have significance by having an association with historical events or activities, an association with an important person in history, a distinctive design or physical character, or the potential to provide important information about prehistory or history.  Finally, the property must keep integrity through the maintenance of its original qualities.

S.B. 1166 removes noncommercial historic property from the class 6 property tax classification and places it into class 3.  According to the Department of Revenue, in 2009 there were 5,194 non-commercial historic properties in Arizona with a net assessed valuation of $68.5 million.

The local revenue generated from the change in the assessment ratio could result in a positive impact to the state General Fund due to reduced appropriations for education equalization assistance.  However, any positive impact could be mitigated by increased expenditures for the Homeowner’s Rebate Program.

Provisions:
Moves noncommercial historic property from the class 6 property tax classification to class 3.
Makes conforming and technical changes.
Requires for enactment the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the members of each house of the Legislature (Proposition 108).
Becomes effective on signature of the Governor.

SUGGESTIONS FOR TALKING POINTS

SB1166, in essence, is a tax increase on middle-class residential homeowners.

SB1166 ignores the substantial contribution that historic property designation has made to revitalizing and stabilizing older, blighted neighborhoods throughout our state.

Historically designated homes appreciate at a greater rate of value and sell for more than similar-sized homes in other parts of the community, according to every national and local economic impact study.  But the upfront costs to restore historic residences are greater than similar-sized residences in newer neighborhoods.

Many of Phoenix and Tucson’s historically designated neighborhoods were once blighted with many abandoned properties.  Through the pioneering efforts of individuals and families who appreciate their community’s history and the economic development toolbox that includes the tax credit, these neighborhoods now offer affordable, stable, and owner-occupied housing.  What was once blight is now an asset.

SB1166 represents a “quick to judge” public policy decision that could lead to broader, negative economic development ramifications in the future.  Removing the tax break could put whole areas at risk.  We need to continue to incentivize behavior for the good of the whole.  The tax break protects neighborhoods and keeps property values higher than they would be without historic designation (assisted by the tax incentive).  That promotes protection and stability.

By moving forward with the repeal of this tax credit, the Legislature will take away one of the few economic development tools available to middle class Arizonans to improve the character and safety of their neighborhoods.

If the Legislature has serious reservations about the equity of this tax credit, it should defer action on SB1166 and review it alongside a fuller spectrum of tax reform alternatives and recommendations.

ECONOMIC STUDIES

Various national studies ~ http://www.achp.gov/economicstudies.html
“Benefits of Residential Historic District Designation for Property Owners,” Jonathan Mabry, 2007 ~ http://www.box.net/shared/uldz6xb6rv
“A Cost/Benefit Analysis of Historic Districting in Tucson, Arizona,” Andy Krause, 2004 ~ http://www.box.net/shared/ypdpa63lex

This, from fellow CenPho and Historic Preservation advocate, Jim McPherson:

On Wednesday, State Senator Linda Gray (Republican) introduced SB 1166 that would eliminate the State Property Tax Reclassification program.  This is the “tax break” for residential historic properties in Arizona: approximately 6,000 total statewide of which approximately 2,900 are in Phoenix and 2,000 in Tucson.  It will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

Arizona’s preservation-focused tax incentive has successfully countered private and public land-use policies favoring demolition and new construction, while providing financial benefits to building owners who might otherwise feel burdened by preservation projects.

The proposed bill is linked here: http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1166p.htm

To express your opinion about this proposal, contact your state legislator — http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp — and/or members of the Senate Finance Committee:

The Honorable Jim Waring, Chair ~ <jwaring@azleg.gov>
The Honorable Barbara Leff, Vice Chair ~ <bleff@azleg.gov>
The Honorable Ken Cheuvront ~ <kcheuvront@azleg.gov>
The Honorable Pamela Gorman ~ <pgorman@azleg.gov>
The Honorable Ron Gould ~ <rgould@azleg.gov>
The Honorable Debbie McCune Davis ~ <dmccunedavis@azleg.gov>
The Honorable Richard Miranda ~ <rmiranda@azleg.gov>
The Honorable Russell Pearce ~ <rpearce@azleg.gov>

BACKGROUND

Does historic preservation make economic sense?  Does it result in economic benefits as well as esthetic and cultural benefits for communities?  The answer is yes, based on a growing number of studies that quantify the economic impacts of historic preservation.

The following statistics from recent studies are typical of the positive findings of preservation’s economic benefits:
Historic preservation activities generate more than $1.4 billion of economic activity in Texas each year.
Rehabilitation of historic properties in Georgia during a five-year period created 7,550 jobs and $201 million in earnings.
Each dollar of Maryland’s historic preservation tax credit leverages $6.70 of economic activity within that State.
In one year, direct and indirect expenditures by heritage tourists in Colorado reached $3.1 billion.

The ACHP has compiled links to online studies on the economic impacts of historic preservation.  The links to the studies — available at http://www.achp.gov/economicstudies.html — fall into six categories:
General Studies
Statewide Studies
General Community and Resource Studies
Impacts of Historic Designation
Impacts on Property Values
Impacts of Preservation Tax Credits

If you have local statistics and success stories about how historic preservation has benefitted your community and neighborhood, please share.

Jim McPherson
Vice President, Arizona Preservation Foundation

ACTION ALERT: HB 2161 Hearing on Monday!

It’s official.

On Monday (January 25th) the House Banking and Insurance Committee will hear HB 2161, Rep. Tobin’s bill that would overturn the will of the voters and authorize 400% interest payday loans forever!

We need you to act now!

The payday lenders are making the rounds, trying to woo your elected representatives into believing the deceptive “reforms” they promise in this bill will eliminate the Payday Loan Debt Trap.  They will NOT!

Now, the committee members need to hear from YOU.

Come to the hearing on Monday AND contact all committee members today!

Your message can be short and to the point:

The voters have spoken!  We said “NO” to 400% payday loans loud and clear.
~
HB 2161, just like Prop. 200, hides payday loans’ 400% interest rates amidst a myriad of meaningless “reforms.”
~
HB 2161 will result in thousands of Arizonans trapped in debt, year in and year out.  It will continue to allow out-of-state companies to drain $150 million dollars from the state each year in fees stripped from trapped borrowers.
~
Vote NO on HB 2161 and do as the voters demanded:  LET THE SUN SET ON 400%!
~
JOIN US MONDAY

AT THE STATE CAPITOL:

Arrive by 1:15 p.m. to ensure you get a seat

Here are the details you need:

State Capitol
House of Representatives
1700 W Washington Street
Phoenix AZ 85007

House Committee on Banking and Insurance
House Hearing Room #5

The hearing starts at 2:00 pm, but COME EARLY to ensure you get a seat. (The payday lenders will try to pack the house with their “satisfied customers” and employees, who will be paid to attend.  We need to out-number them.)

Coming?  Let Kelly know – kelly@economicintegrity.org

~~

Call and Email the Committee Members TODAY:

Nancy McLain (Chairman), Republican — District 3
(602) 926-5051 nmclain@azleg.gov

Doug Quelland (Vice-Chairman), Republican — District 10
(602) 926-3024 dquelland@azleg.gov
Thank him for standing with Consumers and voting “NO.”

Carl Seel, Republican — District 6
(602) 926-3018 cseel@azleg.gov

Cecil P. Ash, Republican — District 18
(602) 926-3160 cash@azleg.gov

Andrew M. Tobin (bill’s primary sponsor), Republican — District 1
(602) 926-5172 atobin@azleg.gov

Cloves C. Campbell, Jr., Democrat — District 16
(602) 926-3042 clcampbell@azleg.gov
**URGE HIM TO VOTE NO!   HE IS ON THE FENCE.**

Robert Meza, Democrat –  District 14
(602) 926-3425 rmeza@azleg.gov
Thank him for standing with Consumers and voting “NO.”

David Bradley, Democrat — District 28
(602) 926-3300 dbradley@azleg.gov
Thank him for standing with Consumers and voting “NO.”

See you Monday!

Thank you,

KELLY

Kelly Griffith
Arizonans for Responsible Lending

PS:

To read the proposed legislative language, monitor co-sponsors and track the bill, bookmark the following link: HB2161

For Committee updates between now and Monday, keep your eye on their website:
House Committee on Banking and Insurance

~~~

Paid for by Arizonans for Responsible Lending

Major Funding by AARP Arizona
Center for Responsible Lending, N.C., SEIU, Washington, and SIMG, Tucson.
Additional Support from Arizona State Credit Union, UFCW Local 99
The Arizona Credit Union League, and Mi Familia Vota.

www.NoMoreLoanSharks.com

Last month I wrote about the possibilities of commuter and passenger rail in Phoenix and Arizona. While deciding which tracks to use for these trains would be complicated, it was really the up-front costs that keep Arizona from moving toward the future in this regard.

But one man is trying his best to move the train down the track on a smaller scale –one which could still help encourage the growth of more expansive rail use in Phoenix.

Robert Graham wants a trolley on Lower Grand Avenue and he isn’t waiting for a government agency to get around to it. He has been quietly making the rounds and building alliances around a proposal for a short-run trolley car line that would cost in the low millions –cheaper than most new roads with greater economic impact.

He calls it “GARP”, the Grand Avenue Rail Project.

His local focus and realistic vision makes me think that we just might be able to pull it off in the near future.

Here is the skinny:

Graham (not the guy in the picture, above) is the the Principal Architect at the Motley Design Group, a design firm that has done a number of historic preservation projects around Arizona and Phoenix.

Graham, knowing that there used to be rail on Grand Avenue decades ago, looked out on the old road from his desk at his firm and asked “why not now?”

He saw the potential for a short-run trolley that serves as transportation, a local attraction and a way to support all of the businesses along “Lower” Grand Ave., from Van Buren to Roosevelt.

If you’ve ever been on Grand, you know that most of the old buildings there are perfect for a future business and shopping district –no master planning necessary. The buildings are close to the street, with street parking and lots of broad, traditional facades.

Graham was inspired by the Old Pueblo Trolley that runs on 4th Avenue in Tucson, and which helped revitalize that street. And in his position as an architect working in Phoenix for decades, he could see how all of the pieces could fit together.

Piece #1: The Phoenix Street Railway Museum. A small group of rebels against the growing freeway culture bought one of the last remaining bodies of an original Phoenix streetcar in 1975. Since that time, working out of a streetcar “barn” at the Ellis-Shackelford house in downtown Phoenix, they have restored one car to working order and are working on a second. In other words, we have the vehicle.

Piece #2: Storage and right-of way. Graham points to acres of unused space under the I-10 freeway at 15th Avenue and Grand that could be used as storage, maintenance and a kind of small switch yard for one or two cars. See the map, below.

Piece #3: Business Support. The fledgling Grand Avenue Merchant’s Association (GAMA) fully supports the idea of a street car line along Grand Ave., and one property owner has suggested lending space for a streetcar museum. The problem: “fledgling” means they have no money to do it themselves.

Piece #4: Institutional Support. Graham is looking for support from the city to consider plans to lay track along the middle lane of Grand Ave. This track, unlike the new light rail track, is relatively cheap to install. There are no expensive curbs and extra signals. While Graham suspects that the streets and transportation planners at the City might worry about reducing the car carrying capacity of Grand Ave., he looks forward to conversations about how to make it work.

He sees the work in four potential phases, starting with moving the train cars to a new storage yard under I-10, along with a small trolley museum (about $500,000).  Phase 2 and 3 lays tracks from the I-10 south to Van Buren (another million dollars). A potential Phase 4 could then connect Grand Ave. to the light rail station at 1st Ave and Van Buren –the most complicated and costly phase.

However, this last phase would mean that you could ride the modern light rail in from the burbs, jump on the old Trolley and visit all the galleries and sites that will inevitably populate Grand Ave. Now, that’s economic development.

Photos Courtesy of Motley Design Group

While Graham admits that his cost estimate are very preliminary and “pulled out of the air,” he is hopeful about getting start-up funds from what are called T-21 Transportation Grants, through ADOT.

According to Graham, the grants are extremely generous, needing only a 5% match to get funding. That’s $25,000 to get a $500,000 grant.

Grant is looking for help with his idea. While he is still making the rounds to get critical political and bureaucratic support, he also needs volunteer grant writers, fund raisers and advocates. If you are interested in joining in the cause, contact Grant at trolley@motleydesigngroup.com.

I’ve lived in several cities with this kind of trolley system in place and I think Graham’s vision is perfect for the times. While it will be tough to get the kind of money to get started, this is the kind of “low dollar” project, that if started soon, could be in place in time for the next big boom in downtown redevelopment.

It could secure Grand Avenue’s identity as a historically significant, locally-owned alternative to the mega-mall.

Regular contributor of topic ideas of my blog, John Bennett, sent me this Newsweek article that explores how the generation raised in this recession might live differently.

Unlike in previous recessions, a more frugal life outlook might hold this time because the economics of the world, in general, will force Americans to save more, spend less and make different decisions about consumption.

According to the article, “the personal savings rate has more than quadrupled from its 2008 low to the current rate of 4.5 percent.”

This is amazing to me. Back when I worked at the Concord Coalition, a federal deficit reduction advocacy organization lead by Senators Paul Tsongas (D) and Warren Rudman (R), we watched in horror as the American average savings rate went in to negative territory. Meanwhile, the Japanese and Germans had a strong, consistent personal savings rate.

This had an impact on our federal budget deficit, as the amount people saved impacted the price of bonds and (in a complicated way that I’m not very good at explaining) the deficit that we funded with those bonds.

The article also predicts that we are entering “a new age in which young graduates can’t expect to do better than their parents—and one in which Wall Street is perceived as being able to continue business as usual while Main Street struggles.” Heck, I’m already there. I doubt that I will do as well as my parents. Although that might come from my personal choices to try to save the world, rather than anything else. Yet, over-all, the number of kids who do better than their parents is dwindling.

It creates an interesting set of ideas to think about as the Baby Boomers pass on. First, the Generation X-ers will be living off what their parents leave them, which, in the aggregate, will be more than any other time in history. Yet, there may not be much left after the Baby Boomers live longer, spend more on health care and then, finally, when we have to find a way to pay off all of the debt accumulated in our massive federal debt.

What does this mean for the housing market? I think in the 15-20 year time horizon, you can expect that many large homes will be left to the next generation by Boomers. Unless there is a continued influx of immigrants who improve America’s productivity level (not just service jobs), those homes might just sell for less and be worth less.

On the positive side, however, the Recession Generation is learning something that the eco-friendlies in the Boomer generation have been saying for decades with little response: live smaller. Dry your laundry on a line, compost, reuse things that break, live in a smaller, more energy efficient home.

When I lived in Bosnia, many folks did these things without thinking about it –even in 2007 when I went back to visit. An economist would say that it was because they had a lower standard of living and had to do these things because they had no other choice. This is true. Yet, the frugal part of life there never left me feeling that my standard of living was all that bad. In fact, it made me feel better about my lifestyle and my impact on the environment in many ways.

I hope we get a little of that New Frugality in America and it sticks.

Kimber Lanning is one of the most interesting people in the state right now, and her organization Local First AZ is one of the most promising groups for our future.

Kimber advocates for making a simple choice: try to spend your dollars on locally-owned businesses before you spend elsewhere.

Now, I am a free trade kinda guy, but I think we have let it go too far in some ways (especially when it comes to environmental degradation and worker’s rights). Yet I don’t think it is harmful to make a choice to support local businesses. As Kimber likes to say, For every $100 spent in a chain store, $13 remains in the state. For every $100 spent in a locally owned business, $45 remains in the state.

I find this topic particularly interesting because of the time I spent as the director of the State Energy Office, which (unfortunately) is housed in the Arizona Department of Commerce. What I saw and we’ve seen over years is that we bend over backwards to attract businesses to Arizona and give away the farm rather than support local businesses, which, if fostered, could be the next Intel or Microsoft and could end up bringing more business here.

I am inspired by Kimber’s leadership and the rate at which Local First has exploded over the last couple years. Maybe something about the Great Recession has made people realize that they need to keep it local. She has done more for AZ than any sitting politician I can think of, except maybe Terry Goddard.