Comments on: Preserving Davis-Monthan and Tucson http://www.friendsofarley.org/2005/04/15/preserving-davis-monthan-and-tucson/ Re-Elect Steve Farley as Arizona LD28 State Representative in 2008 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:29:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: michael bryan http://www.friendsofarley.org/2005/04/15/preserving-davis-monthan-and-tucson/comment-page-1/#comment-20 michael bryan Sun, 17 Apr 2005 15:24:20 +0000 http://www.friendsofarley.com/2005/04/15/preserving-davis-monthan-and-tucson/#comment-20 I am familiar with the JLUS process and the impact it can have on new development. I followed the political fight surrounding La Osa Ranch pretty closely and the only thing that derailed it was the combined political pressure resulting from the airforce making noise about closing their facilities in Pinal county if La Osa went ahead. The JLUS process was in part a reaction of the services to the rude awakening to encroachment issues La Osa gave them. It seems to me that to effectively stop development and encroachment from the Southwest, an effective leader would bring in a bi-partisan and multi-agency coalition to express concern about it. If a candidate could stir up enough concern over the future of the base to get, say, the Governor, McCain, Grijalva, Kolbe, state legislators and the Air Force all expressing concern about future development, that might be enough to make local city and county officials shit or get off the pot. Already they are throwing money at the problem with mitigation grants, turning the screws a little more will have faxes flying into council and supervisors office faster than you can say 'conservation easement'. I am familiar with the JLUS process and the impact it can have on new development. I followed the political fight surrounding La Osa Ranch pretty closely and the only thing that derailed it was the combined political pressure resulting from the airforce making noise about closing their facilities in Pinal county if La Osa went ahead. The JLUS process was in part a reaction of the services to the rude awakening to encroachment issues La Osa gave them.

It seems to me that to effectively stop development and encroachment from the Southwest, an effective leader would bring in a bi-partisan and multi-agency coalition to express concern about it. If a candidate could stir up enough concern over the future of the base to get, say, the Governor, McCain, Grijalva, Kolbe, state legislators and the Air Force all expressing concern about future development, that might be enough to make local city and county officials shit or get off the pot. Already they are throwing money at the problem with mitigation grants, turning the screws a little more will have faxes flying into council and supervisors office faster than you can say ‘conservation easement’.

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