Imagine Greater Tucson
Phase I Data Gathering
| Hosted Conversation – Westside Neighborhoods | ||
| Riverpark Inn - 350 S Freeway, Tucson | ||
| Date of Conversation: Tuesday, December 07, 2010 Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM | ||
| Facilitator: Anita Fonte Recorder: Kiry Nelson | ||
| Number of Tables: 1 Number of Participants: 8 | ||
| Theme 1. Regional Economy | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Astronomy center | ||
| The air base and air museum | ||
| Regional opportunities for tourism | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Airline fares are too high; have to drive to Phoenix | ||
| Not enough jobs or training at the technical level | ||
| Not enough jobs | ||
| Increase housing that is safe and affordable | ||
| Increase jobs/opportunities that pay above a living wage | ||
| Theme 2. Public Policy | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| City/county employees that interfere with development | ||
| I wish Tucson and the southern part of the state could be separated into it's own state | ||
| Less taxes on dumb projects that produce nothing - change elected officials that have been there too long | ||
| Streamlining cit bureaucracy to encourage business and smart development | ||
| City's wasted resources | ||
| Conflict or at least lack of cooperation between city and county elected officials | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Communication of good progress would make us feel better and want to support government | ||
| Too dependent on sales tax - need stable revenue for good government and good policy | ||
| Sustainability and revitalization - good planning - in order to have inc. $ | ||
| Like to see more efficient and eective government for common good - real info, real people, real problems, real solutions | ||
| Public sense of distrust about policy and how we are spending money - ex. Rio Nuevo | ||
| Accountability for use of resources - link strategies and outcomes | ||
| Public policy is not strategic but is based on fear | ||
| Attract kind of people we want - not doing that right now because it’s a "low-wage" town | ||
| Civic pride - not a lot right now | ||
| Wasted city services is a result of fear of cutting services - resent people talking about what bad shape we will be in | ||
| Dictates everything else | ||
| Theme 3. Health Services | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Health care | ||
| Better health care | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| A city that doesn't support children will become a shadow of itself | ||
| Cardiac needs limits accessibility or those who live here | ||
| City that doesn't keep children, aging population, and snowbirds - Tucson is affected | ||
| Catastrophic health care | ||
| Increase health care as people age | ||
| My mom - subsidies for home health care - children have to do it | ||
| Cost of health care --> looking to retire – populations aging, larger retiring population | ||
| Pre-natal and minor child health affects education and trickles down - availability of good nutrition - have grant from feds for this (Improvement) | ||
| Health care (VA) overloaded with snowbirds - includes elders - health care is all-inclusive | ||
| Theme 4. Pre-K through 20 Education | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Available university (geographically/program outreach) | ||
| Presence of University of Arizona | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Accessibility to higher education (high cost) | ||
| Perception of public education in Tucson | ||
| Education needs to be a priority | ||
| Ability and interest in taking care of our children to adulthood | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Diversify how we teach so more students are included | ||
| Unequal education - charter schools | ||
| Creativity and innovation results in kids who take education to the next level - good careers, think outside the box | ||
| Need multi-lingual education for a global citizenry | ||
| These kids could benefit society - loss of human potential and services | ||
| Accountability of teacher, parent, child - underperforming kids | ||
| Lack parental support - both parents work, large population of immigrants, don't speak English | ||
| Success is dependent on this | ||
| Ties back to snowbirds | ||
| Education is an investment | ||
| Resentment when people without children pay taxes or by legislation | ||
| Missed opportunities | ||
| Want to get rid of cultural studies - tea partiers | ||
| Legislature's last priority - important that they care because of grandchildren suffering, enrichment and cultural programs | ||
| Theme 5. Transportation | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Modern streetcar | ||
| Aviation corridor | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Don't want to grow like Phoenix | ||
| Sprawl | ||
| Traffic congestion | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Horse paths so don't have to drive car | ||
| Need safe bike paths because traffic is crazy | ||
| High air fare - effects ability to attract business | ||
| Sustainability - better health | ||
| More income (with transportation options, more expendable income) | ||
| Maintain environment | ||
| Good transportation means don't need car | ||
| Don't want to become heat island - lack of water and can't support population | ||
| Creates quality of life - people can get to work | ||
| Theme 6. History and Culture | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Accessibility to the arts | ||
| Ambiance, "ambiente" - a distinct and rich atmosphere created by the people who live here and sense of place that exists | ||
| Proximity of downtown to hiking, biking, prehistory, and history | ||
| Downtown - restaurants, nightlife, compactability, great place to live | ||
| I like the Native American culture | ||
| Mexican music | ||
| Priceless history | ||
| The different people who live here | ||
| Great restaurants | ||
| Location - gateway to Mexico, Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Park | ||
| Sonoran desert ambiance (historic and cultural) | ||
| The mariachi music | ||
| I like the history and culture of the barrios | ||
| History | ||
| Tucson's history and culture | ||
| Culture | ||
| The horses running down the alley | ||
| Diversity | ||
| Sense of place through history | ||
| Immigration | ||
| Diverse blend of rich cultures and heritages | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Lack of respect for history | ||
| Create an equestrian center that ofers year-round events | ||
| Immigration | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Community wealth comes from culture | ||
| Can go to activities outside own culture - joy and sense of "who I am", strengthens community, ambiance | ||
| Resurgence of festivals in Tucson (Dia de San Juan, Fiesta Grande) - has become important because sense of place, connection to Tucson - makes us unique, different, and gives sense of joy - often affordable family fun | ||
| Horses are part of Tucson culture - tourism, convergence of cultures --> creativity | ||
| Theme 7. Environment | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| The weather | ||
| Clean air | ||
| Climate | ||
| I like the weather and desert | ||
| Mountains and desert | ||
| The mountains | ||
| National forest/mountains, open space surrounding Tucson | ||
| Open space | ||
| Open space | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Not enough water | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Works wonders for mental health | ||
| Good choices - desert, forest, skiing | ||
| Plan with water in mind - die without it | ||
| Love living in unique place | ||
| Sunshine - good for health | ||
| Preserve environment because economy and tourist attraction | ||
| Living space expanded beyond home | ||
| Pollution-free - good living | ||
| Beautiful | ||
| Easy living | ||
| That's why we're here | ||
Tuesday, December 21, 2010