Imagine Greater Tucson
Phase I Data Gathering
| Women in Tax and Finance | ||
| Lodge on the Desert – 306 N. Alvernon Wy, Tucson | ||
| Date of Conversation: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM | ||
| Facilitator: Patrick Hartley Recorder: Eileen Fagan | ||
| Number of Tables: 1 Number of Participants: 11 | ||
| Theme 1. Economics | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| More higher paying job opportunities | ||
| Better job opportunities | ||
| Theme 2. The Natural Environment | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Outdoor activities | ||
| Environment | ||
| Natural areas and parks | ||
| Open spaces, mountains, etc. | ||
| Surrounded by mountains that I can see - Low pollution - active | ||
| The mountains | ||
| Outdoor beauty and recreation areas | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Control water table and supply issues | ||
| Improved air quality | ||
| Theme 3. Security | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Bi-National culture | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Get rid of drug problems - killings and safety | ||
| Security | ||
| Quiet border | ||
| Border issues | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| We need to remember as well that people crossing the southern border aren't all Mexicans - it is an easier border to cross than Canada. | ||
| Think of all the money spent at the border and how they could be better used | ||
| We should speak loudly with one voice in Southern Arizona regarding the border and the perceptions of fear | ||
| It's disappointing that things have changed - we used to travel in Mexico so safely | ||
| We communicate to the rest of the country that border safety really is big problem which causes fear of our area, damagers our image, and affects the economy | ||
| We need a guest worker program - Yuma has it- why can't we? | ||
| We are 45 minutes from the border - we need in Tucson have a special relationship with Mexico and need to embrace it | ||
| Border safety in our region is more of a perceived problem than a real problem | ||
| People will leave of not come to Tucson if they don't feel safe | ||
| Crime and safety will impact our economics in the area | ||
| Theme 4. Roads and Transportation | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Love the slower traffic | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Add more mass transit | ||
| Public transportation | ||
| An east-west freeway | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Driving affects the environment | ||
| The constant need for driving negatively affects our community spirit | ||
| It will be better for the environment if cars run more efficiently | ||
| More driving of automobiles causes pollution problems | ||
| People can't live on one side of town and commute to the other - we end up with a lack of diversity and increased segregation | ||
| Our roads are built poorly - they don't lay a sturdy substreet in this area | ||
| Michigan turns on Oracle and Grant will adversely affect small businesses - the planning of these needs to be revisited | ||
| Theme 5. Community Spirit, Involvement, and Education | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Diversity | ||
| The University and the "arts" | ||
| Mid-size city | ||
| Small town feel | ||
| Home ownership and the habits of owning a home | ||
| Community spirit | ||
| Community - small town feel in a big city | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Attract and recruit retired science professionals as a local problem solving resource | ||
| Schools | ||
| Community involvement and support for education | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| The public schools delivered for my kids - but there are two groups in the schools; the driven and the not so driven. How do we motivate all of them? | ||
| We should attract retired scientists to come to Tucson to work with local kids as teachers and mentors | ||
| Get more community involvement in schools | ||
| We need community advisory boards - experts in the community that can help the schools | ||
| More people will move here if we have better education | ||
| Oro Valley and Marana do a better job of including retirees in public life and education | ||
| Retirees should be brought into local schools and help teach - bring their experience (what will be the effect on pay rates for teachers?) | ||
| Cast a broader net | ||
| We won't attract businesses or quality employees - we need a good education base | ||
| We vote people into office that don't value education - that's why we are 49th or 50th in the country in education funding | ||
| Our local schools aren't offering music, team sports, the arts - and companies are seeing this and it is impacting their decision as to whether or not they will locate here | ||
Thursday, February 10, 2011