Leading in the Right Direction
Leading in the Right Direction
Goodyear General Plan 2035
Proposed as: Growing Goodyear-Planning for the Future
You will soon be casting your vote for or against the city’s 242-page general plan. I don’t know how many of you took the time to laboriously read through it. I did, and it wasn’t an easy task. While I found much of it to be well thought out and sensible, the thing that struck me most was an abundance of language that is peppered throughout the pages, the government’s favorite buzzwords. One word that dominated the pages was “diverse” and its many offshoots, “diversity” “inclusive” and “equitable”. For example, “equitable-diverse housing” (pg. 70-80), and the perplexing term, the need for “road diets” (pg. 79 #7). This is the term used by those who advocate for “15-minute cities”. Along these lines is another term used, environmental justice, (p.81) which supports a reduction in travel demands and energy consumption which causes air pollution (p.81). So much of this is meant to sound innovative, like creating a variety of neighborhoods with diversity of use and renewable energy sources, green buildings, and practices to reduce energy use and consumption. They plan to promote environmental protection by use of more solar for energy use reduction with APS, and to consider use of alternate, inclusive, & diverse fuels. But what does all this “word salad” really mean to our future?
The city wants to consider ways to reduce its “municipal operation carbon footprint", focus on renewables, and “diversify beyond traditional industries and use of resources”, to focus on and to reduce the city’s “climate impact” and to address “light pollution” (p. 104 & 80). Another goal is diversity of travel, to have a connected community with a multi-modal transportation system. (p.69) Proposed ways to do this are to support reductions in travel demands, provide “Intelligent Transportation System Techniques” ITS, and create “walkable” neighborhoods, including bike lanes on arterial and collector roadways. (p.72), It also wants to diversify transportation by developing a Transportation Master Plan that recognizes the need for new technology such as autonomous vehicles and to cultivate a new young generation of transit riders. Is the goal to limit the use of our cars?
There is a section on “fair housing” which states as its objective, to partner with financial institutions to explore the benefits of federal grants as funding sources through the “Community Reinvestment Act” for “neighborhood revitalization” (p, 72, 190) This one sent shivers down my spine and gave me Déjà vu! I was a real estate broker in California during those years. I remember them vividly! It was like a roller-coaster ride without the thrills.
To give you a bit of history, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was enacted by Jimmy Carter in 1977 to address the history of discriminatory lending and encourage banks to help meet the credit needs of borrowers in all segments of their communities, especially low-and moderate- income populations. It played a significant role in the 2008 financial crisis, called the subprime mortgage boom and bust. It encouraged lax regulation and excessive risk-taking by financial institutions with the blessing of the government. 1978-79 were booming on this program, but the bubble burst in 1980 as the Fed attempted to tamp down the inflation they caused by raising interest rates to as high as 18 percent! It wasn’t until 1985 that we started to recover. During the Reagan-Bush years the market and rates were stable and reasonable. Then, in 2005-6 the government decided to resurrect the CRA to again manipulate financing programs. Money was abundant and cheap and lenders were again encouraged to make these risky types of loans, ushering in a great boom followed by the Great Recession.
Their loan of choice was the below-market interest rate program called the pick-a-pay loan in which banks allowed borrowers to take out a loan at market pricing, say 6-7% interest, but to choose the rate at which they wanted to repay it monthly, even as low as 1% interest. What could go wrong? All that deferred interest was added to their loan so that years later, when the homeowner tried to sell the home, they had no, or negative equity. Foreclosures abounded, and the housing market dropped off a cliff! Homeowners once again became renters because their credit rating had been destroyed. How will that program be implemented in Goodyear?
All of these details are just a small part of the entire Goodyear General Plan 2035. I understand that cities have to comply with federal and state laws and regulations in order to get needed funding and approval for their plans. Now it is your turn to decide if you approve of it. Be sure to vote!
Patricia Moore
MAY 2024
Membership Meeting
Thursday, May 2
Tuscany Falls Ballroom
Social 6:30 PM - Meeting 7:00 PM
Featured Speaker: Kari Lake - Candidate for U.S. Senator
Click Here to see the flyer with more details.
PCRC Women's Luncheon
Wednesday, May 8, 11:30 AM
Eagle's Nest dining room alcove
Seating is limited to a maximum of 20
RSVP to Vicki Streeter
Men's Breakfast Club
Tuesday, May 14, 8:30 AM
Eagle's Nest dining room
Seating is limited to a maximum of 20
RSVP to Chuck Streeter
Meet & Greet with the Candidates
Saturday, May 18, 2 to 4 PM
Eagle's Nest Ballroom
Candidates who will appear on the Primary Ballot have been invited to attend.
Click Here to see the flyer with more details and confirmed candidates.
JUNE 2024
No Membership Meeting
Men's Breakfast Club
Tuesday, June 11, 8:30 AM
Eagle's Nest dining room
Seating is limited to a maximum of 20
RSVP to Chuck Streeter
PCRC Women's Luncheon
Wednesday, June 12, 11:30 AM
Eagle's Nest dining room alcove
Seating is limited to a maximum of 20
RSVP to Vicki Streeter
streeter@greencafe.comPebbleCreek
The "Men's Breakfast Club" meets at 8:30 AM on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in the Eagle's Nest Dining Room Alcove.
If you are interested in a lively, morning conversation about political events and your first cup of coffee, please attend this breakfast. This is a real opportunity for some "like-minded" discussion.
If you plan to attend, RSVP to Chuck Streeter - streeter@greencafe.com
If you are looking for an informative and lively conversation among "like-minded" women and the opportunity to "talk Republican," here is your chance!
The luncheons are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 11:30 AM in the Eagle's Nest Dining Room Alcove.
If you plan to attend, RSVP to Vicki Streeter at streeter@greencafe.com
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