15 minute read
OPINION
Don’t put livelihood on the line
BY STATE REP. CÉSAR CHÁVEZ
Legislative District 29
As our country begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, our government needs to take big steps to help our Arizonan families stand back up stronger than ever while also ensuring our economy doesn’t falter and leave families out in the cold.
It has never made sense that a worker needs to go into work when sick, that a new parent needs to leave a newborn to return to work, that a son can’t take care of an older mother who is sick. We have the opportunity to finally change that and pass a national paid leave policy.
Even before the pandemic exacerbated the failures of not having a paid leave policy, most Arizonans couldn’t even access unpaid family leave at their jobs. That leaves working families behind — for some it means they are unable to pay rent, make car payments, afford an education or put food on the table. And simply, that’s unacceptable. That’s why I introduced HB 2756. It’s time for our state’s laws to reflect our state’s workers’ needs. We need a sustainable paid leave policy in place so that families and businesses are never scrambling for piecemeal solutions when illness strikes, a serious family caregiving need arises, or a new child is born or adopted. And now, President Biden has proposed a paid family and medical leave plan so you can access these protections no matter where you live or who you work for.
Too often, women are held back when a family needs help. Taking them out of the workplace has ripples across the economy, as we’ve seen over the past year.
In Arizona, women make up 47% of the workforce and 28% of small-business owners. Those women’s wages support their households, with 73% of Black mothers, 46% of white mothers, 49% of Latina mothers and 45% of AAPI mothers being their family’s breadwinner. By the end of 2020, Arizona’s labor force had lost 19,000 workers, and nearly five times as many women were unemployed compared to one year earlier.
Paid leave and care policies have the potential to help the economy grow as much as 5% by bringing women’s labor force participation rates in the United States up to levels in other countries. Without paid leave, we’re leaving a chunk of the economy on the table.
Arizona also has an aging population — 1 in 5 workers is at least 55 years old. Older workers naturally need more medical care and have more serious issues arise. If our state continues to fail to prescribe policy to help them, these older workers and their families continue to suffer at a growing rate.
I represent one of the most impoverished districts in the state of Arizona. My constituents have not had the luxury of staying home and working virtually, because they are essential workers. They work in warehouses, construction, landscaping. They are the reason why our economy has stayed afloat during the pandemic.
A lack of paid leave policy reflects a lack of recognizing a worker’s humanity. Without planning for the reality that workers will get sick, need to care for an ill family member or have a child, our government is failing both Arizona families and businesses. Enacting such policy lets families, businesses and the economy as a whole have a realistic plan in place to catch workers and their families.
Enacting paid leave boosts our families and boosts our economy. In Arizona, we have the chance to push for a national paid leave policy that helps Arizonans and all Americans so that a new child, an ailing parent or finding yourself ill doesn’t put your livelihood on the line.
WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | MAY 19, 2021
Dog adoptions teach a lesson about humanity
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ
West Valley View Columnist
Early in my newspaper career, I worked at a New Jersey tabloid where the publisher was a man of few words, most of them insulting and frequently shouted at top volume. He was easy to make angry, and I did so one afternoon upon returning from the scene of a row house fire in Trenton.
Most of a city block had gone up in flames, the fire spreading from home to home via a connected attic. Dozens of families were homeless, and firefighters had suffered serious smoke inhalation, but fortunately no one had been killed.
Still, per the publisher, I had missed the most critical detail of all.
“Any dogs killed?” he demanded. “People love dogs more than people.”
That was how I ended up back at the scene of a massive blaze, inquiring about canine calamities. The publisher seemed visibly disappointed that none of the now-homeless families’ dogs had been barbecued.
“People love dogs,” he assured our afternoon news meeting. “Anything about dogs they’ll read.”
That lesson crossed my mind a few weeks ago as I was driving home from Ruff Road, a Phoenix-based dog rescue. There, the shelter’s owner, a sweet woman named Anne, had totally seen me coming. I had driven over to meet Lucy, an eight-pound bedraggled ball of fur who resembled a cross between a Yorkie, a Chihuahua and an old rustand-brown throw rug.
“I’ll go grab her,” said Anne. “And I’ll bring her bestie, too. Ethel.”
The dog has a best friend?
“Oh, yes. They grew up together. They’re inseparable.” Anne paused — possibly for dramatic effect. “But I’m sure they’ll be fine apart if you only want Lucy.”
This was how I ended up adopting two dogs. They’re 3 years old, with Ethel — a reddish 12-pound mix of rat terrier, cocker spaniel and Chihuahua — serving as muscle, while Lucy appears to be the brains of the operation. Meaning Lucy’s the one who bops open the door to the closet so Ethel can fetch a Nike for a joint chewfest.
They’ve settled right in running my house, too. Back in the day, I enjoyed laying on the couch to watch golf on the weekends.
They’ve decided I’m restricted to one cushion now, while they reserve the other two for naps and wrestling matches.
Did I mention watching golf sitting up is more relaxing than it looks?
The girls also have decided that I spend too much time sleeping and my face needs additional moisturizing. Most days, the face licking starts at about 3:45 a.m., but that’s OK.
Did I mention I get a lot of work done early and under cover of darkness?
We’ve all learned quite a bit over the past couple of months. For example, having lived alone for a few years, I’d forgotten that French fries are meant to be shared equally. I’ve also finally learned never to leave my socks on the floor or anywhere within 6 inches of the ground. Also, it’s unwise to leave the front door cracked while you fetch the mail or grab DoorDash off the porch — unless you’re gung-ho to practice barefoot sprints up and down the street while the neighbor kids laugh at you.
I needed the cardio anyway. And so what if all my golf shoes have bite marks now, and someone attempted to install a second doggie door by chewing through some wallboard, and someone stole the last slice of pizza off the coffee table and dragged it into the bedroom?
All of it is a very small price to pay. My old publisher was right. People, or at least this person, really do love dogs more than people.
David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995. Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com
11 ‘Frosted Flake’ feels the chill in Utah
BY J.D. HAYWORTH
West Valley View Columnist
You’ve heard the old joke about the minister who uses the invocation he delivers at a political banquet as both a warning and a teaching moment: “Oh Lord, make our words sweet, for one day we may have to eat them!”
This is not that type of column, though it offers a form of confession. Despite that anecdotal admonition, the sweetest words of tongue, pen or word processor are simply these: “Told you so!”
Your not-so-humble columnist refers you to an essay he authored two years ago that predicted an incoming U.S. senator from Utah would emulate the curious conduct of a departing one from Arizona: https://bit.ly/33G0pyM
No gift of prophecy was needed; Mitt Romney offered ample notice that he fully intended to become the gray-templed version of Jeff Flake. If anything, Romney has eclipsed the obnoxiousness of the now-retired Flake — and that’s saying something.
Speaking of saying something, that’s one of the main sources of revenue for Arizona’s “one-term wonder.” Flake now enjoys financial recompense from organizations such as CBS News whenever the “journalists” there need a comment criticizing the Republican Party. Add to that a board position with an Arizona-based national homebuilder, and Jeff can say with his ever-present smirk that advocating cheap labor and open borders is good for the economy — at least for the economic conditions of the Flake family.
While the financial windfall may take the sting out of the 18% approval rating that prompted Flake’s flight instead of fight in a campaign for re-election, how should we regard Romney’s current conduct? What motivates Mitt these days?
Willard Mitt Romney is not motivated by money, because he’s already made a boatload. Planning and executing corporate takeovers, exporting jobs overseas and shrinking the domestic job market helped fatten Mitt’s wallet to the point that he even put some of his dough in offshore accounts, mirroring the commerce he sent elsewhere.
And elsewhere is where Mitt Romney wants to be, specifically at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue in a big White House. He denies such intentions, but “follow your dreams” is the obligatory advice dispensed at high school and college commencements, and it’s something that Romney finds tough to reject — especially when one such dream has been realized.
Mitt made no effort to mask his delight at Donald Trump’s departure from the executive mansion. Indeed, Romney must feel it is some sort of cosmic retribution directly for his own benefit.
How else to explain his self-centered response to fellow Utah Republicans, who booed him lustily when he tried to defend his two votes for Trump’s impeachment and asserted that he “wasn’t a fan of our last president’s character issues”? Taking umbrage at their catcalls and hostility, Romney asked the assembled multitude, “Aren’t you embarrassed?”
Apparently, plenty of Utah party activists are embarrassed by Mitt’s actions in the Senate. Though a censure resolution against Romney failed by 87 votes out of 1,509 cast at the recent state convention, two Republican county organizations have censured their junior senator.
It may eventually dawn on Romney that the “Flake-iness” he has employed is not doing him any favors. If he is intent on remaining in public office, Romney must use these next two years to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of conservative activists within Utah’s GOP.
Failing that, Mitt Romney in 2024 may discover what Jeff Flake did in 2018 — that he doesn’t have a prayer.
Letters...continued from page 8
not majority positivity and with such impunity. And with a total disregard for half of the country’s agreement.
Our congressional House and the Senate represent a split nation; the Democrats hold the slimmest majority; not one piece of legislation has yet passed this year with bipartisan support. So, the president signs executive orders for everything his Democrat-led Legislature doesn’t get through. Laws are passed or ordered by being shoved down the throat of the other half of our country.
Woke politics are crushing. We the people, too. Kids in school shouldn’t fear their teachers who teach woke curricula. Employees at work shouldn’t fear losing their jobs if they resist woke mandatory in-services or being accused of being a racist if they speak against it. People shouldn’t be shamed by deciding not to get a COVID-19 vaccine; “my body, my choice” sound familiar? Companies have been neutered — or worse, forced by fear to make their business decisions based on fear of woke reprisals and the media’s support thereof. This whole concept of fear affects everyone. We all know it. We all feel it. We all want to avoid it. But, be brave.
Susan Hewitt Goodyear
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Business Briefcase
BY LAUREN SERRATO
West Valley View Staff Writer
Hello, and welcome back to Business Briefcase! The past few weeks we have looked at what’s to come for various West Valley cities, including Buckeye, Avondale and Goodyear. This week we are going to take a look at Tolleson, as the city recently released its 2024 general plan to the public. The more than 100page plan focuses on varies efforts in the city, but we’re going to focus on the growth areas the city is looking to take advantage of in the next few years.
Based on the growth section of the plan, there are four main areas of focus, including the 83rd Avenue corridor, 91st Avenue gateway, the CORE district and industrial area.
83rd Avenue corridor
This growth area has direct access from the I-10 and Van Buren Street on 83rd Avenue. The plan indicates that the area allows for effi cient multi-modal transportation opportunities, including automobile, bus, bicycle and pedestrian modes. It is ideally situated for future public transit systems.
One of the major areas of growth in this area, according to the document, is the canal on the area’s westerly border. There is open space near the canal that’s about 100 feet wide, giving it the potential to have a trail or path imple-
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mented for pedestrians and cyclists, connecting existing neighborhoods and a possible park on the west. The document says the greenway could be used as a nonmotorized route for employees, customers and residents to access future development in Tolleson.
91st Avenue gateway
The area spreads from the northeast corner of 95th Avenue and West Pima Road, off the I-10, and follows I-10 east for nearly three quarters of a mile until it reaches Tolsun Farms. To grow the area, the plan indicates that there needs to be additional street options that will strengthen the connection between the gateway area and Tolleson’s downtown.
Growing this area provides the city the opportunity to attract young professionals to Tolleson and, according to the plan, can replace vacant space with housing and economic growth.
In addition to the potential road development, the Valley Metro Short Range Transit Plan extends the light rail to the eastern edge of Tolleson at 79th Avenue and McDowell Road. Discussions between West Valley offi cials include the possibility to connect to this terminal in the future, which would allow Tolleson to consider transit-oriented development along McDowell Road.
CORE district
The CORE district is in the midst of single-family and multifamily residential properties to the north and south of Van Buren Street. Tolleson Union High School and the community center also neighbor the growth area.
The 2024 plan states the area is ideal for multi-modal transportation systems, including pedestrian, bus, bicycle and personal automobiles.
Industrial area
Located on the northern side of Buckeye Road, extending 3.5 miles west from 75th Avenue, the plan indicates additional light manufacturing and distribution companies are necessary to grow the area.
The 2024 plan states that this particular growth area is ideal for food and retail services that have the potential to target employees in Tolleson and Phoenix.
