AZ planners meet in Mesa on future state growth

MESA AZ -- I, as a Tucson Planning Commissioner, and many other planners from across Arizona are meeting here this week under the valley heat and white sky.

I'm in the library now, because this city seems to offer no wireless access.

Many topics are on the agenda. Everything from light rail and greenbuilding, to roads, mega-sprawl projects, and buying AZ state lands for urban sprawl.

I once wrote a song about Mesa, called "My Mining Claims in Mesa." It is fictional song about my historic mining claims here and how everyone must go so I can dig a big hole, and how society wouldn't lose much by mining Mesa in the mostly ultra-right East Valley. Still seems fairly accurate.

How about digging up the land under Mesa Arts Center (in photo) or the landmark Mesa LDS temple, just as many Mormons have torn up indigenous and public lands? Just kidding.

I'll be doing my best to represent a progressive responsible development view from Tucson. But please rescue me in Mesa if I don't show up back in Tucson soon.