NY Times article about the rebuilding of downtown Phoenix and its attempt to lure companies from Silicon Valley (Mesa: sales, 2014)

[timothyaw]

Does anyone know what the two new buildings going up in downtown Phoenix are?

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by timothyaw

Does anyone know what the two new buildings going up in downtown Phoenix are?

There are many buildings going up in Downtown Phoenix. Which two are you asking about?

[timothyaw]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

There are many buildings going up in Downtown Phoenix. Which two are you asking about?

I don't know the exact cross streets for the one. It's in the heart of downtown. But the other one on 7th St I'm guessing has something to do with ASU perhaps?

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by stevek64

And for many others, "I can more than afford to live in CA but it sucks on so many levels I want out!".

Our 2015 tax bill was more than most people in CA make. And we're not wealthy, not even close.

It sucks on so many levels. I want out.

Companies locate in Silicon Valley because there's easy availability of skilled labor. Workers want to live here so they can job-hop and get the best salaries. Try though it might, Phoenix metro is not going to be able to duplicate an environment that took four decades to create here in SV.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by timothyaw

I don't know the exact cross streets for the one. It's in the heart of downtown. But the other one on 7th St I'm guessing has something to do with ASU perhaps?

There is a large building under construction on 7th St just south of Fillmore. It will be a research building for University of Arizona as part of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.

[goillini8]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

Our 2015 tax bill was more than most people in CA make. And we're not wealthy, not even close.

It sucks on so many levels. I want out.

Companies locate in Silicon Valley because there's easy availability of skilled labor. Workers want to live here so they can job-hop and get the best salaries. Try though it might, Phoenix metro is not going to be able to duplicate an environment that took four decades to create here in SV.

But, I doubt they're really trying to duplicate it in the sense that they're aiming for it to be as large and broad-based as Silicon Valley. I think the goal is simply to create a substantive tech hub. "Substantive" doesn't necessarily mean equivalent to Silicon Valley.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I think what has hurt Phoenix is it's national political reputation in the last 10 years. We have become too conservative. There was a time we were a libertarian state which preached fiscal conservatism and social liberalism. In order to lure more Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, the state needs to do more to adopt the values these business people espouse. Highly educated people from the east coast and Silicon Valley are very liberal and our state's reputation hurts our recruiting efforts. Things we can do to help those efforts are to create state wide anti-discrimination laws against LGBT, improving education funding, improving access to healthcare, create more affordable sustainable urban living, and eliminating the anti-immigration rhetoric.

I read Troy Farah's article on VICE. It was a scathing review of Phoenix but surprisingly, he made some valid points. From a marketing standpoint, we really should stop trying to make everything beige and desert tones. We need to stop marketing ourselves as the Desert Disneyland and just market ourselves as a large modern metropolitan city. For example, at Skyharbor airport's Terminal 4 underwent a redesign but it still contained the kitsch desert themes by maintaining that ugly brown carpet and cheesy fake dark brown rock or boulder theme. Can our airport not look more modern with glass, and steel such as Chicago Ohare, or Houston Intercontinental or Orlando's airport. Just because we live in a desert, does everything need to have a desert theme or Kachina look? Would some color really hurt? Also, we need to stop building the cookie cutter tope homes with red roof tiles. That is incredibly unappealing to outsiders. Thankfully, central Phoenix is doing more to create more unique looking homes. Gilbert is also doing more to eliminate this trite image with its Morrison Ranch homes.

What happens if AZ becomes Democratic like CA? Repeat the cycle all over again and move to Idaho and Wyoming transforming the state?

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

What happens if AZ becomes Democratic like CA? Repeat the cycle all over again and move to Idaho and Wyoming transforming the state?

We had a liberal Gov not 10 years ago and we did fine.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by :-D

First off I would like to say that I agree with your first paragraph. Phoenix has definitely become too conservative. I don't think it really has anything to do with being right-leaning fiscally but the social conservatism is what is hurting us.

The city of Phoenix itself is not conservative, actually leans a bit liberal overall as do most larger cities.

Even the Most Conservative Cities Are Liberal – Wonk Wire




Perhaps better stated is that you are looking for a very liberal city. Lots on the chart to choose from.

The criteria used to create this chart was wide/encompassing by a few guys in MIT.

Most of the city political positions in Phoenix are democrat. Sheriff Joe represents the entire county of Maricopa, not just the city of Phoenix. Many other cities around the valley lean more liberal like Tempe.

And running these kinds of deficits, I wouldn't call it leaning "right" fiscally either:

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/n...or-fiscal.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/facing-1-...12.html?ref=gs

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

The right wing conservatism is what is causing me to plan my exodus (only staying til fiance finishes school, she is adamant about going to ASU

Make the move and make your life better for you. No excuses. LA has plenty of jobs/no reason to wait. Then you can start posting on the LA board full time! I hope the chart will help you to move faster to perhaps even more liberal places. Plenty out there for you.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

We had a liberal Gov not 10 years ago and we did fine.

As a Millennial, I'm all for fiscal conservatism and social moderation/liberal (Libertarian). Once you start bringing up 'investing' for public education, or any fiscal big government spending, that will wake me up.