This is an open letter to Globe’s Mayor which was recently published in the SilverBelt, Copper Country News and – here.

The purpose of this letter is to set the record straight about your statements quoted in the June 15,
2011 issue of Copper Country News. You stated, “I think it is sufficient to say that Mr. Moss was notified
that his initiatives as written pose several concerns and he was advised to review them with his legal
counsel.”

Your remarks to CCN validate why I do not have confidence in your credibility. Now, here is the truth of
the matter.

On Thursday, June 2, we filed our official Ballot Initiative paperwork with Globe’s City Clerk. That same
afternoon, I received an e-mail from the City Clerk that reads as follows: “We have concerns regarding
the proposed text for your initiative petitions, please consult your legal counsel.” May I assume
the “We” to be you and the City Attorney?

Friday morning, June 3, I visited with the City Clerk. I asked for an explanation of the cryptic e-mail
message. The Clerk revealed the nature of your concerns by explaining that the texts of the Initiatives
far exceeded the 100-word limit specified by law. I informed the Clerk that we were aware of the
100-word rule, and that the rule applies specifically to the number of words permitted on the Petition
Form itself. I explained that the full-page documents we submitted were ‘attachments’ to the Official
Petition, and that only the summary language of 100 words or less, would appear on the front of the
Official Petition. The City Clerk did not raise any other “concerns”.

Several days after I had confirmed with the City Clerk the subject of your misplaced “concerns”,
you decided to play games by tossing out words to local media that insinuate the Ballot Initiatives
have “deficiencies”. And, you referred to the e-mail quoted above as your official communication to
inform me that “deficiencies” were inherent in the Ballot Initiatives. Yet, you refused to identify the
nature of the supposed deficiencies to me or the Copper Country News. So what was your purpose for
making such claims? Could it be that you were trying to create public confusion and thereby interfere
with our Ballot Initiatives Campaign?

This is reminiscent of your remarks on September 13, 2010 at the conclusion of our Citizens
Presentation to City Council. You attempted to confuse constituents by asserting, “I don’t think we (City
Council) could stop this prison project even if we wanted to.” You knew then, as you know now, that
your statement was false. Since then, you have done everything in your power to bring a big private
prison to Globe, no matter how many residents voice opposition.

It should also be noted, Mr. Mayor, that I have met, spoken, or corresponded with you and City
Attorney, Mr. Graves, on several occasions during the past nine months with the specific intent of
working together to put the private prison issue on the ballot — so that the people could decide. During

this entire time, you have done nothing to facilitate such discussions, or to find a cooperative remedy.
Instead, you have engaged in political gamesmanship to try to score a ‘WIN’ for your personal agenda –
- rather than seek common ground by working with citizens to create a Ballot Referendum. Apparently,
Mr. Mayor, you fail to appreciate the fact that the good citizens of Globe do not consider this important
public policy issue to be a mere political game.

To a certain extent, our town’s year-long ‘private prison debate’ has become a secondary issue. Now,
an even more serious concern is about ‘good government’. Good government requires elected officials
to genuinely listen to the voice of their constituents, demonstrate integrity, and respect the democratic
process. Regrettably, Mr. Mayor, your words and actions during this long private prison debate have
not measured up to these basic principles of good government.

Jim Moss

Globe Resident & Business Owner

By: Linda Gross

According to Senator Russell Pearce,who will take the reins as the new president of the Arizona Senate, and Director of Arizona State Corrections, Charles Ryan, “they (DOC) have never located a prison in a community which did not want them there.”

This statement was in response to a question asked yesterday during a meeting at the Capital with Globe Councilman Terry Wheeler and members of the Globe Citizens Opposed, where it was noted that Globe’s Mayor, Fernando Shipley has gone on record as saying, “This is on their land (State land) and I don’t know if we could stop one (a prison) even if we wanted to.”

This concept of “not being able to stop it even if we wanted to” has since been echoed by Vice Mayor Thea Wilshire and others in an apparent attempt to lead the public to believe it is out of their hands.

According to the DOC and the State’s highest ranking Senator, that is not the case.

Pearce, who believes strongly in one-man, one-vote and having elected officials represent their constituents, looked puzzled and said he didn’t know where the Mayor might be getting that idea.” No,” he said, “there were many communities who did want a prison…and that he, nor the Department of Corrections had any interest in siting a prison in a community where the citizens did not want it.”

In fact, Director Ryan added, “…In twenty five years, the DOC has never put in a prison where a community objected.”

Councilman Terry Wheeler arranged for a meeting at the State Capitol with District 5 Senator Sylvia Allen, Senator Russell Pearce, Director of Az Corrections, Charles Ryan and members of Citizens Opposed to making Globe a Prison Town by allowing a large 1000 bed prison to be located out by the Fairgrounds.

The meeting on Tuesday at the Capitol, included District 5 Senator, Sylvia Allen who had driven in from Heber to be at the meeting, Senator Pearce, Director Charles Ryan, Jennifer Bowser and Dona Marie Markley with the DOC and five members of the Citizens Opposed: Jim and Kelly Moss, Charlie Anderson, Linda Gross, and Sarah Bernstein.

Wheeler, who had arranged for the meeting, led off with his concerns about Globe’s infrastructure and the ability to even meet the demands of a prison’s infrastructure needs. He noted that in the water settlement with the San Carlos Tribe , the City of Globe was allotted 2500 acre feet per year. The City is currently using 1600 acre feet, leaving 900 acre feet for development.  The 1000 bed prison complex is expected to use just over 200 acre feet per year.

Sarah Bernstein, Councilman Wheeler, Kelly Moss, Charlie Anderson and Jim Moss outside the Capitol Building (not shown, Linda Gross)

“But our straw is located on the outermost edge of the aquifer, Wheeler explained. And we don’t know if it will always beable to access the water that’s in the aquifer.”

When asked about whether recharge rates of the aquifer itself have remained constant, Wheeler says the San Carlos Tribe, who owns the land which the aquifer sits on, has not permitted the City to sink test sites on reservation land to determine whether the aquifer is recharging at the same rate it was when the agreement was made in 2004.

The issue of water could trump any other objection to siting such a large prison complex in Globe, and Wheeler made it clear that this issue had not been sufficiently addressed at the local level to even ensure a prison developer of sufficient infrastructure. Something Ryan alluded to earlier in his remarks when he noted the absolute importance of sufficient infrastructure such as water and sewer to handle the needs of a prison.

“We are heartened to hear your position on this,” said Jim Moss, who spoke of the local groundswell of opposition to the idea of another prison in Globe. He provided proof to those assembled by pulling out the file of 2500+ petition signatures and hundreds of postcards from registered voters which the group has collected in the last five months.

Moss went on to acknowledge that “…there may be communities who want a prison of the kind proposed, “…but we do not want one in Globe,”  he said. “We already have a prison.”

Globe Councilman Terry Wheeler

Dona Marie Marley, Planning & Special Projects Administrator, has said the RFP for the State’s 5000 additional beds is currently being re-written with new stringent security guidelines in response to the Kingman incident and will be discussed in executive session Mid-December. It is expected to come out of committee and be released to bidders by the end of December and bidders will have 2 months to compile their bids and submit them back to the DOC.  At this point the DOC will hold public hearings in the communities which are vying for the prison beds.

The debate between the citizens of Globe and some of it’s elected officials over this issue is not over. But citizen voices just got a leg up in the debate from Senators Sylvia Allen and Russell Pearce and DOC Director Charles Ryan who seem quite prepared to listen closely to the will of the people on this issue.

The 2010 Conference of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials just wrapped up last week and Globe’s Mayor, Fernando Shipley, was one of seven new members elected to a three year term on this prestigious 23 person board which includes State Senators, Councilmen, School Board Members, and other leaders at the local, State and National levels.

Globe Mayor, Fernando Shipley, was recently appointed to the NALEO Board for a 3 year term. The organizations' constituency includes more than 6000 Latino officials.

NALEO, formed in 1976, is a non-partisan organization which helps build leadership skills and facilitate “full Latino participation” in the American political process. It’s constituency includes more than 6000 elected and appointed Latino officials.

NALEO grows leaders

The roster of NALEO reads like a who’s who in local, State and Federal politics. Membership in the organization gives one access to some of the best training on a number of levels from green energy initiatives to school board issues; and from immigration to education. But the value of networking and mentoring with some of the best is a benefit which goes well beyond the organization itself.

“I was invited years ago to join, after I’d been elected City Councilman, ” said Shipley. ” At the time it seemed the group’s focus was education. And truthfully, I was skeptical about joining because I don’t believe in groups which fight for the rights of just one segment of people. So I didn’t want to be a part of it.  I think what is good for one, should be good for all.”

Yet, he was encouraged to join by his regional boss at State Farm who not only gave the group a wholesale endorsement of his own, but as a corporate sponsor, State Farm Insurance has supported NALEO’s annual conference for years. State Farm offered to sponsor him to the conference and so he went.

And he quickly changed his mind about the group.

“The whole goal (of NALEO) is to help you become a better leader. A better policy maker. To find ways to work through issues and… get all sides of the story so you can make decisions which are best for your community or constituency.”

Encouraging Debate on all issues: Shell Oil and renewable energy

He has attended two workshops/institutes every year since he joined in 2004,  and this May went to Houston for an energy summit dealing with sustainable energy. There he met with one of the top leaders in the oil industry, John Hoffmeister, who was at Shell Oil from 2005 – 2008.

Typical of the kind of discussions which take place at NALEO was a panel discussion involving renewable energies in which Hoffmeister complained “‘renewables’ would not be feasible were it not for the huge subsidies that they receive.”

Shipley said, he was on that panel, and that Hoffmeister believed renewables were not cost effective for this reason and went on to say…”we’d be better off just saving our money. And because oil, gas and coal are still the cheapest things out there we should quit subsidizing renewables.”

Shipley then asked the question, ” Of all the subsidies for energy- including coal, gas, renewables etc – what percentage do you think goes to traditional energy sources like coal and gas? ” Hoffmeister didn’t answer, but another panelist offered up the answer:

“…96% of all subsidies for energy go to traditional fuels. Coal, Crude Oil, Gas. So what he was really saying is that he was complaining about the 4% which go to renewables.”

So the complaint about 4% subsidies for renewable energy comes from a corporate spokesperson, whose company, Shell Oil just posted a 57% increase in profits which amounts to 5.48 billion. (CNN news/April 2010)

NALEO encourages debate where all sides of an issue is explored.

“Its amazing what kind of information you get if you ask the right question,” said Shipley.

Learning the ropes through NALEO

NALEO which is non-partisan, also tries to maintain a balance of representation from the various States, as well as status. The organization includes Senators, School Board Leaders, community organizers, and mayors. It includes both Republican and Democrats, as well as Libertarians and Independents. While the organization will take a stand on national issues; ie, they recently came out against SB1070 saying the law itself was unconstitutional, their primary goal is to develop leaders who can be effective in the political process on a local, State or National level.

Mayor Shipley spoke at the ground breaking of the Madera Senior Apartment project in January of this year.

Shipley learned about walkable communities, safe routes for kids, school districts, renewable energy sources – all through NALEO. “Alot of the stuff that I’ve been able to help Globe move forward with has been as a result of NALEO. And the contacts that I’ve made through the organization has also helped that process. In fact now, I have people calling me with something that they learned or are involved in which they feel might help Globe.”

” I have alot of people watching out for Globe now, which is really nice.”

The NALEO Board Members 2010

Shipley will have three years on the NALEO Board, and could be re-instated for another 3 year term. He shares this position with the following latino board members :

LOS ANGELES — The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
(NALEO) announced the election of seven new board members, including the re-election of
Harris County Commissioner Sylvia R. García for a second one-year term as NALEO President.
The board members were elected at the organization’s Board of Directors Meeting on June 27 in
Denver, Colorado, following the group’s 27th Annual Conference.
The new members elected to the NALEO Board of Directors include: Maryland State Delegate
Ana Sol Gutiérrez; Councilmember Michelle Martínez, City of Santa Ana, CA; California State
Senator Alex Padilla; Councilmember Justin Rodríguez, City of San Antonio, TX; Utah State
Senator Ross Romero; New Mexico State Senator John Sapien; Mayor Fernando Shipley, City of
Globe, AZ. The Board of Directors unanimously re-elected Harris County Commissioner Sylvia
R. García to serve as President of the organization. Additionally, New Mexico Deputy Secretary
of State Don Francisco Trujillo was elected Vice President; Wisconsin State Representative
Pedro Colón was re-elected Treasurer; and East Chicago School Board Member Fernando
Treviño was elected Secretary.
“I am proud that this board of directors continues to reflect the diversity and high caliber of
individuals who serve our nation as Latino elected and appointed officials,” said NALEO
President Sylvia García. “I look forward to working with our members across the country as we
continue to empower and advocate for strong, healthy communities for our constituents.”

Floyd Crank, Mayor Fernando Shipley, Clay McReynolds of Pacific Companies, Supervisor Mike Pastor, Mark Shellenberger, Ed Dawson

It was a tough slog to get to this point according to the developer and political leaders who attended Friday’s ground breaking ceremony for a new 48-unit senior housing development. Despite being billed as a senior housing development with the express intent of serving an older population who face special needs and fixed incomes, there was local opposition to the project from those who felt the development might turn into a low-income, drug-infested housing development – or those who simply didn’t want a building development of this size “in their back yard.” It took over three years and multiple city hall meetings, planning and zoning debates, meetings at local and state levels and closed door meetings to arrive at a point where bulldozers could go in and break ground on the project.

The final approvals coincided with the economic upheaval in September of ’08 and while the events of ’08 caused a delay in the project, according to Clay McReynolds,  the investors and banks held firm in their support of this project. A final vote on the project was put before the Globe City Council. The vote was 3-For and 3-Against.  The tie vote generated a discussion to table the vote for more discussion, or vote again. It was decided to vote again and with it still tied it was Mayor Fernando Shipley who stepped in to break the tie and cast the deciding yes vote to insure the project moved forward.

Floyd Krank and Clay McReynolds are the dynamic duo which got the project underway.

An artist's rendition of "Madera Peak", shows a nicely landscaped development which will provide 64 senior apartments, a laundry room, pool, gym and other senior-friendly amenities.

“I have seen seniors in this community who have to decide between paying their mortgage or buying medicine. I’ve seen seniors living alone in un-safe conditions in old houses which they can’t afford the repairs,” said Shipley. It seemed to be the general consensus of those who have worked so tirelessly on this project that the time has arrived to provide a better housing alternative for Seniors.

The development will include 48 units, an on-site laundry, exercise room and pool…as well as a raised bed garden which was suggested and championed by Supervisor Shirley Dawson, early on in the planning process.

The Pacific Companies recently completed Cobre Village last year – a64 unit development- which is almost fully leased with families and children who meet certain income guidelines. Floyd Krank spoke at yesterdays ground breaking about that project, which also met with local opposition who feared “low income” meant problem neighbors. Instead he says, on any given day you can see 10-15 children playing in the center couryard, and there have been no problems with tenants thanks to the oversight of the management who carefully screens tenants history and maintain strict guidelines as to who can and can’t rent apartments at Cobre Village.  Krank, who sold the land to the Pacific Companies to develop and help to spearhead the approval process, is proud of that development and, as Clay Reynolds noted in his speech, ” Perhaps those who had concerns about this project will look back on it once it is up and running and say, “We may have been wrong. It is not what we feared.”

Floyd Krank and Globe Mayor, Fernando Shipley

Damolin is handling the intial earth work on the project

A crowd of approximately 50 attended Friday's Ground Breaking Ceremony

This last weekend was the Grand Opening of Season 2 for the Copper Spike Excursion Railroad and Main Street Director, Kip Culver invited the Mohave Muleskinners to kick off the season in style. The Muleskinners, who were here last year for Home Tour, are a big hit in Globe. Their members dress in period clothing from the 1800′s and carry  authentic reproduction firearms. They use real gun power and crowds love talking to members, getting photo ops with the various characters and watching the Old West skits.

The one shown below involved the kidnapping of Mayor Fernando Shipley. The local contingent of the Copper Bells arrived on the scene shouting “Save our Mayor” and offered to exchange a muleskinner – toting an iron ball for the safety of the Mayor. The exchange was made, but just when the “bad” guys thought they were getting away – the women Muleskinners arrived with loaded shotguns (with gun powder of course!) and stopped them in their tracks.