Every year, Cox Communications gives tens of thousands to minority students through its diversity scholarships.
This year, the broadband, cable, and telecommunications company issued $35,000 to 10 students. Each student received $3,500. Cox Communications began offering the diversity scholarships in 2014.
Eligible students can’t be white; they must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA.
Partners to the scholarship fund include YWCA Metro Phoenix, ACEL, Be a Leader Foundation, NAACP Maricopa Branch, One n Ten, Sunnyside Educational Foundation, Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona, Greater Phoenix Urban League, Valle Del Sol, and the Educational Enrichment Foundation.
In a statement related to this year’s scholarship offering, Cox vice president of communications, Susan Anable, said that diversity of race correlates directly to stronger communities.
“Ensuring that diverse students have access to higher education will create stronger communities throughout Arizona,” said Anable. “We know that the cost of college can be prohibitive, and the challenge can be stressful for students and their families. We’re proud to connect families to opportunities like this one.”
In a statement regarding the awardees, Anable clarified that these scholarships were part of their company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
“These annual Cox Diversity Scholarships are how we demonstrate our commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion both within our company and in the communities we serve,” said Anable.
Cox Communication’s DEI initiatives include equitable promotion tracks to match the diversity of surrounding communities and customers. The company also established seven DEI councils across the states and regions it serves: California, Southwest, Central, Southeast, Northeast, Virginia, and Atlanta.
In addition to diversity scholarships, Cox Communications also implements race and identity-based diversity standards for its supply chain partnerships. The company identifies nine different race or identity classifications for diverse suppliers: minorities, women, LGBTQ+, disability, veterans, disabled veterans, and service-disabled veterans. In order to qualify for business with Cox Communications, those businesses must be at least 51 percent owned, operated, or controlled by a diverse group listed.
“We make it a priority to work with diverse-owned businesses and will continue to invest in the inspired talent and innovation diverse suppliers have to offer,” said George Richter, Cox’s senior vice president of supply chain management.
Even those diversity-led businesses who don’t qualify for supply chain partnership may still benefit from Cox Communications DEI commitment. The company offers a scholarship program for diverse-owned businesses through Arizona State University Thunderbird School of Global Management, UNLV Lee Business School, Council for Supplier Diversity, Delgado Community College, and Old Dominion University.
For their DEI efforts, Cox Communications has won multiple awards from DiversityInc over the last two years, as well as numerous diversity awards from Forbes.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The city of Phoenix is being sued over its capitalization of a loophole to shield high-rise luxury apartments from up to an estimated $7 million in property taxes.
The city of Phoenix effectively agreed to relieve private real estate developer Hubbard Street Group of around $7 million in property taxes by taking ownership of their property, “Skye on 6th,” and declaring it part of a slum or blighted area while the developer continues to operate and manage the property. In return, the developer agreed to pay a total of $525,000 in rent to the city, pay $32,000 to two school districts, and dedicate 10 percent of its residential units to workforce housing for the eight years of the lease. The city arranged this deal through the state’s statutory provisions outlining the Government Property Lease Excise Tax (GPLET).
Check out this latest photo of our Skye on 6th project in Phoenix, Arizona! This project is 26 stories tall and will contain 309 apartment units when it is completed in Summer 2023. For more on this project and the impact is has had on the area, visit: https://t.co/GtaGohHPwdpic.twitter.com/TpokC6d6Jp
In the case Paulin v. City of Phoenix, two taxpayers represented by the Goldwater Institute sued the city over allegedly violating the Arizona Constitution’s Gift Clause and Evasion Clause.
Since local governments are exempt from property taxes, GPLET enables governments to accrue revenue on its property by leasing to businesses. The Goldwater Institute, on behalf of the two Phoenix taxpayers, argues that the city took advantage of GPLET by assuming ownership of the property of interest to a private business in order to provide a special tax break to that business. Although the government sustains a reduced revenue stream and taxpayers pay more under such an arrangement, the Goldwater Institute alleges that local politicians may claim business growth while paying off the business with a tax write-off.
“[U]nder this arrangement, private property is conveyed in form to the government while in substance being owned and operated by a private party for the sole purpose of evading property taxes to which other taxpayers are subject,” stated the complaint. “The result of this arrangement is a gift of public resources to a private business, and a conveyance of property to evade taxes in violation of Arizona’s Constitution.”
Those poised to lose out on their share of the $7 million in tax payments would include the city, Maricopa County, Maricopa County Community College District, Central Arizona Project, Maricopa Special Healthcare District, Fire District Assistance Tax, and special taxing districts for library and flood control. Phoenix Elementary School District and Phoenix Union High School District are the two school districts receiving the tens of thousands to reportedly offset their share of the lost tax revenue.
The Goldwater Institute also disputed the city’s characterization of the contested property as located in a slum or blighted area: a condition required for an eight-year tax abatement as provided in the GPLET agreement between Phoenix and the developer.
A hearing on the case took place last week in the Maricopa County Superior Court. The city argued that taxpayers upset by their arrangement with the developer were truly upset with the existence of GPLET. The city contended that the taxpayers should petition lawmakers to reform GPLET law to prevent their actions.
Counsel for the city also contended that any claims that their actions violated the Gift Clause would render GPLET impossible to use.
The city also claimed that Hubbard Street Group was chosen through the request-for-proposal (RFP) process, and disputed the claim that Hubbard Street Group approached the city first.
The Goldwater Institute argued that there were no actual reservations of ownership, control, or management of the property. They also argued that the city never intended to hold onto the property itself, but always intended to convey the property back to the lessee. Counsel for the developer contended that claim, referencing a contract provision that the property will be owned by the city.
In a statement, Goldwater Vice President for Litigation Jon Riches said that Phoenix’s use of GPLET is unconstitutional.
“The Arizona Constitution prohibits the transfer of property to evade taxes that are otherwise owed and that other taxpayers must pay,” said Riches. “Here, the city of Phoenix allowed private property to be transferred to the city even though it will never be used as city property so that one special interest could avoid paying taxes on it. We are hopeful the court will agree this artificial transfer violates the Constitution.”
In 2020, the Maricopa County Superior Court struck down a similar GPLET arrangement between the city of Phoenix and another high-rise residential developer. Four months later, the city entered into the currently-contested GPLET agreement with Hubbard Street Group.
A ruling on the case may occur sometime within the next several months.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Republican attorney general challenger Abe Hamadeh has yet to receive a ruling, a month after Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen promised one. The delay aligns with the judge’s history of tardiness on issuing rulings.
Hamadeh argued for a new trial in mid-May. At the time, Jantzen said he had a specific date in mind to issue a ruling, which he didn’t disclose, but promised to issue a ruling in several weeks’ time. That would’ve meant a ruling at some point near the end of May, possibly early June. It’s nearly July now.
Jantzen has been disciplined twice for failing to issue rulings on time.
In 2018, Jantzen was censured for violating the Code of Judicial Conduct, after failing to rule on an individual’s petition for post-conviction relief for over two years. Over those two years, Jantzen falsely certified on multiple payroll statements that he had no matters under submission that were pending and undetermined for over 60 days.
At some point prior to that punishment, Jantzen received a warning from the Commission on Judicial Conduct for similar misconduct involving a delayed ruling.
In 2021, Jantzen was again publicly reprimanded for failing to issue a ruling within 30 days as promised. He ended up issuing the ruling after 79 days. During that time, Jantzen again signed a payroll certification falsely claiming that he had no tardy matters under submission pending and undetermined.
Hamadeh trails Attorney General Kris Mayes by 280 votes: a fraction of the original 511 vote lead Mayes had prior to the recount. During oral arguments for a new trial in May, Hamadeh argued for the favorable existence of hundreds of “lost” uncounted votes — or, undervotes — and provisional ballots.
Incompetent election officials and those who protect them have attacked democracy. pic.twitter.com/P1AXJWs1NB
There were over 9,000 provisional votes that weren’t included in the final count. About 70 percent of Election Day voters were in favor of Hamadeh. Based on that scale, Hamadeh could have more than enough votes to surpass Mayes.
Provisional vote totals took as long as they did to discover due to a delay in response from the counties, according to Hamadeh. The disjunctive information flow between the government and the public is one of the warranting factors for a new trial, per Hamadeh.
“We have to get information from 15 different government agencies, and it’s complicated,” said Hamadeh. “I wish we had access to the information that the government has. That’s why we’re asking for a new trial.”
Democracy requires ACCURACY and ACCOUNTABILITY.
The amount of discrepancies in the November 2022 election is unacceptable. There are still over 9,000 uncounted ballots. Count the votes. https://t.co/AZyJ6x9WQ9
During the oral arguments, Mayes’ team focused on the amount of time that has passed since last fall’s election and her swearing in. Hamadeh has dismissed that claim. He argues that the Arizona Constitution’s absolute statement that the candidate with the most votes wins the election trumps any statutory timelines set by legislatures.
Of note, Mayes’ counsel never staked the claim that Mayes obtained the most votes. Conversely, Hamadeh’s team took every opportunity to present samples of evidence of uncounted, existing votes. The merits of these claims went uncontested by Mayes’ team.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Earlier this month, Tucson outlawed lawns and reduced water flow in new constructions.
The Tucson City Council approved the changes through two action items presented during a regular meeting. Both measures were proposed to increase water conservation.
The lawn ban, Ordinance 12005, targets “ornamental turf” — that is, grass intended only for aesthetic, not functional or practical purposes. Functional turf would be considered grassy areas such as school playgrounds, parks, sports fields, dog parks, or golf courses. Other drought-hit states like California have imposed similar bans on ornamental turf. In 2021, Nevada became the first state to ban ornamental turf, which goes into effect in 2027.
The council explained in a public statement that they originally wanted to ban ornamental turf in new developments only. However, stakeholders and the public expressed concern that the ban wouldn’t result in meaningful water conservation since new developments already have minimal allowance for ornamental turf.
Tom Prezelski with Rural Arizona Action spoke in favor of the issue. Prezelski was formerly a state representative, tribal planner for the Tohono O’odham Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe, coordinator for the Stop Corruption Now Arizona campaign, quality control specialist with CHISPA, and coordinator with the Arizona Democratic Party.
The water flow reduction, Ordinance 12009, requires new constructions to use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense certified fixtures. WaterSense, a voluntary EPA partnership, products and services use at least 20 percent less water, seeking to cut into the national average of 82 gallons used by Americans daily at home.
WaterSense began through talks in 2004 with stakeholders prior to launching in 2006 in San Antonio, Texas at the American Water Works Association’s Annual Conference & Exposition.
The city approved the ordinance unanimously; no citizens issued public comment on the subject.
Councilman Steve Kozachik asked whether there would be leeway for builders who run into supply chain issues — something that has plagued the country throughout the last few years. City officials said that builders could apply for a waiver through their building official.
Watch the council discussion of the two water conservation items here:
Tucson, along with the city of Phoenix and the state, also traded away its Colorado River water rights in exchange for federal infrastructure funding. The city received $44 million for the deal; Phoenix received $60 million.
The funds come from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Those two laws set aside a combined $15.4 billion to combat drought.
Gov. Katie Hobbs forfeited three million acre-feet of Colorado River water rights over the next three years. That plan, the Lower Basin Plan, equates to $1.2 billion in federal funding altogether. Hobbs splits the funding with the two governors who signed onto the plan: California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo.
#Tucson is setting the standard in water conservation. Under my leadership and the Council, the City of Tucson has signed an agreement with @usbr to voluntarily reduce our #water allocation from the #ColoradoRiver. https://t.co/WWgYY8PeMP
Arizona has received another round of federal funding to establish universal high-speed internet: a total of $993 million.
On Monday, the Biden administration announced $42.45 billion in infrastructure funding to establish high-speed internet to all households in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five territories. The Biden administration dubbed the initiative the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
Arizona ranked 20th in terms of receiving the most funding. Texas far surpassed other states in its award for funding: over $3.3 billion. The state with the second-highest award was California at over $1.8 billion. The remaining top-20 recipients for federal funding received anywhere from $1 to $1.7 billion.
In a press release, the White House noted that the federal funding represented the initiation of an “Administration-Wide Investing in America Tour.” The press release wasn’t without bugs: the first link in the announcement was faulty as of press time.
Users attempting to follow the Biden administration’s link were met with an “Access Denied” error message on the Biden administration’s independent website for its Internet for All initiative. The page was intended to offer information about the BEAD program as well as total federal investment in high-speed internet throughout all 50 states and the territories.
The White House press release also claimed that over 8.5 million households and small businesses exist in areas without high-speed internet. The Biden administration compared the BEAD program to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s initiative to bring electricity to all homes through the Rural Electrification Act.
The Biden administration promised that the $42.45 billion investment would assure total internet coverage by 2030.
The tens of billions only account for part of total spending on expanding mass internet accessibility issued just earlier this month.
The Biden administration awarded $714 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), of which Arizona’s Colorado River Indian Tribes received $25 million to benefit just under 2,000 people, 41 businesses, three farms, and four educational facilities in La Paz County. Additionally, the administration gave nearly $3.5 million to provide fiber cable internet to 24 people and one farm in Coconino County. The administration also awarded $930 million through the U.S. Department of Commerce.
In order to encourage usage of the infrastructure, the Biden administration arranged a deal with internet providers to ensure discounted internet. Regular households receive a discounted rate of up to $30 per month, while tribal households receive a discount of up to $75 per month through the $14.2 billion Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program.
There are nine other federal programs dedicated to establishing high-speed internet everywhere in addition to the FCC program: the Broadband Infrastructure Program ($288 million), Capital Projects Fund ($10 billion), Connecting Minority Communities Program ($268 million), Digital Equity Act Programs ($2.75 billion spread across three grant programs), Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program ($1 billion), ReConnect Loan and Grant Program ($1.9 billion), State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program ($300 million), and Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program ($3 billion).
Altogether, these nine programs total over $33.7 billion. Biden was authorized to use up to $65 billion for broadband through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed in November 2021. There’s also $25 billion allocated for internet through the American Rescue Plan.
Nearly all of the nine programs have an equity focus, prioritizing certain communities over others.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
