New Supervisor Rex Scott played and won the I-got-the-votes-and-everyone-else-can-eat-them game to perhaps cram $10 million in early childhood education money into the next Pima County budget. Now the fun starts.... Read more»
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A new Board of Supervisors and new alliances allow Rex Scott to just throw down his aces and see if he can establish a Pima County early education program in broad daylight instead of behind the scenes.... Read more»
Pima County is trying hard not to say "yes" to kickstarting public preschool in the region but the supervisors aren't quite saying "no," either. They seem to be saying: "Grrrrrrr ... really! Again?"
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Voters had good reason to reject a plan for early childhood education a couple years ago. Faced with a similar decision on the Pima County Preschool Investment Program, our county supervisors have a lot less reason to say no.... Read more»
It’s time for all of Pima County to take the lead on quality early childhood education so that our most vulnerable children have the best opportunities to succeed in school and in life.... Read more»
TucsonSentinel.com's coverage of border and immigration issues and watchdog reporting on local elections won several awards from the Arizona Press Club, with recognition for Paul Ingram, Joe Watson and Dylan Smith.... Read more»
I'm going to cop to the charge that I'm pandering to my base journalistic instincts and hand out awards for dubious distinction to local leaders and yours truly.... Read more»2
Strong Start Tucson may not pass but it's the sort of self-starter approach that may show the way forward as we tackle our economic challenges. Being supplicants to megacorporations like Amazon isn't the fix.... Read more»
Spreading the falsehood that Tucson's taxes lead the country is proselytizing a faith in local incompetence that is beyond biblical and dangerous for our economy. As a matter of fact, we don't come close to stacking up against truly tax-stricken cities.... Read more»
"We are at a pivotal moment right now in the fight for equity for our youngest learners -- a real opportunity to invest in our most crucial resource, our children." — Strong Start Tucson campaign supporter Amber Jones.... Read more»5
Providing scholarships for 8,000 three- and four-year-olds who are not currently in quality preschool will, in time, improve high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates.... Read more»
Councilman Richard Fimbres on the Strong Start Tucson initiative: "The efforts this year on the ballot measure known as Prop. 204 are admirable, but the language in this proposition raised concerns for me, for future mayors and Councils and for the good citizens of Tucson."... Read more»1
The backers of the Strong Start Tucson education tax for months failed to file prompt disclosures of high-dollar donations and expenses, a TucsonSentinel.com investigation shows. The No on Prop. 204 campaign had a filing error, and backers of the zoo sales tax also failed to properly file.... Read more»2
Guest opinion: We in Tucson owe it to our children to implement a program that will benefit all of our community. We must build a program that will help low income children close the learning gap, not a program that allows upper middle-class families a rebate on their tuition while working families are asked to pay "put some skin in the game."... Read more»4
Guest opinion: It’s “poorly written,” “vague” and “lacking in oversight,” they say. Opponents of Prop. 204 are arguing that the measure is an incompetent attempt by amateurs because, well, it is impossible to win with “preschool is bad.” ... Read more»
Strong Start Tucson authors seem to be offering a tone-deaf promise they'll answer questions after voters hand them $50 million per year. That's not a winning strategy or a good idea. Too many of initiative's details are left to be decided later — cue a Rio Nuevo flashback.... Read more»1
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