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>>> Coming up next on "Arizona
Horizon," a report is out today
showing Arizona is still a few
years away on creating enough
jobs to get back to prerecession
employment levels.
We'll talk about the latest
Arizona Town Hall report, which
deals with improving our
education system, and meet the
first winner of the Piper Trust
Encore Career Prize.
Those stories next on "Arizona
Horizon."
>> "Arizona Horizon" is made
possible by contributions from
the friends eight.
Members of your Arizona PBS
station.
Thank you.
>> Good evening and welcome to
"Arizona Horizon," I'm Steve
Goldstein in for Ted Simons.
>>> The U.S. Senate today passed
a historic bill banning
workplace discrimination against
gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and
gendered individuals.
The employment non
discrimination act or edna
passed by 64-32, John McCain
and Jeff flake voted for it,
McCain was leading against it
and flake voted against letting
it come up for a vote.
The senators voted for it after
it was changed to strengthen
protections for religious
freedom.
>>> A report released today
predicts a 2% job growth rate
over the remainder of the year
and into next.
The report predicts a jobs
recovery to prerecession levels,
is three to five years away,
here to talk about that is Dan
Anderson.
Welcome.
>> Steve.
>> What is with this recovery
that we are going to, to have to
wait another year or two?
>> I think the jobs are not
coming back faster because the
national economy is slower in
recovering, and the national
economy is slower because we
don't have the kind of
international growth, the kind
of fiscal strength stamina going
on to drive it forward.
In previous recoveries we have
had situations where we
recovered the jobs lost in a
recession, and maybe in a year,
18 months ago, two years at the
most, and we were back to the
level we were at before, and we
continued to grow along.
And I can remember times, back
in the '90s or so, when we were
creating 100 to 150,000 jobs a
year.
And, and our forecast now,
looked to be, you know, 50,000,
maybe or so, maybe a bit less
than that.
And next year, coming up around
60,000 jobs, and so, and given
the tremendous decline that we
had, you know, from 2008 to the
present, Arizona's recovered
less than half of the jobs that
were lost.
So, it's going to take a while,
even when we are creating jobs
at 50 to 60,000 a year, to dig
ourselves out of that hole, just
to get us back to where we were
before the recession began.
>> And in recent recoveries,
Arizona has always been faster
to recover.
Even if the recession had hit
the state harder, what are we
doing about job diversity, we
talk about there is too much
reliance on construction, real
estate, and are we getting
beyond that?
>> I think we are getting beyond
it, it is difficult, we've been
there before so many times, and
it's hard to get out of that
mode.
And we're being almost forced
into doing that because, of
course, people haven't been able
to leave where they were.
They cannot leave Illinois or
leave California because they
are under water in their homes,
and they cannot sell it.
And so, they are, basically,
stuck where they are, and we are
not creating very many jobs, so
there is very little pushing
people out of where they are,
and there is very little pulling
people in here.
The fortunate pieces that when
you take a look at job creation,
it's not just one sector, or
construction that's growing or
manufacturing.
We're seeing job creation in
most sectors.
Some areas are going to grow
more rapid than others, most
definitely.
But, it's not -- it's just one
sector that's driving our
economy, so, we're getting some
of that diversification, and I
know in economic development,
circles, they are really trying
to bring in a lot more
businesses, and I think that
there are plenty opportunities.
>> How big of a deal going with,
with economic development do you
think that the apple expansion
to Mesa is?
>> I think that it's, it's
indicative of a bigger thing,
and that is we're getting more
diversification, that really
domestic producers are beginning
to say, there are opportunities
within the United States to
bring manufacturing in to make
the components here, instead of
it's everything has to be
exported to the mideast, or
through the far east or other
place, so we're beginning to do
some of that development here,
and when you take a look at the
balance sheets of businesses,
they are virtually a wash in
cash.
They have plenty of resources to
make the investment.
And one of the concerns is how
confident are they in the
economic health and the
decisions being made to allow
them to, to make wise decisions
here, to invest their money, to
create those jobs?
And probably the biggest problem
that I think a business face is
uncertainty.
When they don't know what the
future is going to bring.
It's very, very -- it's very
risky for them to make those
long-term investment decisions.
>> We have heard so much about
uncertainty, tied to the
affordable care act, people
worried about that, and
uncertainty always seems to be
part the business environment.
So why is it more dramatic now?
>> I think that there is more
uncertainty.
I think that, that there is,
there are questions at the
national level, about what the
fiscal authorities are going to
be doing, and I think that there
is less uncertainty on the
monetary side, you know, the
Federal reserve has signaled
clearly that they are going to
keep an easy monetary policy,
and when we saw them kind of
indicate that they might be
starting to tighten up, boy, did
the market react to that.
And so I think there are some
places where there has been, you
know, improvement, but I think
particular at the national level
where you don't really know what
the Federal Government will be
doing, and what the directions
are going to be, and all of that
conflict creates uncertainty in
businesses, basically, want to
stand on the sidelines, and
until they are confident that
things are, are clearer and they
know what's going to happen.
>> As the economist for the
Board of Regents, you know about
the importance higher education,
driving Arizona's economy.
We talk about this often.
So, how much does education,
K-12 and higher education have
to improve for it to affect the
economy?
>> Well, I think that it's a big
deal, and I think that really,
we do have to have, if we are
going to really move our state
forward, we need to have
something that, that is valuable
to employers, and I think the
greatest value that we can have
is an educated workforce who can
be productive, and really help
businesses be more efficient.
And it's not just a matter
people filling, you know, low
level, low skilled positions, I
think that businesses are
looking for people who are
really, can be very productive
who can learn because the jobs
are changing all the time.
And we're getting more and more
businesses that more Hitech
orient.
They need people with those
educational skills.
>> What industries are you
watching closely that may help
Arizona's recovery and when the
next recession comes for us to
get out of the recession faster?
>> Well, there are a number of
sectors.
Clearly, business services is
one of the big areas, and I
think that health services is
another significant growth area,
and manufacturing, particularly,
a Hitech manufacturing, we have
got a lot going on, in a number
of sectors, and business
services.
Financial services, and I think
again, there is a, a wide array
of, of areas in which we're
seeing growth, much of it is
here, and we're seeing lots of
opportunities in Tucson, and in
prescott, and in Yuma and other
places, as well.
>> Dan, finally, I'm a big
admirer economists, interview
them all the time and respect
them.
When we look at this idea of the
job recovery, we are hearing
How much we, we trust what's
coming, not to, to cap on
economists, but how should we
know, how should we measure what
we really know?
What are the factors that we
should be looking at to see if
the economy is really in
recovery mode?
>> And I think that people,
obviously, they look at their
own individual situations first,
and how well, am I doing and how
well are my neighbors and how
well are my friends doing, and
then on broader scale we start
to take a look at, at the
state's budget picture, how
healthy is the state's budget?
What kinds investments are, is
the state putting back into the
system, and how is that
improving?
And finally, what do we see in
the way of business expansion?
We need to, to have not only the
existing businesses here, and
growing, but we need to be
attracting other businesses.
We're clearly a growth area, and
Arizona still has the advantages
it has had for decades and
decades.
But I don't think that we're
going to see the kind rapid
growth that may be we saw in
previous decades.
A slower, more predictable
growth.
I think it is advantageous.
>> Thanks for the conversation.
>> Thank you.
>>> Get the inside scoop on
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>>> For the past five decades,
Arizona Town Hall has created a
forum for Arizona leaders to
offer solutions to our biggest
problems.
The latest Town Hall focused on
early childhood education.
More than 170 Arizona leisure,
business people, educators,
elected officials and students
hammered out a report that
propose proposes ideas to
improve our education system.
Tara Jackson, President of
Arizona Town Hall is here to
discuss the report, and also
with me is Todd Sanders, 39
President and CEO of the Chamber
of Commerce, one of the
participants, and welcome both.
>> Thank you.
>> Tara, let's talk about early
education.
Let's define the terms.
When we say early, what does
that really mean?
>> Early means birth to age
eight.
>> Birth.
Wow.
Let's talk about the suggestions
that are going to come out of
the report, are they practical
things that Arizona do right
away or long-term solutions?
>> All of the above, there are
practical solutions that apply
to mothers, to small business
owners, to people who have, have
nothing to do with the policy or
not involved in the policy that
might happen at the state
legislature, and they are also,
there are also recommendations
that apply to policy leaders so
they are across the board, and
some start today.
Some are already happening.
>> And what are some of those?
>> For example, how choose to
interact with, with a young
child, and has a huge impact on
their brain development.
And which then, impacts how well
they do in school.
How well they promote our
economy.
I was just listening to your
discussion with the economist.
You just interviewed, and one of
your last questions was how can
we know what's going to happen
in 2016.
We can help control it.
By helping to, to educate a
workforce that is ready for the
future economy.
>> Todd, so fast that important,
you deal with et economy all the
time.
So education and the economy
in-sync, and early childhood
education.
We heard so much when Governor
napolitano was in office.
Is that still important?
Was that overrated?
Give us background on that.
>> No, it really isn't.
I think Dan's points were
absolutely right on.
There is a growing body of
evidence that engaging children
at the earliest age really makes
a difference, and that, that
Delta, really, really is, is
very large, as children get
older.
There was a study that was,
actually, discussed, and it was
a study done in the 1960s, and
they tracked the kids for 40
years, and the, the benefits,
the roi is incredible.
One of the conservative
estimates was it was 10-1 in
terms of the dollars spent, so,
from our perspective, this is
critical.
>> Let's talk about engaging
children, what does that mean?
What sort of communication does
that entail?
>> Well, there were a number of
different things that, that one,
one of our keynote speakers
talked about, and she is known
around the world for her
research and studies on what is
impactful in children.
And her name is Dr. Adell
diamond, and her presentation
is, actually, on our website.
And our, our participants were
incredibly taken with the
research, so engaging, some of
the most effective engagement,
is not necessarily what we might
think as a parent.
And, and instead, of, of trying
to get your three-year-old to
learn every letter, what those
studies show is that it's far
more important to have them,
them experiencing interaction,
to have story-telling, to have
physical activity, and one of
the things that, that I thought
was really interesting and an
asset that Arizona has, that,
that, and Dr. Diamond's words,
we don't take advantage and, and
is, is, is being bilingual.
Growing up bilingual, and
actually has been shown to have
a huge impact on what they call
executive functions.
Executive functions are, are
things like being patient.
Being able to listen and pay
attention closely.
And so that when grow up
learning two languages, sass I
believe that Todd did, you are,
you are ten steps ahead in
learning these skills.
>> Todd, based on what you
heard, I will come back to the
economic factors, as well.
And was there a discussion about
the impact on folks who come
from low income families as
opposed to those middle or
higher income in terms of how
they learn and they are
communicated with?
>> I think that, that the
discussions that, that were had,
that these things really matter
across the board.
And, and I think that, that what
Tara mentioned, I think is very
impactful, is that parents can
be a big part of this, a big
solution.
It does not have to be a big
spend.
So, the Phoenix public library
has a tremendous problem with
their reading to kids and they
are teaching the children, so, I
think that, that crosses, that
shows economic barriers, and it
really can be impactful.
>> Talk about learning to
communicate, because, in your
business, Tara we all have to
communicate and know how to get
along with other people.
And that has to start at an
early age, as well.
>> It's tremendously important,
and the language skills, and all
of those things are, are
exponential.
I think, you know, the idea of
going to the moon, as you take
off, if you don't have that
correct trajectory, that small
difference can be huge at the
end, and that's how I see the
early childhood education and,
and the earlier we can engage,
the bigger the return on
investment.
>> Let's talk about the
concerns, though.
When early education is not
good, what are some of the
things that, that we should
fear?
How does this affect society and
how does this affect kids for
the rest of their lives?
>> Well, in the earlier segment
you were a fan economists, and
your question goes right into
one of our economist speakers
from the Federal reserve.
And, and one question that I
think that everyone, is why
would the Federal reserve care
about early education?
And the reason is the Federal
reserve, one of their missions
is to make sure that our economy
is very robust.
And, and what they have learned
from many studies is that if you
don't have effective quality
early education, whether it's
from a center or a program or
parent in homes, there are huge
ramifications later on in terms,
social services, high school
drop-outs and our jail systems,
and huge, huge ramifications.
>> And Todd, what about the
business community.
What should the business
community be doing to make sure
that, that K-12 or earlier than
that, education in Arizona is
improved.
Is there more the business
community could be doing?
>> I think that there is a
growing awareness among the
community, that we really need
to engage at this level.
It's clear, I think that Tara is
right when, you look at the
biggest line items in the
budget, all that can be avoided
if you are doing the right
thing, so, we think that there
is a lot of opportunity here,
and I can tell from our
perspective, the greater Phoenix
Chamber of Commerce, as an
economic development
organization, it's tremendously
important.
You hear about, at 8%
unemployment rate, and as I
talked to members, they cannot
find people.
So there is something missing
there.
>> Tara there is this feeling
that, that I don't want to be
cynical but a feeling that there
has to be a buy-in.
And the Town Hall is, is vital,
it's important for getting the
ideas out and making
suggestions.
And is there more that needs to
be done to make sure that our
leaders, not just business
leaders like Todd but others
will say I recognize the
importance and I will do
something about it?
>> There is always more that can
be done, and especially, with
something like early education
that everyone should care about.
And even if you don't have
children, and early education
has such an impact on, on our
economy, and on the taxes you
are going to pay.
And to go back to those, that
economic analysis, every dollar
that is spent has been shown
over and over again, and in a
variety of, of studies, to come
back at $10, and up to $18 or
more, in the tax savings that
your money that you are going to
be paying to incarcerate people.
>> And Todd when, we see the,
the expansion of apple, it
happened this week, to use it as
an example if, Arizona were
doing better when it comes to
early childhood education, would
the announcement not be as big
of a deal because it would be
more common?
>> I think you are absolutely
right on that, and more
importantly when you think about
the existing Arizona companies
and the job base, that's the
great way to keep his companies
here, and getting them to grow.
Think about intel and the growth
that they are engaging in now.
More companies see a qualified
workforce.
And you are going to see more
that.
I think that's absolutely
correct.
>> Todd, let me start with you,
how important is a vision for
this?
When we talk about early
childhood education, people may
not think that they are going to
see the benefits of that for,
for 15 to 18 years, who knows.
What does it take to have a
vision and patience that these
things will pan out?
>> I think that's what you
alluded to, it's our job to
really, really make the case for
this.
Because you do have to have a
vision.
It's not a short-term type of
proposal, but I think that, that
these results, and actually, can
be seen at an earlier time frame
than necessarily a full 13
years.
So, I think that, that our job
is to make sure that we make the
case, there are groups like
Arizona build, who are doing a
tremendous job, first thing is
first, so through those, the
bodies, and chambers, other
business organizations, and I
think that we can make the case.
>> Tara, final thoughts?
>> Well, I would add to that,
that what is great about this
particular topic, is while the
long-term consequences and
vision are so important, the
good news is, we can see
consequence this is 24 hours,
and in one week, if we pay
attention to this and use some
of the resources that are out
there.
>> Tara and Todd, thanks for the
conversation.
>> Thanks for having us.
>>> The Virginia G. Piper will
honor an encore career leader
addressing a social need in
Maricopa County with a second
career.
The recipient of the inaugural
career prize is Mike McQuaid.
He's President of J.M.
management company, and is
involved in numerous charities
and joins me now to talk about
winning the award, and Mike,
welcome and thank you for being
here.
First, you had to be nominated,
it you know?
>> I flew that I was nominated
by the united way and a couple
other individuals.
>> How did you decide to get
involved with homelessness, in
particular, with your business
background?
>> Well, in the very beginning,
it was more just from, from
trying to help in the community,
the people homeless, and my wife
and I, many years ago, got
involved with the early upstart
of a charity called andre house,
a soup kitchen, still going on
today, and serving a meal in
downtown Phoenix as we speak.
And we were looking for, through
our church, a community project
for, for teenagers, and
including our own son, so that's
why I first got involved.
And got around, and the homeless
of our community.
>> And Mike, many people are
charitable, and many people
spend time, some money, and you
have gone above and beyond with
that, and I wonder, when win a
prize like, this it's clearly
significant, it's extremely
meaningful, so, beyond that,
what do you think in your mind,
in your soul, really drove you
to do this?
>> For me, it really was, was
meeting individuals on the
street.
Almost 30 years ago, and that
had, had almost nothing, and
they had no family.
And they were by themselves, and
they were, they were really down
and out, and kind of giving up
on life, and for me, personally,
I could not imagine that because
I come from a very close-knit
supportive family, and my wife,
Molly and I have two wonderful
sons, and grandchildren, and we
have that family, and it just
hurt me to see people suffering
like that, and that's what
really first got me involved
with, with trying to help the
homeless.
>> I say this jokingly but
people have this vision of a
successful business leader, and
not that they have to do
charitable things, they are
driving hard to make that next
buck, and you are making a
dollar a month, and involved
with the human services campus,
and how did, how did you reach
that amount?
>> They have not paid me lately.
>> Ok.
>> AND it was more a token thing
when I was first asked to be the
director of the human services
campus, and I really have, this
award in particular, is very
meaningful to me, and I never
got into charity work to win
awards, or a prize like this,
certainly, but, to have it be
from piper, the Virginia G.
Piper charitable trust and
experienced matters, those
organizations mean a great deal.
So on behalf of hundreds and
thousands of volunteers, that
help the homeless, I am happy to
accept it, but, my business
background, I think, really did
help me in helping create the
human services campus.
And that's a 12-acre site, about
the same size that we do in our
business, is a neighborhood
shopping center, so, put putting
right partners together and
creating the site plan, and how
to deliver services is very
similar to a retail operation.
It's helped me tremendously.
>> What are some of the things
being done at the human services
campus, that, that are making,
not necessarily a dent in
homelessness but making it a bit
easier for those folks who are
homeless?
>> Well, we are really going
beyond a dent.
At this time.
And it suicide to be just food,
shelter and clothing, and that
was the thing to do to help
somebody who didn't have those
things, and as I say, that drew
me to it, but, I always wanted
to see what we do more, and
really, to put them in housing,
and so, years ago, Steve said,
from St. Vincent De Paul and
many others got together, and we
got the support of the
community.
Leaders like Marty Schultz and
Governor Brewer, at that time,
the chairman of the board
supervisors, and we really sat
down and worked out how could we
serve the homeless, and that
would be if we were in one
location so we could deliver
those services, the basic needs,
in a better fashion.
And that's grown, today was our
eighth anniversary at the
campus, and we have done, you
know, tens thousands of meals,
and thousands and thousands of
medical appointments, and we
helped thousands of people get
employed, and back on their
feet, but what we are doing now
and with the help of the united
way, is permanent supportive
housing, as I said earlier, the
way that we end homelessness is
to be house, so we are focusing
on, on -- it's great to provide
the basics, food, shelter and
clothing but we want to get
people into housing faster, and
we said as a community, a goal
of ending chronic homelessness.
And believe it or not, I can say
today, that I said it last night
at the awards banquet, we will
end it among Veterans in the
next 12 months.
We identified the chronically
homeless in our community, and
we will do that, and we should
end chronic homelessness,
somebody who has been homeless
more than a year, and or
multiple times in the last three
years and, and I heard in the
earlier discussions about
economic models, and what's good
for the community, and those are
individuals that have, have been
constantly taking our services
disproportionate.
And at the campus, we see about
12 or 1300 people a day.
And, and they consume 65% our
resources, so, we're housing
chronically homeless
individuals.
>> Mike, thank you and
congratulations again.
>> Thank you.
>> nice to have you here.
>> Thank you.
>>> And Friday on "Arizona
Horizon," it's the journalist's
roundtable, apple opening a
Production plant in Mesa was one
of the many business stories,
and we'll be here tomorrow at
and 10:00 for the
journalist's roundtable.
I'm Steve Goldstein.
Thanks for watching.
And have a great night.
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life care since 1977.
The nonprofit hospice cares for
all, regardless of ability to
pay.
Hov.org.
>> The Persian room, travel to
another world, to a land of
exotic aroma and is period decor
for a fine dining experience.
The Persian room, in north
Scottsdale on Scottsdale road,
one light north of Frank Lloyd
Wright boulevard, gourmet exotic
cuisine at its best.
>> In 1998, the people of
Arizona created clean elections
to improve the integrity of
Arizona's state Government by
diminishing at no time influence
of special interest money, more
about running for office are or
supporting those who do at
cleanelections101.com.