On March 27, many Fountain Hills and Scottsdale residents attended a discussion with Dr. Lattie Coor, former president of ASU, and current chairman/CEO of the Center for the Future of Arizona, which was held at Scottsdale Community College, and was sponsored by the College, by the Human Relations Commission of Scottsdale, and by LD23 Democrats.

Dr. Coor spoke on his initiative, The Arizona We Want, which is the result of an Arizona Gallup Poll taken in 2009, identifying the major goals on which Arizonans reached consensus about our common future, how to build it and sustain it.

The poll identified the goals of caring for the economy by creating quality jobs for all Arizonans, and preparing a workforce of all ages for the 21st century, by caring for our people by making Arizona a place our young people will want to stay and work in, and by providing health insurance for all, with payment assistance for those who need it, and by caring for our communities by protecting Arizona’s natural environment, water supplies, open spaces, by building a modern, effective transportation system, by empowering citizens to increase civic engagement, and by fostering citizen well-being and our sense of connection to each other.

If you visit the Arizona We Want website, www.thearizonawewant.org, you will find complete details of this valuable study, and the progress Arizona has already made to achieve its goals. I urge you to join this endeavor to create the Arizona we want, instead of continually supporting and re-electing local representatives who introduce and pass divisive, hateful legislation based on fear-mongering and falsehoods, which serve only to continually make Arizona the subject of derision and jokes nationwide.

Our beautiful state deserves the best, and together we will achieve the Arizona we really want.