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Prop. 414 is different.

It has a group in support, in this case , a group formed by Tucson’s main public-safety unions, the Tucson Fire Fighters Association and the Tucson Police Officers Association and supported by much of the city’s Democratic power structure.

But it has two separate groups in opposition. And they come at the issue from two different political perspectives, broadly from the left and from the right.

On the left, the objects most of all to the priorities funded in Prop. 414. That volunteer group is made up of the Tucson branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, the Pima County Green Party, the Tucson Tenants Union and three mutual aid groups, among others.

April Putney, spokeswoman for the effort, points to the survey conducted by the city of Tucson last summer on its budget priorities, and how the results don’t conform at all with what the proposition supports.

Granted, only 358 people responded to the city’s survey, but :

• Expand affordable housing
• Invest more in anti-poverty effort
• Invest more in city infrastructure

“Our main concern is that it doesn’t meet Tucson’s most urgent needs,� said Putney. “It skews priorities.�

Prop. 414 would put 17.5% of its estimated $80 million per year in revenue toward affordable housing, but 65.75% would go to public-safety priorities.

is led by the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce, joined by other business groups such as the Tucson Association of Realtors, the Arizona Multihousing Association and the Arizona Tourism and Lodging Association.

They were also joined this week by state representatives, and sisters, Consuelo and Alma Hernandez.

This group’s main reasons for opposition are that the city’s sales tax would rise too high, to 9.2%, and that the city ought to be able to prioritize public safety more within its current revenue, rather than asking for more sales-tax money.

“Fighting against police and fire, fighting against the city is the last place I’d like to be,� Tucson Metro Chamber President Michael Guymon said Thursday. “I’d rather be working with them to prioritize public safety.�

Among those supporting Prop. 414, beyond the public-safety unions, are the mayor and entire City Council and most of the state legislators representing the city. With the opposition from the left and right, they are fighting a two-front battle to get the proposition over 50% in the March 11 election.

Council candidates swell

Three Tucson City Council seats are up for election this year, and now it appears there is competition in all of them.

Alma Gordon has filed a statement of interest with the city to run against incumbent Council Member Kevin Dahl in the north-northwest side’s Ward 3. Gordon would run against Dahl in the Democratic primary election.

The competition is also getting stiffer in the south side’s Ward 5. Selina Barajas has joined the race bearing powerful endorsements: U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Mayor Regina Romero and Pima County Supervisors Adelita Grijalva, Jen Allen and Matt Heinz, among others.

Christopher Elsner has also filed a statement of interest to run in Ward 5, joining existing candidates Jesse Lugo and Richard Hernandez. All four are running as Democrats.

Midtown’s Ward 6 has just gone wild with candidates. Former state representative and Tucson City Council member Bruce Wheeler has joined the race. So has retired high-school teacher James Sinex.

They join existing candidates Theresa Riel, Leighton Rockafellow Jr., Miranda Schubert and Charlie Verdin in the Democratic primary. Jay Tolkoff has filed a statement of interest to run as a Republican.

Gallego meets Big Tech

Democratic U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego will be holding a fundraiser in Sedona that features one of the biggest names in tech, billionaire Marc Andreessen, a booster of cryptocurrency and supporter of Donald Trump.

, which will take place at the luxury inn L’Auberge de Sedona and carries a suggested minimum donation of $5,000 per person. Andreessen donated at least $4.5 million to Right for America, a super PAC that supported Trump in last year’s election.

What they have in common is an interest in cryptocurrency. The industry mostly supported Republican candidates last year but also invested in some Democrats. Gallego was one of them, receiving $10 million in outside support from Protect Progress, a crypto interest group.

Now, Gallego has been named the top Democrat on the digital assets subcommittee of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. In that position, he’ll be asked to oversee the industry Andreessen boosts and that financially supports Gallego’s political career.

Gallego’s office said, “Cryptocurrency, venture capital and other tech companies are looking at Arizona as a potential home for jobs. Hearing from industry leaders and showing them the potential of Arizona is part of Senator Gallego’s goal to bring more jobs to Arizona.�

Glassman claims 'record'

Former Tucson City Council member Rodney Glassman has renewed his pursuit of public office, this time running for the Republican nomination for attorney general.

Last month, for most funds raised in an off-year attorney general’s race.� Glassman, who was a Democrat when he lived in Tucson and ran against former U.S. Sen. John McCain, said his new campaign raised an impressive $1,328,656.

But , Stephen Lemons pointed out an important caveat to that figure: Glassman loaned his campaign $1 million, or 75%, of that amount.