Secret Santa: Committed to the community

Joe is always on the go.

The year is coming to an end, and we are taking our winter break from publishing.

That break runs from next Monday to the first week of January. During the break, we’re catching up on projects and preparing for the political antics of 2026.

As you know, we’ve been combing through our work over the past year for a professional game of Secret Santa.

Today, intern Alysa is writing about her favorite story that Joe wrote for the Tucson Agenda.

Joe has been tracking Project Blue since day one, and his grasp of its twists and turns is unmatched. That dedication is just one example of how deeply he’s invested in Tucson.

I chose this story because Joe’s affection for Tucson and its people pulls you in. Before the Agenda, I was a diehard, proud Phoenician — but his reporting made me fall for a city a hundred miles south.

This story is quote-heavy from the jump, because Joe knows the most important part of the job is you — the readers. I love this story because it’s a clear example of how loyal Joe is to Tucson.

Joe shows up to the daily editorial meeting with multiple story ideas and a list of meetings he will attend during the week. He is proof that being a journalist is a 24/7 job — he never stops working for Tucson.

In this story, Joe showed up yet again. He lets the Tucson City Council speak for themselves, while still controlling the story. Joe is constantly on the move and this story shows why — so he can include the voices of the community he is proud to be part of.

RIP Project Blue

The politicians got the message

Joe Ferguson, Aug 07, 2025

Project Blue started with a roar — promising a massive investment in Tucson’s water infrastructure, the creation of thousands of construction jobs and millions of dollars flowing into government coffers.

It died on Wednesday with a whimper, as every single member of the Tucson City Council denounced the NSA-like secrecy demanded from Amazon Web Services and its proxies, the excessive water usage and their overall lack of trust in the people behind the proposal.

More than 100 residents — many wearing red to show their resistance to Project Blue — cheered as the council unanimously voted to kill the proposal.

That vote canceled the planned annexation hearing scheduled for August 19 and ensured the item would not return on a future agenda.

The bottom line? Tucson is not for sale.

Residents packed Tucson City Hall to protest Project Blue.

Here’s the council in their own words:

Councilwoman Karin Uhlich was the first to openly discuss ending talks with Project Blue at Tuesday’s meeting. Uhlich had already told residents in her midtown ward she wouldn’t support the project.

”The point is that we’re not going to consider or approve Project Blue. We are directing the manager and staff to end those negotiations immediately,” Uhlich said.

Councilman Kevin Dahl, who had long opposed the proposed data centers, said he felt misled by the developers when he asked if other cooling options existed for the massive, water-hungry facilities. He said he hoped future proposals would bring jobs and revenue without jeopardizing Tucson’s precious water.

”I remember asking, is water the only way to cool? And I was given, yes, that’s the only way we can do it. But they do (use other technologies to cool data centers) elsewhere,” Dahl said.

Councilman Rocque Perez said he’s keeping an eye on the developers’ earlier claims that they planned to stay in Tucson.

“I now urge Pima County and our counterparts in other municipalities, as well as the public that’s here today, to pay attention closely as to what happens next. Because data centers aren’t going anywhere in this battle. It’s just the beginning for Tucson,” he said.

Councilwoman Nikki Lee said the secrecy surrounding Project Blue — and poor communication with the city — badly damaged the proposal’s chances.

“Project Blue represents a lot of things to a lot of people right now, more than just the data center and the project itself. It’s a distrust in government, it’s a distrust in corporations, it’s a very large distrust in tech companies, a distrust in technology and privacy in general, and a fear of artificial intelligence and how fast things are moving and how little control we have and what does it mean for ourselves, society, and for jobs,” she said.

Councilman Paul Cunningham pointed out that the proposal offered no guarantees that Tucson Electric Power wouldn’t pass on future costs to local residents. And he didn’t trust the developers, who insisted on hiding behind non-disclosure agreements — and holding elected officials to them — despite Cunningham never signing one personally.

“I’m the most realistic, non-conspiracy theorist guy of all time. But some of these tech bros, some of the things they do is very concerning. So we need to keep our eye on the ball with all that stuff,” he said.

Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz said even baristas were talking about Project Blue — a sign that everyone in the community was paying attention. She also raised alarm about how the data centers could be used — calling out those working with the federal government to surveil and detain members of the community.

“These data centers aren’t being built to uplift our communities. They’re being built to serve private profit and government surveillance. What do we need all this AI for? To store data for ICE? To expand predictive policing? To feed the same systems that already harm our communities,” Santa Cruz said.

Our art intern, ChatGPT, updated this image from Lee’s newsletter to reflect the latest developments. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t understand the physics of “swerve right.”

Mayor Regina Romero straddled the line between backing the vast majority of her constituents who didn’t want Project Blue and business boosters who argue residents are too quick to shoot down economic development opportunities. She acknowledged that while Project Blue is dead, more data center proposals are likely coming.

“We have to understand as a community that this industry is out there and that everyone, including Donald Trump and Congress as well as the state, have incentives and policies to preempt cities like Tucson. So it doesn’t end here,” Romero said. “We also have to work together because we can’t just say no. What do we want to say yes to? What type of jobs do we want for our residents, for our construction workers and trade workers?”

Romero also blamed the Pima County Board of Supervisors for approving the land sale that set the project in motion.

“The Board of Supervisors and their team also should have stopped this right there,” Romero said.

We reached out to Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy — the highest-ranking elected Republican in the county — who voted to sell the county-owned land to the developers in June.

At the time, Christy acknowledged the project’s fate rested with the Tucson City Council and said he hoped the seven Democrats would support the $3.6 billion economic development deal.

On Wednesday, Christy told the Tucson Agenda that the council made the wrong call — and that the decision would hurt future economic growth.

“The city of Tucson missed a great opportunity,” Christy said. “It is very disappointing that Pima County will continue in the economic malaise we are globally known for.”

We also asked former Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva — who is widely expected to win her father’s seat in Congress next month — whether she would support the city if the federal government tried to override its decision.

“Land use and water resource decisions should be made by local elected officials in close consultation with the community — not imposed from Washington, D.C. I would oppose any attempt by the federal government to override local decision-making on this project,” Grijalva said.

There was no immediate reaction from any of the principals behind Project Blue on Wednesday, but we expect to hear more soon about their promises of a “Plan B” for Tucson.