Jesse Latas died in July

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About 20 years ago, Phoenix officials had what they thought was a bright idea.

I know, I know: This is already sounding bad.

The city decided to dress up the main drag through downtown with $1 million worth of pink, Italian granite to line the Central Avenue median.

I guess brick was too ordinary.

Almost immediately, there was criticism. Then-Mayor Terry Goddard took the brunt of the flak in his subsequent re-election campaign.

"We've gone after big projects," Goddard told a reporter in 1989 in defense of the granite and other controversial projects. "It's the difference between a city that's going to have a long-term economic profile and one that rests on its laurels."

Flash forward two decades. Phoenix, that soulless metropolis, is again reinventing itself. Light rail is the latest fad.

That means bye-bye to Goddard's million-dollar granite. The city is bulldozing the mineral — and dumping it. Yes, into Dumpsters. A once-lavish project is now trash.

Call it progress. Or government waste.

Sure, the cost of the granite is pocket change compared with the $1.2 billion the light rail will cost.

Nevertheless, city officials said they originally wanted to salvage the granite and incorporate it into the new light rail project, but after several tests they realized it crumbled.

So turns out it was actually cheap pink granite. Nice.

The granite was so poorly done that many people in Phoenix assume it's just brick. Still, you'd think something could be done with the leftovers.

Anyone need it for a home makeover?

Maybe we could use it somewhere in Rio Nuevo — or whatever name Tucson's own redevelopment efforts go by these days.

Transportation officials in Phoenix say disposing of the stuff — which stretches over about 2.5 miles — is justified.

"Actually, the voters have agreed that the light rail was an important project, and agreed to pay for it and agreed to the general location," said Maria Hyatt, Phoenix's top light-rail official. "So, it would be the same voters who paid for the other improvements."

As for Goddard, now Arizona attorney general, he didn't return phone calls. He must not like to talk about things from back when he was mayor.

But hey, not many politicians can say their public career outlasted a natural resource.

And incidentally, everyone I interviewed about the granite wanted to know why Tucsonans would want to read about waste in Downtown Phoenix.

Easy.

In the Old Pueblo, we get our kicks out of mistakes made by our friends to the north.

Phoenicians call it an inferiority complex. We call it fun.

Courage.

That's the word that comes to Jeff and Salette Latas' minds when they remember their son, Jesse, who passed away late last month.

"He just was never really afraid of anything," Salette said of Jesse, a Iraq veteran, who lost a battle with leukemia at 22.

Mom and dad are well-known local political figures. Jeff lost a bid for Congress last year. Salette has launched a campaign for Oro Valley Town Council.

Jesse, a graduate of Canyon del Oro High School, was an inspiration behind much of that. Dad's campaign included discussions about the effects of war — and about problems in the American health-care system.

Jesse was serving in Iraq when he had a relapse of leukemia in 2005. He had been undergoing chemotherapy since.

"Can't remember him ever wanting to do anything else," Salette said of Jesse's decision to join the Army.

The Latases have a daughter, Virginia. Jesse was buried at the Southern Arizona Veterans Cemetery in Sierra Vista.

For more on his life, check out the Latases' Web dedication at www.latasgroup.com/jesse.html

Political Notebook

Daniel Scarpinato