Welcome to 🌵 Arizona Unscripted — the show all about Arizona: the people, the places, the food, the fun, and the stories that make the Grand Canyon State unlike anywhere else.

In this episode, host Bart is joined by co-hosts Diane, Kathryn, Jim, and Carol for a lively conversation with Jacob Martinez, a lifelong Mesa resident and candidate for the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 9, covering West Mesa, downtown Mesa, and part of eastern Tempe.

🏠 MAKING ARIZONA MORE AFFORDABLE

Jacob says one issue comes up again and again as he knocks on doors across his district: the rising cost of just about everything.

Housing. Utilities. Groceries. Healthcare.

The group talks about why so many Arizonans — from young people just starting out to seniors living on fixed incomes — are finding it increasingly difficult to afford the communities they call home.

Jacob discusses ideas he supports to address housing costs, including limiting corporate purchases of single-family homes and giving local communities greater authority to regulate short-term rentals.

🏡 AIRBNBS, HOUSING & LOCAL CONTROL

Arizona's popularity as a tourist destination creates an interesting dilemma: visitors need places to stay, but the people who work in those communities also need affordable places to live.

The conversation explores how short-term rentals can affect housing availability and why Jacob believes cities and towns should have more power to develop solutions that work for their own communities.

🎓 PUBLIC SCHOOLS & ARIZONA'S ESA PROGRAM

As a graduate of Mesa Public Schools and a recent law school graduate, Jacob credits public education with helping give him the foundation to succeed.

He talks about school funding, teacher support, Arizona's universal ESA program, and why he believes the state needs to put more resources into public education while adding greater accountability and restrictions to the voucher system.

👨‍👩‍👦 GROWING UP IN MESA

Jacob also shares his own Arizona story.

Raised in Mesa by a single teenage mother, he talks about growing up with the help of programs such as WIC and public assistance — experiences that shaped his views about the role government programs can play for families going through difficult times.

He also explains why, despite moving several times, he has barely ventured outside the same square mile of Mesa where he grew up.

🍕 WAIT...IS MESA AN ARIZONA FOOD DESTINATION?

It's Arizona Unscripted, so naturally the conversation finds its way to food.

Jacob makes a bold claim that Mesa belongs alongside New York and Los Angeles as a great food city — prompting the hosts to immediately start asking for restaurant recommendations.

And apparently, volunteering to knock doors for Jacob can come with a pretty good bonus: exploring some of Mesa's many local restaurants afterward.

🪧 AND WHY DOES JACOB HAVE HIS OWN PARK?

There's also the mysterious "Jacob Martinez Park" sign hanging behind him.

No, Mesa didn't actually name a park after him.

Jacob explains how serving for six years on the Mesa Parks and Recreation Advisory Board — beginning while he was still in high school — earned him a personalized park sign when his term ended.

It's a fun moment that also highlights just how early Jacob became involved in his hometown.

This episode is a wide-ranging Arizona Unscripted conversation about affordability, housing, education, community involvement, a new generation entering public service — and, of course, where to find some great food in Mesa.

Learn more about Jacob Martinez:

MartinezForAZ.com

🌵 Arizona Unscripted — exploring Arizona one conversation at a time.