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Joyce Clark Unfiltered

For "the rest of the story"

May 13

16

Reasons why a casino in Glendale is not a good idea

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 16, 2013
Posted in Casino  | Tagged With: , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Ned Norris Jr Tohono O'odham Nation Chairman

Ned Norris Jr.

I thought it would be an interesting exercise to list most, but certainly not all, of the reasons why a casino in Glendale is not a good idea. Last week Councilmember Alvarez had a meeting with 20 of her most avid supporters. She invited the Tohono O’odham’s Ned Norris Jr. to present another pitch in support of a casino in Glendale. The attendees heard nothing new and it was an opportunity for Norris to reiterate the TO’s position.

Norma Alvarez

Norma Alvarez

I am disturbed by her action. As a Councilmember one of the duties expected is that once a City Council position on an issue is adopted, one’s responsibility is to advocate FOR the city’s position. If a councilmember disagrees with that position, it must be revealed with the disclaimer that it is one’s personal position and not that of the city’s. It is also not allowable to use city resources in support of one’s personal position. If her Council Assistant was in attendance or if her Council Assistant used city time to order and/or pick up the refreshments it would be an express violation of city policy. To use one’s office and position to invite residents to a meeting to advocate against an adopted city position is morally and ethically reprehensible. There is also the propriety of advocacy for an opponent’s position when the city remains in active litigation.

 65 percent of businesses are hurt by the proximity of gambling. Decreases meals and room taxes away from other, traditional sources (shifts tax revenue away from hotels and restaurants in Westgate)

Visitors and residents spend money on gambling that would be spent on other local goods and services

Shifts workers currently in one industry to the gambling industry. Takes workers from other industries and moves them into the casino industry

Social costs increase related to increased crime and pathological gambling

Most patrons come from within 30 miles and participation declines exponentially as distance increases.

Traffic impacts experienced at all times of day. Casino traffic is not seasonal because the number of trips to and from casinos is relatively consistent from month to month. Casinos operate 24 hours per day; there is no peak travel period to and from casinos

Five years after a casino opens, robbery in the community goes up 136 percent, aggravated assault is up 91 percent, auto theft is up 78 percent, burglary is up 50 percent, larceny is up 38 percent, rape is up 21 percent and murder is up 12 percent, compared to neighboring communities.  Crime is low shortly after a casino opens, and grows over time, costing the average adult $75 per year

Each slot machine costs the surrounding community one job per year

Business and personal bankruptcies increase between 18 and 42 percent, while ‘impulse’ business transactions in the area decline by 65 percent.”

Every slot machine takes $60,000 out of the local, consumer economy

Gamblers spend 10 percent less on food; 25 percent less on clothing and 35 percent less on savings

For every one job that the casino creates, one is lost in the 35-mile feeder market

The Tohono O’odham ignored their promise to their fellow Tribal leaders to keep another casino out of the Phoenix Metropolitan area

It destroys the state-wide voter approved gaming compact and will cause casinos to be built in many other Arizona cities

All of these issues will directly and severely impact the 10,000 Glendale residents living the closest to the proposed casino

All of these reasons have been cited and attributed to the original researchers on the subject in my previous posts about the casino.

greed 1Opponents have said the Tribes that oppose this casino in Glendale are doing so purely out of greed, to protect their market share. Yet the Tohono O’odham wants to site this casino in Glendale for exactly the same reason, pure greed, for it would open a very lucrative market far, far away from their Tribal lands in southern Arizona.

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May 13

15

Tribal Leaders say it best

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 15, 2013
Posted in Casino  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

On May 13, 2013 the Rose Law Group Reporter posted the following article. I do not usually re-post entire articles but in this case many of you may not see it. This opinion piece was written by those, in addition to Glendale residents, most affected by the Tohono O’odham proposed casino, the Tribal leaders. Read their words. They relied upon the words of their brother and sister TO Tribal leaders.

(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents leadership of the Arizona House and Senate in lawsuit against the Glendale casino.)

[OP-ED] Tribal leaders say Tohono O’odham’s has ‘ill ambition’ for casino

Posted By Phil Riske / May 13, 2013

By Diane Enos, Gregory Mendoza, Sherry Counts, Arlen P. Quetawki, Sherry Cordova and Clinton M. Pattea | The Arizona Republic

New federal legislation introduced by Arizona congressional Reps. Trent Franks, Ed Pastor and Ann Kirkpatrick that would keep compacts intact deserves a fair look.

The complexity of the issue has been captured by The Arizona Republic in its editorials and in recent news articles that have delved into the history of the voter-approved Proposition 202 to shed light on how a proposed casino in Glendale has much broader implications.

Arizonans who in 2002 voted “yes” on Proposition 202 did so based on the 17 Arizona tribes’ promise that Indian casinos would be kept out of neighborhoods and, as penned by then-Gov. Jane Dee Hull, “Voting ‘yes’ on Proposition 202 ensures that no new casinos will be built in the Phoenix metropolitan area and only one in the Tucson area for at least 23 years.”

These commitments were accepted and promoted by 17 Arizona tribes, including the Tohono O’odham Nation, and Arizona. We worked for nearly two years to negotiate a tribal-state plan for limited Indian gaming that was accepted by community leaders, business leaders and elected officials, who in turn publicly advocated for what ultimately became Prop. 202.

At the time, none of the participating 17 tribes expressed disagreement with the framework, which is why a proposed casino in Glendale is a plain violation of the commitments made to Arizona voters in 2002.

As leaders of Arizona tribes, we expect honest transactions from federal, state and local officials and set the same expectations of ourselves and of fellow tribes. It is for these reasons that we support this new, bipartisan legislation.

The Keep the Promise Act will protect the integrity of our work during the gaming-compact negotiations.

It will safeguard the trust of elected officials, business leaders, our own communities and the Arizona voters when they said “yes” to Prop. 202.

Without it, an explosion of new neighborhood casinos — in Glendale and beyond — could be on the horizon because if the promises made through Prop. 202 are broken, the door is opened for other off-reservation casinos.

To that end, it is no secret that the Tohono O’odham Nation now says it never pledged to restrict the number of casinos in the Phoenix area or to keep them out of neighborhoods. It asserts the right to develop multiple casinos on county islands near Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale or anywhere else in the Valley.

Such ill ambition is detrimental to Prop. 202, destroys the good work of 16 tribes and cultivates an atmosphere of distrust.

This is why there is an urgent need for the Keep the Promise Act. It will protect the collective vision of “limited and balanced gaming” in Arizona that was carefully engineered by tribal and state leaders, and approved by voters.

Actively support House Resolution 1410, the Keep the Promise Act, and urge your legislators to do the same.

Diane Enos is president of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Gregory Mendoza is governor of the Gila River Indian Community. Sherry Counts is chairwoman of the Hualapai Tribe. Arlen P. Quetawki is governor of the Pueblo of Zuni. Sherry Cordova is chairwoman of the Cocopah Indian Tribe. Clinton M. Pattea is president of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.

May 13

14

Phoenix Monarch Group may rise again

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 14, 2013
Posted in City Council Actions • City of Glendale  | Tagged With: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Norma Alvarez

Norma Alvarez

At the May 7, 2013 City Council workshop during Council Comments and Suggestions, Councilmember Alvarez stepped up to the political plate once again. Her first suggestion was regarding the recruitment of a new City Attorney. She feels council should not recruit for a City Attorney but rather promote from within. She doesn’t want to spend the money. She remarked that Acting City Attorney Nick DiPiazza was doing “a good job” and that the City “should use him.” Now it appears that the city’s Human Resources department will take the lead on this search. Not a good idea. Agendas are rife within the city and will seep into the search parameters. I’ve seen it before. It’s also a bit like asking the fox to guard the hen house. This city needs a set of fresh eyes just as is needed for the City Manager’s position. Her initial thought seemed to spend all of her energy and she drifted off briefly – but wait! She wasn’t quite finished.

PMG 1In one final burst she opened the barn door for the Phoenix Monarch Group (PMG) horse. She has promoted PMG as willingly as her promotion of the Tohono O’odham. If you recall, she brokered a meeting in June, 2012 between this group and former Mayor Scruggs and former Councilmember Lieberman. At that meeting PMG made a pitch to manage Jobing.com for $7M a year while promising to bring 25 events (tractor pulls??). This time she wants council to look at outsourcing special events, marketing and the Civic Center. Obviously the criteria used in selection of a marketing and special events company will determine the Phoenix Monarch Group’s fate. It has been no secret that Alvarez thinks the money spent by the Marketing and Communications Department is wasteful and unnecessary. If there would be one department slated for oblivion it would be this one. After struggling to release her thoughts she mercifully slumped back into somnolence.

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May 13

13

Speculation and a nickel won’t buy a cup of coffee

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 13, 2013
Posted in City of Glendale  | Tagged With: , , , , , | 6 Comments

Coyotes logoI have been following all of the public speculation since the Renaissance group (LeBlanc/Gosbee) and the Pastor group have submitted bids to the NHL. There are some opining right this minute on which bid is better. How can anyone possibly know? There is only one entity, the NHL, that has the complete package of information and they’re not telling. It is interesting, when you think about it, that neither bid has been blessed by the NHL to date. If either bid was that spectacular trumpets would be blaring. I suspect there are a few more bidders out there. Why declare a winner when all of the contestants haven’t signed in yet? Information is leaking slowly like a punctured tire but only the positive stuff that the groups believe will advance their bid before the public eye. That’s not the eye with which they should concern themselves. The Pastor group’s blitz with the media and fans may have earned them a few new friends but not the ones that count.

ouijaUntil such time as we can see whom the NHL blesses and the kind of deal it is I, like everyone else, will just have to wait it out. Some of you will relate to this analogy.  It’s like being pregnant. Your due date is June 1. You’re in the home stretch. You’re tired of being miserable and you just wish this baby would get on with it, quit fooling around and be born. I know the fans are stretched thin and are just wishing this baby would be born. Until then speculation is about as good as using a Ouija board.

Post Script: Just learned NHL rejected Pastor bid. This makes the case that speculation is useless. NHL has their own agenda and will accept a bidder that most closely meets that agenda. Do you know what the NHL’s agenda is? If so, would you please share it with all of us?

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May 13

13

Rube Goldberg has nothing on us

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 13, 2013
Posted in fish pond • Koi pond  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Rube Goldberg

Wiping face with napkin machine

Since I last wrote about our Koi pond my husband and I have become Rube Goldberg Revisited. For those of you 40 or younger you have probably never even heard of him. A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, The expression is named after American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg (1883–1970). Over the years, the expression has come to mean anything confusing or complicated. Our system may be confusing to you but it works.

I have come to conclusion that our pond water will never be absolutely clear. That is because we have fish that poop and other critters, like doves and hummingbirds that visit the stream part of the pond on a daily basis. The ever present algae like to live in our pond. My goal was to at least get the water clear enough to see the fish, especially when we feed them in the late afternoon. We have done that. The pond water is still orangey-green but the rocks in the pond are tan, orange, beige, etc. So as the water clears it picks up the rock tones of color. Last year at this time the water was so pea green and murky you couldn’t even see the rocks on the pond shelf.

I have been doing my usual surfing of pond sites on the Internet and ran across a couple of ideas that we wanted to try to see if they would help to clear the water. The first of our Rube Goldberg contraptions is a pond vacuum. I had looked at many pond vacs for sale and the biggest problem is their inability to keep the gravel at the bottom of the pond from being sucked up. We thought we would try this idea because we could rig it to suit ourselves and prevent the gravel from being sucked up.

Pond vac 1

Pond vacuum

A friend of ours had an old, heavy duty shop vac and gave it to us. We modified it by drilling a large hole at the bottom to accommodate a hose that would discharge the water.  In the beginning we used a butterfly valve to regulate the outlet but we found that it allowed the water to drain slowly…very, very slowly. So we changed it to a valve that can be opened or closed manually. We also used a piece of pantyhose at the intake attachment to prevent the gravel from entering the shop vac tank. The outlet hose drains into an old, large plastic tote (we drilled large holes – about 8 – only at the bottom and only on one side) and filled the tote with poly-fill batting. The water is vacuumed into the shop vac, goes out through the hose/valve and into the tote filled with batting. The water that leaves the tote is clear as the batting catches the “green stuff.” In all, it cost us less than $20 to add our modifications. We use this contraption periodically to literally muck the bottom of the pond. The pond’s bottom collects everything – decaying leaves, fish matter, etc. It turns into a black, smelly muck. That is the material that we vacuum out.

Pond vac 7

Plastic Tote filled with poly-fill batting
Shop vac water drains into tote
Water percolates through batting
Drains into pond

Pond vac 6

Water drains through hose
Into Tote filled with batting

 

IMG_4449

Hose outlet from
Pond Vac
drains water into
tote with batting

 

 

 

 

 

If, after reading this and looking at the photos you are still totally confused, please send me an email at clarkjv@aol.com and I will try to unconfuse you.

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May 13

11

Mother’s Day: three caring and compassionate women in my life

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 11, 2013
Posted in Musings over a cup of early morning tea  | Tagged With: | No Comments yet, please leave one

Mother’s Day seems most appropriate as the day to honor these three women all of whom have had a profound effect on me.

My Mom was born in 1913 and died in 2005 at the age of 92 of Alzheimer’s, a cruel disease indeed. My Mom was one of 5 siblings born to Polish immigrant parents. Education and assimilation were goals all were to achieve. My Mom graduated from Pratt Institute as a dietician. Not only was it unheard of in 1933 for girls to go beyond high school but Mom also graduated from Pratt by the time she was 20. She had lots of chutzpah and literally talked her way into a job as the Head Dietician at a hospital. She worked most of her life helping those who were ill and she especially loved the little ones. She was old-school and catered to my Dad’s needs. She raised three children, all of whom turned out reasonably well and none of whom went to jail. She cared about others all of her life. When my Aunt was dying of cancer, Mom was there. When we had our babies and needed a babysitter, Mom was there.

mothers day 1She was at the same time ordinary and extraordinary. She was my Mom and I loved her.

Laura, my sister-in-law, was born in 1930 and was one of 7 siblings. She grew up in the panhandle of Texas, dirt poor. She was the only daughter who escaped that hard life and she, too, graduated from college. She was beautiful and smart but most of all she had a gentlewomanly elegance about her. I never heard her raise her voice to anyone. She, too, was compassionate and caring, especially with strangers. When you met her, she could coax your life story from you and commiserate with you over all of your misfortunes. You left her presence feeling unburdened. Laura’s compassion and caring extended to all creatures, great and small, and to the inanimate plant life surrounding her. She could take a plant cutting and make it root and grow into something beautiful and exotic. Laura died on April 28, 2013 at the hand of that robber of so many good people – cancer. She was my sister-in-law and I loved her.

Dawn is my best friend of many years. She, younger than I, yet age has no bearing on our deep friendship. She, too, like the others of importance in my life is smart and well educated. We are the ying and yang of friendships. She being tall, willowy and blond while I am short and round. Politically we have been miles apart although as I grow older I find myself gravitating toward her point of view more and more often. She, too, is caring and compassionate beyond measure. I often find myself marveling at the extraordinary kindnesses she has shown to others. Ruefully she extends herself in ways I would not have thought of doing. Unknowingly she has taught me valuable life lessons. She, like my Mom and Laura, loves all growing things, from babies to animals to plants. She draws others to her easily and her heart is big for those lucky enough to enter it. She is my best friend and I love her.

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May 13

10

Numbers don’t lie…

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 10, 2013
Posted in Jobing.com arena  | Tagged With: , , , , | 2 Comments

There has been a great deal of furor since Paul Giblin of the Arizona Republic came out on May 5, 2013 with a number that Glendale would have to pay to run the arena of $5.1 to $5.5M per year. See this link: http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/20130502phoenix-coyotes-jobing-arena-costs.html .

jobing.com arena

Jobing.com arena

On August 8, 2012 (9 months ago), Lisa Halverstadt, a former reporter with the Arizona Republic stated, “If the team stays, the city estimates it will cost about $12.2 million a year, or $54 per resident, when costs and revenue are factored. That’s in addition to the roughly $13 million a year to retire the debt on the arena in about 20 years. But the city says it would face even steeper financial challenges without the Coyotes. If the team leaves, Glendale will still be on the hook for the arena debt. But the city also projects it will then need to come up with millions of dollars a year to pay an arena manager and other expenses if there is no anchor tenant for the arena. The city estimates that would cost $15.8 million, or $70 per resident. With that in mind, Glendale projects it would save about $3.5 million annually by keeping the team.” Here is the link: http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/20120801glendale-few-options-jobing-arena.html .

Even the vaunted Arizona Republic is not consistent in the numbers it offers to its readers. Nine months ago $12M a year to operate the arena was a good number. Now, apparently $5M is the number you should believe.

Below are the numbers from 2006 and 2007 when Jerry Moyes owned the team. Annual revenues were $6.4M to $7.1M. Total expenses were $13.4M to $12.9M. Net loss was $6.9M to $5.7M.

The auditor’s report shows the following :

…………………………………………………………..2006                                   2007

Revenues……………………………………………. $7,142,000                    $6,499,000

Expenses:

Event…………………………………………………. $5,616,000                    $4,413,000

General and Administrative……………………. $ 7,303,000                    $ 9,052,000

Total expenses……………………………………… $12,919,000                  $13,465,000

Net Loss……………………………………………..  ($5,777,000)                ($6,966,000)

These numbers from 6 years ago track with the current NHL numbers of revenues of approximately $6M; expenses of approximately $12M; and loss of approximately $6M.

numberFor months  I have consistently used these very same numbers obtained under a Freedom of Information request from the city. Moyes’ numbers come from an auditor’s report and the NHL numbers were submitted monthly to the city. There is no doubt in my mind that it takes approximately $12M to operate Jobing.com arena annually with revenues of approximately $6M and debt of $6M. The numbers don’t lie.

 

 

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May 13

9

Warfare erupting

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 9, 2013
Posted in Jobing.com arena  | Tagged With: , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

fightingMy goodness! It’s really getting nasty out there as the deadline swiftly approaches for responses to Glendale’s Beacon Sports RFP or someone is announced as the buyer-of-choice by the NHL.

twitter warThere are those who discount Twitter. Do so at your own peril. It has become one of social media’s behemoths. Lately the newly renamed Ice Edge, now known as Renaissance Sports, has been taking potshots via Twitter at Pastor’s group and vice versa. There is also the tried and true tactic of not saying something directly but retweeting someone else’s tweet. One of my recent favorites is this from KCD Public Relations, in support of the Pastor group. KCD recently retweeted the following, “@HedgeyeDJ Ice Edge fails for 3 seasons to buy #Coyotes, then rebrands to RSE so they can annoy serious buyers?” A while back Daryl Jones, @HedgeyeDJ, tweeted “Silence is a source of great strength,” quoting Lao Tzu. Too bad neither side is heeding that sage advice.

Two_Mad_Teenager_Boys_Now warfare seems to be erupting between the City of Glendale and the NHL. There is Twitter talk that the NHL could have as long as ten years to vacate the arena as well as the current gossip that the City has not just been paying operating expenses for the arena but team losses as well. This shot across the ship of state (er…city) could be because Twitterdom has shared that the City of Glendale is blaming the NHL for not being better stewards of Jobing.com Arena and allowing the roof to go into disrepair and leak-big time.

All in an effort to win the hearts and minds of the public’s perception…included in that mix are hockey fans taking sides with one group or another right and left.

What is even more amazing are the plans of various groups to meet with the Mayor and Council despite the Beacon RFP admonition that speaking to officials of Glendale could disqualify an applicant at their (or someone’s) discretion. Pure politics. If you are the current favorite, it’s no big deal but heaven help you if you are not. This admonition will be played like a violin to get rid of unwanted players.

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May 13

9

Till the fat lady sings…

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 9, 2013
Posted in Casino  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

judge 1On May 8, 2013 the media ran two stories related to the proposed Tohono O’odham casino in Glendale. Here is the link to one of the stories:  http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/politics/article_bc3be462-b766-11e2-90d4-0019bb2963f4.html. Judge Campbell issued a ruling that found in part for the defendant, the Tohono O’odham but he asked for further argument to be submitted by May 22, 2013. It relates to the plaintiffs’ claim that the TO encouraged voters of the state to believe there would be no new casinos in the Phoenix Metro area while secretly planning to build a casino in the Phoenix Metro area. Campbell will then decide if there are enough grounds to support a lawsuit to halt the casino.

The other story was about a letter requested by Councilmember Hugh from the Acting City Manager Dick Bowers regarding the casino. Here is the link to that story:  http://www.glendalestar.com/news/article_7172ccd6-b755-11e2-b30f-001a4bcf887a.html.

Bowers Glendale Star

Dick Bowers
Courtesy Glendale Star

Bowers states that his opinion is an administrative one and not from a legal perspective but then he proceeds to legally opine on the 9th Circuit Court and the consideration of an appeal before the Supreme Court. Here’s a heads up. If the casino is referred to as a “resort” then you can be sure that person speaking supports the casino. Bowers refers to the casino as a “resort.” Until a majority of the city council gives direction that it no longer wishes to fight the casino that is city policy on the issue. Is it appropriate for the Acting City Manager to insert his clearly personal opinion into the issue of city policy? You decide but I think not. He is charged with supporting city policy as it exists. City council is the policy maker and city staff is charged with supporting it.

This issue is NOT decided yet. There is still the 9th Circuit Court which has ruled on only one of two issues before it. There is still Representative Trent Franks’ legislation to be passed or denied by Congress and the President. There are still appeals left for both sides.

fat lady singsI have posted in six previous blogs, using facts and figures the social and fiscal effects on Glendale if the casino is allowed to be sited here. Until all avenues are exhausted and the fat lady sings I will continue to speak out against a proposed TO casino – not “resort”- in Glendale.

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May 13

7

Rumors are born, grow and die within hours

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 7, 2013
Posted in Jobing.com arena  | Tagged With: , , , , , | 4 Comments

On May 6, 2013 Dan Bickley posted a column on Arizona Central. Here is the link http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/danbickley/2013/05/06/coyotes-new-money-new-ownership-bid-new-problems/. It is entitled Coyotes: New money, new ownership bid, new problems. I typically do not read Mr. Bickley. He apparently is just as often wrong as he is correct in his reportage and now, as the Coyotes ownership saga comes to a head rumors are multiplying like rabbits and flying faster than a 747 jet.

Bettman

NHL Commissioner
Gary Bettman

What I did find interesting was this, “But the league wasn’t at all happy with Monday’s front-page story in the Arizona Republic, which listed the true cost of running Jobing.com Arena at less than $6 million.” Well, no one should be happy. Yesterday I posted facts and figures in three separate blogs, Fuzzy Math, A Magical, Mystical Number and There’s an Elephant in the Room. The true cost of operating Jobing.com Arena annually is about $12M.

Everyone is touting LeBlanc/Gosbee as the front-runners for ownership. Let me remind you that they are only the first participants in the parade of would-be owners. That does not make them sure-fire, guaranteed owners. Other parade participants are standing in line, Pastor, Jamison, Hulsizer, Reinsdorf and Kaites. Whoever was scheduled to meet with the current council first would have received the tag, “ front-runner.” That is exactly what it appears LeBlanc wants to happen. He would like to be declared the de facto winner of the contest and chase his other competitors away forever.

Leblanc

Anthony LeBlanc

Bickley goes on to say, LeBlanc’s group – Renaissance Sports and Entertainment “…is committed to absorbing $40 million in losses over the first four years, with an out clause if the economics don’t improve.” If Bickley’s reportage is accurate, this is a cause for concern. In the last go-round when LeBlanc was part of Ice Edge they wanted to play 4 or 5 games in Canada. I assume it was to dip their toes in the waters of the Canadian market to see if it was to their liking. A 5 year out clause, if LeBlanc is successful, may portend the Coyotes’ future. If we see another bid to play some regular season games in Canada that action will tell us more than mere words.

All of this conjecture becomes moot if there is no majority on council to support an annual lease management fee in the range of $10M to $12M. To date, it appears that this council is fixated on a $6M number. It’s a bogus number as I stated in my blog, A Magical, Mystical Number. It was created out of thin air and because it has been publicly stated ad nauseam, it is treated as if it’s a real number based on fact. What continues to amuse if it weren’t so sad, is that the current council really believes they can find an arena manger willing to take $6M a year, cover all operating costs (which means they begin by losing somewhere in the neighborhood of $6M annually) and float the city a loan to cover necessary capital repairs and replacements. Amazing! Stay tuned…Glendale’s version of the Amazing Race is not over!

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