A comment received in response to my blog entitled Situational Ethics was that the commentator had talked to Councilmember Gary Sherwood who named me as the leaker to Darrell Jackson (reporter for the Glendale Star and original FOIA requester) of the infamous Sherwood email. There can be but one response to such ignorance and idiocy. My thanks to a friend who sent me this YouTube clip that sums up my response perfectly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0 .
Councilmember Sherwood has responded to the allegations publicly, most notably in Darrell Jackson’s article in the Glendale Star. Here is the link: http://www.glendalestar.com/news/headlines/article_b55d0f60-1122-11e4-a1bb-0019bb2963f4.html . Let’s see what Mr. Sherwood has to say for himself, “It is no secret that I was pushing for the Coyotes,” Sherwood said by phone. “At the time we had acting attorney and city manager and a deputy city manager that we were not trusting of.” That in and of itself, is an incredible statement. Sherwood and the rest of council had enough confidence in Dick Bowers and Nick DiPiazza to appoint them as Acting City Manager and Acting City Attorney, respectively. Bowers and DiPiazza had been given direction by a majority of council (Sherwood, Martinez, Knaack and Chavira) to execute the best possible management agreement for the city with IceArizona. Bowers and DiPiazza took their obligation to craft the best deal possible seriously. Bowers, in fact, had publicly stated that he was concerned about the management fee of $15 million annually and its impact on Glendale’s precarious financial situation. Apparently this did not sit well with Sherwood, et.al. No wonder Sherwood and crew were doing an end-run around Bowers and DiPiazza by meeting with the IceArizona attorney, Nick Woods, and negotiating the deal. More situational ethics.
Sherwood goes on to say, “All of the items discussed (at the meeting with Wood) were supposed to be posted on our website; they just got delayed in posting.” That is no excuse for divulging Executive Session material. Sherwood’s expectation that it would eventually be publicly posted was not a valid rationalization for his giving Executive session material to Woods. More situational ethics.
Sherwood explains his direction to Martinez to delete the email by saying, “That last line was damning to look at, it was just for information.” He goes on, “Manny had no personal e-mail account, that (to delete) was for his benefit. I just wanted him to be careful so I just suggested he delete it.“ If the email had been appropriate to begin with, there would be no need to instruct Martinez to delete it. More situational ethics.
Sherwood’s dismissive attitude is reflected in, “We have had so many things go to the AG and it is another thing for them to look at. I just don’t see anything becoming (sic) of it.” He may be the only person on the planet to feel this way. The allegations of Open Meeting Law violations are serious this time. He practically calls out the Attorney General’s Office as being ineffectual.
Lastly, Sherwood says, “…he feels that this is a personal attack and was upset with the way it is being handled.” Why? Because he wasn’t given advance notice that a complaint was being filed? Welcome to the world of politics.
It is no secret that Gary Sherwood’ ambition is to become the next Mayor of Glendale. After all, since he was elected as a councilmember he has repeatedly tried to assume that role usurping Mayor Weiers at every available opportunity. It is also no secret that he can be extremely arrogant and rude. It has been demonstrated numerous times in his manner of response to citizen public hearing comments at council meetings. For example, his reaction to citizen comments on the billboard issue was to dismiss their lack of knowledge on the issue and to berate the numbers of anti-billboard attendees.
Many find it creditable to believe that Sherwood lined up four votes for an approval of the IceArizona contract. There has been rampant speculation for over a year that he and Chavira traded votes. Chavira would vote for the management agreement if Sherwood would vote for the casino. Coincidentally, Sherwood who ran on a platform of opposition to the casino flip-flopped and came out in favor of the casino in August, 2013, after the vote on the arena management deal. Many also believe that Sherwood was taking the lead and personally negotiating the arena contract and side-stepping the responsibilities of Glendale’s senior management. At that time he made public statements in media interviews which he used to portray himself as taking the lead position. Is it any wonder that his actions are now under scrutiny?
It’s also no secret that many have expressed concern that Sherwood may have used the same tactics to secure a very recent council majority vote (Sherwood, Chavira, Alvarez and Hugh) of support for the proposed Tohono O’odham casino. That meeting appears to have been choreographed by the same 4 majority councilmembers who voted in the affirmative. Did they collude prior to the meeting causing yet another Open Meeting Law violation? I don’t know but I suppose over time we will all find out. A spider’s web of deceit and deception seems to be the hallmark of this council – a notion troubling many Glendale residents.
© Joyce Clark, 2014
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Sherwood’s allegation that you leaked to Darrell Jackson is too too funny for words and I’ll enjoy his consternation when the truth finally emerges. And in truth if he’s looking for conspiracies …how about the tribes who sent out multiple and costly independent expenditure mailings supporting his campaign opposition to the Casino before he betrayed both his voters and the tribes by flipping his vote.
Memo to Sherwood: NOTHING gets by staff.
Joyce,
It is always a pleasure to read your blog.
One of the few places one gets to the ‘meat of the issue’ without a lot of smoke and mirrors.
Ask the employees, they know what a cluster it is at Glendale.
But, they are all afraid to tell what is really going on.
Rather than compromise their ethics, they are leaving in droves.
I say it is politics as usual.
Sherwood doesn’t help himself much does he? Nice of heynow33, Irish Red, Dark Irish, or whatever other name this person is known as as opposed to his /her real name to produce clear, unequivocal hearsay…always nice to pass on the alleged comments of someone in Office and hope they are true.
No, I might has misunderstood, Gary told when he told me a “certain disgruntled” ex council member is stirring up things. When I read Darrell admission he got a “tip” to look at emails. Since Joyce by her admission was the first to request these items, I believed Mr.Sherwood was speaking of her. This might not be accurate, I don’t want to throw anyone under the bus. Mr.Sherwood or Ms. Clark. I’m leaving the country and this issue is of no concern to me anymore. I love the team and don’t see how any of this political garbage is relevant.
“Ex-councilmember” Phil Lieberman has also initiated complaints to the AG. So has Norma Alvarez…… so these complaints surrounding the council’s actions during the negotiations for an arena lease are coming from more than one person with distinctly different opinions on the council’s actions during the last four to five years.
So does it really matter who complained first??
No, it really doesn’t. The more important questions are: 1. WHO gave the media enough appropriate information to get the necessary email in their FOIA requests? 2. WHAT was this person’s motive? and 3. WHAT will be the results of the AG’s investigation of violations of the Open Meeting Law?
I must live in another dimension where reading something actually penetrates ones brain.
Clearly Joyce Clark has repeatedly said she was the first to write publicly about Sherwoods email and has at least 3 times written that Darrell Jackson of the Star was the FIRST ( I capitalized that so you might notice ) first first first to FOIA for it. That stands for FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT . So let’s say this one more time. DARRELL JACKSON of THE GLENDALE STAR WAS TIPPED OFF ABOUT THE EMAIL. HE RECEIVED it from the city. JOYCE CLARK GOT IT LATER BUT SHE WROTE THE FIRST STORY. whew.
I would concern yourselves about much more than Glendale, this is typical politics…I’m sure there are no “clean” hands, just Joyce refuses or mention others “misgivings”.
“Slán leat”
I believe Ms. Clark only writes about issues where she has real substance to back her opinions up and leaves silent the ones she may believe are suspect but of which she has no tangible evidence. I respect your desire to not throw either party under the bus but you already (and publicly) did, and solely based on hearsay and your own speculative conclusions based on that hearsay. When you get flattened after being thrown under a bus, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to” doesn’t very often remove the tire tracks from someone’s back.
HabbieHabbie, Well said. Bravo and thank you!
Let’s face it Joyce. You were always against the West Valley Resort & Casino and now are trumping up something to make it look like there was something deceptive going on with the City Council vote to finally rescind it’s lawsuit against the TO Nation. Gary Sherwood is a good businessman and he knows business. Seems like you and the new Mayor – Jerry Weiers seem to be on the same track. As long as the vote was going your way in opposition of the TO Nation and costing Glendale taxpayers tons of money in frivolous lawsuits fighting the TO Nation, there was no ‘deception’ or ‘collusion’ on anyone’s part, but, now that the tables have turned and it was a majority vote in favor of the TO Nation you and Weiers want it said that there was ‘collusion’ ‘deception’.
The City of Glendale residents have always had a majority in favor of the TO Nation’s West Valley Resort & Casino yet the ‘representatives’ of the people of Glendale kept fighting the TO Nation and wasting our good money on lawsuits that were constantly and continually lost and the courts voting in favor of the TO Nation.
I wasn’t totally supportive of Gary Sherwood when he ran so let’s get that clear from the beginning. What I see is a man who finally realized the potential here for the people of Glendale and the Businesses in Glendale in being able to turn around the downside of losing businesses, higher taxes, and heading to the upside of gaining businesses and lowering taxes with the oncoming West Valley Resort & Casino and it’s thousands of jobs, and millions of dollars in revenue which will in turn help West Gate Mall, Tanger Mall, all surrounding businesses in Peoria, Tollison, and Surprise who all 3 cities are totally in favor of this West Valley Project, and apparently so are the NFL, the NHL, the Arizona Cardinals, etc. They all understand this will bring in new businesses which in turn helps raise Glendale’s economy which in turn can lower taxes, bring in more security by hiring more Police and Fire, and put the City of Glendale back in a favorable light vs the negative perspective it is now producing to those outside of Glendale.
If you really want to talk about deception and collusion, let’s go back to Mayor Scruggs and the Gang of 4 and Zanjero Falls that went bankrupt twice.
West Gate is already in bankruptcy. It couldn’t find a buyer the first time around so wonder if they will this time in order to keep the remaining businesses that are there going, like the Yardhouse, the Bookstore, Chico’s, Margaritaville, and a few others still staying strong.
Tanger Outlet Mall, what was considered the ‘savior’ of Glendale and West Gate Mall by you and the rest of the Gang of 4 along with Mayor Scruggs isn’t doing what you all thought it would. It hasn’t been the miracle of financial woes you all said it would be. Nice Outlet Mall, but not the miracle of pulling Glendale out of it’s financial problems. Everyone had to have and ‘spend’ way more money than needed to keep the Coyotes here and the Arena afloat. Bids came in at $6-10 million tops to take care of everything, but you all went with the $20-25 million deals. Wonder why. Couldn’t have been a money deal could it? This is what most Glendale residents are asking.
This City Council is actually, for the most part, listening to the Residents of Glendale. More than I can say happened over the last 10 years.
Ah Francine of Tea Party fame. I remember you from your protests about the Coyotes deals. How’s it going for ya? Please do feel free to post additional comments when you get your facts straight. Your ignorance about the facts of the many assumptions you have made are embarrassing.
Joyce if I’m not mistaken…. most of the post above regarding the proposed casino was cut and pasted from talking points that the Tohono tribe has been spreading since they announced their intentions??
Also can’t understand the rant about lost businesses, and such.
Last i checked since Westgate “went bankrupt”, most of the storefronts that were empty or had tenants leave have since been filled. Tanger is expanding and expected to be open this fall in time for Black Friday sales.
Across the Loop 101, American Furniture Warehouse is building a massive warehouse/showroom to serve the West Valley..
Just north of AFW, Dignity Health opened St. Joseph’s Westgate Medical Center (which came about during Joyce’s watch on the council if I’m not mistaken).
Recently…. the Zanjero Falls office complex was purchased and will be remodeled for medical offices.
So really…… businesses are leaving Glendale??
Francine Romesburg was a Tea Party activist in Glendale when I was on council. Her comments do come right from the Tohono O’odham playbook. So take her comments for what they are worth…not much.
Francine, you like others have been brainwashed by the TO. They have been trying to sell “their” project to everyone in the West Valley since they hoodwinked everyone. This will not be the boon that they say it will, and Glendale will make no revenue from it, but have to spend out of it’s pocket for the TO to make millions of dollars a year. How is that good for Glendale?
Bill everyone is letting that woman turn this into the Casino issue. Where are her Tea Party principles about ethical governance ? The issue is Sherwood’s behavior not the casino. She’s just a shill for the TO.
Francine? Were you paying attention? This post is about ethics and the open meeting law, although there was an aside about the “west Valley Resort and Casino” the violation still exists. I wonder, you seem upset that the 25 million deal went through, yet you want to excuse Mr. Sherwood who appears to have made a few backdoor agreements to ensure it happened. If he had not voted for the casino, would you be as forgiving now?
If you would drop the talking points, could you point to a group of businesses looking for land around this casino that are rushing to build? Just curious.
Sherwood unethical behavior should not be surprising to anyone he has been doing this for years. For example his relationship with the fire department goes back long before they supported him for the city council. Like the ambulance chasing attorneys at motor vehicle accidents Sherwood had a system in place so that he would be notified after every fire in the city so that his business could have a competitive advantage on the rehab of all fire damaged buildings. This is not illegal to my knowledge but just another example of his “situational ethics”.
This is who we have deal with it, another example would be to track his evolution on electronic billboards.
I found it interesting that another email that may need investigating came from former Communications Director, now Assistant City Manager Julie Frizoni. The email, also obtained through the FOIA, had vital information regarding the economic impact to Westgate and the City of Glendale if the Coyotes were to leave. This email was allegedly sent to only four of the City Council members.