Maybe The Arizona Republic was hoping the second time would be a charm last Saturday when it published the editorial "Back off, Goldwater Institute," asking the Institute to promise not to sue over a deal to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale.
Following that advice would be to ignore the Arizona Constitution and give the city of Glendale a free pass to break the law.
Glendale has a history of crafting deals under the cover of darkness, and the latest arrangement to subsidize Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer's purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes - to the tune of $116 million borrowed by city residents whose taxes are pledged to make up any shortfall - is no exception.
For months, media reports indicated the city planned to give a taxpayer subsidy to a new owner of the Coyotes, but Glendale held no public meetings and refused to disclose any information. At the request of the Goldwater Institute, a judge finally ordered Glendale to turn the records over for examination.
That court order was nearly two years ago. Just since Friday, Glendale has handed over 400 pages of documents.
Does this paperwork really matter? You decide.
Earlier this week, a Goldwater Institute investigative report showed that financial consultant TL Hocking has been accused in a federal lawsuit of inflating revenue estimates in reports used to secure funding for the construction of a city-subsidized hockey arena in Prescott Valley. That arena has never met those estimates and the bonds that financed it have been trading in junk status, according to the lawsuit.
TL Hocking's estimates are critical for Glendale's claim that it can repay $116 million in bonds with new parking fees at its arena, instead of using city tax money. We will keep digging until all the facts are disclosed.
