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One Way Transparency

July 1, 2013 by
Yeah, Something Like That

Yeah, Something Like That

Here we are again, boys and girls. There was so much material in the dirty tricks basket that I had to split it up into parts. This is part two. Click here for part one.

We’re talking about Glendale and the handling of the arena management deal with IceArizona (the DBA type name for the Renaissance crew).

I have used a lot of tweets in this post. Please understand none of the people quoted via tweets should be construed as either supporting of opposing my position. The ONLY reason I’m using their tweets is because I do have an admitted agenda regarding the Coyotes and the others are professional journalists. Nothing more, nothing less.

Tortoise And The Tortoise

In part one, I tried to describe how convenient leaking of privileged information was being used to cast doubt upon the Coyotes deal. Here, I’ll try to outline how blatant delaying tactics continue to be employed right out in the open with the intent of sabotaging the Coyotes deal.

To dispel the mayor’s intention he bore none of the blame for the delay of the deal consummation or vote, I wrote about how papers were conveniently shuffled around City Hall for days the whole time Weiers was pointing his finger at the NHL for rushing him. RSE mentioned how much difficulty they were having with Glendale turnaround time:


I have mentioned how a week’s extension of the bid process was part of delaying proper negotiations with IceArizona, although the May 14 memo announcing (click here) places the blame on Beacon. That memo, curiously, also kicks the deadline can down the road A MONTH from the original schedule announced by the city (click here).

Originally, June 1-10th was: “Beacon Sports and City to review all proposals and information submitted in response to the RFP”. In the delaying announcement memo signed by Horatio Skeete, that became: “Beacon confirmed that they will still be on track to present their recommendation to Council before July 1, 2013.

Skeete, Scruggs, Weiers and more

Skeete, Scruggs, Weiers and more

The original schedule was labeled “tentative” to remove ALL responsibility from the publisher to comply.

Transparency in this case apparently means a transparent attempt to slide the schedule past the breaking point of the NHL’s patience.

Yet, the mayor continues to profess that the NHL and IceArizona are rushing the City into something. That argument is losing steam, mayor.

Late Release

All of the Glendale changes, including the intended deal killer Glendale “out clause”, had not even been sent to the Renaissance lawyers at the time of the council meeting. The Glendale city attorney, however, maintained something different in the workshop.

Here’s where I’d normally use the meeting video with a time mark where something was said, but posting of that workshop video is *cough* delayed so it’s not available on the Glendale web site. I’ll use tweets from reputable people attending the meeting instead.

Then, not much later:

If the city attorney felt his changes were complete enough to discuss in a public session, surely they were in clean enough condition to discuss with a negotiating partner. That’s assuming, of course, negotiations were intended to continue in good faith.

What if you weren’t negotiating in good faith, had a deadline coming up, and wanted to force a deal killer into an “agreement”? Would it be effective to withhold those documents from your negotiating partner until after close of business on a Friday? Sure it would, so that’s what happened.

Scrambling To Catch Up

Promises were made by city employees during the workshop that the documents would be posted on the city website shortly.

Instead, the people that would have to post those documents were left empty-handed until well after the workshop was over and everybody had gone elsewhere. Craig Morgan needed an Internet connection and stayed on scene.

Nearly an hour after close of business:

Finally, two and a half hours after close of business:

Which resulted in this:

RSE spokesperson David Leibowitz on Glendale’s decision to release the counter proposal in public before sending it to RSE: “If you want to talk about transparency then perhaps the people you’re negotiating with should enjoy such transparency.”

Transparency, Indeed

Protestations from a career politician that he is being steamrolled should always be consumed with a grain of salt. In this case, I think it’s clear there has been a concerted effort to delay consummation of an arena lease agreement with IceArizona. It should also be clear that despite aw shucksian denials, the mayor of Glendale feels he is in control of processes in his city yet is happy to deny publicly he has any more control than one vote.

He may be working the control thing, but it doesn’t mean nobody is noticing:

Please let me be clear at this point AGAIN. None of the people quoted via tweets in this piece should be construed as either supporting of opposing my views on ANYTHING. The ONLY reason I’m using their tweets is because they are professional journalists.

Everybody can decide for themselves whether IceArizona is playing on a level playing field or if it’s being tilted by old school, old boys network politics. The State of Arizona has earned itself a reputation for filthy politics (governors going to jail, attorneys general being disbarred, etc.) and this is what it looks like.

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