Glendale City Council and Mayor Elaine Scruggs-A Collection of People You Don’t Want Running Your Business or Anything Bigger Than A Picnic

In the Westside Insider from Lisa Halverstadt :

Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs said Wednesday she has become less certain a deal can be consummated.“I don’t have as much confidence as I did,” Scruggs said, adding that she had called Jamison last month to inquire about the status of his bid and didn’t get a call back.”

Let me get this correct. You are not actively calling and negotiating? You are waiting for a callback? How did these people get elected? How does the council show up for meetings and not ask what is going on? Oh, you haven’t heard from anyone in the past month? Good job Mayor. Keep the course. If I lived in Glendale I would demand a recall of all involved, retire Ed Beasley immediately, and go to Mr. Jamison and ask him what is it going to take to make his happen. A bad deal is better than no deal.

This is what happens when you let politicians get involved in business decisions. They have put their faith in city manager Ed Beasley. Instead of looking at what will be the smoking wreckage of Westgate if  the Coyotes leave, they are constantly talking about new revenue streams and trying to get every dollar out of the new owners.

Glendale gave up valuable land for sports stadiums and entertainment districts. They decided to get involved in building and owning sports complexes. They are in over their head and looking to get out from under their bad decisions in one move, versus cutting their losses and spreading their bad moves over several years.

There will be no tax revenue coming from the Coyotes, their fans, Westgate, or the employees of Westgate  if the Coyotes move. It will be a smoking crater that will stand as a monument to failed government action.

Here is what you do. Take the loss of the arena over the next thirty years. Sell it to the Jamison group for the promise the team will stay. Write off the loss as a lesson learned and sell it to the taxpayers as the best of a bad situation. Perhaps you could ask the Bidwell’s to pay fair market value to the city.