City of Glendale is broke but they approve tax money to keep NHL Coyotes. (Phoenix: landlord, casino)

[goodfellas17]

Say what you want but the City of Glendale stands to lose more money if the hockey team does not stay in Jobing.com arena. Westgate loses money, the city loses money, the taxpayers are worse off if the deal to keep the team in Glendale does not get done. Glendale may lose some money by keeping the team but they still lose more if it goes. Tell me where I am wrong on this.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by goodfellas17

Say what you want but the City of Glendale stands to lose more money if the hockey team does not stay in Jobing.com arena. Westgate loses money, the city loses money, the taxpayers are worse off if the deal to keep the team in Glendale does not get done. Glendale may lose some money by keeping the team but they still lose more if it goes. Tell me where I am wrong on this.

You aren't wrong in principle ... however, do you think it's right to force taxpayers subsidize private enterprises such as sports & entertainment venues? And where was the vote from the citizens on this deal anyway? As I said before, this is the worst kind of socialism: taxpayer dollars paying to keep a professional sports team made up of overpaid athletes and management. Moreover, it's a hockey team that has very meager attendance at best.

If it's so important for the Coyotes to stay in Glendale, why not tap the NHL commissioner, the upper management, and even some of the players who are raking in the big bucks? Why should taxpayers be stuck with the bill instead of the ones who are directly involved in the franchise? Furthermore, if Glendale needs to keep the team, why not change its name to the Glendale Coyotes? If Phoenix Coyotes is a more appropriate name, then the team should move back to downtown Phoenix where it belongs.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

You aren't wrong in principle ... however, do you think it's right to force taxpayers subsidize private enterprises such as sports & entertainment venues? And where was the vote from the citizens on this deal anyway? As I said before, this is the worst kind of socialism: taxpayer dollars paying to keep a professional sports team made up of overpaid athletes and management. Moreover, it's a hockey team that has very meager attendance at best.

If it's so important for the Coyotes to stay in Glendale, why not tap the NHL commissioner, the upper management, and even some of the players who are raking in the big bucks? Why should taxpayers be stuck with the bill instead of the ones who are directly involved in the franchise? Furthermore, if Glendale needs to keep the team, why not change its name to the Glendale Coyotes? If Phoenix Coyotes is a more appropriate name, then the team should move back to downtown Phoenix where it belongs.

Part of the deal with the new owners group was to change the name to "Arizona Coyotes".

[JoeC]

The battle lines have been drawn...

Glendale tax, Coyotes ballot measures have big budget implications

Ballot measures: Residents are circulating a petition to repeal the lease agreement with the Coyotes; business leaders, to repeal the .07% temporary sales tax hike.

[JoeC]

Additional info:

Glendale to cut $1.1 million to avert possible sales-tax hike referendum

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Part of the deal with the new owners group was to change the name to "Arizona Coyotes".

I didn't hear that part of the deal, but I'm not surprised ... especially considering how stupid our government officials tend to be. Must everything around here be named after Arizona, instead of the city it's based in??? We already have half of the professional sports teams with the Arizona name, which is lame and idiotic. It gives the nation's sixth largest city no identity whatsoever when the Diamondbacks, the largest newspaper, etc. don't even carry the Phoenix name.

Let Westgate crumble, because it appears likely the area surrounding it will remain the same for years to come: mostly vacant land & cotton fields with a few scattered areas of cookie cutter development ... not the point of pride it was envisioned to be at first. Rebuild Westgate in the form of an entertainment district in downtown Phoenix like the plans were several years ago. Move the Coyotes back to downtown Phoenix and keep the Phoenix name for the team. Glendale has no business to spend tax money trying to save an arena and a team with weak attendance, especially when the city is broke.

[Java Jolt]

The NHL team should remain the Phoenix Coyotes.

But that's not the issue and neither is the location of the arena they play in.

The issue is a city slashing basic services but can somehow come up with the money to salvage a team with such a low fanbase.

It would be different if there was money in the coffers and if NHL actually had a major following here.

[swbrotha100]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I didn't hear that part of the deal, but I'm not surprised ... especially considering how stupid our government officials tend to be. Must everything around here be named after Arizona, instead of the city it's based in??? We already have half of the professional sports teams with the Arizona name, which is lame and idiotic. It gives the nation's sixth largest city no identity whatsoever when the Diamondbacks, the largest newspaper, etc. don't even carry the Phoenix name.

Let Westgate crumble, because it appears likely the area surrounding it will remain the same for years to come: mostly vacant land & cotton fields with a few scattered areas of cookie cutter development ... not the point of pride it was envisioned to be at first. Rebuild Westgate in the form of an entertainment district in downtown Phoenix like the plans were several years ago. Move the Coyotes back to downtown Phoenix and keep the Phoenix name for the team. Glendale has no business to spend tax money trying to save an arena and a team with weak attendance, especially when the city is broke.

The Cardinals and Diamondbacks use "Arizona" in their team name instead of "Phoenix" because they wanted to try to build more of a statewide fan base instead of just the Phoenix area. The Cardinals were actually called the Phoenix Cardinals until 1994.

[Java Jolt]

Some updated news.

If voters kill the tax increase it means Glendale will have to make some drastic cuts in their budget.

Mind you, they won't be cutting funding to their precious NHL franchise or the arena, but rather they will cut basic services like police and fire response, and lay off hundreds of city employees.

So much for priorities.

Read all about it here. http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Glendale-looking-at-deep-cuts-if-voters-kill-sales-tax-171165961.html

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

Mind you, they won't be cutting funding to their precious NHL franchise or the arena, but rather they will cut basic services like police and fire response, and lay off hundreds of city employees.

Every gov't. threatens to slash the most popular or essential agencies first when they think they might not get their way at the ballot box. They never even think of cutting back on waste, fraud, abuse, pensions, non-essential employees, etc. It's always cops, fireman and then teachers first.