Someone made a trip down to visit the Goldwater Institute offices today....
P.S. It wasn't me.
It was D.K. - thanks for letting me steal your pictures D.K.!
:)
Showing posts with label coyotes coalition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coyotes coalition. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Coalition Update
Good Morning,
I regret to inform you - that the showing for our tailgate/planning session was quite sad. In addition to the normal tailgaters we typically have each week - we had between 5-10 additional people show up to contribute their thoughts on what our next move as a Coalition should be.
I understand this was late notice and we all have obligations and prior commitments that sometimes cannot be changed. However - it was the unanimous opinion of those who were in attendance that if we are unable to attract more than 10 people to a simple planning session - we aren't in a position to host any sort of rally or protest at this time.
Now please don't get upset with me if you were unable to attend - I am not calling anyone out or being rude. I don't need an influx of emails explaining why you couldn't be there. I spent my morning sifting through those yesterday - I understand. We have members out of state - some even out of country. I understand that we all have lives. But I have to be realistic about this. I've been getting several requests that we do something as a group and I'm fine with handling the planning and execution of that - but I'm also getting "don't do it on this date, or at this time because I have to (fill in the blank)".
It's simply impossible to accommodate everyone's schedule. I spent the summer of 2009 in court, with typically just 2 other Coyotes fans in attendance - sometimes a few more would trickle in - and I appreciate those who made the effort. I almost lost my job over it - but I was there. Coyotes fans were always outnumbered by the Canadian media alone. It didn't matter to them that I had thousands following my Tweets from court, or thousands on a mailing list getting my updates afterwards. It didn't matter to them that people had jobs and prior obligations that kept them from coming to the court proceedings. What mattered to them were the 3 or 4 fans total who were there and the lack of support the fan base in general seemed to be showing their team.
I personally took a lot of criticism for it and myself and the two others who were always there, spent the summer being blasted in the media and combating personal attacks from those who oppose our efforts. I'm not going to organize something and then be outnumbered by Canadian media again. I don't mind the criticism or personal attacks I've endured throughout this entire ordeal - I can handle it. But I'm not willing to stand on the steps of Goldwater with 2 other fans in front of a large crowd of Canadian media who can't wait to get home and write their stories about how pathetic our fan base is.
I will continue to explore our options and if we are able to obtain the support of the team, a large local radio station, television station or some other local media outlets - then perhaps we can make this happen. For now - here's what we can continue to do:
-Write, email, tweet, or facebook this information out to the hockey faithful as well as your casual friends and family. It’s said that 1 hand written/typed letter received is like 20k people in terms of impact. Ask your contacts for just one email, phone call, retweet, or better yet, one snail mail letter, to show their support.
-Show your support and ask questions: ask questions about the Yotes and the ownership situation and why GWI gets to do this when all the sports arenas in this town are subsidized in some form, what authority GWI has to get in the way of publicly elected officials making policy.
Email AND regular mail:
-Gov Jan Brewer
-State Attorney General Tom Horne - reach him via Facebook or Twitter
-Senator John McCain - reach him on Facebook or Twitter
-Senator Jon Kyl
-Arizona Congressional District 4 (includes Glendale)
Email: Local TV Stations and Newspapers
-Fox Sports Arizona - fsarizona.feedback@fox.com, Reach them via Twitter and Facebook
-AZTV Channel 3
-CBS Channel 5 - CBS 5 4016 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix, AZ 85017, Reach them onTwitter and Facebook
-FOX Channel 10 - reach them via Twitter and Facebook
-12 News
-CBS Channel 5 - CBS 5 4016 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix, AZ 85017, Reach them onTwitter and Facebook
-FOX Channel 10 - reach them via Twitter and Facebook
-12 News
-ABC Channel 15 - reach them via Twitter and Facebook
-Jude LeCava - reach him via Twitter
-Brahm Resnik - reach him via Twitter and Facebook
-AZCentral Editor
-East Valley Tribune - reach them via Twitter and Facebook
Talk to your local radio stations
-XTRA 910 - Home of the Coyotes - (602) 260-9191 reach them via Twitter and Facebook
-Jude LeCava - reach him via Twitter
-Brahm Resnik - reach him via Twitter and Facebook
-AZCentral Editor
-East Valley Tribune - reach them via Twitter and Facebook
Talk to your local radio stations
-XTRA 910 - Home of the Coyotes - (602) 260-9191 reach them via Twitter and Facebook
-93.3 KDKB's morning show host "Sludge" is a huge Coyotes supporter, let's show him some support as well - reach Sludge on Twitter and Facebook, listen to him live from 4:30-10am weekday mornings. (602) 260-9393
-Bickley and MJ - reach them via Twitter and Facebook
-Bickley and MJ - reach them via Twitter and Facebook
http://twitter.com/
-Roc and Manuch Calling All Sports - reach them via Twitter and Facebook
-AZSports talk with Kevin McCabe
-KTAR 620 - reach them via Twitter and Facebook & FunKaty
-Doug and Wolf - reach them via twitter at
-Roc and Manuch Calling All Sports - reach them via Twitter and Facebook
-AZSports talk with Kevin McCabe
-KTAR 620 - reach them via Twitter and Facebook & FunKaty
-Doug and Wolf - reach them via twitter at
-Sports Interactive - reach them via Twitter and Facebook http://www.facebook.
-Gambo and Ash - reach them via Twitter:
-Gambo and Ash - reach them via Twitter:
and Facebook
-98 KUPD - (602) 260-9800 (Holmberg’s Morning Sickness) reach them via Twitter andFacebook
-KXXT 1010am Breakthrough Sports Radio - (602) 296-3632 reach them via Twitter:Dave , Greg and Facebook
Email:
-98 KUPD - (602) 260-9800 (Holmberg’s Morning Sickness) reach them via Twitter andFacebook
-KXXT 1010am Breakthrough Sports Radio - (602) 296-3632 reach them via Twitter:Dave , Greg and Facebook
Email:
Mathew Hulsizer and let him know just how much you appreciate his efforts and ask him to not give up on us. Tell him we believe in him and we want him to be the owner we have never had. The passionate fan owner, the guy who knows how to make things work and isn’t afraid of the hard stuff: info@peak6.com
Reach out to the NHL:
Reach out to the NHL:
They have bent over backwards to make this work (despite what many say, they could have taken the easy way out after the BK was officially launched). I don't recommend an influx of emails to them - they are already fighting and know we support them. What we can do is become more interactive via their social media sites on Twitter and Facebook. We can make sure that the Coyotes fans are being heard.
Looking for answers?
Email: Goldwater Institute (resend your letter every day if you want - maybe we’ll get an answer from someone if we are persistent enough). An area of concentration for snail mail is asking for a copy of their Schedule A of Form 8872. Tax-exempt political organizations may also be required to file Form 990, including Schedule B so you can ask for that too.
Looking for answers?
Email: Goldwater Institute (resend your letter every day if you want - maybe we’ll get an answer from someone if we are persistent enough). An area of concentration for snail mail is asking for a copy of their Schedule A of Form 8872. Tax-exempt political organizations may also be required to file Form 990, including Schedule B so you can ask for that too.
Ask why they refuse to sit down with the City of Glendale or Hulsizer and discuss their concerns. You could also try to find out what their plan is to help the thousands of people that will be put out of work by this deal falling through (these are the people they are “looking out for”).
cbolick@goldwaterinstitute.org
dolsen@goldwaterinstitute.org
csitren@goldwaterinstitute.org
Coming to Tuesday’s game?
Operation "We Signed Up"
– Bring a sign to the game and hold it up at each stoppage of play. We’ll try to have extra signs on hand at each game. We can be found before each home game out on Patio 6 about an hour to 30 minutes prior to puck drop and I can always be reached via email. Anything that shows your support of the Coyotes would be great: "we love our Coyotes", "back off our team", etc - just make sure its appropriate and "family friendly". Bring extra signs if you can, pass them around. Any additional support will be great! Be vocal, fill up the arena and let the team know we want them here. Tell people about our website and ask them to sign up and fight to keep the team here. That includes the fans of other teams that fill our arena as well. Remind them that if the Coyotes leave, they won't see their Red Wings, Blackhawks, etc anymore either. We're all hockey fans - let's get together and join forces.
If you want/need some type of template for these write-in campaign efforts please let me know. We have some excellent writers who have already volunteered and can send you a lot of talking points to use.
We're not done yet, we are still fighting for our team.. this is the part where we all stand together and give it our best shot... pray to the Hockey Gods that the Coyotes can howl in the desert forever.
Remember, it won’t just be NHL hockey that we’ll lose if the Coyotes don’t stay. Youth programs and businesses based on hockey will suffer too. Per Senator John McCain: "The point is they are going to lose a thousand jobs. A non-elected organization is going to cause it" (via The Arizona Republic).
Go Coyotes!
Go Coyotes!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Coalition Update
Tweet
I've received several emails and tweets from Coalition members asking what can be done at this point in the Coyotes ownership situation to help the sale of the team to Mr. Hulsizer reach completion.
As you've likely heard or seen - Mr. Hulsizer was on the Fox Sports Arizona Coyotes broadcast from Chicago last Saturday night discussing the ownership situation. (You can watch the video here.) Mr. Hulsizer stated that he is ready to close the deal but the threat of suit by the Goldwater Institute is causing the interest rates on the bonds the city is trying to sell to sky rocket - thus causing Glendale to face millions of dollars in excess interest rates to be paid once the bonds are sold.
It's hard to tell what's true and what's false in this case not being privy to important information about the negotiations and stances of those involved - but I think its safe to say that Goldwater is slowing the process quite a bit - without a good basis for it.
When reading the front page of their site regarding the Coyotes deal - they state that there have been some media reports indicating that "the city of Glendale intends to offer some form of taxpayer subsidy to a new owner of the Phoenix Coyotes as an incentive to keep the hockey team in Glendale. This is a potential violation of the Gift Clause."
The deal that Glendale has put together with Mr. Hulsizer is NOT in violation of the Gift Clause and what Goldwater is doing to stall the sale is costing the taxpayers additional money in legal fees and this could cause the interest rates they would have to pay once the bonds are sold to be unreasonably high. This will do far more damage to the city and the taxpayers in the long run. Not to mention the empty arena that would be left behind if the team moved. It's simply unacceptable.
So what do we - as taxpayers and supporters of the Coyotes - want Goldwater to do? Back off - let the deal progress. Let the Coyotes go to the playoffs with their new owner in tact. Let the Coyotes fans renew their season tickets with confidence and watch the team flourish under good ownership. If and when a real law is broken, then Goldwater can sue - but it will not likely be necessary.
I'm certain that Goldwater has been receiving much feedback in support of their case against the City - seeing as there are so many who seem to want to relish in the demise of hockey in Arizona. Most of which is likely coming from non-Arizona residents to be quite honest - probably not even residents of the United States at all. There are also obviously some heavy-pocketed investors funding their little foray. It's time that Goldwater got some feedback from those of us who oppose their position on the Coyotes deal.
If you are an Arizona resident - I ask that you please take some time out of your day to email the Goldwater Institute and voice your support for the deal that the City of Glendale has arranged with Mr. Hulsizer. If you could forward this to our fellow Coyotes supporters and ask them for their help, it would be much appreciated. The more the better.
If you are not a resident of Arizona but have some feedback you'd like to share with them in support of the deal - please send in your thoughts in as well. Resident's of Glendale - they REALLY need to hear from you!
If you'd like to read up on the situation in preparation for your emails, there's lots of good information out there:
Arm yourselves with knowledge and hit 'em hard - but courteously.
The general contact email for Goldwater is: info@goldwaterinstitute.com. Tell them you're with the Coyotes Coalition and you want them to hear our side and protect our rights.
Here's some additional contact emails I've been able to locate that are or may be important people regarding the Goldwater vs City of Glendale case:
*Clint Bolick - Director of Goldwater's Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation (they are handling the case) - cbolick@goldwaterinstitute.org
*Carrie Ann Sitren - Staff Attorney for the Goldwater vs City of Glendale case - csitren@goldwaterinstitute.org
*Darcy Olsen - President and CEO of the Goldwater Institute - dolsen@goldwaterinstitute.org
Kara Caldwell - Executive Assistant to the President of Goldwater Institute - kcaldwell@goldwaterinstitute.org
Nick Dranias - Goldwater Institute's Director of their Center For Constitutional Government - ndranias@goldwaterinstitute.org
Mark Flatten - Goldwater Institute Investigative Reporter - mflatte@goldwaterinstitute.org
Matthew Ladner - Goldwater's Vice President of Research - mladner@goldwaterinstitute.org
If you want to cc me your email to them, feel free to do so. Be sure to cc coyotescoalition@yahoo.com and I'll keep a record of them all so that we have them if we need them.
Also - Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs held a press conference today - in which she addressed the economic atrocities that the Goldwater Institute would impose upon the taxpayers they claim to protect by blocking the sale of the Coyotes to Mr. Hulsizer. Literally billions of dollars in legal fees and then no team to keep the arena and Westgate afloat because the sale could not go through. It would be economic suicide for the city and their residents should the sale not go through. I personally highly doubt that the NHL would be willing to keep the team here for another season if the Hulsizer deal were to fall through now. The NHL has been very, very patient and they've been wonderful to the fans here - but they have the interests of an entire league and 29 other owners to keep in mind as well. It's now or never - and you can hear the urgency in Mayor Scruggs' voice. Have a listen - it's eye opening stuff. The Goldwater Institute has tried it's hardest to put the city in a negative light throughout this process, but they are the ones who are actually engaging in shady practices to obtain their goals. Here's the podcast of the Mayor's remarks from the Coyotes website.
One last note: I will be on Breakthrough Sports tomorrow afternoon on KXXT 1010 AM around 3:40 pm with Dave Isaac discussing the Coyotes situation. The show is very Coyotes oriented and Dave is a great Coyotes fan and a member of the Coalition. The show is on every Friday from 2-4pm. I'd love for you to tune in, call in and share your thoughts, ideas and support!
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email anytime. I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
If you are a Coyotes supporter and haven't joined the Coalition yet, what are you waiting for? Go to our website at www.coyotescoalition.com - enter the requested information and viola!
I've received several emails and tweets from Coalition members asking what can be done at this point in the Coyotes ownership situation to help the sale of the team to Mr. Hulsizer reach completion.
As you've likely heard or seen - Mr. Hulsizer was on the Fox Sports Arizona Coyotes broadcast from Chicago last Saturday night discussing the ownership situation. (You can watch the video here.) Mr. Hulsizer stated that he is ready to close the deal but the threat of suit by the Goldwater Institute is causing the interest rates on the bonds the city is trying to sell to sky rocket - thus causing Glendale to face millions of dollars in excess interest rates to be paid once the bonds are sold.
It's hard to tell what's true and what's false in this case not being privy to important information about the negotiations and stances of those involved - but I think its safe to say that Goldwater is slowing the process quite a bit - without a good basis for it.
When reading the front page of their site regarding the Coyotes deal - they state that there have been some media reports indicating that "the city of Glendale intends to offer some form of taxpayer subsidy to a new owner of the Phoenix Coyotes as an incentive to keep the hockey team in Glendale. This is a potential violation of the Gift Clause."
The deal that Glendale has put together with Mr. Hulsizer is NOT in violation of the Gift Clause and what Goldwater is doing to stall the sale is costing the taxpayers additional money in legal fees and this could cause the interest rates they would have to pay once the bonds are sold to be unreasonably high. This will do far more damage to the city and the taxpayers in the long run. Not to mention the empty arena that would be left behind if the team moved. It's simply unacceptable.
So what do we - as taxpayers and supporters of the Coyotes - want Goldwater to do? Back off - let the deal progress. Let the Coyotes go to the playoffs with their new owner in tact. Let the Coyotes fans renew their season tickets with confidence and watch the team flourish under good ownership. If and when a real law is broken, then Goldwater can sue - but it will not likely be necessary.
I'm certain that Goldwater has been receiving much feedback in support of their case against the City - seeing as there are so many who seem to want to relish in the demise of hockey in Arizona. Most of which is likely coming from non-Arizona residents to be quite honest - probably not even residents of the United States at all. There are also obviously some heavy-pocketed investors funding their little foray. It's time that Goldwater got some feedback from those of us who oppose their position on the Coyotes deal.
If you are an Arizona resident - I ask that you please take some time out of your day to email the Goldwater Institute and voice your support for the deal that the City of Glendale has arranged with Mr. Hulsizer. If you could forward this to our fellow Coyotes supporters and ask them for their help, it would be much appreciated. The more the better.
If you are not a resident of Arizona but have some feedback you'd like to share with them in support of the deal - please send in your thoughts in as well. Resident's of Glendale - they REALLY need to hear from you!
If you'd like to read up on the situation in preparation for your emails, there's lots of good information out there:
Arm yourselves with knowledge and hit 'em hard - but courteously.
The general contact email for Goldwater is: info@goldwaterinstitute.com. Tell them you're with the Coyotes Coalition and you want them to hear our side and protect our rights.
Here's some additional contact emails I've been able to locate that are or may be important people regarding the Goldwater vs City of Glendale case:
*Clint Bolick - Director of Goldwater's Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation (they are handling the case) - cbolick@goldwaterinstitute.org
*Carrie Ann Sitren - Staff Attorney for the Goldwater vs City of Glendale case - csitren@goldwaterinstitute.org
*Darcy Olsen - President and CEO of the Goldwater Institute - dolsen@goldwaterinstitute.org
Kara Caldwell - Executive Assistant to the President of Goldwater Institute - kcaldwell@goldwaterinstitute.org
Nick Dranias - Goldwater Institute's Director of their Center For Constitutional Government - ndranias@goldwaterinstitute.org
Mark Flatten - Goldwater Institute Investigative Reporter - mflatte@goldwaterinstitute.org
Matthew Ladner - Goldwater's Vice President of Research - mladner@goldwaterinstitute.org
If you want to cc me your email to them, feel free to do so. Be sure to cc coyotescoalition@yahoo.com and I'll keep a record of them all so that we have them if we need them.
Also - Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs held a press conference today - in which she addressed the economic atrocities that the Goldwater Institute would impose upon the taxpayers they claim to protect by blocking the sale of the Coyotes to Mr. Hulsizer. Literally billions of dollars in legal fees and then no team to keep the arena and Westgate afloat because the sale could not go through. It would be economic suicide for the city and their residents should the sale not go through. I personally highly doubt that the NHL would be willing to keep the team here for another season if the Hulsizer deal were to fall through now. The NHL has been very, very patient and they've been wonderful to the fans here - but they have the interests of an entire league and 29 other owners to keep in mind as well. It's now or never - and you can hear the urgency in Mayor Scruggs' voice. Have a listen - it's eye opening stuff. The Goldwater Institute has tried it's hardest to put the city in a negative light throughout this process, but they are the ones who are actually engaging in shady practices to obtain their goals. Here's the podcast of the Mayor's remarks from the Coyotes website.
One last note: I will be on Breakthrough Sports tomorrow afternoon on KXXT 1010 AM around 3:40 pm with Dave Isaac discussing the Coyotes situation. The show is very Coyotes oriented and Dave is a great Coyotes fan and a member of the Coalition. The show is on every Friday from 2-4pm. I'd love for you to tune in, call in and share your thoughts, ideas and support!
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email anytime. I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
If you are a Coyotes supporter and haven't joined the Coalition yet, what are you waiting for? Go to our website at www.coyotescoalition.com - enter the requested information and viola!
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