SUBS looking out for Business

Rio Nuevo Hotel: Proposed Preliminary Capital Plan

These are my thoughts regarding the Proposed Preliminary Capital Plan prepared by Piper Jaffray, May 2010
 
 
There are several aspects of the Capital Plan that The District should consider.
 
I believe Piper Jaffray has been retained by the COT and works for COT, not for RNMFD.  This is not improper.
 
RNMFD has not had a seat at this table.  We have been preoccupied with other activities.
 
The COT Council has directed Piper Jaffray to prepare a Plan that specifically excludes ongoing contributions from the COT general fund and protects the COT general fund in all but the most extreme economic circumstances.
 
In order to bridge the ‘financing gap’ Piper Jaffray was forced to look to the general fund of the District and to site-specific hotel/TCC taxes.
 
The plan pledges virtually ALL projected excess revenues from the District’s general fund.  The capital plan does contemplate some distributions back to RNMFD, but these are VERY sensitive to the actual operating results of the hotel and may not be there if the hotel underperforms but just a few %.
 
If your vision includes the District having funds to facilitate any sort of development in the foreseeable future, this plan significantly lowers the probability of this happening; especially if the actual operating performance of the hotel falls short of projections.
 
The community at large is the primary beneficiary.  For every dollar of incremental economic activity, the incremental revenues to the District are used to subsidize the hotel.  While the COT general fund earns revenues from sales taxes, increased property taxes, utility taxes – yet offers none of these to pay for hotel.  I believe it is only fair to ask COT to share ongoing subsidy payments as they stand to benefit substantially.
 
The capital plan does not appear to allow for any District administrative expenses.
 
The plan was prepared prior to the recent credit rating downgrade which makes borrowing money a bit more expensive.  It is possible that it could drop again when we go back to rating agencies to rate the $192 of hotel bonds as the COT is struggling with a $30+ million budget deficit;  also the rating agencies may be concerned at some point by the total amount of loan guarantees for RNMFD (approx $272 million if we go ahead with hotel).
 
Before we approve the capital plan in any form I recommend we engage the services of an independent financial advisor who is looking out for the District’s best interests.
 
 
Alan F. Willenbrock
RNMFD Board Member
5/26/2010

In many ways, Copper is the essential element to a green economy. Renewable, sustainable energy sources and new technologies will require tremendous amounts of copper, with the average person already using more than 1,500 pounds of copper in a lifetime.

New transmission and distribution systems for renewable energy will require millions of pounds of copper. A single wind energy turbine contains more than one ton of copper, and hybrid cars use twice the copper of their traditional counterparts.

The list goes on and on:  Copper is necessary for distributing solar heated water, and copper pipes remain the most energy efficient option. New low-cost photovoltaic solar panels rely on copper, and new technologies and their copper wiring will play a key role in Arizona’s future economy.

Yet while our renewable future depends on copper, today 34 percent of our supply comes from foreign countries.

That is one reason why the General Mining Act of 1872 continues to guarantee the ability to mine claims such as Rosemont Copper’s that are essential for lowering our dependency on foreign copper.

Located in an existing mining district on the east side of the Santa Rita Mountains, Rosemont Copper will set a standard for sustainable practices, including using solar power, consuming less than half the water as traditional mines, and reclaiming the site as permanent open space while recontouring and  revegetating throughout the life of the mine.

Rosemont is committed to import water from the Central Arizona Project Canal to recharge pumped groundwater, ensuring neutral impact to local groundwater sources.  Rosemont has also agreed to guarantee the viability of private wells in the pumping vicinity near Sahuarita.

Permits will only be issued once proper environmental protections are ensured by local, state, and federal agencies.

Dramatic Economic Benefits

A recent economic assessment, independently conducted by Arizona State University and released by the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources (DMMR), shows a significant boost in local, state and national economic impacts from Rosemont Copper, adding an average of 4,200 jobs each year and increasing revenue by $681 million to the State of Arizona – with lasting economic benefits even after the project is completed.

The study, conducted by the L. William Seidman Research Institute at ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business, looked at economic impacts in Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz Counties as a single region, and assessed the effects on the State of Arizona as a whole as well as on the United States.

The combined economies of three counties will realize t $15 billion in new economic activity because of Rosemont Copper’s production. This will result in $140 million per year in additional income to residents, and $19 million per year more to local governments, as well as a total of 2,100 additional jobs for residents of the three-county area.

Direct employees of the mine will receive an average annual salary of $59,000.

Statewide, Arizona is expected to gain significantly. The project’s four-year engineering and construction phase alone will yield an average annual increase of $122 million in economic activity, $45 million per year in additional income to state residents, and $6 million per year in revenues for the state government.

During the active life of the project, the State of Arizona will see an average annual increase of $907 million per year in economic activity, $214 million in residents’ income, and $32 million in state revenues. The project will support 800 additional jobs for Arizona residents above the 2,100 jobs added in the local area.

The permanent positive impact of Rosemont Copper on the statewide economy, even after the project’s completion, includes $111 million more per year in economic activity, a $96 million annual boost to residents’ incomes, 500 more jobs and $4 million more each year to the state’s government revenues than if Rosemont had never existed.

There are economic benefits to the nation as well.

Rosemont Copper will add $1.3 billion per year to the U.S. economy, 1,300 additional jobs for US residents (on top of the 2,900 new jobs for Arizonans), $352 million a year in additional income to American residents, and $128 million in federal government revenues.

Over this entire period, total gains to the U.S. economy add up to $27 billion in output, $15 billion in gross domestic product, $8 billion in personal income and $3 billion in federal government revenues.

The economic analysis is based on conservative prices of $1.75 per lb. for copper, $15.00 per lb. for molybdenum, and $10.00 per ounce for silver.

The full economic study is available at www.mines.az.gov.

Honoring Arizona’s Mining Past

From the early Native Americans who dug for minerals, to the rugged pioneers who settled the state in search of a better life, to the hard working men and women today who produce more copper than every other state combined—mining has always been a part of Arizona.

Rosemont Copper’s vision is to utilize the latest mining technology and best practices to create a bridge from Arizona’s mining past to a high-tech, renewable future, providing more than 10 percent of the U.S copper supply while using half the land area of older Pima County mines.

Along the way, the project’s dramatic economic benefits promise to give the Arizona economy a much-needed boost, and put thousands of people to work.

To learn more about Rosemont Copper, visit www.RosemontCopper.com.

To the Honorable Mayor Walkup and Members of the Tucson City Council:

            I was initially engaged by members of the Mental Health Community regarding the potential cut of the Tucson Mental Health Court. I was forwarded and have attached a letter from City Magistrate Michael Lex for your review of this very effective program. It not only serves a population that is in need of much more than just punishment, it provides the citizens a safety net which would otherwise be ignored. Further, it saved the City of Tucson from significant jail costs associated with this process of imposing the appropriate process of the judicial system.

            At the public hearing I expressed my very real concern regarding the cut backs to the City Prosecutor’s staffing. I expressed that this is as much a part of public safety as fire and police. You ignored my plea to abstain from cutting this part of the public safety budget and now the Chief Magistrate has ceased in referring mentally ill defendants to the Mental Health Court. I personally spoke to Judge Riojas regarding this concern for several reasons and he assured me he would not cut Mental Health Court. Well, apparently he has had to have a change of thoughts given the budget cuts to the City Prosecutor’s budget and this is going to end up costing the city more money with respect to jail costs, not to again mention the public’s safety. Please see the emails from Judge Riojas below and  Capt. Greg Gearhart of the Pima County Sherriff’s Office, Pima County Jail regarding Mental Health Court and jail time.

            This isn’t the only area affected by cutting the City Prosecutor’s budget. It will negatively affect Public Safety by reducing or eliminating prosecution of neighborhood and criminal traffic violations. It will further the recycling of defendants through a system understaffed and overworked to protect the citizens of this community. Again, this area is as much a part of public safety as police and fire and I urge you to reconsider this issue and apply the appropriate funds necessary to protect the citizens of Tucson and Pima County. This will inevitably negatively impact the budget, not only in a financial respect but potentially at the expense of someone’s life. Please note that the budget cuts submitted were approximately $350,000 for fiscal year 2010 and $550,000 for fiscal year 2011. This detail was submitted by the City Attorney, Mike Rankin under the City Attorney’s detail.

I also noted in my discussion that a safe environment is important to businesses as well as neighborhoods. If businesses close early or leave an unsafe environment the City will further recognize reduced sales tax revenues. Please note the improvement in the Miracle Mile area as an example of good policing and neighborhood involvement. No one wants to do business in an unsafe environment and if people know they won’t be prosecuted for certain crimes you rest assured they will capitalize on the opportunities to commit more crimes.

To rectify this matter one of the supporting Members of Council of the City Manager’s recommendations for cuts, Council Members Fimbres, Scott and Uhlich would need to bring back for consideration. Further I request that this be done as soon as possible. I Thank you for your attention to this important matter and I look forward to your timely response.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rick

PS: On a personal note: I spent seven years working with persons with disabilities and mental health issues. I have also served on the Crime Victim’s Compensation Board, the Crime Victim Assistance League, The City of Tucson’s Police Advisory Review Board and supported public safety issues, including 88-Crime and Parents of Murdered Children for 20 years. I not only write to you as a concerned citizen, but also as a well informed person who understands a much bigger picture of this issue. 

Tony Riojas 1/7/2010 3:32 PM >>>

> I have been informed by Laura Brynwood, that effective next month, the City Attorney will no longer be able to provide a prosecutor for Mental Health Court.  We are looking at ways to be able to allow Ms. Brynwood to provide a prosecutor but, until a solution is found I am ordering, effective today, that no further cases be assigned to the Mental Health Court.  Laura has been placed in this position because of necessary budget cuts and realizes that MH Court is a valuable program would very much like to continue support for this program but, the current economic situation leaves her with no choice.  If there is a change in circumstances, I will let everyone know.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sir,

Per our previous conversation the following information is supplied to you per your request:

Per diem $198.65 first day of incarceration

                 $76.17 every subsequent day after the first day.

It was difficult to track clients of CPSA Court but our best guess is the average stay for an individual after court is 2.12 days. Previously it is estimated that the stay was in excess of 10 days.

I hope this information is helpful to you.

Capt. Greg Gearhart

Security Support Division Commander

PCADC

January 10^th, 2010

To Supporters and Business Owners:

            Since I last emailed you regarding the state of the City, County and State politics much has taken place and yet much stays the same. All three governmental entities are struggling with budget issues. Candidates are coming out of the woodwork to run for office, the local business community is more fractured today than a year ago with the onslaught of attacks against the Chamber, MTCVB and TREO. A parallel group is launching a recall against Council Members Uhlich and Romero along with Mayor Walkup and the Rio Nuevo District Board is being redesigned by the Governor, House Speaker and the Senate President.

            The County is grappling whether or not to run a bond election this year and the Phoenix Leadership Group is launching a campaign to raise the State sales tax by 1/10 of 1 % to funds arts. And the Pima County Sports and Tourism Board is trying to decide on whether or not to run an election to add a dedicated tax for economic development of youth, senior, armature and professional sports. Of the three issues noted, the Sports Authority is the only dedicated funding source for real economic impact to this region. I must note that I am a board member here and personally do support this effort. Our supporters will have their say in all the matters.

            Having given you a brief update, I am and will continue to put forth opportunities for success of our region. We spent much time and financial resources promoting business issues and getting our business community educated about the last election. We were part of a big effort by many to elect one business minded candidate and we have found more allies on the City Council as a result. We made the City budget an issue and we are now starting to realize the fruits of our labors, but much more needs to be done. We were also acknowledged by the media, other business organizations and the elected bodies as a group willing to do the leg work on finding solutions, not just yell about them. We made progress, but much more is needed to make Southern Arizona a great place to live and work so all can realize their vision. Without a strong business environment we will have little for others to benefit.

            As I may agree that changes are needed in a variety of the ways the business community does things, I personally do not agree with the process being taken against Jack Camper. I don’t think making things personal accomplishes anything but to further build divides among the business community. The recall is for real, but again further broadens the gap between business and government. The Mayor in this form of government has little legislative authority and it is the system that needs changing with respect to the powers of the Mayor. I want to give the benefit of the doubt and trust he will be more assertive with the two newly elected council members and an overall attitude adjustment towards business.  I do agree the two Council Members should consider alternate careers, however there is a regular process and this will further cost the tax payers additional financial resources that may not be readily available. This is my personal opinion and I respect the rights and the supporters of the recall to do as they feel appropriate. Many are personal friends and I will continue to treat them as friends, respectfully disagreeing on this issue.

            I committed to be operate with respect, responsibility and discipline and to focus on principles, not personalities and will maintain this commitment. I do not tell people how to vote, whom to support or what efforts they should or should not participate with. I will provide non-partisan business information for each Supporter and Friend of business. The final choice is yours, not mine.  Given all that is going on I am outlining some ideas and efforts that I believe this company and its supporters can successfully champion.

 A Vision of Action:

1.    Non partisan elections and Charter Changes: We are working with the Southern Arizona Business Round Table subcommittee on addressing some much needed charter changes over the next couple of years. Ideas that have come back are; Mayor and Council parity, Strong Mayor form of Government and Annexation for the whole region, elimination of the 6 mile rule for incorporation. The latter needs to be addressed by the Legislature and I will keep you apprised on the progress of this effort. Further the City of Tucson should stop the opposition of the recently passed legislation and let Non-Partisan elections stand. This could also save tax payer monies.

2.    We have spoken at length about consolidating government, but what about doing the same with economic development entities and chambers: Joining together and privatizing Economic Development, except MTCVB statutory funding of the 33% bed tax, where all of us working in unison to reach our goals. I am recommending that we start with the TMCC, TREO and the MTCVB. We may have different disciplines, but we can work better together than we have been and each constituency will have a better idea of what the others are doing. We can address the concerns of all the regions from a centralized position of power and become the basis for real economic growth. As this success begins other chambers can become a big part of this process and reduce the cost of memberships by businesses and duplication of efforts. A unified business voice is needed to advance our goals. This is a touchy subject and many will be unhappy about this idea, but how can we ask government to do things the business way when we find ourselves doing things the government way. This is a real discussion that needs to be had. Note: I do not include the trade organizations as they provide a special relationship that should be maintained with their members. Trainings and the like are valuable tools for each of these organizations and should be maintained.

3.    Regional Purchasing by Government: City, County and TUSD coordinate purchasing of like items to establish leverage, reduce cost and avoid duplication of purchases. We could even consider a regional purchasing department to cover like resources needed to be used by the three entities. Again, this would require that egos get out of the way and get things done in a more congruent fashion.

4.    Website: Continue with the Candidate page for all the races and submit business questions so each of them can respond to the business community on a regular basis. We need to ask the hard questions on a regular basis as things are changing week by week. We need to let them know our voices need to be heard and they should be accountable to the people who generate the taxes to support government.

5.    Support the candidates and elected officials that support good business and responsible government: Then we need to be disciplined about which candidates to support. Incumbents assume business should donate to protect their interest, but all this does in enable bad government. Make incumbents and candidates accountable before giving. If they don’t support good business practices by government, quit giving them money.

6.    Find political leadership, including school boards, city, county and state: This requires us all to get involved and support the changes needed to move us forward. We are facing another round of very important elections and we must challenge all candidates to either prove they’ve acted in our best interest or elect those that will. We have no other way to change the way government does business. We can devise a Metro Government, merge budgets and complain all we want, but until we have real leaders we can’t do anything. So get off your political couches and educate your employees, family and friends on the importance of evaluating the candidates and voting for a real opportunity to make changes. We must have elected people that understand how business works and are willing to engage our ideas as part of their total responsibility. We can build a balanced city.

7.    Expanding involvement with our next generation of business and political leaders is an integral part of this process: Help elevate our next generation of business persons to get involved in school boards and local politics. Educate, encourage and enhance the lives of these fine people with your experience, wisdom and understanding. Pass the torch to the next generation. It’s not so much what we have that is important, it’s what we leave for the next generations to build upon that make our presence invaluable and our legacies memorable.

8.    Embrace new business opportunities: With all that’s been said with respect to taxes, budget cuts and a myriad of other fearful messages regarding business, I would ask they we look at the opportunities to promote new businesses and wealth creation. Over the next couple of months I will explore with you new businesses that want to start up, and what they are bringing to the table.

                                    Steve Emerine - Inside Tucson Business, December 15th, 2008

“If local elected officials and business leaders want to rebuild Tucson’s
downtown and hang onto our tourism and convention business, gem and
mineral shows, spring training baseball, professional golf tournaments
and other attractions for residents and visitors alike, they can.
But if government and business leaders don’t lead, can’t unite the community
and don’t want to be bothered with local problems, we are all the losers.

We have to decide collectively that when times get tough, the tough do indeed get going.”

Thank you and we need more support: I want to thank those of you that have supported our efforts financially and our media partners for their help in getting the word out. We have made real progress because of your support and now I’m asking you to invite a fellow business owner to do the same.  We are moving forward in a positive way and we have done so with respect, responsibility and discipline. We have become and will continue to become a voice for real change in the way our political policies affect us. We are taking action and I need your help in keeping this moving forward.

Your financial help is important, but your educated participation in change is invaluable.

            Who: Smart United Business Strategies, Inc. (SUBS) is a private non-partisan for profit-corporation established to act as a business lobbyist for the betterment of Tucson and the surrounding communities. We will advocate with clarity, confidence, and the conviction necessary to achieve our objectives. We have a commitment to making REAL change happen.

            Mission Statement: Our mission is to make Tucson and Southern Arizona a desirable place to live, work, and interact in. We will implement strategies critical to healthy community growth and stability, supported by an active business contingency and a neutral political environment. This is absolutely critical to our future success.

            Community Message: For too long the business community has let apathy about our government rule. Without a strong and viable business atmosphere we will not have the resources to sustain a working economy. We can co-exist with the neighborhoods and the surrounding beautiful desert in a positive manner and enlightened environment when we work together. We are going to grow and we must do so in an efficient strategic manner! We must walk the talk.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rick

Income Generation Vs. Wealth Creation

Many people confuse income generation with wealth creation.  These are two very different concepts.  Income generation simply means increasing the number of financial transactions so money more frequently changes hands.  If I go to McDonalds and buy a hamburger, McDonalds can then pay an employee who goes out and buys clothes and the cycle continues.  Commerce is essential and good but it has its limitations.  The problem with these very simple transactions is that they do not increase the supply of money in the community.  Money simply changes hands.  Commerce is almost entirely a private sector affair.  Very little public sector support or intervention is needed for commerce to flourish.  In fact, the less government the better.

Commerce in Tucson is typically fairly healthy because we have a large number of tourists and retirees who bring their income from other areas to buy goods and services.   So, when times are good commerce increases and money continues to change hands.    When a recession hits, however, the tourists stay home and retirees stop moving here.   Money for commerce dries up.  The other problem with simple commerce is that we are almost entirely dependent on people moving here for income to grow.  Our population, and the city footprint, must constantly grow to create more income that creates the demand for more growth.  Many people are opposed to seeing Tucson grow so there is constant friction between the “growth” and “environmental” camps.

Wealth creation, on the other hand, means exploiting existing resources to produce goods and services that can be exported outside of the region and around the world.  Wealth can be used over and over again.  It has a multiplier effect that exists independent of commerce.  Wealth creates income but the multiplier effect is much more robust and it does not depend solely on population growth or attracting new consumers to the region.  Wealth is renewable and produces the goods and services that can be exported and create income for many, many years or perhaps even forever.

198 W. Franklin St.  Tucson, AZ. 85701

520.624.0231

www.substucson.com

Income Generation

Vs.

Wealth Creation

Many people confuse income generation with wealth creation.  These are two very different concepts.  Income generation simply means increasing the number of financial transactions so money more frequently changes hands.  If I go to McDonalds and buy a hamburger, McDonalds can then pay an employee who goes out and buys clothes and the cycle continues.  Commerce is essential and good but it has its limitations.  The problem with these very simple transactions is that they do not increase the supply of money in the community.  Money simply changes hands.  Commerce is almost entirely a private sector affair.  Very little public sector support or intervention is needed for commerce to flourish.  In fact, the less government the better.

Commerce in Tucson is typically fairly healthy because we have a large number of tourists and retirees who bring their income from other areas to buy goods and services.   So, when times are good commerce increases and money continues to change hands.    When a recession hits, however, the tourists stay home and retirees stop moving here.   Money for commerce dries up.  The other problem with simple commerce is that we are almost entirely dependent on people moving here for income to grow.  Our population, and the city footprint, must constantly grow to create more income that creates the demand for more growth.  Many people are opposed to seeing Tucson grow so there is constant friction between the “growth” and “environmental” camps.

Wealth creation, on the other hand, means exploiting existing resources to produce goods and services that can be exported outside of the region and around the world.  Wealth can be used over and over again.  It has a multiplier effect that exists independent of commerce.  Wealth creates income but the multiplier effect is much more robust and it does not depend solely on population growth or attracting new consumers to the region.  Wealth is renewable and produces the goods and services that can be exported and create income for many, many years or perhaps even forever.

A wealth creation strategy is one that coordinates public policy and private resources to take advantage of existing strengths that can be turned into enterprises to produce goods and services that can be exported. 

There are 5 ways and only 5 ways to create wealth:

1.  Take it out of the ground (mining,  farming, etc.)

2.  Turn raw materials into marketable goods (manufacturing, construction)

3.  Take it out of someone’s head (new technologies, consulting services)

4.  Have people pay you to see what you did not take out of the ground (eco-tourism)

5.  Provide transportation facilities for shipping services (transportation and warehousing hub)

A good wealth creation strategy would identify, coordinate and package the natural strengths of the region so that they could be easily accessed by private individuals who understand how to use them to produce and distribute goods and services.  Education, public safety, transportation, natural resources, governance, regulation and financing are all crucial to this effort.  To be effective, we need a true partnership between the public and private sector with the primary goal being wealth creation that will ultimately benefit all our citizens.

Courtesy of:

Rick Hodges

First, allow me to extend a personl thank you to some people who put personal and political capital on the line to pass this bill: Jim Click, our Southern Arizona Legislative Delegation, including Representative Steven, District 26 , the Pima County Board of Supervisors and staff, and the fellow members of the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority. Without a unified and concerted effort by all parties we would not have been able to get this done. Finally, to the Governor, the Speaker of the House and Senate President for their support, without there help, we wouldn’t have a chance to vote on this.

Now we have to be prepared to present this to the voters of Pima County for approval. We must be able to show that the business community will drive this effort and that the accountability of the taxes  raised are spent the way we anticipate. This is driven by the business community and will be guided by good practices that will allow us to be successful. An update will be provided as soon as possible.

Below is the press release by Mike Feder on behalf of the PCSTA.

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                

Contact: Mike Feder, Executive Director

July 13, 2009

GOVERNOR BREWER SIGNS PCSTA BILL

Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation Monday calling for the economic stimulus bill be presented to the Pima County voters in the next five years. The election could be held as early as November 2010, or as late as November 2014.

If the bill is approved by Pima County voters, the tax money would pay for new and renovated local youth and amateur sports facilities, as well as upgrading the current spring training venues. The money could also pay for the construction of a new MLB complex if there are signed long term agreements and a commitment from teams from Japan to play at Tucson Electric Park.

Some of the bullet points of the bill include:

• This is an economic stimulus bill centered on tourism. Spring training is just a vehicle that helps support tourism. The annual economic impact is $10 million per team, or $20 million in 2009. The youth and amateur sports area could have an even greater financial impact on this community than spring training after 3 - 5 years.
• An anticipated $15 million will be generated annually from the collection of the bill’s receipts. The term of the legislative action would be 30 years.
•  A minimum of 10% will go to youth and amateur sports facilities. PCSTA has plans to increase that percentage. The creation, expansion, and renovation of those sports facilities will receive an infusion of over $40 million. The current facilities fall terribly behind other regional cities. The annual revenues will assist venues for all citizens including, but not limited to, fields to accommodate soccer, football, rugby and lacrosse, softball and baseball, indoor basketball and volleyball courts, swimming facilities, and possibly a velodrome for bicyclists.
• If no MLB contracts are secured in the first six years of the bill, 100% of the collected funds will go directly to the the youth and amateur sports initiatives.
• The structure of the proposed revenue stream are taxes primarily on the tourism industry.
• Themoney will be leveraged with the private sector and other public funding sources (matching funds) to provide the most “bang for the buck”.
• This allows the voters of Pima County the same opportunity that citizens of Maricopa County had when they passed their measure nearly ten years ago.

Pima County Sports & Tourism Authority Chairman Tom Tracy said “we would like to sincerely thank the governor, the southern Arizona legislative delegation, Arizona House and Senate leadership, and our stakeholders. We appreciate the bi-partisan spirit displayed. The legislature has given the Pima County voters the chance to speak.”

“We are definitely committed to work on the future of spring training along with just importantly greatly enhancing our youth initiatives. Our dialogue with the Baltimore Orioles and the Japanese major leagues will continue.”

Mike Feder, PCSTA Executive Director, said “this is the best youth and amateur sports funding mechanism in the southwest. We hope the voters will see the major advantages, both economically and recreationally,of this legislation.”

For more information please contact Mike Feder, PCSTA Executive Director at (520) 954-8803 or by e-mail at feder1616@yahoo.com.

May 27, 2009

Today the Tucson City Council not only raised the hotel bed tax, but they also cut the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau budget:  What are the unintended consequences:

1.   Put local hotels at a competitive disadvantage with their competition outside Tucson. This tax will drive business outside the city limits and cause the city to lose not only bed taxes but sales taxes on business done outside our city limits. This is not fair. Who are they working for?

2.   The $1.8M anticipated revenue will not be realized by adding this tax. At this time of economic stress, our visitors will do business elsewhere.

3.   Jeopardize Spring Training and Youth and Amateur Sports.

4.   Reduce marketing dollars to bring business to Tucson.

Tourism generates $2.3 Billion a year and now the Tucson will get less of that.

We still have time to let our voices be heard. Call or write Mayor and Council and let them know tourism is important to you.