FC: "Tax hating" Arizonan fights tax-funded stadium via open records law

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Background on taxpayer-funded stadium controversy:
http://www.endzonemarketing.com/football_dick_looking.html

Arizona open records law:
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/39/00121-01.htm

Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority, created by the state legislature:
http://www.az-tsa.com/aboutus.htm

Below message was forwarded to cypherpunks by Matthew Gaylor. As a
courtesy, I've copied the board members of the Arizona Tourism and
Sports Authority.

-Declan

---

Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2002 18:57:38 -0700 (MST)
From: snail () aztec asu edu (MIKE ROSS)
Subject: email addresses of TSA board members - please distribute to everyone
To: freematt () coil com, snail () aztec2 asu edu

As a tax hating Arizonan i figured I would like
to e-mail the TSA (Tourism Stadium Authority) board
members and tell them I think the new stadium
for Bill Bidwell and his stinking football team
should be built in St Louis, Mo using whatever
tax dollars the citizens of St Louis feel free
to spend on it. certainly not in Phoenix or Tempe
where the Arizona government goons want to build
it using MY tax dollars.

So I emailed Kim Monroe kmonroe () az-tsa com at
the TSA and asked her for the email addresses
of the TSA board members.

She came back and said the email addresses were
secret and I couldn't have them.

I asked John Wilde for some legal advice on the
matter and he told me to get the information
requesting them as public records per

          A.R.S. Section 39-121

I wrote the TSA back and demanded for them to give
me the information under the public records
laws of A.R.S. 39-121 and told them I would sue
if they didn't give it to me.

I also emailed a press release to about 1500
Arizona media outlets asking if they could
write a story about how the TSA is refusing
to give out public information.

Last I sent a press release out to all of
the Arizona state senators and house members,
and most elected city and county officials
in Maricopa county complaining that the TSA
was refusing to give out public information
and asking for their help.

looks like something i did worked. i got this
email today listing the email addresses of
the TSA board members. I think it's from the
law firm that represents the TSA.

Please give it out to as many libertarians
and tax haters as you can so other people
can tell the TSA board members what they
think about Bill Bidwells stadium.

mike

------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 16:50:45 -0700
From: CSKINNER () FCLAW com
Subject: Tourism and Sports Authority - Response to Public Record Request
To: snail () aztec asu edu, jhuppent () azleg state az us
Cc: tferris () az-tsa com, kmonroe () az-tsa com, LSTEIN () FCLAW com

Dear Mr. Ross and Representative Huppenthal,

We represent the Tourism and Sports Authority and have been copied on the
exchange of correspondence between Mr. Ross, Representative Huppenthal and
Ms. Monroe of the Authority concerning Mr. Ross's public record request for
the email addresses of the Authority's Board members.  Please find below a
list of the requested addresses:

Mr. Roc Arnett:         rarnett () az-tsa com

Mr. John Benton:                jbenton () az-tsa com

Mr. Jim Grogan:         jgrogan () az-tsa com

Mr. C.A. Howlett:               chowlett () az-tsa com

Ms. Valarie Miceli:     vmiceli () az-tsa com

Mr. Herman Orcutt:      horcutt () az-tsa com

Mr. William Peltier:    wpeltier () az-tsa com

Mr. Rod Williams:               rwilliams () az-tsa com

In addition to contacting Authority Board members via email, correspondence
to Board members may, of course, be directed to the Board by mailing such
correspondence to any or all Board members directly c/o the Tourism and
Sports Authority, 14500 North Northsight Boulevard, Suite 312, Scottsdale,
Arizona 85260.  Also, phone messages for Board members may be left with Ms.
Debbie Kivin, Authority Receptionist, at (480) 505-0533.

Additionally, please be aware that the Authority, like most public entities,
has a policy requiring those requesting public records to complete a Public
Record Request Form prior to disclosure of the records.  In the interest of
expediency, I am forwarding the above records despite the lack of a
completed Public Record Request Form.  However, we would appreciate Mr. Ross
completing this form and returning it to the Authority as soon as possible.
A copy of the Public Record Request Form is available on the Authority's web
site located at www.az-tsa.com.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the foregoing, please
contact me at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Christopher Skinner
Associate
Fennemore Craig, P.C.


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entity named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended
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communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone (602)
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