CXLV - Tempe Entertainment District citizen referendum vote upcoming May 16th

[Stumbledore]

It was discovered today that the woman who's been more or less running the Tempe1st campaign is a paid political consultant. There's been a $32,000 payment made to her agency. Even though she is on record via Facebook claiming she's not being paid for her work.

Also to consider is that Grand Canyon Institute operates on donations and Arizona laws are very protective of who donates to these organizations. So while they claim the GCI study wasn't paid for it's very easy to hide that via their donation channel.

Almost as easy as tarnishing by implication and innuendo, no?

Let's not forget that hiding donations is part of the American Way. Do a search on the archives of the NY Times or the Washington Post and see how many thousands of stories you find on hidden donations.

 

[PredsHead]

It was discovered today that the woman who's been more or less running the Tempe1st campaign is a paid political consultant. There's been a $32,000 payment made to her agency. Even though she is on record via Facebook claiming she's not being paid for her work.

Also to consider is that Grand Canyon Institute operates on donations and Arizona laws are very protective of who donates to these organizations. So while they claim the GCI study wasn't paid for it's very easy to hide that via their donation channel.

Assuming you are referring to this:


I could be wrong but if there was an expenditure paid from the PAC to her firm and then a matching in-kind donation from her firm back to the PAC for the exact same amount, wouldn't that just mean that they donated their services to the PAC? That $32,000 is the value they claim their donation was worth for tax purposes?

 

[TheLegend]

Almost as easy as tarnishing by implication and innuendo, no?

Let's not forget that hiding donations is part of the American Way. Do a search on the archives of the NY Times or the Washington Post and see how many thousands of stories you find on hidden donations.

Certainly easy and the "no" group has been going out of their way to push the notion that all these studies were paid for while theirs was not (at least on the surface). Rather than using the data and the methods from studies themselves.

And GCI went out of their away to drag the Siedman study in particular right after it became known in the same fashion.

It's just too convenient.

 

[TheLegend]

Assuming you are referring to this:


I could be wrong but if there was an expenditure paid from the PAC to her firm and then a matching in-kind donation from her firm back to the PAC for the exact same amount, wouldn't that just mean that they donated their services to the PAC? That $32,000 is the value they claim their donation was worth for tax purposes?

Then why even have the donation??

If you are "volunteering" your services then you don't need that.

Unless maybe you're doing a little money laundering for something else.

 

[mouser]

I could be wrong but if there was an expenditure paid from the PAC to her firm and then a matching in-kind donation from her firm back to the PAC for the exact same amount, wouldn't that just mean that they donated their services to the PAC? That $32,000 is the value they claim their donation was worth for tax purposes?

This looks like doubling down rather than offsetting.

Receive $32k cash payment from Tempe 1st, and also claim a $32k in-kind charitable donation to Tempe 1st. It's more like providing $64k of work while only being paid $32k.

 

[Stumbledore]

This looks like doubling down rather than offsetting.

Receive $32k cash payment from Tempe 1st, and also claim a $32k in-kind charitable donation to Tempe 1st. It's more like providing $64k of work while only being paid $32k.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. But then I figured I'd gotten it wrong because ... you know, old, sipping Lagavulin, easily confused, prone to naps.

 

[PredsHead]

Then why even have the donation??

If you are "volunteering" your services then you don't need that.

I would assume for tax purposes but not sure. It still looks like its $32,000 in and $32,00 out so it would be a net wash.

Then why even have the donation??

If you are "volunteering" your services then you don't need that.

I would assume for tax purposes but not sure. It still looks like its $32,000 in and $32,00 out so it would be a net wash.

 

[TheLegend]

Siedman Research Institute responds to GCI criticisms of their study.

https://seidmaninstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Seidman-Response-to-GCI-041923.pdf

 

[mouser]

I would assume for tax purposes but not sure. It still looks like its $32,000 in and $32,000 out so it would be a net wash.

The $32k donation is an “in kind” donation, meaning it’s a donation of goods or services for which the donator is not being paid—It’s not a cash donation.

In addition to this uncompensated donation of $32k in services, Tempe 1st also shows $32k in cash paid for services from the firm. Effectively saying the firm provided $64k worth of services, of which half were paid for by Tempe 1st.

 

[Stumbledore]

Siedman Research Institute responds to GCI criticisms of their study.

https://seidmaninstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Seidman-Response-to-GCI-041923.pdf

Let me interrupt the back and forth half-assed arguments here to just say how much I appreciate all the links that Legend provides on this board. It really saves us (cough) old-farts (cough) a lot of trouble when we don't have to track down a lot of the documentation ourselves.

Much appreciated!

 

[TheLegend]

Let me interrupt the back and forth half-assed arguments here to just say how much I appreciate all the links that Legend provides on this board. It really saves us (cough) old-farts (cough) a lot of trouble when we don't have to track down a lot of the documentation ourselves.

Much appreciated!

It happened to pop-up in my Twitter TL and considering how well Twitter runs these days it can be considered a miracle.

Currently listening to XG's podcast on PHNX_Coyotes and he clarified what he meant the other night regarding the GCI study.

He said that GCI had interviewed former Tempe councilmember Lauren Kuby, who is directing the No group, and got a lot of their data from her. They never contacted him or the Coyotes which is why he said they'd never heard of them.

 

[PredsHead]

The $32k donation is an “in kind” donation, meaning it’s a donation of goods or services for which the donator is not being paid—It’s not a cash donation.

In addition to this uncompensated donation of $32k in services, Tempe 1st also shows $32k in cash paid for services from the firm. Effectively saying the firm provided $64k worth of services, of which half were paid for by Tempe 1st.

Dug a bit more into this and apparently the transaction in question is no longer listed on the report those screenshots are from. It looks like there was a second version yesterday where not much changed and then a third today where only the in-kind donation is there. I am trying to attach the reports but the files are too big and the link to the reports seem to expire in just a few minutes so don't work. However if you go to this site: Easy Campaign Finance and enter 32267 in the Min Amount search box to bring up the reports themselves. The second page should have the date the report was filed and the last four or five pages should have the transactions in question.


That raises several questions about what is happening with the bookkeeping with Tempe1st, but it looks as though now it was only the $32k donation.

 

[TheLegend]

Dug a bit more into this and apparently the transaction in question is no longer listed on the report those screenshots are from. It looks like there was a second version yesterday where not much changed and then a third today where only the in-kind donation is there. I am trying to attach the reports but the files are too big and the link to the reports seem to expire in just a few minutes so don't work. However if you go to this site: Easy Campaign Finance and enter 32267 in the Min Amount search box to bring up the reports themselves. The second page should have the date the report was filed and the last four or five pages should have the transactions in question.


That raises several questions about what is happening with the bookkeeping with Tempe1st, but it looks as though now it was only the $32k donation.

Want to know a bigger mystery?

Tempe1st isn't a PAC. Not as of last year. It's termination notice was filed after the 2022 midterms (copy exists on Tempe's portal to Easy Campaign)

Democracy for Tempe PAC is who pays for the Tempe1st website (as identified on the Tempe1st website.) They are listed as active in the Tempe portal. But a couple of weeks ago a Twitter friend of mine and I did some poking around he found on the AZ Secretary of State's website their status comes up also as "terminated" and they maintained an active fundraising page on ActBlue.

Now granted it's not hard for a grassroots campaigns to get lost into the red tape, but the woman who led the No group's debate team (and the one mentioned above) is a political consultant who has her own company. She should know better.

 

[PredsHead]

Want to know a bigger mystery?

Tempe1st isn't a PAC. Not as of last year. It's termination notice was filed after the 2022 midterms (copy exists on Tempe's portal to Easy Campaign)

Democracy for Tempe PAC is who pays for the Tempe1st website (as identified on the Tempe1st website.) They are listed as active in the Tempe portal. But a couple of weeks ago a Twitter friend of mine and I did some poking around he found on the AZ Secretary of State's website their status comes up also as "terminated" and they maintained an active fundraising page on ActBlue.

Now granted it's not hard for a grassroots campaigns to get lost into the red tape, but the woman who led the No group's debate team (and the one mentioned above) is a political consultant who has her own company. She should know better.

Democracy for Tempe is who is listed as the Committee Name on these forms. I believe that is also what is listed as the PAC name on the Tempe1st website.

 

[TheLegend]

Democracy for Tempe is who is listed as the Committee Name on these forms. I believe that is also what is listed on the Tempe1st website.

Right.... but they're being referred to as the "Tempe1st" PAC.

 

[PredsHead]

Right.... but they're being referred to as the "Tempe1st" PAC.

Dawn Penich-Thacker also called it Tempe Facts I think during the debate, but it all goes back to the same organization.

 

[TheLegend]

Dawn Penich-Thacker also called it Tempe Facts I think during the debate, but it all goes back to the same organization.

Yeah.... there's a couple of sites for each side. TempeWins has one too called TempeTruthFirst which came out before the other one.

 

[Boris Zubov]

Let me interrupt the back and forth half-assed arguments here to just say how much I appreciate all the links that Legend provides on this board. It really saves us (cough) old-farts (cough) a lot of trouble when we don't have to track down a lot of the documentation ourselves.

Much appreciated!

@Llama19 should receive the same acknowledgement. Both he & Legend really keep us informed to the minute.

 

[bleedblue94]

@Llama19 should receive the same acknowledgement. Both he & Legend really keep us informed to the minute.

They continue to offer some clarity in this shit soup of disinformation and cloudy facts from all directions.

 

[PredsHead]

True I think she had Alex mixed up with his brother and father who are involved some sort of legal drama in Florida. That was a big gaffe on her part, Gutierrez had his own big gaffe though when he suggested one of the two women on the panel lived in one building that apparently they don't actually live in. Not only was he factually incorrect it made him look a bit creepy.

Circling back to this and while it may not be Alex who was being sued by Miami Beach over the Deauville Hotel issue which Dawn was referencing during the debate, he apparently had some sort of company operating out of the building until 2021 even though the building was shut down in 2017.

Here is a link to the backstory of the hotel Miami Beach Advances Steve Ross’ Deauville Plan.

Here is a story about what ultimately happened to the hotel, Deauville Hotel, the historic Miami Beach site, imploded during Sunday morning blast.

Note the address of the property is 6701 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL. That happens to be the same address listed for Newport Development Partners, LLC which is owned by one Alex Meruelo. Link to the Florida LLC filing for Newport: Detail by Street Address

 

[TheLegend]

Circling back to this and while it may not be Alex who was being sued by Miami Beach over the Deauville Hotel issue which Dawn was referencing during the debate, he apparently had some sort of company operating out of the building until 2021 even though the building was shut down in 2017.

Here is a link to the backstory of the hotel Miami Beach Advances Steve Ross’ Deauville Plan.

Here is a story about what ultimately happened to the hotel, Deauville Hotel, the historic Miami Beach site, imploded during Sunday morning blast.

Note the address of the property is 6701 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL. That happens to be the same address listed for Newport Development Partners, LLC which is owned by one Alex Meruelo. Link to the Florida LLC filing for Newport: Detail by Street Address

Says right in the filing the LLC was dissolved in 2015 (4/9/2015 to be exact). Two years before the building was shutdown.

So that means…. What?

Devil is in the details here and it looks like Dawn took a lot of liberties with details.

But even as Tempe Wins cited in their alt-website…

“A Lie Can Travel Halfway Around the World While the Truth Is Putting On Its Skates”​

Dawn is completely aware she can say these things and most people will never fact check it.

The lawsuit against the bank?? It was filed two years ago, and just recently the attorneys for the merchant’s group were announcing a change in strategy (can thank @Llama19 for finding that piece ). Roughly means they were losing their fight and needed a new angle.

But Dawn’s tactic of lobbing a bunch of mud at the Meruelo’s got the traction she was hoping for, even if it was all out of context and hardly even close to being factual.

 

[PredsHead]

Says right in the filing the LLC was dissolved in 2015 (4/9/2015 to be exact). Two years before the building was shutdown.

So that means…. What?

Devil is in the details here and it looks like Dawn took a lot of liberties with details.

That's the date it was incorporated, it was dissolved on 3/5/2021

 

[TheLegend]

That's the date it was incorporated, it was dissolved on 3/5/2021

Yes… I see that now. Mistake on my part.

Still… not much of a connection there. If any. Would require more digging. I’d be all for it just to be sure there’s nothing else.

 

[PredsHead]

Yes… I see that now. Mistake on my part.

Still… not much of a connection there. If any. Would require more digging. I’d be all for it just to be sure there’s nothing else.

It literally lists "Management Office" as part of the address and they filed for years so clearly it wasn't another oh we had the address wrong situation.

 

[TheLegend]

It literally lists "Management Office" as part of the address and they filed for years so clearly it wasn't another oh we had the address wrong situation.

Well to have an LLC in Florida they needed a real address in Florida. That company may have been inactive for the entire 6 years as far as anyone knows. And Meruelo created the LLC.

In regards to the Arizona taxes…. XG stated the state still had an old address from back when the NHL owned the franchise and IceArizona might have even used it.

When Meruelo bought the Coyotes he setup a different location to operate from and whomever he had as staff during the takeover didn’t update the address. And we all know there was a large turnover in the subsequent months after he bought the team…. a subsequent pandemic…. etc…etc…

Not too far fetched to think the address change was overlooked. Even so XG admits it should have been on them to fix it.