Tag Archives: Ed Beasley

Irreparable Harm, or Deception and Correction?

For the bullet summary, please go here.

Perhaps we could ask President Obama to run the economy and the NHL

Everything is Rosy! OK? Are you buying it?

That is what we were led to believe by the brass at the NHL over the years. Everything is just fine.

Forget Forbes’ or Fitch’s ratings. Forget the press, forget them all, because everything is just fine, OK!

Well, if everything was just fine, why are we finally getting a glimpse of a reality far removed from fine?

Why has Jim Balsillie had a few chances to be a ‘white knight’ on his own terms, and look to bailout some franchises in trouble?  Doesn’t sound like everything was just fine to me.

Everything was just fine in the U.S. housing market until the bubble burst too, and it was discovered that if you could fog up a mirror, and had a pulse, you were eligible for a fairly large mortgage. We were led to believe it was all just fine till we found out the truth. Then, just how ‘not fine’ it was began to surface. And, if you can fog up a mirror and your name is not Jim Balsillie, you might want to call Gary Bettman. Has he got a no money down deal for you. Just don’t have any bats in the bellfrey. We might find out what they are.

I’m sure when the dirt of the state of the economy in the U.S. began to surface there were many on edge, and many questions to be asked and answered. Well, we could be at that stage for the National Hockey League.

Look at Bernie Madoff’s lucrative, but now exposed, Ponzi Scheme, where Muckety adds:

Don't let anyone know the 'deal' you have with the others...the Mushroom Principle

Don't let anyone know the 'deal' you have with the others...the Mushroom Principle

Wall Street trader Bernard Madoff was arrested Dec. 11 and charged with running a $50 billion “Ponzi scheme” that allegedly defrauded tens of thousands of investors, from France’s richest woman, Liliane Bettencourt, to a charity run by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.

Click on the “Muckety adds” link above and you can see a web of people fooled by Madoff. The trick behind it is, don’t tell one person the deal you have with the other. Because if they knew it was their friends money disguised as ‘true return’, then that would tell a far grimmer tale, than if the money were earned legitimately. We could liken that to “profit sharing”. Sound familiar? Kinda like ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’. Only we call that a league process, to give it validity and meaning. Ok?

The current crisis in the U.S. has been largely due to deception. The reality of the economy not matching the display of wealth and lifestyle many experienced. But it was to be a short-lived bubble. It could not continue for long, without the collapse we see today.

It is interesting to note the similarities though. You need a few, setting procedure and guidelines that many follow. Once it is discovered that the underlying principles behind the guidelines are flawed, then exposure results, and the truth surfaces.

Could this be what we are now seeing as a result of the Phoenix Coyotes court case?

What's the true state of the finances of the NHL?

What's the true state of the finances of the NHL?

Remember Commissioner Bettman. He explained to Ron McLean that the Coyotes were never in jeopardy, and the thought of it was just ‘silly’. Well, the question is, who wasn’t in jeopardy? Did Gary Bettman think Jerry Moyes, the owner of the Coyotes wasn’t in jeopardy? Because the facts speak a different tune. Or, was Bettman thinking the ‘plan’ that was there would mean the team was not in jeopardy? The plan, that apparently was in the works for at least six months according to John Kaites, the lawyer for the Reinsdorf coalition. Would it be that group to suggest the team was never in jeopardy, if we could ‘just get the team in the hands’ of that group? Boy, problems would go away!

Well, the team is not in the Kaites group’s hands, it’s in Jerry Moyes’ hands. He is still the owner until he sells the team. Moyes is questioning the validity of Reinsdorf as a prospective owner for good reason.  Forget Balsillie. We have more questions with Reinsdorf. Just read some of the articles here, and we could all go to the ‘red flag’ store, and wave until we lose a few pounds, and firm the muscles under our arms. Is this why the bidders need more time? Getting the cold feet of ‘exposure’?

Might explain the ‘stall tactic’ of a plan six months in the making, that suddenly is getting bogged down in negotiations? Ya, right? More cold feet no doubt, and the excuse is explained well in the Globe:

Meanwhile, SOF Investments, the largest secured creditor who is owed some $80 million, says it can’t consent to the Reinsdorf bid because their payment hasn’t been worked out, although negotiations have begun.

 Heck, Michael Dell and Michael Reinsdorf had many lunches over several months to go over the fine tuning, no doubt. Suddenly the negotiations are just starting? How about the people are starting to smell a rat. That’s what’s more likely ‘starting’!

When Kaites says six months of negotiations, this would have been going on behind Jerry Moyes’ back, while he was the owner. How did they know he would end up broke at the end of the day? We already know the answer to that. It’s called collusion. Sorry, we keep coming back to that word, but it explaines Moyes desire to discount Reinsdorf as a suitable owner.

Deception uncovered. Financial reality far different than claimed. Irreparable harm.

No wait, the term ‘irreparable harm’ I believe was reserved for Jim Balsillie, as the ‘new’ reason the NHL Board of Governors (that is, those that showed for the meeting) had to say. I wonder how that meeting went. Could it have been, “this is what I believe, is everyone in agreement?” Ya, that’s sounds about right.

So, Jim Balsillie has not gone along with league processes, huh? Well, there is one owner that has seen enough of league processes to call in a friend to help him alter those processes. To blow the whistle when the process doesn’t serve the owner properly. When the process doesn’t serve the bankers, the players, the fans, or the league as a whole. The question is, ‘who are the processes serving the most?’ It certainly didn’t do Jerry Moyes any favours, especially since he was being set up for takeover. Could that be an ‘unofficial league process’ that is being challenged?

Well, the New York Times has an interesting view of the current legal proceedings.  And, according to the New York Times:

This may put the National Hockey League and its 29 other teams in an awkward position. Other teams and the companies that do business with them are surely happy to get a glimpse of at least part of the Coyotes’ finances. In an industry where operational data is closely guarded, any information that helps teams and their vendors benchmark themselves against their competitors is valued.

I would suggest you look at the full article for enlightenment.

The economy of the U.S. is now coming out of a period of deception. They now have to work on repairing what is broken. They need to look at what is there, clear the rubble, and look for ways to live within their means.

I would say the National Hockey League needs to become accountable to it’s owners, it’s lenders, it’s players, and it’s fans. Everything is not ‘just fine’. There are other franchises that are not fine either.

There would be more respect if the league stood up and finally gave a true account of reality. The longer they delay, the more exposure will take place in courtrooms, in newspapers, and even in blogs. When the chief always says things are great, then start waiving the flag.

So, when the character of Jim Balsillie is challenged now by the Board of Governors for not respecting league processes and guildelines, perhaps there is good reason.

What’s the real reason the bidders need an extension beyond August 5th? Could it be time to see if they can cover the tracks of deception of their own? Or, is it simply to see if Glendale can offer concessions ‘ a la’ the CityNorth Supreme Court case in Phoenix?

Brings us to wonder that what we read and hear is far removed from reality too. The underlying truths it would seem do not get exposed too often either.  I for one, wish the press would dig a little deeper and give us the real dirt. Getting kind of mundane in the reading department. Making this reader question his newspaper subscriptions. Just sayin’!

For the NHL, I believe this spells the beginning of the ‘uncovering of the truth’ and there are a few folks that don’t like it.

As for the Moyes/Balsillie ‘schooling’ taking place…..it suggests one thing…..the guidelines need repair.

Collusion? What's the Deal?

For the bullet summary, please go here.

It’s time to recap this story in plain english. It’s  important to just lay it out there. To put the opinion based on the obvious to paper.

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in the daily drama, and legal maneuverings occuring in court, to lose focus on the obvious; get clouded on what sits right in front of us.

In Hamilton, and all of Canada, when we first heard of Jim Balsillie getting another crack at an NHL hockey team, it came as a bit of a surprise. ‘ Who now? The Phoenix Coyotes? Why?’

The ‘why’ is really the interesting part. The ‘why’ is also the justification. And, the ‘why’ has led to a lot of people scrambling to cover their tracks, to want to retain evidence, and to strategize how to ‘explain’ their actions.

But, like all financial transactions, documents were produced, leases drawn up, emails sent, phone calles were made and ignored, and a meddly of other things that lead us to where we are in this story.

I say story, but make no mistake, there is a dark reality to this real life case that leaves a sick feeling in the pit of one’s stomach.

We are talking about a man named Jerry Moyes. Now Mr. Moyes started out in the trucking industry, worked hard, and built it from the ground up to be a very large firm. He knew what it took to run a succesful business. Sometimes though, despite best effort, the economy can go sour, and a business can lose cash flow, profits, and end up in hard times. This is what happened to Jerry Moyes in the trucking industry, as did happen to many others.

But, at the same time, Jerry Moyes was looking to save his hockey franchise from financial decay, and he took his own wealth, and the wealth of his familty and injected it into the Coyotes. The last of which was in the form of a loan to the Coyotes. This has become a sticking point in the current bankruptcy procedings.

The NHL would want us to believe that the money Jerry Moyes put in the team was an owner putting in equity. A share position, and not a creditor position. This, in strategy, would give the NHL an ‘out’, and be able to find a bidder (or bidders) that would, in essence, be able to take this team over with ‘no money down’. You see, Jerry Moyes $104 million creditor position cramps the NHL’s plans.

But it is interesting that the offer from Jerry Reinsdorf is a ‘no cash’ offer. It just enlightens us more to the lack of confidence in the team’s viability. It also suggest where collusion is fairly obvious.

It’s important to recap the expectations of the Reinsdorf offer. According to John Kaites, the lawyer for the Reinsdorf coalition, the City was negotiating and talking to the group for six months leading into the offer. There was courting all right. But for much longer than would appear normal. No, this situation was in the works for a while, and explains the presumptous terms of the bid. It might have been a ‘done deal’ before it was ever made public.

There are secured creditors, the largest being SOF Investments owned by Michael Dell. This is worth $80 million. Most significant of this loan is the strangehold terms that were drawn up. Mr. Moyes would get a measly $9 per ticket sale to go towards the Coyotes, and Dell, would take all other revenues as ‘collateral’ against the loan. The bottom line. Moyes did not have a chance based on the easy math to pay the bills. Why would the terms be that bad? Good question. Let’s carry on.

The City of Glendale was asked on several ocassions by Mr. Moyes to rework the Jobing.com lease terms. They refused. Mr. Moyes was yet again wondering why no consideration, as his team was suffering more and more.

Finally, the NHL had to step in with assistance to ‘help’ Moyes with a loan. But, in order to get the loan, he had to sign various proxies surrendering all rights to control of the team in the process.

Now, over the articles written, we have shown that Jerry Reinsdorf coming into the scene was anything but a coincidence. In fact, all the facts leading up to the Coyotes going bankrupt was a cold, calculated plan by the friends to Glendale.

Jerry Reinsdorf’s son Michael has a very good relationship with the City of Glendale. He also is responsible for stadium and arena development and financing negotiations for the City. He was responsible for overseeing the building of Jobing.com arena, and we still do not have any proof of involvement in lease negotiation assistance, that he professes to be an expert in. If Jerry Moyes needed help, where was the City of Glendale and Michael Reinsdorf to lend professional assistance? Another red flag.

To make the summary short, based on the knowledge obtained, it would appear there is a strategy of business alliances in Glendale that are responsible as corporate partners to increase the development of land, with the hope of influx of residents, taxes and jobs. There has not been terrific proof that this growth has occured. The only for sure, is the corporate partners like Michael Dell and Michael Reinsdorf, that are proffiting from their strong ties to the City.

Glendale, it would seem has ‘hopped into bed’ with these private corporations so much, that they colluded to get rid of Jerry Moyes, because he did not offer continued growth. The means to the end was the financial strangelhold with the SOF loan, and the ignoring of his need to have the arena lease reworked.

With the addition of the second bid by Daryl Jones, it would, with more careful look, appear to be another good boy maneuver, bringing in ‘friends of friends’, with common business interest. Hardly an autonomous bid.

In the Board of Governors of the NHL, the interesting choice of words that Jerry Reinsdorf is fully endorsed, while the rookies show promise, but are still not fully approved is interesting too. Going back to plan A, where plan B may have just been an attempt to show the court that the NHL did not collude with Reinsdorf. I don’t know if anyone will buy that, including the U.S. bankruptcy trustee who smelled the rat a while ago.

And the big proof is the Reinsdorf offer. How obvious can it be?  It requires a friend, Michael Dell, to renegotiate his SOF loan. Golly gee. And it requires the NHL to rework or dismiss it’s loan. You don’t say?  And, are you ready for it? It requires the City of Glendale to work a plan of concessions that Moyes was asking for, but was ignored. And, I hope you are sitting down. The City of Glendale negotiated with Jerry Reinsdorf when they wouldn’t with Jerry Moyes. Wow, good to have a son in tight with a municipality, eh?

I hope Moyes has a good legal team to go after the boys civilly when this round is over.

If it could be anymore obvious by the demands that the strangelhold the ‘friends’ had on Jerry Moyes, I don’t know how you could do it. The proof is in the offer. Don’t put Jerry Reinsdorf in the same position as Moyes. Are you kidding me?

With Michael Dell repositioning himself as a major player in land development with Related Companies, it would seem he has learned to hedge his opportunities. With computer industry profits diving, and the opportunity for easy, big money in land sales tax strategies with government, it would appear he has a lot to gain and lose. So much so, he would want to ensure he structures Glendale with as many friends as he can. Will he make the loan terms much better that $9 per ticket? Please, do you have to ask?

It can only be hoped that the judge sees this charade for the joke it is. A collusion poster child legal departments at ivy league universities could use for years to come. Wouldn’t it be ironic if these same friends went to these universities for advice? Downright hilarious!

No, Judge Baum has a chance, along with the U.S. trustee in bankruptcy, to put these ‘friends’ on the ropes, then to the canvas, and put them in a stranglehold of their own.

Why did Hamilton learn of yet another team in financial ruin ready to make a deal?  It was the courage of Jerry Moyes to call the NHL, and the friends of Glendale’s spade. Calling a spade a spade!

Is it any wonder Commissioner Bettman was scrambling to avoid the public knowledge that would occur when this charade went public? Is it any wonder he put together proxies in a feeble attempt to control a man that could not be controlled?

There are no coincidences here. Just a long stream of maneuvers, greed, lies, and deception. They never would have expected Jerry Moyes to blow the whistle. I for one, am proud of him. I support him, and I don’t even know him. But, I can relate to the injustice he experienced. And I will do my part, along with others like Jim Balsillie to help him regain his wealth.

Jerry Moyes deserves our support. The NHL, and the friends of Glendale deserve the exposure they get too.

May justice prevail!

Collusion? What’s the Deal?

For the bullet summary, please go here.

It’s time to recap this story in plain english. It’s  important to just lay it out there. To put the opinion based on the obvious to paper.

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in the daily drama, and legal maneuverings occuring in court, to lose focus on the obvious; get clouded on what sits right in front of us.

In Hamilton, and all of Canada, when we first heard of Jim Balsillie getting another crack at an NHL hockey team, it came as a bit of a surprise. ‘ Who now? The Phoenix Coyotes? Why?’

The ‘why’ is really the interesting part. The ‘why’ is also the justification. And, the ‘why’ has led to a lot of people scrambling to cover their tracks, to want to retain evidence, and to strategize how to ‘explain’ their actions.

But, like all financial transactions, documents were produced, leases drawn up, emails sent, phone calles were made and ignored, and a meddly of other things that lead us to where we are in this story.

I say story, but make no mistake, there is a dark reality to this real life case that leaves a sick feeling in the pit of one’s stomach.

We are talking about a man named Jerry Moyes. Now Mr. Moyes started out in the trucking industry, worked hard, and built it from the ground up to be a very large firm. He knew what it took to run a succesful business. Sometimes though, despite best effort, the economy can go sour, and a business can lose cash flow, profits, and end up in hard times. This is what happened to Jerry Moyes in the trucking industry, as did happen to many others.

But, at the same time, Jerry Moyes was looking to save his hockey franchise from financial decay, and he took his own wealth, and the wealth of his familty and injected it into the Coyotes. The last of which was in the form of a loan to the Coyotes. This has become a sticking point in the current bankruptcy procedings.

The NHL would want us to believe that the money Jerry Moyes put in the team was an owner putting in equity. A share position, and not a creditor position. This, in strategy, would give the NHL an ‘out’, and be able to find a bidder (or bidders) that would, in essence, be able to take this team over with ‘no money down’. You see, Jerry Moyes $104 million creditor position cramps the NHL’s plans.

But it is interesting that the offer from Jerry Reinsdorf is a ‘no cash’ offer. It just enlightens us more to the lack of confidence in the team’s viability. It also suggest where collusion is fairly obvious.

It’s important to recap the expectations of the Reinsdorf offer. According to John Kaites, the lawyer for the Reinsdorf coalition, the City was negotiating and talking to the group for six months leading into the offer. There was courting all right. But for much longer than would appear normal. No, this situation was in the works for a while, and explains the presumptous terms of the bid. It might have been a ‘done deal’ before it was ever made public.

There are secured creditors, the largest being SOF Investments owned by Michael Dell. This is worth $80 million. Most significant of this loan is the strangehold terms that were drawn up. Mr. Moyes would get a measly $9 per ticket sale to go towards the Coyotes, and Dell, would take all other revenues as ‘collateral’ against the loan. The bottom line. Moyes did not have a chance based on the easy math to pay the bills. Why would the terms be that bad? Good question. Let’s carry on.

The City of Glendale was asked on several ocassions by Mr. Moyes to rework the Jobing.com lease terms. They refused. Mr. Moyes was yet again wondering why no consideration, as his team was suffering more and more.

Finally, the NHL had to step in with assistance to ‘help’ Moyes with a loan. But, in order to get the loan, he had to sign various proxies surrendering all rights to control of the team in the process.

Now, over the articles written, we have shown that Jerry Reinsdorf coming into the scene was anything but a coincidence. In fact, all the facts leading up to the Coyotes going bankrupt was a cold, calculated plan by the friends to Glendale.

Jerry Reinsdorf’s son Michael has a very good relationship with the City of Glendale. He also is responsible for stadium and arena development and financing negotiations for the City. He was responsible for overseeing the building of Jobing.com arena, and we still do not have any proof of involvement in lease negotiation assistance, that he professes to be an expert in. If Jerry Moyes needed help, where was the City of Glendale and Michael Reinsdorf to lend professional assistance? Another red flag.

To make the summary short, based on the knowledge obtained, it would appear there is a strategy of business alliances in Glendale that are responsible as corporate partners to increase the development of land, with the hope of influx of residents, taxes and jobs. There has not been terrific proof that this growth has occured. The only for sure, is the corporate partners like Michael Dell and Michael Reinsdorf, that are proffiting from their strong ties to the City.

Glendale, it would seem has ‘hopped into bed’ with these private corporations so much, that they colluded to get rid of Jerry Moyes, because he did not offer continued growth. The means to the end was the financial strangelhold with the SOF loan, and the ignoring of his need to have the arena lease reworked.

With the addition of the second bid by Daryl Jones, it would, with more careful look, appear to be another good boy maneuver, bringing in ‘friends of friends’, with common business interest. Hardly an autonomous bid.

In the Board of Governors of the NHL, the interesting choice of words that Jerry Reinsdorf is fully endorsed, while the rookies show promise, but are still not fully approved is interesting too. Going back to plan A, where plan B may have just been an attempt to show the court that the NHL did not collude with Reinsdorf. I don’t know if anyone will buy that, including the U.S. bankruptcy trustee who smelled the rat a while ago.

And the big proof is the Reinsdorf offer. How obvious can it be?  It requires a friend, Michael Dell, to renegotiate his SOF loan. Golly gee. And it requires the NHL to rework or dismiss it’s loan. You don’t say?  And, are you ready for it? It requires the City of Glendale to work a plan of concessions that Moyes was asking for, but was ignored. And, I hope you are sitting down. The City of Glendale negotiated with Jerry Reinsdorf when they wouldn’t with Jerry Moyes. Wow, good to have a son in tight with a municipality, eh?

I hope Moyes has a good legal team to go after the boys civilly when this round is over.

If it could be anymore obvious by the demands that the strangelhold the ‘friends’ had on Jerry Moyes, I don’t know how you could do it. The proof is in the offer. Don’t put Jerry Reinsdorf in the same position as Moyes. Are you kidding me?

With Michael Dell repositioning himself as a major player in land development with Related Companies, it would seem he has learned to hedge his opportunities. With computer industry profits diving, and the opportunity for easy, big money in land sales tax strategies with government, it would appear he has a lot to gain and lose. So much so, he would want to ensure he structures Glendale with as many friends as he can. Will he make the loan terms much better that $9 per ticket? Please, do you have to ask?

It can only be hoped that the judge sees this charade for the joke it is. A collusion poster child legal departments at ivy league universities could use for years to come. Wouldn’t it be ironic if these same friends went to these universities for advice? Downright hilarious!

No, Judge Baum has a chance, along with the U.S. trustee in bankruptcy, to put these ‘friends’ on the ropes, then to the canvas, and put them in a stranglehold of their own.

Why did Hamilton learn of yet another team in financial ruin ready to make a deal?  It was the courage of Jerry Moyes to call the NHL, and the friends of Glendale’s spade. Calling a spade a spade!

Is it any wonder Commissioner Bettman was scrambling to avoid the public knowledge that would occur when this charade went public? Is it any wonder he put together proxies in a feeble attempt to control a man that could not be controlled?

There are no coincidences here. Just a long stream of maneuvers, greed, lies, and deception. They never would have expected Jerry Moyes to blow the whistle. I for one, am proud of him. I support him, and I don’t even know him. But, I can relate to the injustice he experienced. And I will do my part, along with others like Jim Balsillie to help him regain his wealth.

Jerry Moyes deserves our support. The NHL, and the friends of Glendale deserve the exposure they get too.

May justice prevail!

When the 'Rubber' of Politics meets the 'Road' to Ambition

Obama salutes the People

Obama salutes the People

For the bullet summary, please go here.

We all know the expression, ‘how badly do you want it’!

How much are you willing to do or offer in an attempt to ‘get it‘?

When man has ambition, he may do anything in the name of ambition; to gain power, and be put in man’s ‘seat of authority’. He may even promise a few future favors in return.

Politics is full of ambition for  power, and the whole system is geared to political campaigning to influence the voters, which gives the candidate a good chance at winning the election.

We all know about the last Presidential race, where Barack Obama was in competition with Senator of Arizona John McCain. Senator McCain, of course represents the Republican Party, and President elect Obama the Democrats.

How this ties into the government land subsidy issues being fought in  the U.S. Supreme Court, the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy case, and the Republican Goldwater Institute may prove intriguing.

Lines may begin to blur, where political ideals and values  may not match political ambition. Where Republican values may be ‘numbed’ by past relationships, or potential promises or favors made. ‘Eyes’ deflected away when they should be firmly focused.

So, what on earth am I talking about?

Well, a recent article asked Arizonans to contact their Senator to help put an end to the sales tax based government spending as evidenced in the CityNorth case, and in the Coyotes case in Glendale.

The Republican values of the Goldwater Institute are fighting fiercely the governments of Phoenix and Glendale on these tax concessions.

Now, as we have looked at time and again, the ‘friends of Glendale’ seem to have positioned themselves well with the City and it’s officials. But if they truly wanted to position themselves well in Glendale, Arizona, perhaps they should position themselves well with the State of Arizona. Could this also be why the Mayor of Phoenix is fighting so fiercely to keep the corporate partners like Related Companies happy?

Could it also explain why Jerry Reinsdorf was a political fundraiser in John McCain’s 2008 Presidential Campaign?

Jerry Reinsdorf (fundraiser for John McCain in 2008 Presidential Campaign)

Jerry Reinsdorf (fundraiser for John McCain in 2008 Presidential Campaign)

I would certainly hope that the Senator of Arizona would join the Republican cause in fighting hand in hand with the Goldwater Institute to take back control for the taxpayers.

Senator John McCain (Arizona)

Senator John McCain (Arizona)

Arizonans, you can help Senator McCain by contacting him. Show your support of reduced government spending, and support the ideals and goals of the Republican Party to have your voice count.

Help him put the past behind him, and focus on the rights of the American people.

And, even if you live in a state outside Arizona, chances are good your government is considering land development sales tax subsidies too. Time to have your voice heard!

When the ‘Rubber’ of Politics meets the ‘Road’ to Ambition

Obama salutes the People

Obama salutes the People

For the bullet summary, please go here.

We all know the expression, ‘how badly do you want it’!

How much are you willing to do or offer in an attempt to ‘get it‘?

When man has ambition, he may do anything in the name of ambition; to gain power, and be put in man’s ‘seat of authority’. He may even promise a few future favors in return.

Politics is full of ambition for  power, and the whole system is geared to political campaigning to influence the voters, which gives the candidate a good chance at winning the election.

We all know about the last Presidential race, where Barack Obama was in competition with Senator of Arizona John McCain. Senator McCain, of course represents the Republican Party, and President elect Obama the Democrats.

How this ties into the government land subsidy issues being fought in  the U.S. Supreme Court, the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy case, and the Republican Goldwater Institute may prove intriguing.

Lines may begin to blur, where political ideals and values  may not match political ambition. Where Republican values may be ‘numbed’ by past relationships, or potential promises or favors made. ‘Eyes’ deflected away when they should be firmly focused.

So, what on earth am I talking about?

Well, a recent article asked Arizonans to contact their Senator to help put an end to the sales tax based government spending as evidenced in the CityNorth case, and in the Coyotes case in Glendale.

The Republican values of the Goldwater Institute are fighting fiercely the governments of Phoenix and Glendale on these tax concessions.

Now, as we have looked at time and again, the ‘friends of Glendale’ seem to have positioned themselves well with the City and it’s officials. But if they truly wanted to position themselves well in Glendale, Arizona, perhaps they should position themselves well with the State of Arizona. Could this also be why the Mayor of Phoenix is fighting so fiercely to keep the corporate partners like Related Companies happy?

Could it also explain why Jerry Reinsdorf was a political fundraiser in John McCain’s 2008 Presidential Campaign?

Jerry Reinsdorf (fundraiser for John McCain in 2008 Presidential Campaign)

Jerry Reinsdorf (fundraiser for John McCain in 2008 Presidential Campaign)

I would certainly hope that the Senator of Arizona would join the Republican cause in fighting hand in hand with the Goldwater Institute to take back control for the taxpayers.

Senator John McCain (Arizona)

Senator John McCain (Arizona)

Arizonans, you can help Senator McCain by contacting him. Show your support of reduced government spending, and support the ideals and goals of the Republican Party to have your voice count.

Help him put the past behind him, and focus on the rights of the American people.

And, even if you live in a state outside Arizona, chances are good your government is considering land development sales tax subsidies too. Time to have your voice heard!

The legal ‘Eyebrow’ is officially raised

For the bullet summary, please go here.

Folks, we should have just asked the NHL a long time ago if they would have arrived at a unanimous decision to reject Jim Balsillie as an owner in the NHL. I bet Judge Baum is now upset that the court’s time and money has been spent on a cause that was never going to happen. They should probably just call a special meeting, where Judge Baum can stand up, look somber, and give Jim Balsillie the unfortunate news that he is disliked in the NHL owners’ lounge, and he might as well give up. Or, not!

I think we can all recall the moment when Judge Baum flexed his wisdom at the NHL and its’ lawyers. The question is, were they sleeping at that part?

And Justice For All!

And Justice For All!

Did the NHL miss the important, yet revealing words of Judge Baum, when he said clearly that if Jim Balsillie should be rejected as an owner at this point, it would ‘raise some legal eyebrows‘? In laymans terms, Judge Baum may as well have said, ‘Boys, I’ll let you play your game, but when it steps over the line and becomes so obvious as it insults my court and intelligence, then all bets are off!’ Well, the bets are officially off!

You see, Judge Baum has no doubt been down this road many times before. It’s called legal wrangling, and it is quite honestly pathetic.

But, there are important aspects of human psychology that come into play with this ‘move’.

The NHL has played all their cards now. This is a last ditch effort to secure Jerry Reinsdorf as the ‘white knight’ of Glendale. Actually Jerry Reinsdorf is just another friend of uncle Glendale.

The boys tried to bring in the rookies, and now have realized, oops, that wasn’t a good idea, let’s go back to Jerry. But, they tried to fool the court in believing plan B was fresh, autonomous, and evidence no collusion was taking place. Judge Baum must be thinking, ‘Is that all you got?’

It is time for the U.S. bankruptcy trustee with much wisdom too, to call a spade a spade, stand up, and pull out the whistle. What the NHL has to wonder is who strategically called in the U.S. Bankruptcy trustee in the first place. Hmmmm. That’s an interesting one, isn’t it? There could be a judge looking for an excuse, and is lining up his ducks too.

The NHL has been testing the court with it’s arrogant nature. Judge Baum has so far let the noose out, and given the NHL the benefit of the doubt. Judge Baum was playing the game too. No more. It’s now the nitty gritty. Now, it’s time to get tough.

It would seem the NHL has finally done it this time. They have officially raised the legal eyebrow of Judge Baum’s courtroom.

If I were the NHL, I’d be a little worried about how strong the court can really be.

The legal 'Eyebrow' is officially raised

For the bullet summary, please go here.

Folks, we should have just asked the NHL a long time ago if they would have arrived at a unanimous decision to reject Jim Balsillie as an owner in the NHL. I bet Judge Baum is now upset that the court’s time and money has been spent on a cause that was never going to happen. They should probably just call a special meeting, where Judge Baum can stand up, look somber, and give Jim Balsillie the unfortunate news that he is disliked in the NHL owners’ lounge, and he might as well give up. Or, not!

I think we can all recall the moment when Judge Baum flexed his wisdom at the NHL and its’ lawyers. The question is, were they sleeping at that part?

And Justice For All!

And Justice For All!

Did the NHL miss the important, yet revealing words of Judge Baum, when he said clearly that if Jim Balsillie should be rejected as an owner at this point, it would ‘raise some legal eyebrows‘? In laymans terms, Judge Baum may as well have said, ‘Boys, I’ll let you play your game, but when it steps over the line and becomes so obvious as it insults my court and intelligence, then all bets are off!’ Well, the bets are officially off!

You see, Judge Baum has no doubt been down this road many times before. It’s called legal wrangling, and it is quite honestly pathetic.

But, there are important aspects of human psychology that come into play with this ‘move’.

The NHL has played all their cards now. This is a last ditch effort to secure Jerry Reinsdorf as the ‘white knight’ of Glendale. Actually Jerry Reinsdorf is just another friend of uncle Glendale.

The boys tried to bring in the rookies, and now have realized, oops, that wasn’t a good idea, let’s go back to Jerry. But, they tried to fool the court in believing plan B was fresh, autonomous, and evidence no collusion was taking place. Judge Baum must be thinking, ‘Is that all you got?’

It is time for the U.S. bankruptcy trustee with much wisdom too, to call a spade a spade, stand up, and pull out the whistle. What the NHL has to wonder is who strategically called in the U.S. Bankruptcy trustee in the first place. Hmmmm. That’s an interesting one, isn’t it? There could be a judge looking for an excuse, and is lining up his ducks too.

The NHL has been testing the court with it’s arrogant nature. Judge Baum has so far let the noose out, and given the NHL the benefit of the doubt. Judge Baum was playing the game too. No more. It’s now the nitty gritty. Now, it’s time to get tough.

It would seem the NHL has finally done it this time. They have officially raised the legal eyebrow of Judge Baum’s courtroom.

If I were the NHL, I’d be a little worried about how strong the court can really be.

Time for Arizonans to Speak with their Senator!

For the bullet summary  (of the Phoenix Coyotes case that led to this), please go here.

It’s time for the American people to stand up and be heard!

People of Arizona,

As a Canadian I have learned much about the tax injustices you suffer as a result of private, American corporations taking advantage of you as taxpayers. It started out as a campaign to support NHL hockey for Hamilton, Ontario, but has grown into a bigger cause. Even as a Canadian, I cannot stand to see what is happening to the American debt, not helped by fellow Americans. Here is your chance to make a difference too.

Senator John McCain (Arizona)

Senator John McCain (Arizona)

We have discussed the land development subsidies contributing to the mounting debt of the United States. Senator John McCain is a strong advocate of reducing spending in government, and therefore, you should use his contact form located here to send him a clear message whether or not you agree with a parking spot at CityNorth costing the taxpayers of Arizona (Phoenix) $480,000. (200 spots to the tune of $97 million Arizona tax dollars!)

We all know the rich find ways to get richer, but on the backsides of the American taxpayer? I don’t think so.

Here is your chance to say enough is enough. It’s time to start with the state of Arizona. Little steps toward a bigger need to reduce the nation of America’s debt, that according to Senator McCain, is growing by the second. To see the money clock, go here. (paid for by the friends of John McCain).

The Goldwater Institute, a republican watchdog group should have Senator McCain’s full support. There should be no reason why he wouldn’t want to put a stop to land development sales tax subsidies. Subsidies and ‘deals’ that put too much power in the hands of private corporations, stripping the rights of the people, and making infrastructure growth incredibly expensive.

The Goldwater Institute is fighting the developers, in Phoenix over CityNorth, and they are fighting for your rights as taxpayers to have full, transparent disclosure in the Phoenix Coyotes NHL bankruptcy battle. The article starts out by stating’ Phoenix is broke!  There is another great article on the CityNorth nightmare by the Wall Street Journal you can find here.

In case you didn’t know, in a recent poll, the residents of Glendale spoke clearly that if there were subsidies for private owners of the hockey team, the residents didn’t want the team! Approximately three quarters of those polled (72%) said they clearly didn’t want to pay for the team to remain in Glendale.

So, in response, the City of Glendale, involved in partnership arrangements with private corporations decided to leave the taxpayers out, hoping to push the deal through, and only advise the results when it is too late. The same city officials the taxpayers of Glendale elected to represent them.

You can see the argument why you need to know here.

And, thank you Senator McCain, in advance, for listening to the taxpayers of Arizona! I certainly hope you can have influence to stop the greed of some, to the detriment of many!

When we look at the possibilities, the waters get very ‘Muckety’

For the bullet summary, please go here.

As we are discovering, relationships are very important in business to get ahead. And, when you want to ensure success, your strategy must be to put some key people, with key contacts in place to ensure the ‘team’ is going to get results.

The situation in Glendale seems to have revolved around the opportunity for land development and tax subsidies to private corporations developing and lending money. The bond issues that are sales tax based are very lucrative to the investors, and in light of today’s uncertain economy, anything backed by the taxpayer is an incentive for the private lenders and developers to ‘keep on keeping on’.

Well, it is interesting to look further into MSD Capital, as it seems to play a pivotal role in the Phoenix Coyotes case, and keeps popping up time and time again, becoming impossible to ignore. It would seem as time goes by, that MSD Capital is a very influential player in this game, indeed.

How big an obstacle could MSD Capital’s relationship with Glendale be in the bid to move the Coyotes to Canada? Well, when we look at it, the waters get very muddy. Downright ‘Muckety’ !

Muckety.com (located at http://www.muckety.com) has a very unique way to view relationships in business. Let’s call it the ‘family tree’ of business. Worth repeating, alliances are keys to success, and alliances can create quite the ‘tangled web’ when explored. Kind of like logrithmic growth.  The family tree can get rather intricate.

We can have some fun looking at all the possibilities though, and since we are on the subject of MSD Capital involvement with the Phoenix Coyotes case, let’s have a closer look.

Yesterday, we looked at Daryl Jones’ Research Edge LLC, and noted that there would appear to be some key relationships that brought Jones into the mix. Well, Jones may just be one of several key maneuvers that have occured over time to set up the situation in Arizona. Let me explain.

Let’s look again at the Management team at MSD Capital. According to Business Week, the company is involved in ‘grow equity’ financing, and was formed in 1998.

If we look at the business family tree of MSD Capital, we can see Eric Rosen (former boss of Daryl Jones at Onex), and brought into MSD Capital in 2005. And, we can see other relationships to MSD , Onex, and others. If you click the contacts with the (+) symbols, look out, you can create quite a mess on the diagram. Some companies you might recognize too. Interesting stuff!

The point to be made here is that when forming alliances, and bringing in partners, it is important to ensure we don’t let just anyone into the club. When there is a lot at stake financially and otherwise, any new player must fit a certain criteria.

So, when Daryl Jones and the boys surrounding Research Edge LLC just happened to show up with an offer for the Phoenix Coyotes, it would appear it might have been anything but a co-incidence. And, anything but an autonomous relationship with the friends already in Glendale. This could be the ‘Collusion‘ poster child.

For the average hockey fan, or truck driver, who would have known it would be this complicated. After all, isn’t this about a hockey team?

When we look at the possibilities, the waters get very 'Muckety'

For the bullet summary, please go here.

As we are discovering, relationships are very important in business to get ahead. And, when you want to ensure success, your strategy must be to put some key people, with key contacts in place to ensure the ‘team’ is going to get results.

The situation in Glendale seems to have revolved around the opportunity for land development and tax subsidies to private corporations developing and lending money. The bond issues that are sales tax based are very lucrative to the investors, and in light of today’s uncertain economy, anything backed by the taxpayer is an incentive for the private lenders and developers to ‘keep on keeping on’.

Well, it is interesting to look further into MSD Capital, as it seems to play a pivotal role in the Phoenix Coyotes case, and keeps popping up time and time again, becoming impossible to ignore. It would seem as time goes by, that MSD Capital is a very influential player in this game, indeed.

How big an obstacle could MSD Capital’s relationship with Glendale be in the bid to move the Coyotes to Canada? Well, when we look at it, the waters get very muddy. Downright ‘Muckety’ !

Muckety.com (located at http://www.muckety.com) has a very unique way to view relationships in business. Let’s call it the ‘family tree’ of business. Worth repeating, alliances are keys to success, and alliances can create quite the ‘tangled web’ when explored. Kind of like logrithmic growth.  The family tree can get rather intricate.

We can have some fun looking at all the possibilities though, and since we are on the subject of MSD Capital involvement with the Phoenix Coyotes case, let’s have a closer look.

Yesterday, we looked at Daryl Jones’ Research Edge LLC, and noted that there would appear to be some key relationships that brought Jones into the mix. Well, Jones may just be one of several key maneuvers that have occured over time to set up the situation in Arizona. Let me explain.

Let’s look again at the Management team at MSD Capital. According to Business Week, the company is involved in ‘grow equity’ financing, and was formed in 1998.

If we look at the business family tree of MSD Capital, we can see Eric Rosen (former boss of Daryl Jones at Onex), and brought into MSD Capital in 2005. And, we can see other relationships to MSD , Onex, and others. If you click the contacts with the (+) symbols, look out, you can create quite a mess on the diagram. Some companies you might recognize too. Interesting stuff!

The point to be made here is that when forming alliances, and bringing in partners, it is important to ensure we don’t let just anyone into the club. When there is a lot at stake financially and otherwise, any new player must fit a certain criteria.

So, when Daryl Jones and the boys surrounding Research Edge LLC just happened to show up with an offer for the Phoenix Coyotes, it would appear it might have been anything but a co-incidence. And, anything but an autonomous relationship with the friends already in Glendale. This could be the ‘Collusion‘ poster child.

For the average hockey fan, or truck driver, who would have known it would be this complicated. After all, isn’t this about a hockey team?