Update: Opposition to Prop. 200 Continues to Grow

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Another entry in the category of news you will not read in the Arizona Daily Star. The Tucson Weekly reports More Opposition to Public Safety First Initiative: Prop 200 "Is Fiscally Irrresponsible":

The Arizona Multihousing Association is the latest organization to come out against the Public Safety First Inititative on the city's Nov. 3 ballot.

Barb Dolan, government affairs liason for the AMA, said that Prop 200 would likely force the Tucson City Council to raise taxes or cut services to pay for additional police officers and firefighters.

Says Dolan:

An unfunded mandate is bad public policy anytime, but especially with the current economic conditions. It is fiscally irresponsible. It does not make sense to impose this mandate when the city has already experienced overwhelming budget cuts to services. This mandate will only further those cuts.

The AMA strongly supports police and fire and has a successful track record of working proactively with first responders to promote safe communities. We do not believe that Proposition 200 is the best way to address police and fire staffing levels for Tucson.

The AMA may want to have a discussion with HSL Properties, Inc., the owner of numerous apartment complexes in Tucson. HSL Properties, Inc. is named for its President Humberto S. Lopez. Mr. Lopez is also the owner of Hotel Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Community Center. He lost his bid earlier this year to renovate and expand Hotel Arizona to the Sheraton Hotels, which was awarded the contract by the Tucson City Council for the new downtown convention center hotel. City OKs deal for $167 million convention center hotel

Mr. Lopez also owned the Santa Rita Hotel downtown, which he originally planned to renovate, but later sold the historic site this summer. The Santa Rita Hotel has been demolished. Farewell to Santa Rita Hotel

Mr. Lopez has made his HSL Properties apartment complexes available to the GOP Tucson City Council candidates, all of whom publicly support Prop. 200, for posting campaign signs throughout Tucson. As the private property owner, Mr. Lopez is perfectly within his right to permit posting of campaign signs on his properties.

But it is indicative that this wealthy developer has a personal vendetta against the Tucson City Council because he did not get his way with his development plans for downtown hotels. It's like he thinks he owns the place!

Will the GOP Tucson City Council candidates be beholden to Mr. Lopez? When he says "jump," will they simply ask "how high?" The voters have a right to know if these candidates have made any promises or assurances to Mr. Lopez regarding any future developmemt plans should they be elected.