These guys claimed they were trying to protect Tempe, AZ from pollution, waste of public tax dollars, & corrupt billionaires. Instead they:
- Spread misinformation (They claimed the arena/development plan they were fighting would’ve been funded with public tax dollars, when it actually would’ve been mostly funded privately (some tax dollars would’ve gone to the ground remediation process but that would’ve been a net positive))
- Voted to keep a toxic waste dump instead of remediating it and turning it into a business center. (If the dump does get cleaned up in the future it’ll be more expensive for taxpayers now)
- Ruined thousands of existing & potential jobs by cancelling the construction of new business centers and putting an end to major league sports operations in the city.
- Played a part in causing the Coyotes to move, hurting local businesses (Team employees, local businesses that profited off the team, etc) and communities (Coyotes fans, youth hockey programs in Arizona, etc).
- In a roundabout way, made the billionaire they were trying to fight even more rich (He pocketed the money he would’ve used to build the arena and keep the Coyotes in town, allowing him to make a billion dollar profit by abandoning the team)
- All under the deceptive & manipulative veneer of sticking it to the man
I know everyone likes to rag on Meruelo (which is fair, dgmw), but I don’t think enough people talk about how much Tempe 1st screwed over their own city & played a big role in driving out the #Yotes. Then they just… vanished. Do these hypocrites really have nothing to say for themselves? #Tempe
