Here’s a Steve Jobs quote:
A players hire A players, but B players hire C players and C players hire D players. It doesn’t take long to get to Z players. The trickle down effect causes bozo explosions in companies.
Remember, Tommy Gonzalez fancies himself a CEO.
The El Paso Inc. featured a perfunctory article about the benefits of a new arena this week.
Sam Rodriguez, city engineer, said the city of El Paso has not explored different types of financing models but will consider funding sources like partnerships and tax increment reinvestment zones, as well as things like venue and seat naming rights.
. . .
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo has said that the multipurpose center, originally budgeted at $180 million, could cost as much as $250 million today – or more.
Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones. What a great idea. Except that the area around the proposed arena is already covered by TIRZ 5. Also, the City knocked 20 properties off the tax rolls when they bought the land for the arena.
Oh, the irony.
A players hire A players. B players hire C players.
I guess we couldn’t expect El Paso Inc. reporter Sara Sanchez to catch Mr. Rodriguez’ little fib. Because, you know.
A players hire A players. B players hire C players.
But wait. There’s more.
“When you’re booking a show and you see there’s a new facility in the market that hasn’t had entertainment and is starving for it, it becomes very attractive,” [Peter] Luukko, [chairman of global venue management company Oak View Group Facilities] said.
Elsewhere in the Inc. there’s this:
What’s up and coming in music to El Paso? Lots and lots of diverse concerts – from an old school Love Jam to the piano stylings of Raul DiBlasio and Harry Connick Jr. to all-out dance parties with Pitbull, Ozuna and Prince Royce and of course, Cher and Kiss and ZZ Top in between.
And REO Speedwagon.
But let’s not let the facts get in the way of a biased report.
From the first piece:
Luukko said an arena’s success depends in part on the support of a community.
“The community has to believe in it as an asset, and it has to feel welcomed,” Luukko said. “I think a lot is how you kick the project off, the support you have behind it, community events.”
I know a lot of people are really looking forward to the additional taxes that will result from the arena. Aren’t you?
But City Engineer Sam Rodriguez knows who to blame.
“The (multipurpose center) is a piece of the puzzle and we have to take into account what else is happening Downtown,” Rodriguez said. “The (multipurpose center) is just going to add to Downtown, and it’s the results of the policies City Council has put in place.”
Remember that when the elections come around.