Looks to me like Transit 2000 is getting desparate to show they have ANY support. See my notations below for explanations.
At 12:39 AM 3/1/2000 EST, Mike Renzulli posted the following:
>Transit 2000 rally. Perhaps you & friends will want to attend.
>
>COMMUNITY STANDS UNITED TO URGE YES VOTE ON PROPOSITION 2000
>FIREFIGHTERS, BUSINESS LEADERS, STUDENTS, REALTORS, DISABLED, LABOR LEADERS,
>HOTEL ASSOCIATION, AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION, and others
>
>WHAT:
>A news conference hosted by Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza to showcase the
>broad-based community support of Propostition 2000 and disclose the wide
>range of contributors to this important issue. (Financial filings will be
>March 2.)
Skip and friends have called in a lot of chits to gather a group of sycophants to shill for them.
>WHO:
>Willo Neighborhood Association, Dr. Ruth Ann Marston
Trolley will run right past their neighborhood, thus upping their property values. This, not-so-unintended, consequence of light rail was noted in Steve Wilson's column in the Arizona Republic today.
>Bank One Arizona and GPEC, Mike Welborn
Textbook case of a downtown business interest lobbying for corporate welfare.
>United Phoenix Firefighters Association, Billy Shields
Public employees union supporting their brothers in the transit union.
>Pinnacle West /APS and Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Bill Post
Wants to sell electricity to run the trolley
>Arizona Lung Association, Bill Pfeifer
Perpetual charity organization pretending to be doing something about lung problems so that you'll keep giving to the United Way and paying Bill Pfeifer's fat salary
>Valley Hotel & Resort Association, Debra Sweeny
Wants trolleys from the airport to their members' hotels.
>AFL-CIO, Ted Murphree
Supporting more jobs for unionized transit workers
>Employee Solutions and Greater Phoenix Leadership, Quentin Smith
Wants transportation subsidies for unskilled, low wage workers.
>Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Valerie Manning
Owned and operated by downtown corporate welfare queens.
>Sierra Club, Thomas Cadden
See Arizona Lung Assoc. above
>Phoenix Community Alliance, Don Keuth
?????????
>Phoenix Association of Realtors, Nancy Sharp
Wants to help the folks in the Willo neighborhood sell their newly-appreciated homes
>Phoenix Commission on Disability Issues, Immediate Past Chair - Judith Tunell
Politically-appointed committee whose present chair was too honest to have his/her name associated with this scam.
>ABIL (Arizona Bridge to Independent Living), Donna Redford
Help the handicapped by spending enough money to buy them each a Rolls-Royce to get around town in... and hire a chauffer to drive it.
>Phoenix Youth Commission, Michelle Curtis & Paris Dennard
Politically-appointed commission trying to justify its existance.
>Greater Phoenix Leadership, Tom Browning
Ditto
>N.A.I.L.E.M. ( Neighborhood Activists Inter-Linked Empowerment Movement),
>Donna Neill
Some group out to get the taxpayer
>Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, Ron Snodgrass
>Plus,
Public employees union supporting their brothers in the transit union.
>many others
Too many to list, I guess :)
>
>WHEN:
>1:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 1, 2000
Conveniently scheduled so that those of us that work for a living, who are expected to pay for this boondoggle, won't be able to attend and show our overwhelming opposition to this scam
>
>WHERE:
>Central Transit Station, Central Ave. & Polk St.
Come see the twenty or so folks listed above attend the obligatory cattle call in support of Skip and Jerry's Super Choo-choo. They'll be attended by numerous members of the media who've been instructed not to show anyone wincing or choking on the bus exhaust.
>WHY:
>Phoenix's March 14 Transit 2000 election is important to a wide-range of
>Valley citizens, including companies that rely on public transportation to
>get their employees to and from work and disabled and elderly persons that
>depend on Dial-A-Ride to continue to live independently
Heh, heh. Here they actually admit that they're seeking corporate welfare, as well as the garden-variety kind. Sounds to me like their focus groups have told them what to do with their BS about relieving traffic and air pollution. They ARE desparate.
- Mikey