Mr. Western,

Regarding your New Year's Resolution to improve the opinion pages of the Republic, is it possible to petition for a more balanced coverage of the forthcoming City of Phoenix bond issue?

From my point of view--and you probably disagree--the Republic is a tireless cheerleader for all of the--to me--insane boondoggles being effected Downtown. For example, nation-wide, all public transportation schemes are colossal failures from a cost-recovery standpoint, but the Republic publishes nothing but puff-pieces about the ValleyMetro Trolley--which stands an excellent chance of being the biggest failure of all. As far as I'm concerned, this is not news, not opinion, not even public relations. It is active, knowing mendacity, deliberately concealing facts, uncontested but largely undisclosed, for purposes of propaganda.

That notwithstanding, the tax-payers of Phoenix are about to be strapped with nearly a billion dollars of new debt, much of which--in my opinion--will be entirely wasted. It seems only reasonable to me that we have something resembling a debate on the issue. As much as PNI as a corporation or the Republic as a newspaper might favor the bonds and their proposed uses, it remains that the newspaper is the only remaining medium in which such a debate could take place.

Institutional criticism is usually futile. From a customer-oriented point-of-view, criticism is a great gift. It may tell you how to do better, but, at a minimum, it tells you how to stop doing badly. But the denizens of most institutions, when criticized, will instead circle the wagons, insisting on the rightness of their positions and the risible nature of anyone who would dare to challenge their expertise, experience and endless estimable qualities. Certainly this has been the case with the mainstream media, which never tires of ridiculing the alternative media and its audiences, bidding good riddance to every former cash customer. The auctioneer has a cure for this syndrome, but what does he know, anyway?

A couple of weeks ago, I had thought to write to you to offer to elucidate my objections to the Downtown boondoggles, and the course of municipal government in general in the Valley. My working title was "10 ways to crash a Phoenix," reflecting the ten weeks until the bond issue comes to a vote. At the time, I reconsidered, first because I felt it was a waste of my time even to offer to do the work, and second because I have very little confidence that the Republic or any other medium in Phoenix will ever utter a discouraging word about the Creative Class Cargo Cult and its grand designs.

But in light of your article today, I am re-reconsidering my position.

Here is my offer: I will produce op-eds arguing against the bond issue and everything it portends, to be run in the Viewpoints section over the next ten Sundays. I'll write whatever I want and you can edit for length, if you'll promise not to eviscerate the content. You'll pay me nothing, which is already my arrangement with the Republic.

Obviously I can write. You can see me on topic here. You didn't run this when I submitted it in May, but I didn't expect you to.

Please understand that doing this is not good for me. It will be bad for my business, both because it will take time away from profitable work and because it will alienate some potential clients (although it may endear me to others). Even so, I care enough about the future of the Valley that I am willing to act contrary to my own interests in order to see this issue debated in the full context of all the facts.

The fact is, the bond issue will probably pass. As the Republic accidentally reported last week, the deck is already stacked against opponents. But when the Trolley and the Civic Center and the hotel--decorated by genuine bureaucrats!--all fail, along with all these other stupid stunts, it would be nice if somewhere in the public fora there had been a discussion of why they must fail. And--who knows?--maybe the tax-payers still have time to catch on to what it being done to them, if they are given the opportunity to exercise an informed discretion.

My expectation is that you'll refuse this offer--probably without even the courtesy of a reply--but I'm open to the possibility of a surprise. In fact, it is in the long-term best-interest of the Republic to be an honest broker of information in the Valley. I don't think it has honored this obligation with respect to these Downtown boondoggles, but, as you note, New Year's is our big chance to resolve to do better.

So: I'm game if you are.

Best,

Greg Swann, GRI, CBR, Realtor
Designated Broker
BloodhoundRealty.com
Vox: 602-740-7531 | Fax: 602-504-1353