Arizona’s possibly soon-to-be law that makes it a crime to be in the state without ‘jer paypers’ has made us the butt of jokes, the target of boycotts, and created a feeling of tension and angst in the Latino community. Yeah, even the legal ones.But not to be completely dampened by…
Since Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon continues to refuse to answer questions about who’s paying for the big sporting events he and his girlfriend Elissa Mullany have attended — and won’t even confirm that they went to at least two Super Bowls — sources have felt compelled to help unravel these mysteries.Just…
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is refusing to release his “conflict-of-interest list,” kept by the City Attorney’s Office to help elected officials flag potential conflicts when they’re casting votes at public meetings.The rest of Phoenix City Council members managed to release their lists, which New Times requested on May 4.This is one more…
The Gila River Indian Community filed a motion in federal court against the Tohono O’odham Nation in a bid to prevent it from building a West Valley resort-style casino.The Gila River want to intervene in a federal lawsuit that the Tohono O’odham Nation filed in March to force the feds to make…
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon may be refusing to answer questions about a $3,200 payment made to the NFL in 2008 out of a fund meant to promote downtown Phoenix — but a Facebook photo of his girlfriend may provide a clue about that expense.In the photo, Elissa Mullany (left front),…
Although Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon doesn’t leave office for another year and half, political wonks already are speculating about the final lineup of candidates for the 2011 mayor’s race.Former Attorney General Grant Woods? Arizona Democrat Jim Pederson? Deputy Attorney General (and former Phoenix councilman) Greg Stanton? Without an incumbent to challenge, since…
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon still hasn’t answered questions submitted to him by New Times on April 19.The questions were e-mailed to Gordon per his new policy of no longer speaking personally with New Times or the Arizona Republic — more accurately, he won’t talk to reporters who probe him about his…
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon continues to face scrutiny for entangling his personal and professional lives and for lacking transparency in how he conducts certain business in his office. Gordon hired the sister of his girlfriend’s business partner on a roughly $4,000 a month contract to work as his administrative assistant…
Albert Manuel walks through the desert near Gila Bend, reminiscing about the days when Indian villages sprawled across the landscape. He grew up in this southwestern desert, played under its mesquite trees, and hunted quail and dove with his brothers. “We’d go to the water tank or sit under the…
It’s been said in political circles that Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon has been under a tremendous amount of stress in both his personal and public lives. And people aren’t sure what to make of some recent incoherent speeches Gordon has delivered to the public.The Republic has quoted Gordon verbatim on…
Phoenix’s Steve Ellman is an international developer with a commercial real estate empire spanning more than 12 million square feet of retail, entertainment, and office space. Ellman is among the largest owners of real estate in the Phoenix metropolitan area.So why did Ellman hire Elissa Mullany, former fundraiser and current…
Hard to fathom that there could be anything positive about state Senator Russell Pearce’s immigration bill, SB 1070, an extremist “solution” to undocumented immigrants in Arizona that makes their mere presence in here state a crime.The bill would also allow cops to check immigration status with nothing more than “reasonable suspicion” that someone…
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon earlier this week defended hiring Sue Lindmeier, sister of his girlfriend’s business partner, saying former Phoenix City Manager Frank Fairbanks and City Attorney Gary Verburg reviewed and approved her contract.Fairbanks, who retired in November, said today it isn’t true that he approved Lindmeier’s contract.”I’ve never heard of her in…
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon has established a new policy: He will no longer speak personally with New Times or the Arizona Republic. He will only accept questions from the publications if reporters submit them in writing.How very Joe Arpaio-esque.What’s next? Will the mayor start banning reporters who ask tough questions from…
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs, and a host of state and local business people are lobbying top Air Force officials to convince them that Luke Air Force Base is the best place for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.The F-35 is the latest war bird coming off the military…
The City of Phoenix continues to refuse release of Mayor Phil Gordon’s security-detail logs –kept by members of his security team who track Gordon’s daily activities. They contain information such as where they dropped off and picked up the mayor and who was traveling with him.New Times, the Arizona Republic, other…
A version of Mayor Phil Gordon’s 2009 calendar released this week to New Times is missing some bits of inflammatory information that were present last year.When city officials provided some of the same public records last year, the calendar revealed that on at least two occasions, Gordon’s girlfriend Elissa Mullany was the contact…
See update here.Local spin-doctor Jason Rose, who has represented Ellman over the years, said Mullany was not working for Ellman, but he would not give a direct answer to whether she had worked for him in the past. Gordon refused to comment on Mullany’s clients, saying questions should be directed to her. He wouldn’t…
Free From the Shackles of Common Sense …? Right-winger Greg Patterson making fun of a gay lawmaker? Shocking. Not exactly. We couldn’t let Patterson’s obvious brain-fart dissipate into the annals of the World Wide Web. Patterson, of Espresso Pundit fame, recently picked up a video posted on the Arizona…
The Wild, Wild West, indeed.Two Mexican nationals have been arrested in connection with burglaries on trains traveling through northern Arizona on Friday morning, according to the Arizona Daily Sun.Train robberies? Huh.Well, they weren’t going for the gold…
El Mirage just can’t catch a break.For decades, the small West Valley community has been steamrolled, dismissed, and mocked by neighboring cities, mostly because they believe that El Mirage and its policies pose a threat to Luke Air Force Base.The city was recently assailed by Glendale over draft updates to…
In a battle between a former and current police officer, the Phoenix police union’s sticking with the cop on the job. Even though the former cop is Phoenix City Councilman Michael Johnson, a longtime union supporter. Better to stand by Officer Brian Authement, a two-year officer who wrestled Johnson to the ground…
