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15 July 2003

Minneapolis is America's Most Literate City

Scored by five factors - educational attainment, newspaper circulation, periodicals published, library resources and booksellers, Phoenix is ranked at #43 out of 64 total cities. Scandalously, Tucson lists at #28. My birthplace, Pittsburgh, is ranked in the top ten, at #6. Three out of the bottom five cities are located in the home state of our current president.

posted by Naum at 11:25 | Valley |

1 July 2003

Ellman To Soak Scottsdale for Millions

What a shrewd financial operator Steve Ellman is. While cities across Arizona, including Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria, beat back plans for new Wal-Mart stores, Scottsdale wants to toss a subsidy worth $150 million or maybe more to Mr. Ellman so that a Wal-Mart can be built on the old Los Arcos Mall site. The Scottsdale City Council will cast votes Wednesday on the proposal.

Ellman has held the site hostage in retaliation for the Phoenix Coyote arena fiasco and has threatened to leave it a bare eyesore or worst, giving the land to Sheriff Arpaio to turn into an alternate "tent city" jail facility. Nearby residents are understandably miffed at the whole ordeal.

Ellman's position is further strengthened by recent changes in state law that make it more difficult for the city to condemn and acquire the property via eminent domain laws.
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posted by Naum at 0:49 | Valley |