It’s been 33 years since John Rambo took on the world. It’s been only a week or two since former Phoenix City Councilman Tom Simplot fired the first shots in the 2019 Phoenix Mayor’s race.
Two capable people have made it known they want to replace the term-limited Greg Stanton. Simplot and current Phoenix City Councilman Michael Nowakowski. Both would be strong candidates and make Phoenix history. Simplot would be the first openly gay Mayor, Nowakowski the first Latino.
Simplot also serves as the CEO of the Arizona Multihousing Association. He knows what’s going on in apartment world.
So when Deco Communities and its high-powered lobbyist lost a recent City of Phoenix bid to build a new apartment project on city owned land in downtown Phoenix, Simplot saw an opportunity to sully his potential opponent.
The resulting coverage in the Arizona Republic (click here) reads more like insinuations than a disconcerting investigative report.
Read closely – understand what’s really going on – and it appears there is neither smoke nor fire. Arizona’s most influential political blogger agrees. (Click here)
Hell, Simplot and project allies even pulled the ultimate Obi Wan Kenobi getting the fourth estate to ignore the droids they should be looking for, noticeably their lobbyists and a bid that was $500,000 short of the winning bid – an amount equal to 8 police officers per year.
But so what the Simplot camp is thinking. They just got the art they needed to anchor their direct mail hit piece on a potential competitor.
“Nowakowski: I’m coming to get you.” That’s a play on words from the Rambo sequel when the warrior warned his superior of his intent having been disserved. And that’s the thing about movies and politics. There’s always a sequel. First Blood: Part II.