By Sergio Arellano-Oros
Some prominent Tucsonans are reacting to Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik’s proposal that gun shows be prohibited on city property. Kozachik said this week that he would specifically like to prohibit gun shows at the TCC.
Rio Nuevo Board member Alberto Moore is questioning the wisdom of the move in light of the fact that the City is obligated to make much needed repairs to the TCC. Rio Nuevo is the owner of the property and according to the lease the City is responsible for the upkeep of the property.
According to the City they are strapped for cash and will have difficulty meeting their obligations. A claim that Moore says hardly supports turning much needed revenue away. “Tucson’s economy is struggling as a result of reckless decisions by the city and this just shows that their personal ideologies always trump the welfare of the community,” said Alberto Moore, Secretary of the newly reconstituted Rio Nuevo Board.
Not only does it affect the economy, but there is an express statute that prevents the City from regulating the transfer of firearms at the TCC that was passed after they attempted a similar ban in 2002 against the McMann Gun Show.
“Notwithstanding any other law, this paragraph does not authorize a political subdivision to regulate the sale or transfer of firearms on property it owns, leases, operates or controls in a manner that is different than or inconsistent with state law. For the purposes of this paragraph, a use permit or other contract that provides for the use of property owned, leased, operated or controlled by a political subdivision shall not be considered a sale, conveyance or disposition of property.”
Jeff Hill, the Treasurer of the reconstituted Rio Nuevo Board recalls that in his 12 years in the Arizona Senate, he and his colleagues were called upon numerous times to pre-empt equally anti-taxpayer efforts by the Tucson City Council, “Pre-emption may have been a dirty word to the city, but if it were not for the Legislature, the taxpayers of Tucson would have been the worst for it, and this stupid effort by Kozachik to stop more economic dollars coming to Tucson is de ja vu all over again.”
Even if Kozachik won the support of his fellow councilpersons, he is unlikely to get past his landlords who are dedicated to preserving the downtown and what is left of Tucson’s job market.
“Kozachik and his cronies on the Tucson City Council are just continuing their long war on local businesses and taxpaying, law abiding citizens,” said former Senator Frank Antenori. “While they continue to posture for the media and chase much needed tax revenue out of town, the citizens have to deal with crappy roads and waiting a long time for an understaffed police force to respond to crimes committed against them. Tucson is quickly becoming the new Detroit.”
Many in Tucson are seeing the parallel to Michigan. One Tucsonan said that if he were a gun show organizer he would give Kozachik what he wanted. He suggested that the gun shows move to a venue like the Expo, the casinos, Marana, or Oro Valley. He said that if the City want to commit economic suicide there isn’t anything anyone can seem to do to stop them. “With Steve, all he cares about is the movie industry. Next thing you know Michael Moore will come to town and film another Roger and Me. Dying towns are the thing of Oscars these days.”
The City passed a ticket tax which added $2 to every ticket for every event at the TCC. That money was to be used for the renovations to the venue. However, rather than do the needed repairs the City swept the monies into the general fund and the TCC has fallen into disrepair.
