An Arizona State Representative is calling for an investigation into what many are calling a shady deal that led to the development of the state’s new $700,000 logo.
Arizona State Representative Teresa Martinez sent a letter to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell requesting an investigation into potential conflicts of interest involving Arizona Tourism Director Lisa Urias and contracts awarded to Urias Communications, the marketing agency she founded.
According to the Arizona Agenda, “The Office of Tourism spent the $700,000, which came from federal pandemic relief funds, on 57 in-person and digital listening sessions across the state, not to mention the $27,500 that went to the brother of the CEO of Urias’ marketing agency. He helped work on the logo with a separate graphic design company.”
This looks really bad — like, *really* bad.https://t.co/QVdMeShZ7j
— Brian Anderson (@AZBrianAnderson) November 21, 2024
“These reported facts, if true, raise significant questions about potential violations of Arizona’s conflict of interest laws,” Representative Martinez wrote in her letter. “All government officials must act responsibly, ethically, and transparently.”
In a press release, Martinez alleged that the contracts “may include a $250,000 non-competitive contract with the Arizona Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education,” and State Senator Jake Hoffman attempted to involve Republican Superintendent Tom Horne in the matter, claiming online that Horne “is wrapped up in this scandal too.”
However, according to Superintendent Tom Horne, the Arizona Department of Education “paid $15K on an expiring 1-year contract with Urias. ADE does not, nor will it, have a $250K contract with Urias. Get your facts straight.”
Senator, we paid $15K on an expiring 1-year contract with Urias. ADE does not, nor will it, have a $250K contract with Urias. Get your facts straight.
— SPI Tom Horne (@RealTomHorne) November 21, 2024
On Friday morning, the Arizona Department of Education demanded a retraction and released the following statement:
A number of reports have been published, without verification, that the Arizona Department of Education has a $250,000 contract with a marketing company associated with Lisa Urias. This is completely false and such reports must be retracted and corrected.
The document that has gained attention is not a contract at all, but a Competition Impractical document that was never approved. ADE has spent $15,225 with Urias for meeting planning services, but there has not been, nor will there be, a contract or expenditure for $250,000. Nor has any prior administration engaged in such a contract.
How about: Anyone who wants a new logo/mascot/crest/flag/etc. pays for it out-of-pocket (with receipts), and it goes to the following general election for vote. If it is not adopted they don’t get reimbursed.
The only way to end profligate spending is to disincentivize the spenders from wasting money.
Who can Arizonans depend on? anything with a $700,000 dollar price tag funded by taxpayers demands accountability. Clearly the production of such a “basic” art project should have an associated cost/value of well under $2000 dollars. And if there needed to be more than 3 meetings to fine tune/ make changes to the logo- then clearly those sessions were of “NO VALUE”. So who can Arizonans depend on to hold Arizona State government officials and their employees accountable? I know I’m not alone in saying Arizona has a lack of confidence in our Governor’s office and our Attorney General’s office. Who will take the lead in examining this matter and holding those accountable?
“Blatant Corruption”
Are US
Welcome to Arizona
The logo is just like our governor: Ugly and worthless.
Yep! She’s a fricking criminal!!!
Arizona… The Bagel State?
Outrageous. To use pandemic funds for a logo, and a really unattractive one at that, is corrupt and offensive. Why don’t we use these $ to secure our border!
As a graphic designer (Wei Cool Design llc) I could have come up with a much better logo for only 700 bucks. But then again, I’m not connected to government hacks.
Federal, State and Local Government officials need to clamp down on the reckless spending of “pandemic relief funds”. This should be returned to the incoming administration for debt relief and government consolidation efforts to save the republic from insolvency. Bad governance of the last 4 years has created this “slush”, don’t squander it now!
They could have done a contest using several hundred art and graphic design majors in college for one hell of a lot less. But that’s not the corrupt way to go. I bet the college kids could come up with a much, much, much better design. This one looks stupid.
Who decided we need a new logo? Doesn’t something like that have to go through AZ congress?
That logo is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. It seems to have a lot of “blue” in it. Trying to turn AZ blue even with the logo.
I guess we can thank God there’s no rainbow in it!
The design as presented is washed out (i.e., lacks high contrast, doesn’t show up well against a white background) and the use of green against orange crosses into the color palette that is difficult to distinguish if one is red-green color blind. Free consultation. We don’t need a new logo and this one is a “No.”
How is this in any way related to Pandemic Relief Funds? This is outrageous and corrupt! Many in the AZ Gov are a disgraceful joke!
Looks like the gubmint just has too much money?
Why on Earth the state even needs a stupid logo! It has a great seal! Use that and let people learn and recognize that.
Welcome to the new Arizona
https://postimg.cc/K3LFt52b
Welcome to Calizona……where corruption and greed is the key word for the bureaucrats.
Logo SUCKS
Bald-faced Democrat corruption. Prosecute!
Talk about blatant corruption…