Arizona Republic - Subsidy Stadium

The Arizona Cardinals owner, Michael Bidwill, continues to price out fans and ruin any goodwill left

Michael Bidwill and his family are what I call a Rake Family. They love stepping on rakes and then seem surprised when it comes back and hits them in the face. The Bidwills first few years in Arizona are a perfect example of this. When the Bidwills moved the Cardinals from St. Louis to Arizona in 1987, they did so because St. Louis wouldn't build them a brand-new stadium. Cardinals executives claimed that people in…

William Neilson Jr.January 8, 2026January 11, 2026

Ballpark

In Mesa, Arizona, city officials did not want residents to know about a stadium agreement so they had a 12 minute meeting right before Thanksgiving

The day before Thanksgiving, the Mesa City Council held a 12-minute meeting (with no residents in attendance) that allowed for 80 acres of land to be classified as a “theme park district.” Moving forward, this land will now be called “Palo District.” The big prize of this deal was how it sets up for a new soccer stadium to be built on this land. For years, the city of Mesa has been trying to figure…

William Neilson Jr.December 15, 2025January 15, 2026

Why are taxpayers giving the Chamber of Commerce a blank check?

Let's say your local sports team wants a new stadium and is trying to get public opinion on their side. Or one of your local city leaders wants to get the public ready for taxpayer money being used on a new sports venue. One of their first calls will be to their local Chamber of Commerce ("CoC").

William Neilson Jr.January 26, 2024January 15, 2026