[PHX31]

A couple things I'm curious about:

1. What is the Suns current lease like at Talking Stick? I'm assuming, since I heard the Suns have paid for maintenance and minor updates, and since the Suns run the booking for other events (again, this is what I've heard), I think they basically get free or a reduced/below market rent.

2. If the Suns get a big break on rent, then it seems as though they should foot the bill for a majority or all of the renovations that are being talked about, and then again have free/reduced rent. Someone mentioned that as an owner of a building (The City owns Talking Stick in this case) or a house, it's the owner/landlord that is responsible for repairs/maintenance/updates. I agree with this, unless, there is some kind of free or major break on the rent payment and as part of the lease the tenant pays.

3. I have also heard that the money coming from the City is already ear-marked money for sports and arena type related uses, by way of hotel and rental car tax dollars. I'm totally fine with this "public" money going to pay for it's intended purpose (updating the arena). People are making it seem like normal people are going to have their taxes raised to pay for it, or money should go to education instead (maybe it should, but that's not the intended use for this earmarked money, so a lot of things would have to fundamentally change).

4. I'm OK with the City and Suns current deal to each pay for some (I don't know the details, ie my #1 above, so I'm not sure about the best percentage of each).

5. Sarver Sucks.

6. I'm a long-time Suns fan since the late 80s. As a kid I can remember listening to Al McCoy on the radio for games and my first trip to see them play was at Veterans Memorial. KJ is probably my all-time favorite Sun, Shawn Marion (my screenname), Mark West, Eddie Johnson, obviously Nash, are some others. I hate to see them in this state that Sarver has brought them to, but I'd hate to see them ever leave (that's not going to happen).