http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/41418.html
Arena details to remain secret
By Mary Lynne Vellinga - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 1:04 am PDT Wednesday, October 18, 2006
After a session closed to the public, the Sacramento City Council decided not to release the latest arena proposal made by city staff to the Kings' owners, despite a lawsuit claiming residents have a right to the information before voting on an arena plan Nov. 7.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has demanded that the latest exchanges between the Kings and the city be made public. The city is scheduled to file an answer in Sacramento Superior Court today.
The city claims the material constitutes draft documents used in negotiations, not final proposals, and should remain confidential.
Councilman Steve Cohn, an opponent of the plan to increase the sales tax a quarter-cent to pay for a new arena, presented a dissenting view Tuesday before going into closed session, but was not successful in convincing his colleagues.
"It's on the ballot; people need to know what's in it," Cohn said. "What are people voting on?"
The council's debate in private Tuesday wasn't the talk of the town, anyway. That belonged to the Maloof brothers, the Kings' owners, because of their appearance as high-living casino owners in a new television ad for the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain.
The ad, airing nationwide for Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, features the four Maloof brothers chowing down on Carl's Jr. hamburgers against a backdrop of beautiful women and dinging slot machines at the family's Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. "Net worth: $1 billion," flashes on the screen. The brothers wash down the burgers with a bottle of 24-year-old French bordeaux, poured by a woman in a slinky dress.
The ad closes with: "The Carl's Jr. $6,000 combo meal, exclusively at the Palms."
It quickly became fodder for talk radio, local TV news shows, and considerable discussion in political circles among Measures Q and R campaign consultants, local staffers and politicians.
The viewings raised questions about the Maloofs' judgment for taking part in the commercial so close to the election when voters are being asked to publicly fund a $600 million arena and entertainment complex.
"This is amazing," marveled political consultant Jeff Raimundo, who is not involved in the campaign for Measures Q and R. "The billion dollars, the slot machines in the background, the glitz, the $5,995 bottle of wine.
"It's everything the voters in Sacramento would not want to put up their tax money for," Raimundo said. "I think this shows the Maloofs have written off this ballot measure."
Robert Waste, a public policy professor at California State University, Sacramento, said the ad "solidifies the image of (the Maloofs) as completely detached and living on another planet.
"Why couldn't they hold off this national ad for another three weeks?" he asked.
But Joe Maloof, contacted by phone, said he doesn't expect the ad to have any effect Nov. 7. He said he thinks Sacramentans have "a sense of humor" and won't take the ad too seriously.
Carl's Jr. aims its marketing squarely at a demographic its press materials describe as "young, hungry guys."
Andrew Puzder, president and chief executive officer of Carl's Jr. parent CKE Restaurants Inc., said in a press release that he thought the Maloofs "would be perfect in a commercial" for the restaurant chain.
"They live the life every young, hungry guy wants to live -- they're successful, wealthy, own a basketball team, a casino, and have fun doing it."
Joe Maloof said Carl's Jr.'s management offered to not air the ad in the Sacramento market, but he told them to go ahead.
"I said, 'People in Sacramento have a sense of humor. They'll understand.'"
He said he thinks voters "more or less have their minds made up" on Measures Q and R, anyway.
Maloof said he and his family still hope they can nail down an arena deal with the city and county before Election Day.
The brothers angrily exited arena negotiations in September, saying the public agencies had reneged on promises that they would get the revenue from 8,000 parking spaces and control over what businesses could locate nearby.
On Friday, the Maloofs re-engaged, sending a response to the city and county's revised arena proposal. Both documents have been kept secret, but public officials involved in the talks say the major sticking points -- including parking and business competition -- remain unresolved.
"Some of the things that have been the tough nuts are still there," said Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson.
Joe Maloof said that if Q and R fail, his family will try to find another way to get an arena built here. "We belong in one place, and that's Sacramento. We've got to try to work to get it done somehow."
Puzder asked the Maloofs to appear in the ad after meeting them at a Kings game and discovering that they frequently ate at Carl's Jr. in North Natomas.
Maloof said the ad was shot in August at the Palms. "It was great because the four of us got to be together for 10 hours; that's how long it took to shoot it. It's probably the first time in 10 years we've been together that long."
Maloof said he and his siblings "got paid a little bit" for appearing in the advertisement.
"We recognize we're blessed with our lifestyle," he said. "We can afford to eat wherever we want, and we just happen to pick Carl's Jr. We like their food."
Some political consultants who watched the ad Tuesday said they thought it was effective, even if it doesn't help the campaign for Measures Q & R, which are already far down in the polls.
"Carl's Jr. hit a home run by engaging the Maloofs; no question about it," said Doug Elmets, a political veteran who is currently serving as spokesman for the Q and R campaign. "It doesn't do anything for the campaign, but it certainly is going to help sell hamburgers, which is exactly what they want to do."
About the writer: The Bee's Mary Lynne Vellinga can be reached at (916) 321-1094 or mlvellinga@sacbee.com.
Arena details to remain secret
By Mary Lynne Vellinga - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 1:04 am PDT Wednesday, October 18, 2006
After a session closed to the public, the Sacramento City Council decided not to release the latest arena proposal made by city staff to the Kings' owners, despite a lawsuit claiming residents have a right to the information before voting on an arena plan Nov. 7.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has demanded that the latest exchanges between the Kings and the city be made public. The city is scheduled to file an answer in Sacramento Superior Court today.
The city claims the material constitutes draft documents used in negotiations, not final proposals, and should remain confidential.
Councilman Steve Cohn, an opponent of the plan to increase the sales tax a quarter-cent to pay for a new arena, presented a dissenting view Tuesday before going into closed session, but was not successful in convincing his colleagues.
"It's on the ballot; people need to know what's in it," Cohn said. "What are people voting on?"
The council's debate in private Tuesday wasn't the talk of the town, anyway. That belonged to the Maloof brothers, the Kings' owners, because of their appearance as high-living casino owners in a new television ad for the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain.
The ad, airing nationwide for Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, features the four Maloof brothers chowing down on Carl's Jr. hamburgers against a backdrop of beautiful women and dinging slot machines at the family's Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. "Net worth: $1 billion," flashes on the screen. The brothers wash down the burgers with a bottle of 24-year-old French bordeaux, poured by a woman in a slinky dress.
The ad closes with: "The Carl's Jr. $6,000 combo meal, exclusively at the Palms."
It quickly became fodder for talk radio, local TV news shows, and considerable discussion in political circles among Measures Q and R campaign consultants, local staffers and politicians.
The viewings raised questions about the Maloofs' judgment for taking part in the commercial so close to the election when voters are being asked to publicly fund a $600 million arena and entertainment complex.
"This is amazing," marveled political consultant Jeff Raimundo, who is not involved in the campaign for Measures Q and R. "The billion dollars, the slot machines in the background, the glitz, the $5,995 bottle of wine.
"It's everything the voters in Sacramento would not want to put up their tax money for," Raimundo said. "I think this shows the Maloofs have written off this ballot measure."
Robert Waste, a public policy professor at California State University, Sacramento, said the ad "solidifies the image of (the Maloofs) as completely detached and living on another planet.
"Why couldn't they hold off this national ad for another three weeks?" he asked.
But Joe Maloof, contacted by phone, said he doesn't expect the ad to have any effect Nov. 7. He said he thinks Sacramentans have "a sense of humor" and won't take the ad too seriously.
Carl's Jr. aims its marketing squarely at a demographic its press materials describe as "young, hungry guys."
Andrew Puzder, president and chief executive officer of Carl's Jr. parent CKE Restaurants Inc., said in a press release that he thought the Maloofs "would be perfect in a commercial" for the restaurant chain.
"They live the life every young, hungry guy wants to live -- they're successful, wealthy, own a basketball team, a casino, and have fun doing it."
Joe Maloof said Carl's Jr.'s management offered to not air the ad in the Sacramento market, but he told them to go ahead.
"I said, 'People in Sacramento have a sense of humor. They'll understand.'"
He said he thinks voters "more or less have their minds made up" on Measures Q and R, anyway.
Maloof said he and his family still hope they can nail down an arena deal with the city and county before Election Day.
The brothers angrily exited arena negotiations in September, saying the public agencies had reneged on promises that they would get the revenue from 8,000 parking spaces and control over what businesses could locate nearby.
On Friday, the Maloofs re-engaged, sending a response to the city and county's revised arena proposal. Both documents have been kept secret, but public officials involved in the talks say the major sticking points -- including parking and business competition -- remain unresolved.
"Some of the things that have been the tough nuts are still there," said Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson.
Joe Maloof said that if Q and R fail, his family will try to find another way to get an arena built here. "We belong in one place, and that's Sacramento. We've got to try to work to get it done somehow."
Puzder asked the Maloofs to appear in the ad after meeting them at a Kings game and discovering that they frequently ate at Carl's Jr. in North Natomas.
Maloof said the ad was shot in August at the Palms. "It was great because the four of us got to be together for 10 hours; that's how long it took to shoot it. It's probably the first time in 10 years we've been together that long."
Maloof said he and his siblings "got paid a little bit" for appearing in the advertisement.
"We recognize we're blessed with our lifestyle," he said. "We can afford to eat wherever we want, and we just happen to pick Carl's Jr. We like their food."
Some political consultants who watched the ad Tuesday said they thought it was effective, even if it doesn't help the campaign for Measures Q & R, which are already far down in the polls.
"Carl's Jr. hit a home run by engaging the Maloofs; no question about it," said Doug Elmets, a political veteran who is currently serving as spokesman for the Q and R campaign. "It doesn't do anything for the campaign, but it certainly is going to help sell hamburgers, which is exactly what they want to do."
About the writer: The Bee's Mary Lynne Vellinga can be reached at (916) 321-1094 or mlvellinga@sacbee.com.
