Tucson Weekly: That's The Ticket! (September 10

Tucson City Council Members And Their Staffers Get Plenty Of Free Passes.
By Dave Devine
WHAT DO THE opera Tosca, the new-age musician Yanni, ice hockey and professional wrestling have in common?
Diddly squat--except they're all recent events to which members of the Tucson City Council or their staffers requested free tickets.
According Daniel Huerta, departing Tucson Convention Center director, since the facility opened 26 years ago, the TCC "has always had an informal policy to provide two complimentary tickets per event to each ward office and to the Mayor's Office."
Currents Every month each Council office gets a listing of upcoming attractions at the TCC. All anyone in the office has to do is pick up the phone, make a call--and presto!--free tickets. Just another perk of local politics.
And these aren't just ordinary tickets for any old seat in the house, but generally really good ones. Plus, the two-ticket cap is often waived.
This little service costs the taxpayers a lot of money. During the nine months for which Huerta answered ticket request, he handed out roughly 300 freebies worth thousands of dollars.
Who benefits from this entertainment welfare program? The envelope, please...
Most Tickets!
Mayor George Miller's office easily leads this list, with requests for 70 tickets to 18 events in the nine months covered by our little survey. Miller and his staff enjoyed shows ranging from ZZ Top to the Nutcracker. Next in line comes Shirley Scott with 62 free tickets, Steve Leal with 59 and José Ibarra with 50.
In the seven months he's been on the Council, Fred Ronstadt's office requested complimentary tickets only to Stars on Ice and the Sound of Music.
The other new councilman, Jerry Anderson, has made average use of the free service, with seven requests. Among the shows he and his staff got to see courtesy of the taxpayers were Arlo Guthrie and Lame for a Game.
Janet Marcus' and her staff also have exercised restraint in their requests. In the entire nine-month period, they've asked eight times for a total of 18 tickets.
Council Favorites!
The most popular event was last October's production of Pocahantas. Folks in every office wanted to see it, and they requested a total of 22 free tickets.
There were also requests for 22 tickets to see both Cats and Lord of the Dance. But those dog lovers in Janet Marcus' office passed on the first, and the connoisseurs of non-Celtic culture working for Shirley Scott didn't see the latter.
Tickets to Yanni, along with ZZ Top, were also in high demand. Eighteen freebies were requested for each.
Stars On Ice!
While they might not want to see high-stepping dance from the Emerald Isle, the folks in Shirley Scott's office do like their hockey. They requested 10 tickets to see the Gila Monsters face off once last October, and then a dozen more for a November match.
Those Gila Monsters tickets were in high demand. All total, the Council offices requested 64 passes for eight different dates. In comparison, only two offices asked for a total of six tickets to see the University of Arizona's IceCats, the long-standing amateur hockey club in town. No wonder the Council didn't want to do anything about the sweetheart lease given to the Gila Monsters.
Wrestlemania!
In March, perhaps to prove they have the common touch, people from Miller's office, along with folks from Ibarra, Marcus, Scott and Leal's offices, asked for free tickets to see professional wrestling. Last November's "Battle of the Sexes" wasn't as well attended--only three offices wanted tickets to that one.
Entertainment Diversity
Our City Council and their staffers certainly have a wide range of interests when it comes to attending events with tickets on the house. They wanted to see the LaTania Flamenco and Westside Story, take in an Ebony Fashion Show and Carlos Mencia, hear the opera and the Tucson Symphony, attend "Kidsfest" and a Motley Crew concert, all for nothing.
And these aren't the only free tickets available to Council members. They can see performances of the Arizona Theater Company gratis if they call ahead. Many sponsors of fund-raising dinners and other events also provide complimentary tickets to each Council office.
Do all these free admissions to TCC events have any repercussions, except on the city coffers? Perhaps--we bet the Internal Revenue Service would consider these freebies as taxable income.
Anybody know an auditor?

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