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SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2010

County feuds, public pays
Infighting leaves taxpayers with tab: $3.2 million and counting
The Arizona Republic

Inside

By Yvonne Wingett

Disputes among Maricopa County officials over the past year and a half have cost
taxpayers at least $3.2 million, according to an Arizona Republic analysis.

Relationships between the Board of Supervisors and their political opponents, County
Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio, so deteriorated that all sides turned
to high-priced attorneys. As taxpayers’ costs rose, the conflicts only escalated.

That’s a problem, said Dave Berman, a senior research fellow at Arizona State University’s
Morrison Institute for Public Policy. “The image part is really devastating because
to many people, it
See COUNTY Page A7

Breakdown of the key battles waged by county officials and how much each fight has
cost taxpayers so far. A6

Next big fear over housing creeps in
The Arizona Republic

‘Shadow inventory’ may derail Valley’s recovery
By Catherine Reagor

Even the name sounds ominous: “shadow inventory.” The tens of thousands of homes
that make up metropolitan Phoenix’s shadow inventory pose a threat to the recovery
of the housing market and the overall state economy. At any moment, the housing market
has an inventory of homes for sale. But the shadow inventory is the number of additional,
bargain-priced homes that could be added to the market anytime this year, a number
of homes beyond any regular turnover in home ownership. These new listings — most
tied to foreclosures — could flood the
See HOUSING Page A16

VALLEY HOME VALUES
Online: Discuss the shadow inventory with the reporter, 10 a.m. to noon today at
azcentral.com. In Business: Why 2009 was the Year of the Investor. D1 Find your neighborhood:
Complete analysis of the housing market. D4-5
’08-’09** overall median price ch ange

Who are those fans? You may never guess
The Arizona Republic

By Carrie Watters

Fans of professional wrestling may surprise you. They are the political operative
in suit and tie, the coach in the baseball cap and the woman sitting in the next
office cubicle over. The half-nelson-meets-Hollywood spectacle has long attracted
hordes of men, out to see the smackdowns. But World Wrestling Entertainment has tamed
its more violent and racy tendencies to attract women, families, fans of all types.
The Valley will bear witness to the dedicated following this week when more than
See WWE Page A9

Child agency defends how money spent
The Arizona Republic

By Pat Kossan

TOM TINGLE/THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC

Above: Courtney Huston, 15, of Glendale, and stepfather Kevin Ainsworth are fired
up to attend WrestleMania in Glendale. Top: World Wrestling Entertainment stars include
Triple H (large photo), Rey Mysterio (from left), The Undertaker and John Cena.

MORE INSIDE
» The business of the WWE. A8 » Why we love wrestling, plus this week’s events.
AE1, 2, 3

MORE ONLINE
Slides shows of the stars, live chats and updates at wwe.azcentral.com.

WRESTLEMANIA XXVI | 4 P.M. NEXT SUNDAY | UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM | GLENDALE
ARIZONA REPUBLIC PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

In 2006, Arizona voters approved a tobacco sales tax that created a new state agency
to better prepare children to enter kindergarten healthy and ready to learn. As of
now, $482 million has flowed into the agency, called First Things First. But bitter
criticism has arisen among state legislators over whether the volunteer-driven organization
is mishandling the money. “Most people have no idea what they’re doing,” Rep.
John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said of First Things First. First Things First was
created out of the passion of residents
See AGENCY Page A12

ANALYSIS

Health fray channels history
Reform bill’s success would cap more than a century of debate
By Calvin Woodward
Associated Press

SPORTS

WASHINGTON — Rarely does the government, that big, clumsy, poorly regarded oaf,
pull off anything short of war that touches all lives with one act, one stroke of
a president’s pen. Such a moment now seems near. After a year of riotous argument,
decades of failure and a century of spoiled hopes, the United States is reaching
for a system of medical care that extends coverage nearly to all citizens. The change
that’s coming, if today’s tussle in the House goes President Barack Obama’s
way, would reshape a sixth of the

economy and shatter the More inside status quo. Straight up-orTo the ardent liberal,
down vote set. A14 Obama’s health-care plan is a shadow of what Protests in D.C.,
have been, the Valley. A15, B2 should sapped by dispiriting downsizing and trade-offs.
To the loud foe on the right, it is a dreadful expansion of the nanny state. To history,
it is likely to be judged alongside the boldest acts of presidents and Congress in
the pantheon of domestic affairs. Think of the
See HEALTH Page A10

The upsets continue at the NCAA tourney as No. 1 seed Kansas falls to No. 9 seed
Northern Iowa and No. 2 seed Villanova is upset by No. 10 St. Mary’s. Also, No.
11 Washington knocks off No. 3 New Mexico. C1

KANSAS, VILLANOVA ARE ELIMINATED

VALLEY & STATE

ARIZONA LIVING
Peoria mom is prepared: Lisa Bedford is part of a growing group of people nationwide
who call themselves “preppers” — as in prepared for an economic or natural
disaster. E1

Stewart Udall, an Arizona native who served six years in Congress and later sowed
the seeds of the modern environmental movement as secretary of the Interior under
Presidents Kennedy and Johnson during the 1960s, died Saturday in New Mexico. B1

STEWART UDALL DIES AT AGE 90

WEATHER
High 80. Low 55. Sunny. » Complete forecast on B14
A Gannett Newspaper: 120th year, No. 307. Copyright 2010, The Arizona Republic

Live alerts on your cellphone: Text aznews to 44636 to get news updates sent to your
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