Wise politicos will bury hatchet after Real brouhaha

"Politics is the entertainment banch of industry," the famous guitarist and satirist Frank Zappa observed. This summer has not delivered enough movies to quench our entertainment thirst (well, actually Webb never goes to movies), but the antics surrounding the proposed soccer stadium have certainly filled the void. We offer different perspectives - one from the inside and the other from the outside - on this seemngly endless controversy.

Pignanelli: I have concerns with a publicly funded soccer stadium — even in Salt Lake City — because the funding mechanics do not benefit taxpayers. During the recent legislative session, our firm was hired to protect a client against potential harm from the stadium. (We reached a compromise with Real.)

With that out of the way, let's review the personalities that are providing the summer fun:

Real owner Dave Checketts accused Larry Miller of lobbying against the soccer stadium during the legislative session. My partner and I can state firsthand that we tried everything short of kidnapping to force a statement of opposition from this prominent business leader, and he refused. Indeed, some legislators believed that Miller's silence was evidence of a "deal" with Real (certainly not the case). Although amusing to observe, Checketts' slew of insults against elected officials will haunt him in future endeavors.

Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan has won the title of "Utahn with the Most Chutzpah" for his diatribe against the County Council for their "anti-Sandy" actions. This incredible accusation is from the man who, for the last 12 years, utilized his formidable political and dealmaking skills to build a political pipeline to transport financial resources from the County Complex to the Sandy City Hall.

Mayor Peter Corroon, after expressing his concerns, is enjoying affection from a populace weary of their county government. However, powerful politicos are angry with Corroon for alleged backtracking on commitments made to stadium supporters during the legislative session and not providing a prior warning of his reversal.