Cost to name the Cardinals stadium after the University of Phoenix? $154.5 million over 20 years.
Cost to Bank One -- now Chase -- for its name on the baseball stadium? $2.2 million a year until 2028.
And the cost to the Colt Manufacturing Co. to get the Arizona Senate to name one of its products the official state weapon? Priceless.
Well, actually zero.
That, however, didn't keep the senators from voting 18-12 Tuesday to declare the Colt single action Army revolver the official state gun. It joins such things as the official state tree, butterfly, gemstone and neckwear, the last being, of course, the bola tie.
But the move annoyed Sen. Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix, who pointed out that all of those other items are generic. This is the first time, he said, lawmakers would be endorsing a brand name.
"This is advertisement for Colt,'' he said. While the gun in question was first made in 1873, the company still sells versions.
"If the state is going to go in this direction, I think we should get the equivalent of naming rights,'' Driggs continued. He said Arizona, facing a $1.1 billion deficit next budget year, could use the cash.
Company lobbyist Todd Rathner conceded he crafted the measure, calling the gun "historically important to the founding of the state and to the survival of the state.'' He said it was used not only by the Arizona Rangers but also by officers at the Copper Queen mine in Bisbee for "security.''
Driggs said his opposition -- he was one of only three Republicans who opposed the measure -- is not based on any animosity to the company. "I even have a Colt 45,'' he said.
SB 1610 now goes to the House.
AZgirl55 posted at 7:40 am on Wed, Mar 9, 2011.
This is how our elected officials are wasting their time? How does this really stupid, time wasting, meaningless action benefit the state of the citizens of Arizona? It doesn't. I am embarrassed to admit I voted for any of these people.
Poorman posted at 10:51 am on Wed, Mar 9, 2011.
Well good deal.at least part of our country and states history won't be lost. If poster AZgirl55 is embarrassed to admit she voted for any of these people why is she telling it on here?
manini posted at 9:17 pm on Thu, Mar 10, 2011.
Umm, Mr. Todd Rathner, the Colt Lobbyist figures that it's significant that the infamous AZ Rangers (like the infamous Vigilante TX Rangers), + the Copper Queen mine security bozo's in Bisbee, AZ used COLT .45 pistola's makes it important to have COLT .45's as AZ state gun. Well, Rathner & AZ better get their heads out of the sand because COLT .45's were also used by mucho bandido bad_guys like stagecoach robbers, murderers, thieves hostile Indians & Mexican revolutionaries also wandering around in AZ before AZ Statehood circa 1900s. I don't have a COLT .45 pistol in my gun collection but do have calibers: .22, .380 Auto, 9mm Auto, .38 special, .40 S&W Auto .45 Auto, .357 mag & .44 Remington Magnum pistolas. However, I do have a single wallhanger, squirrel gun Colt made during the Vietnam War...the M-16 .223 Caliber Remington Varmint Gun used by U.S. Troops for combat today. I preferred the .308 Winchester Caliber M-14 selective fire U.S. Military assault rifle & Soviet AK-47 assault rifle....Yep, now these are real guns...made by WINCHESTER, Springield Armory & the Soviets...hehehe.