Homeless in Arizona

Back in those days, Arizona's goofy Governor Ev Mecham refused to talk to reporters who wrote negative things about him.

Like Phoenix Councilman Michael Nowakowski, Arizona's goofy Governor Ev Mecham thought gays were 4th class citizens too.

Arizona's goofy Governor Ev Mecham was booted out of office when he was recalled, indited and impeached.

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Phoenix Councilman Michael Nowakowski says Republic journalist isn't a 'reporter'

Richard Ruelas, The Republic | azcentral.com 9:04 p.m. MST March 10, 2016

Nowakowski refuses to answer azcentral Reporter Dustin Gardiner's questions

Phoenix Councilman Michael Nowakowski refused to answer a question from an Arizona Republic journalist at a news conference Thursday, saying he only took questions from “reporters,” implying that the newspaper’s staff member was not one.

Nowakowski called the news conference at City Hall to apologize and take back statements he made at a meeting with pastors, captured on video, that lamented advances in gay rights.

Republic reporter Dustin Gardiner, who covers Phoenix government, asked Nowakowski about whether he'd made such statements behind closed doors in the past, an allegation made at an earlier news conference by LGBT community leaders.

Nowakowski refused to answer, saying, “I’m not going to answer that question, because I like to get questions from reporters,” he said.

Another Republic reporter at the news conference, Richard Ruelas, asked Nowakowski a version of Gardiner’s question. Nowakowski answered that reporter, but said he would not address the allegations that he previously had made anti-gay statements.

Gardiner has reported a series of stories that have raised conflict-of-interest concerns about a downtown land deal pursued by the Cesar Chavez Foundation, where Nowakowski is an executive vice president, and developer Trammell Crow.

A story published Sunday revealed that a consultant for the development company sent emails about the city-owned land deal to Nowakowski’s then-chief of staff after the controversy erupted and while the city still considered the bid.

Nowakowski has denied any involvement with the deal. A investigation by a private law firm hired by Phoenix concluded he broke no laws, though that report has been criticized — the firm's investigation did not find the emails uncovered by the Republic. The land deal, which the city initially awarded to the Chavez Foundation and Trammel Crow, was cancelled and put to a re-bid in November.