Phil Mickelson -- a "giver" perhaps, but also a "taker"

Phil Mickelson has made the news recently, whining about the new income tax rates that will be imposed on his $60 million-per-year earnings in 2013 and thereafter.  Poor Phil.  It will probably be hard for him to get by on a disposable annual family income of, say $30 million !

This give-me-mine dispostion expressed by Mickelson may seem strange to those who have been influenced by all of the publicity Mickelson and his wife get for their laudable charitable efforts.  However, Mickelson's complaints about his income taxes going up are particularly galling if one is aware of the sweetheart give-away deal that the City of Scottsdale recently presented to Mickelson and his business partners.

The City of Scottsdale owns McDowell Mountain Ranch Golf Club - formerly known as The Sanctuary - a very nicely designed and maintained championship-caliber golf course with a very nice clubhouse and accompanying facilities.  The City of Scottsdale recently leased McD.M.R.G.C. to Mickelson and his partners.  One assumes that Mickelson and his partners were astute enough business peopole and sufficiently knowledgeable about golf courses not to pay too much for the lease.  They're in it, after all, to make a profit.

BUT ... using his national prestige and his particular local clout in Scottsdale - as one of Arizona State University's most famous graduates - Mickelson cajoled the City Council of the City of Scottsdale to GIVE him and his partners $2.2 million for renovations to the course and clubhouse.  Yep -- that's right -- an outright GIFT of $2.2 million of taxpayer dollars so that Mickelson and his partners could have a better opportunity to make a bigger profit.

Good ol' Phil.  Lefty is smilin' all the way to the bank ... again !