TRIPS BY PHOENIX STADIUM NEGOTIATOR QUESTIONED

     Ed Anderson, Maricopa County's "chief baseball official," is
under fire after flying to view big-league stadiums aboard a
plane owned by a "company that is negotiating a multi-million
dollar contract to oversee construction of a new facility in
downtown Phoenix."  Anderson believes there is nothing improper
about accepting the travel from Huber, Hunt & Nichols after they
already have a $60,000 contract to survey stadium sites and
provide estimates.  They are "currently seeking a contract
extension of $4-$5 million to manage construction of a
retractable-roof baseball stadium."  A public group claims the
trips Anderson took to Toronto, Dallas, and Cleveland to look at
their stadiums show an "overly cozy relationship that could be
dangerous to taxpayers."  Barbara Cooper, the interim county
administrator, said she cleared the trips and "didn't consider
this to be outside of ethical guidelines" (David Schwartz,
ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 10/12).