So re-reading Andy's post, I think people have misread it - he doesn't appear to be asking for help in circumventing ARIN's procedures, he wants help in following it, if one notes the actual questions he asks:
Does ARIN require a ton of SWIPS be present for the customer before they will issue address space?
As best I can tell, there are three answers to this vague question: (1) Your existing address space (assigned to you from your upstream[s]) must be SWIPed to you. (2) The address space you have assigned to your cable head-ends must be SWIPed in ARIN"s WHOIS database. This is a special requirement for cable operators. (3) Address space you have assigned downstream for non-cable operations must be SWIPed.
Does anyone know of a person they can talk to at ARIN to help with this process?
Well, I took it the other way, because the Registration Services Helpdesk at ARIN is very accessible, and generally speaking, the analysts who answer the phones are happy to help you understand the policies and answer any questions you have. You don't need a 'special contact' to be successful with ARIN. This operator should be able to accomplish his goals with ARIN simply by working with the staff there in a cooperative effort to demonstrate compliance with the applicable policies. /david