Prolonged legal battles with the federal government are expensive…very, very expensive. And the city of Scottsdale is learning that firsthand as their latest bill has come due in their battle against the FAA over flight patterns over Scottsdale. Recent uncovered records show that the city approved a $175,000 contract for legal representation for this suit last year. The issue dates … Read More
Carrot Instead of the Stick – GoDaddy Founder Paving a Positive Way Forward
The science is clear: the more people that are vaccinated against Covid, the more we can drive down hospitalization rates and active cases, and the quicker we can return to normalcy. Many governments and some businesses have had a very draconian and polarizing approach to it: get vaccinated or lose your job. While it may be effective in some regard, … Read More
Scottsdale Statistic Of The Day, And A Major Problem
Scottsdale recently received the dubious distinction of being among the top 10 cities in the United States for most expensive rents. “So what”, some may say. Well, here’s why it matters. A whopping 72% of City of Scottsdale employees now live outside the city because it has become too expensive to live in the community. That doesn’t just add to pollution and … Read More
Fallout from Zillow Catastrophe Hits Scottsdale
Last week, Zillow formally announced what could only be seen as an unmitigated corporate disaster: it’s algorithm, which had been automatically purchasing thousands of homes around the country with the intent of selling them at a higher price, had misfired in a big way. The strong majority of its algorithmic sales were for less than what they purchased the homes … Read More
Unique Approach to Covid Concerns: Scottsdale Film Festival with Hybrid Approach
As we all know, Covid has caused unprecedented challenges to all live events over the last 18 months, and that hasn’t gone away even as the delta variant has started to subside. Event promoters now have to deal with varying degrees of comfort with attendees being amongst crowds. The Scottsdale International Film Festival has adjusted appropriately with a unique approach. … Read More
Quick Thinking Kids – How 6th Graders Helped Save an SUSD Bus Driver’s Life
Heroes can come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and ages. Still, it is relatively rare to be able to call children heroes without hyperbole. Yet we can safely call some 6th graders from Scottsdale Unified just that as they helped save the life of their bus driver. Bus driver Krystal Hughes was having a medical emergency during their trip to … Read More
You Don’t Look a Day Over 40 – Paradise Valley Turns 60!
Happy birthday to one of America’s finest jewels of a town: Paradise Valley recently celebrated its 60th birthday! The celebration had been scheduled for April but was pushed back for Covid. It was attended by a who’s who of notable elected officials, including Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner, Congressman David Schweikert, AZ Senator Christine Marsh and AZ Representative Kelli Butler. PV has … Read More
Electric Fire Trucks…in Paradise Valley? Wise Move or a Waste of Money?
You heard it right…the town of Paradise Valley is currently considering replacing part of its fire truck fleet with electric fire trucks. Why? It comes in response to an allocation of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act enacted as a response to the Covid-19 crisis and the financial issues it caused in its wake. According to Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner, … Read More
Scottsdale Votes Yes on Proposition 463
As you are likely aware, yesterday was Election Day, and aside from some big-ticket bellwether races across the country, Scottsdale cast its vote for or against the Scottsdale General Plan 2035, or Proposition 463. While votes are left to count, it appears to be on its way to victory. After the first batch of votes counted, which typically includes nearly … Read More
A Tier 1 Water Shortage Coming for Scottsdale: What Does It Mean for You?
You have likely heard the stories of potential water shortages in Arizona due to depleted supplies at Lake Mead, the main source of water for much of the west. Well those stories weren’t hyperbolic scare tactics; it is very much a real issue, as the federal government announced that due to prolonged drought we hit a Tier 1 water shortage … Read More