A Nice Trip Down Memory Lane

Feeling like a bit like famed DJ Casey Kasem we received a nice request from Scottsdale City Council candidate Betty Janik to repost this piece. As campaign dialogue begins to deteriorate Betty reminds us that it doesn’t always have to be that way, and hasn’t. Thank you for the productive thoughts Betty.  Rise of The Guardians Every community has its … Read More

Rise Of The Guardians 2

Anyone with children likely knows the movie “Rise Of The Guardians.” It’s the tale of our holiday heroes (Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, etc.) banding together to defeat darkness threatening happiness in the world. Awhile back we wrote a piece entitled after the movie mentioned above, discussing the role activists have played over the past many years to shape Scottsdale.  It … Read More

Virginia Korte’s Trump Card, If She Knows How To Play It

Scottsdale city government isn’t the only thing being paralyzed by a pandemic.  So are political campaigns. Traditional ways of electioneering and fundraising have been upended.  Precise messaging is going to matter more than ever, especially with the contest to be Scottsdale’s next Mayor taking shape.  We’ll know on Monday who is in and who is out.  That’s when candidate petitions … Read More

Back To The Future & Living Lessons In Scottsdale

Well that didn’t last long. The collective community spirit exhibited in the overwhelming passage of the bond package on November 5th has since devolved over divisiveness with a project called Southbridge II. Late last week, opponents of the development submitted 17,000 referendum signatures to put the matter to a city-wide vote later in 2020. That’s no small achievement even if … Read More

Winners & Losers From The Scottsdale Bond Election Landslide Victory & SUSD Win

Winners:  Kathy Littlefield, Guy Phillips & Solange Whitehead.  Phillips and Littlefield had opposed previous bond efforts.  Not this time.  Nor did newcomer Whitehead who frequently votes with either or both.  The three stood up for Scottsdale with integrity and independence and the community is the better for it. Winners:  Conscientious Activism.  There were many reasons for the landslide bond win.  … Read More

Proposition 420’s Evolving, Enduring Legacy For Scottsdale

The defeat last year of the proposed Desert Discovery Center in Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve, manifested in the overwhelming vote for Proposition 420, wasn’t just a vote to protect a slice of landscape. It’s proven to be a vote for powerful, important, new citizen activism that is exhibiting itself in interesting, important ways. While Scottsdale has always had an engaged … Read More

Scottsdale’s Strange But Excellent Bedfellows

We are critics of former Scottsdale City Councilman David Smith’s legal broadside against Jason Alexander, the Scottsdale citizen perhaps single-handedly most responsible for the delightful deconstruction of the Desert Discovery Center last year. Yet, we were gratified to see Smith and Alexander working together, albeit indirectly, as they both submitted ballot arguments for Scottsdale’s upcoming vote to improve its infrastructure. … Read More

Beneath Him

Losing a city council election, as David Smith did in November, did not infringe on his admirable service to Scottsdale. Ironically, it only reinforced it.  Running for office takes guts and displays a passion for community unmatched by few.   Smith has served the community he has called home for decades as City Treasurer and as a Councilman, having won … Read More

Community Patriots: Political Opponents Unite To Help Scottsdale

By Paula Sturgeon & Mike Norton Last year Scottsdale politics was dominated by the “Desert Discovery Center” debate. We were on opposite sides of that debate, sometimes taking direct swipes at each other on social media.  But we are putting those differences aside now, this year, for something all of us should be able to agree on: improving our parks, senior … Read More