By Alexander Lomax The city of Scottsdale isn’t exactly known for bold new ideas. The preservation of the past is actually a fairly important part of Scottsdale’s identity. As such, even relatively non-controversial ideas have a fairly tough road to implementation. Any readers here have almost certainly been to street fairs; events where a road (or several) is blocked off, … Read More
Guest Editorial: The Libertarian Master of Puppets
By Alexander Lomax The parade of new entrants in Arizona political races continued last week, as we have a new candidate looking to unseat Mark Kelly: Blake Masters declared his candidacy for the US Senate. Who is Blake Masters, you may be asking yourself. Not much is known about Mr. Masters, but what is known is unusual. Most notably, he … Read More
Justice For All
In our legal system equality is supposed to preside. Black or white. Rich or poor. Powerful or not. Yet, there is a belief that the elite, including politicians, can be above the law. We’re about to find out, courtesy of the Scottsdale City Attorney’s Office. It is apparently deciding whether to charge embattled Paradise Valley Councilman Paul Dembow with a … Read More
Finally Cooling Off (the Real Estate Market, Not the Weather)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of the real estate market going bananas here in the Valley along with much of the rest of the country. A mix of Covid incentivizing people to move away from heavily crowded areas along with economic policies and personal financial situations has lead to an influx of home buyers from other … Read More
Sign Of The Times: Why Maricopa County Deserves Kudos, Again
Maricopa County has been in the news a lot lately. Some supporters of former President Trump don’t like the outcome of its 2020 election even though it appears to have been smartly and ethically performed by county officials. Now, there’s something else Maricopa County deserves credit for: updating its billboard ordinance. Certainly not as controversial or newsworthy as a hotly … Read More
Well Deserved
Rewind to last spring. It was thought Scottsdale would be among the most brutally hit Arizona cities by a once-in-a-century pandemic. Instead, it not only survived but thrived. Much of that had to do with Scottsdale’s municipal point guard, its City Manager Jim Thompson. It was not easy to walk the fine line of looking after public health while still … Read More
It Appears To Be Time For Dembow To Go In Paradise Valley
Can anyone think of a more decrepit thing for a politician to do than to remove a memorial cross to a dead person in the community he represents? Yet, that is what Paradise Valley Councilman Paul Dembow was recently accused of doing by Judith Brown whose father was killed by Dembow’s daughter in a car accident. When asked if it … Read More
Breaking News…
Scottsdale Independent Police: Probable cause found to charge Paradise Valley councilman with theft. Click here to read the full story.
Paradise Valley’s Great Mystery & The Dembow Dilemma
There are numerous, good arguments for and against term limits for politicians. The ongoing actions by long-time Paradise Valley Town Councilmember Paul Dembow, real and alleged, make a strong case for the policy. That’s because when someone has been in office too long they can start doing strange, dumb and even unethical things. They get too comfortable in the job … Read More
Guest Editorial: A Bad Trip
By Alexander Lomax The honeymoon of Mayor Dave Ortega’s first year in office has continued, as one of his campaign talking points is now coming to the forefront: the City Council will soon be considering regulations on short-term rentals. Many homeowners know this problem first-hand; out-of-towners renting a home in their neighborhood to get away and enjoy our good weather … Read More