By Scottsdale Pinetop After decades of tax cuts and underfunding of public education, thousands of teachers descended on the state Capitol in an effort to secure more funding and urging lawmakers to act. And to the surprise of many Arizonans, it worked. While the #RedforEd movement may be over, the debate of where the additional education funding will be coming … Read More

So many political campaigns are so full of pablum.  Hire a consultant.  Take a poll.  Send out mailers and missives that are the highlights of the poll.  Repeat. That’s why it’s refreshing when someone, anyone, breaks the mold.  Cue Anna Thomasson, businesswoman and first-time candidate for the Paradise Valley Town Council. We’re sure her campaign will feature all the typical stuff … Read More

By Scottsdale Pinetop There’s no question that it has been a tough year for the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD). With the dismissal of Superintendent Birdwell and other school administrators, school protests and rise of the “Red for Ed” movement, it’s easy to dismiss the progress made by SUSD –specifically the recent successes at Coronado High School. At a time … Read More

The floundering effort to prevent the revitalization of the former Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix has taken on an odd ally, Patriot Movement AZ.  The organization recently promoted a protest at Phoenix City Hall concerning the former Chinese Cultural Center. The Facebook announcement bashed former Mayor Greg Stanton, Councilmember Kate Gallego, and Democrats in general. Here is a link https://www.facebook.com/events/264864164084341/ … Read More

By Virginia Korte I hope you had a wonderful and safe holiday with time to reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day with your family and friends. As the end of the City of Scottsdale’s 2017-2018 fiscal year approaches, I have good news: the city’s General Fund revenues are exceeding projections. In addition, operating costs for the same period are … Read More

By Scottsdale Pinetop Regardless of which party ultimately triumphs in the November midterm elections, one thing is for certain – this is the time for women in politics.  For the first time since 1992, a record number of women are tossing in their names for federal and statewide offices in the 2018 midterm elections. And Arizona is no exception. Arizona … Read More

OP ED from New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman With an introduction by Solange Whitehead From New Jersey Governor to Scottsdale Snow Bird Preserving open space isn’t just about nature and quality of life. It is big business and Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve is proof. The Preserve, preserved, is a top reason that visitors return again and again fueling Scottsdale’s … Read More

Sometimes editorials, ours included, don’t need to be long to convey key points.  Such is the case with the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board’s recent decision to appoint Dr. John Kriekard as Interim Superintendent. It’s kind to call recent months in the district tumultuous.  That’s why we can think of few, if any better people than Kriekard to calm … Read More

By Manny Siprut Scottsdale Resident & Vice President Troon North HOA In the movie Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger was the bad guy who just wouldn’t die. Now, our 3000 residents at Troon North feel like we are watching the movie all over again.  Except this time we are being forced to watch real estate speculators run amok, not fictitious villains. The consequences for … Read More

By Virginia Korte I want to thank all of you who took the time to respond to my May 2nd e-blast regarding the most fiscally responsible way to address the city’s deteriorating infrastructure.  The number of responses was significant. Most of those who emailed me were already aware of the pros and cons of raising the sales tax rate as … Read More