Former 12-year Scottsdale Councilman and failed state legislative candidate Bob Littlefield sounds more like he’s running for Mayor of Detroit than Scottsdale. Everything is wrong in our fair city, his wonting bemoans.  And he alone is the guy to fix it.  He, the campaign trailing, self-professing walking combination of Bernie Sanders AND Donald Trump. We digress in noting the stunning … Read More

Containment.  Mutually Assured Destruction.  The Domino Theory. Balance of Power.  Trickle Down.  Vouchers. These are the words of famous philosophies, some more than others, thought to describe the best governance for our schools, economics and foreign affairs.  Here in Arizona a new philosophy by an unexpected voice is noteworthy.  “Gradualism” as proffered by Arizona Corporation Commission Chairman Doug Little, seeks … Read More

One of the more effective Scottsdale citizen activists in recent years has been downtown business owner Bill Crawford. He’s taken on some tough fights and special interests and come out the other side.  Most notably he raised problems the surging success of bars and restaurants in the Entertainment District were having on nearby neighborhoods several years ago.  He worked with … Read More

By John McCain My Friend, Memorial Day is a time of solemn remembrance where we pause to honor the terrible sacrifice made by those who went off to war only to never return. We remember through ceremony and by celebrating the freedom they fought to defend. We must never forget what they did in our name. They were family and … Read More

With State Senator Adam Driggs retiring two seats are up for grabs in the upcoming race for the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 28. That’s because a current holder of one of those seats, Kate Brophy McGee, is running to replace Driggs as is the other State Representative, Eric Meyer, a doctor. The House calls for their replacements … Read More

Friends was one of the best and most successful television comedies of all time.  No one can say it didn’t have a great run.  From Phoebe Buffay to Chandler Bing the characters became a staple of American life. Chandler, Arizona has also had a great run.  It is among Arizona’s most successful cities.  From Jay Tibshraeny to Jack Sellers it … Read More

The Arizona Republic recently featured an impressive “land bridge” near Oro Valley, Arizona to facilitate highway crossings for wildlife and reduce car accidents with them.  Here is a link. It prompted an idea.  Why not pursue something similar in Scottsdale for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve which is bisected by Dynamite Boulevard? It would be far less costly than the proposed … Read More

After losing the Republican nomination for the Arizona House of Representatives in 2014 Bob Littlefield found himself without a political title for the first time since 2002. He couldn’t stand it.  So he’s running for Scottsdale Mayor against a former friend and ally. He’s running despite his wife also serving on the Scottsdale City Council at the same time. And … Read More

Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane will be seeking a third and final term this August.  The finality has to do with the city’s term limits restriction. Three terms is all one gets to serve consecutively on the City Council or as Mayor. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton will not be seeking a third term, even though he would win easily.  That’s because … Read More

The proposed Desert Discovery Center is one of those ideas that’s been around a long time.  Like wine, some think this is cause to savor the idea further.  Once envisioned as something like an environmental Disneyland it has morphed into something more akin to a duplicative Desert Botanical Garden. Some on the Scottsdale City Council like Linda Milhaven, Virginia Korte … Read More