Nearly everyone engaged in current events enough to read our content understands that the state legislature passes laws in Arizona. However, not everyone is aware that the legislature can also pass bills for the sake of putting them to a public vote on your election ballot. And it is precisely through this mechanism that Arizona Republicans are making a bet … Read More
Who is the Real Kari Lake?
By Alexander Lomax Moderating one’s self is a time-honored tradition in politics; candidates will typically position themselves more towards a political wing in order to win a primary election, and then move towards the middle for the general election. But Kari Lake has routinely broken any normal conventions in her brief time in politics, and this is no different. Lake … Read More
Is the Phoenix Open Too Much of a Drain on Public Resources?
The WM Phoenix Open recently made headlines around the world as the golf tournament known for a touch of rowdiness and bacchanalia went overboard this year. While the overboard partying that this year was known for is difficult to quantify, we did recently hear of a piece of data that has us rethinking the Open in a very real way. … Read More
Don’t Let the Door Hit You…
We have spoken at length about Axon’s unwanted attempts to shoehorn a staggering nearly 2,000 apartments into North Scottsdale; about the apparent bait-and-switch that it pulled with both the city and the Arizona State Land Department, and its aggressive dismissal of the concerns of the area (get up to date here). Well Axon recently announced its quarterly financial results, and … Read More
A Thank You From Arizona Progress & Gazette
We don’t like to brag about ourselves too much, but every once in a while we need to take a victory lap and remind you, the readers, of what you’ve meant to this blog. What started as a simple venue to give our thoughts about local politics, a humble little blog, has turned into something significant. Last year we had … Read More
Guest Editorial: Trash Talk, It’s In the Bin
By Councilwoman Betty Janik In the summer of 2022, Scottsdale initiated the Old Town Scottsdale Recycling and Old Town Alley Refresh Campaign. Commissioner Andrew Scheck and I were founding members of the committee that included Scottsdale’s Solid Waste (SW) and Code Enforcement (CE) Departments. The goal was to provide recycle opportunities for businesses, beautify business alleys, and enhance sustainability in … Read More
Lisa Borowsky and a Feisty Detractor
Typically in politics, enemy combatants are sly. Shots are very calculated and carefully done; after all, if your enemy assumes power, you don’t want to be the obvious target to which they can affix their ire and attempts at retribution. But sometimes, people of importance simply don’t care to fly under the radar. They dislike the candidate so much that … Read More
Burglaries A Problem In Scottsdale: Does Organized Crime and/or Immigration Play a Role?
By Cambria Schwartz Within the past year Scottsdale, and other cities across the Valley, have been plagued by a slew of burglaries. Who’s the culprit? You may think that it’s local troubled teens or some of the many homeless people trying to steal goods to make ends meet. In actuality, these thieves are part of a South American organized crime … Read More
Remembering a Local GOP Icon
Scottsdale resident Barbara Espinosa recently passed away at the age of 86. That name may not mean anything to some readers, but her impact was a significant one. She left an imprint that you absolutely have seen, even if the name doesn’t ring any bells. Espinosa was an icon in local GOP politics: a disruptor, a thought leader, and an … Read More
Maricopa County Has a New Sheriff with a New Party, but Not Without Controversy
Maricopa County, you have a new head Sheriff. And as far as successions go, this one is a bit more controversial than most. In a surprise move, Democrat Paul Penzone announced that he was stepping down to take a community relations job with Blue Cross Blue Shield. Cleaning up after the myriad federal restrictions in the wake of former Sheriff … Read More