Many parts of Arizona were early adopters to photo radar cameras for traffic law enforcement. Many of you have likely received an unwelcome letter in the mail with a picture of yourself and a bill due. Speed cameras have gone up and come down, and the debate has raged much of the time. Now the debate has gotten some more … Read More
Guest Editorial: Rep. Kolodin Should Stick to Water Issues
By Ronald Sampson Ahhhh, Representative Alex Kolodin…sometimes he shows so much promise, and sometimes he clearly can’t get out of his own way, compelled to foolishness by some unknown forces, some dark angel of conspiracy that convinces him to keep pushing into an abyss. He’s gotten attention a few times this year (get up to date here), and it’s not … Read More
The Unfortunate Consequence of Drought: Governor Hobbs Puts the Breaks on Growth, How Will It Impact Us?
On this blog we pride ourselves on regularly covering the most pressing issues of Arizona, and two of the most pressing issues of the last few years have been the ongoing water supply issues plaguing the entire region, as well as the crisis of the cost of housing. Both of those items happen to intersect in a recent development that … Read More
Supervisor Bill Gates Not Seeking Re-Election: An Unfortunate Sign of Our Times
As a Maricopa County Supervisor, Bill Gates has been one of the steadiest rocks of local governance for years. He recently announced that he won’t be seeking re-election. While he certainly has earned more free time for himself, there is something larger and more insidious at play. It is an event where I am less prone to celebrating his service … Read More
Luxury Private Resort-Like Hideaway up for Auction: See Inside the Palatial Paradise Valley Estate That Was Originally Envisioned as Family Office Before It Hits the Auction Block
The 17,000-square-foot compound-like estate has tremendous use potential and is currently listed for $20 million. Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty is best known for connecting the most discriminating of buyers for the Valley’s most luxurious homes to the most sophisticated of sellers and this June Arizona’s leading luxury brokerage is proud to partner with Concierge Auctions as one of the Valley’s … Read More
Phoenix and the Growing Pains of Grappling with Homelessness
Homelessness had never been a critical issue in Arizona as it grew its way into the destination it currently is until recently. A home price spike turned into a rental cost crisis, and as hard drug use rose across the country the result has been a mix of legitimately down-on-their-luck folks combined with those lost in the grips of addiction, … Read More
A Landmark Water Deal Hits Home to Arizona: Have We Solved the Water Crisis?
The 800 pound elephant that is constantly in the gigantic room that is Arizona is water: the specter of dwindling water from our most prominent water sources, of long term drought, and potentially the end of the Arizona (and more overarchingly, the American Southwest) that we have learned to love. We have covered the topic frequently, and you can get … Read More
The Rio Verde Foothills Crisis Gets the Governor’s Attention…and a Veto
One of the most explosive local issues in recent memory, the Rio Verde Foothills water crisis, has been moving forward in this year’s legislative session (get up to date on our coverage here). Unfortunately for its residents, it’s not going too well…yet. Indeed, the one bill to help alleviate the crisis has been vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s new … Read More
Another Dysfunction Bombshell from the Katie Hobbs Administration: Her Chief of Staff is Pushed Out
To say that it has been a tumultuous first half year of the Governor Hobbs administration would be an understatement. In the process of alienating many in her own caucus she has lost several high-level staffers, both through their own mistakes and being unwilling or unable to carry out the mission in the midst of what some saw as failed … Read More
Can We Finally Be Done With This?
By Alexander Lomax Here we go again…Kari Lake manages to get in the news again. Lovely. To give some added context, the ongoing embarrassment that is Lake’s election denialism has been nearly completely smacked down in the courts (courts which have been largely packed by Doug Ducey, i.e. not exactly leftist ideologues) but the most recent judgment left one little … Read More