Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced January 16 he believes the City of Phoenix violated the Arizona Constitution when it imposed new rideshare fees for companies operating at Sky Harbor. “The Phoenix City Council is placing its policy preferences above the rights of the people to whom the government must always answer,” Brnovich said. “Arizona voters clearly spoke when they … Read More
Virginia Korte: ‘I Am Officially Running For Mayor’
By Virginia Korte — Today I am announcing I am officially running for mayor. For the past year I have met with many residents, community leaders and business owners for their input about running for mayor. Their encouragement factored heavily into my decision. So, I want to thank them for their time and opinions. I believe with strong leadership I … Read More
Guest Editorial: Barrett-Jackson Is Key To Scottsdale’s Tourism And Brand; Let’s Not Jeopardize That
By Recker McDowell — Barrett-Jackson 2020 is in full swing in Scottsdale with more 1,950 luxury and vintage cars on the auction block. Barrett-Jackson is one of the signature events for Scottsdale. The auction puts Scottsdale in an international spotlight and feeds into the city’s tourism and economic brand. Barrett-Jackson is the king of Scottsdale’s car auction, helping attract tourists … Read More
Billionaire Boys Club: Bloomberg and Steyer Bet on Arizona, Will Show 2020 Elections Path
By Recker McDowell — If you watched the NFL playoffs or posted on social media this weekend you probably have probably seen ads for Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer. The two billionaires are putting a focus on Arizona in their Democratic presidential bids. They hope Arizona — where moderate Democrat Kyrsten Sinema won a U.S. Senate in 2018 — is … Read More
Auerbach Is Back. Repeat Candidate. Repeat Offender
Michael Auerbach is returning to the political stage. Despite being pummeled when he ran for a council seat in 2014, Auerbach, who is a member of the Scottsdale Parks Commission, has formed an exploratory committee to seek one of two open seats on the Scottsdale City Council in the August primary. His past, besides an abysmal political showing, raises a … Read More
Guest Editorial: White Claw a Win for Glendale and Shows West Valley Connections
By Recker McDowell — White Claw is landing a new $250 million brewing and production facility in Glendale. The project is off the Loop 303 near Olive and Peoria Avenues. Glendale is trying to brand the area as its ‘New Frontier’. The Loop 303 and new South Mountain Freeway connecting the East Valley to Laveen and the West Valley offer … Read More
Being Pro-Citizen In Scottsdale Doesn’t & Shouldn’t Mean You Are Anti-Business
Several Ideas for Reform About two decades ago Scottsdale started suffering from a reputation that it was anti-business. There were several reasons for the perception, real and perceived. The City Manager at the time was pre-disposed against business. And while the Mayor then learned that the top job at the city is different than being one of six on a … Read More
It’s Time For This Zombie Of A Project To Be Put To Rest
Every old zombie movie, and many of the new ones, employ a tried and true dramatic device. Just when you think the creature or monster or zombie is finally vanquished, it seems to rise up without explanation to terrorize the townsfolk again. Hopefully, the Scottsdale City Council will end this horror movie when it meets January 21st. The creature is … Read More
Back To The Future & Living Lessons In Scottsdale
Well that didn’t last long. The collective community spirit exhibited in the overwhelming passage of the bond package on November 5th has since devolved over divisiveness with a project called Southbridge II. Late last week, opponents of the development submitted 17,000 referendum signatures to put the matter to a city-wide vote later in 2020. That’s no small achievement even if … Read More
Guest Editorial: Mayor Pete, The Yang Gang, AOC and Fresh Local Faces in 2020
By Recker McDowell — South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and entrepreneur Andrew Yang posted strong fourth quarter fundraising numbers in the Democratic presidential race. Buttigieg, in particular, has shown in his fundraising and polls that many voters are looking for fresh faces and fresh voices as Democrats decide who will take on President Donald Trump in November. Trump benefited from … Read More