by Bedouin Bourdain There is a version of South Africa that lives in the public imagination: dangerous, unequal, impossibly remote. Then there is the South Africa you actually encounter when you land, look around, and let the place work on you. The two versions rarely match. In fact, they are barely acquainted. Johannesburg: More Alive Than Dead Most travelers bypass … Read More
Top Events Ask City of Scottsdale To Deny Residential Density Increases Next To WestWorld
Dear Mr. Caton: Here we go again, unfortunately. For over a decade this group has organized to oppose inappropriate development proposals, especially residential ones, proximate to WestWorld. The premise is no different than what countless cities do when protecting other major economic assets, especially airports. In the case of WestWorld a recent city commissioned economic impact report showed the annual … Read More
The July Surprise
A Meteor With a Timestamp There is a political meteor headed for Arizona, and most people don’t know it’s coming. Sometime this July, the federal Bureau of Reclamation is expected to announce its final framework for Colorado River water allocations post-2026. Seven states have spent two years failing to reach an agreement. So the federal government stepped in. Its draft … Read More
The Axon Vote: What Councilwoman Whitehead Said vs. What She Did
By Michelle Ugenti-Rita Scottsdale Councilwoman Solange Whitehead Cannot Be Trusted With the election just three months away, Scottsdale voters deserve to know which candidates can be trusted to, say what they do and do what they say. Councilwoman Solange Whitehead is running for re-election, and her record on one of the most consequential development decisions in our city raises serious concerns about whether … Read More
Rodney Glassman Is Running Again. Of Course He Is
By Ronald Sampson If there is an open seat in Arizona, Rodney Glassman wants it. City council, U.S. Senate, corporation commission, county assessor: he has tried them all. Now the heir to a vast agribusiness fortune is back for another crack at Arizona Attorney General, because apparently the voters just haven’t said no loudly enough yet. Glassman’s résumé is a … Read More
Arizona Has Two Senators Eyeing the White House. Only One Should Go For It.
For perhaps the first time in modern memory, Arizona has produced not one but two sitting U.S. senators with plausible presidential ambitions. That is either a testament to the state’s rising political stature, or a demonstration that ambition and realism don’t always share a zip code. Let’s sort it out. Gallego’s Window Has Likely Closed Sen. Ruben Gallego was a … Read More
Tammy Caputi Raises Over $100K in Just Three Weeks, Leads LD 4 Field in Fundraising
Now that all campaign finance reports have been filed and the numbers are public, Tammy Caputi has emerged as the clear fundraising leader in the Legislative District 4 House race. Caputi announced that her campaign raised over $100,000 in the most recent reporting quarter, the highest total in the field, despite entering the race with just three weeks remaining before … Read More
Our Scottsdale City Council Candidate Questionnaire: Ethan Knowlden
In the name of helping our readers make more informed decisions and better understand the people who want to lead our city, we sent out questionnaires to all Scottsdale City Council candidates. All of the questions were the same for each except for two questions that were customized for each candidate. Here are their submissions. Do you support the Axon … Read More
Scottsdale’s Proposed $2.1 Billion Budget Just Dropped: What You Need to Know
Scottsdale’s city government has released its proposed budget for fiscal year 2026/27. The number is big: $2.119 billion. But the headline the city is pushing is that this budget is actually smaller than last year’s. Here’s what residents should understand before Council takes it up. The Top-Line Numbers The proposed budget totals $2.119 billion, a decrease of $84.7 million, or … Read More
Statement from Mayor Borowsky on Brown Avenue Parking Garage
By Mayor Lisa Borowsky “After 16 months of public discussion, the City Council voted 5–2 on April 14 to move forward with the Brown Street Parking Garage. I am disappointed in this decision. From the beginning, I have raised concerns about the project’s location, cost, and compatibility with the character of Old Town. A three- to four-story parking structure at … Read More