We don’t have to tell you that water is a subject of critical importance in our little slice of desert heaven, a subject that we have spoken about at length. Perhaps the one area that is the most intense and contentious Ground Zero for the water debate in our county and perhaps even the entire state and further is right … Read More
Caputi Takes On Ortega in a Friendly Crowd: Is It a Sign of What’s to Come in 2024?
Is it too early to look forward to the 2024 Scottsdale Mayoral race? Well we are confident that Mayor David Ortega is looking forward to his re-election campaign, and based on a recent post from Councilwoman Tammy Caputi it looks like we may have someone else who is similarly looking at that race with opportunity in their eyes. We found … Read More
Hades on an Ice Rink: Is the Council of No Learning to Say Yes?
I know that on occasion that I can be a broken record about the need for more development, that building more will alleviate our pressing housing crisis and benefit so many. We have also been somewhat dismayed at the Scottsdale City Council’s recent inclination to get in the way of good developments moving forward; we coined the term “the Council … Read More
Guest Editorial: Why is Joseph Chaplik Insistent on Embarrassing Himself?
By Alexander Lomax I certainly understand the strategy; be as loud as you can, take risks with specious allegations, and attempt to become a darling of your political party. Joseph Chaplik has gone all in on this approach during his young political career as a two-term state Representative, and could prove to be even more successful if his ambition to … Read More
Guest Editorial: The Political Earthquake In Scottsdale No One Is Talking About . . .And Ramifications For The City’s Future
By Jason Rose I ran my first successful campaign in Scottsdale in 1994. Two years later I consulted on the campaign that elected the city’s first female mayor, Sam Campana. Ever since I have been heavily involved in the Scottsdale political scene leading elections for other mayors, hockey arenas and bonds to fund new infrastructure. I offer these credentials not … Read More
The NIMBY’s Actually Lost a Battle in Scottsdale: How Positive of a Sign Is This?
We have griped quite a bit about the Council of No in Scottsdale and the sacrifice of reasonable growth for the holy grail of perfect developments; letting perfect be the enemy of good, in essence. So imagine our very deep surprise when a mixed-use development passed through the Council recently! What looks to be an intriguing mixed-use project near Marshall … Read More
Scottsdale State of the City Address: What To Glean From It
Mayor Dave Ortega recently had his State of the City address, done via Zoom and available for viewing on YouTube. Generally an avenue to brag about accomplishments and talk about initiatives for the future, it’s often a way to get insight into the priorities of the Mayor. So how about this one? For those who don’t want to watch the … Read More
Street Racing Comes to Scottsdale – City is Wisely Clamping Down on It
We all know that Scottsdale typically strikes a nice balance between being a quiet place to live and raise a family and having a robust party scene. When that robust party scene turns into streets being blocked off with street racing, and thus imperiling others, it has gone too far. Street racers recently took over the intersection of Camelback and … Read More
The Battle Lines are Shaping Up for Scottsdale District Idea, with Some Surprises
Last week we talked about the impending push to turn Scottsdale city elections into a district system instead of the current at-large election system. While there is still a long way to go, as sufficient signatures still need to be collected before it can even go to a public vote, the difficulty that the future proposition will likely face is … Read More
A District System for Scottsdale? It May Be Headed for the Ballot; Who Wins and Loses
As you very likely know, when you vote for a Scottsdale city councilmember, you don’t vote for one in your district. There are no voting districts in Scottsdale; all councilmembers are voted in “at large”. That might change for the 2024 election, as a local group will attempt to put the issue on the ballot for a public vote. 3-2-One … Read More