Scottsdale is a city that prides itself on being refined, on being a leader in luxury. It has culturally led the way in the state by consistently holding high standards and not bending them. The result has been a city that is a national leader in tourism and a destination within the state. Recently however, Scottsdale has been redefining its … Read More
What is Solange Whitehead Doing??
By Ronald Sampson When following elected leaders, you have to be used to disappointment. They need to make myriad decisions on votes and even the best of them have to make difficult and sometimes bad decisions. It’s a part of life…you can never expect perfection. But what this lame-duck iteration of the Scottsdale City Council has done has been beyond … Read More
Working Hard…
Thank you for the email that was just sent to us showing this Axon hired gun, trying to block Scottsdale voters from having a say on the largest apartment complex in city history, taking a break to smoke some weed. Perhaps Axon should take a cue from this guy: smoke one, chill the heck out, and leave Scottsdale alone.
Guest Editorial: An Open Letter to Axon CEO Rick Smith from Former Scottsdale City Councilman and Chairman of Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (TAAAZE), Bob Littlefield
Dear Mr. Smith: As you are no doubt aware thousands of Scottsdale residents from conservatives to liberals have come together to put the recent Scottsdale City Council approval, awarding Axon the largest apartment complex in Scottsdale history, to a public vote. What you may not be aware is that as of today, the halfway point of the 30 day period the … Read More
You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
Axon’s own renderings for its apartment city
Outgoing Mayor and City Councilmembers Add an Unfortunate End to Their Legacy with Axon
By Alexander Lomax A lame duck session in politics is the period after the election but before the inauguration of new members. It’s when leaders who either did not run for re-election or lost their re-election raves are unencumbered by future expectations and criticisms, where they can defy the expectations of their constituency with few repercussions. It’s also a time … Read More
What Now for the Soon-to-be-Former Mayor? Mayor Dave Ortega’s Next Potential Steps
For winners of political campaigns, the to-do list is a fairly clear one: prepare themselves for the office, consider the staff they’ll need, and be ready to hit the ground running. What is next for elected officials who lose their re-election campaigns is far less frequently talked about. What about Scottsdale Mayor Dave Ortega? After what was presumed to be … Read More
Scottsdale’s Least Favorite Bully Returns
By Ronald Sampson Just when I had hoped that it would be the end of it, that the city of Scottsdale would get a reprieve from the constant harassment, it persists. Like a woman at a club who keeps getting hit on by a guy that won’t take no for an answer, regardless of her friends and her beefy boyfriend … Read More
ASM versus Optima: Where Economic Growth Battles Quality of Life
We all want economic growth, and Arizona (and Scottsdale, more specifically) has been on fire in that regard recently. This has been optimized by the massive recent announcement by semiconductor-adjacent giant ASM, which recently announced an absolutely mammoth expansion in Scottsdale (you can learn more about it here). But as with anything mammoth, there will be winners and there will … Read More
Issues Collide: Do STRs Hold the Key to High Housing Costs?
Short-term rentals (STRs) have been a hot political talking point in Scottsdale for years now, as Mayor David Ortega and various city councilmembers have battled onerous restrictions at the state level to better regulate “party houses” and their related nuisances with mixed results. Additionally, the cost of housing has been a massive issue across the entire Valley, as renters have … Read More