Area Tourism is Dead? Hardly. Millions in Spending Paints a Bright Picture

For months, we’ve heard dire predictions about tourism’s demise under the current political climate. Critics insisted that political tensions and policy changes would devastate the hospitality industry, particularly in luxury markets like Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. If that’s true, someone forgot to tell the resort owners who are pouring tens of millions into upgrades across the Valley. The numbers tell … Read More

More Organized Theft in Scottsdale: Why is This Problem Persisting?

While Scottsdale may be known as a world-class city best known for high end shops and restaurants, recently there has been a darker side to it. Along with being the launch point for numerous scam artists and fraudsters, it has been the target of organized theft rings quite frequently recently (read our coverage here). And a recent development demonstrates that … Read More

Arizona Again Becoming a Center for New Businesses with New Development

There has been much ado about President Trump’s tariff announcement a few weeks back. Putting it charitably, it has been…rocky…but lost in all of the partisan bickering is the reality that there is now an incentive to onshore business operations. Whether or not it’s worth it is a subject for an economics blog, but the reality is that some multinational … Read More

Guest Editorial: Tears for Tolerance

By Betty Janik On February 11, 2025, Scottsdale City Council was asked to vote on Ordinance 4662 which ensured COS employees are hired and promoted based on merit and to discontinue DEI programs. Once again, certain members of Council fabricated a problem that does not exist in the halls of Council and concocted a solution that was totally unwarranted, but … Read More

Arizona DOGE? Not So Fast, as Kolodin’s Concept Goes Down in Flames

If you have not lived under a rock over the last two months, you are almost certainly aware of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk’s attempts to cut government spending at the federal level. And regular readers may have read our piece on Arizona’s version of DOGE, spearheaded by Scottsdale-based Representative Alex Kolodin. But only a couple weeks later, … Read More

Are Republicans Weaponizing Musk-ism in Arizona?

By Alexander Lomax Unless you live under a rock politically, you are aware that Elon Musk is making some serious waves in American politics. Under the guise of the self-established Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE (with an acronym named after his favorite meme cryptocoin), he has been pouring through government departments, looking for purported waste and using tactics (such … Read More

The Race for the White House (Already): What Recent Polling Says About 2028

Why yes, we did just finish an election, and the new president (same as the old president) was just recently inaugurated. But a good portion of the electorate is already hoping to fast forward four years, so why not take a far-too-early look at what 2028 might look like? Thankfully, recent polling takes a look at how things might play … Read More

Guest Editorial: America on the Rise: Celebrating New Beginnings

By Doug Ducey A Fresh Start I want to start off by congratulating President Trump on his inauguration as the 47th President of the United States. It’s time to turn the page on the last four years and get back to an America where opportunity and prosperity are abundant. I was in Idaho ahead of Governor Brad Little’s State of … Read More

They Can’t Be Serious

Fascinating was this recent article in the Phoenix Business Journal about Axon’s comments and challenges to the Scottsdale referendum challenging its hugely unpopular apartment proposal there, you can read the piece here. Basically, Axon’s beleaguered CEO said that if the new Scottsdale Mayor and City Council taking office January 14th don’t schedule a special election in 2025 rather than hold … Read More