By Cynthia Wenström Scottsdale is fortunate to have scenic beauty, safe neighborhoods and amenities that contribute to an enviable quality of life. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt, generously equipped libraries and senior centers, are community assets worth protecting and maintaining. The continuing question is how Scottsdale can sustain that quality of life while addressing the challenges ahead. … Read More
Op-Ed: Scottsdale Isn’t Just a City to Raoul Zubia
By Don Henninger When Raoul Zubia talks about Scottsdale, you can tell right away that this isn’t just a city to him. It’s home. Raoul was born and raised in Scottsdale, and he has seen it change and grow over the years. He knows what makes the city special because he has lived it. He knows the neighborhoods, the people, … Read More
Letters to the Editor: Peanut Gallery Can’t Pick A Narrative On Zubia
By Janice H. The Arizona Progress Gazette has discovered a troubling new problem for Raoul Zubia: apparently he has gone silent. There is just one small problem. Someone should tell the Arizona Progress Gazette. Its latest column claims Zubia has failed to offer voters “a competing version of his own” and has left an empty chair for his opponents to … Read More
Raoul Zubia Is Being Defined, Whether He Notices or Not
By Miles Cavanaugh Somebody Fills the Silence Every candidate gets defined by someone. The only real question is who gets there first. Right now, for Raoul Zubia, that’s Barry Graham’s coalition, and not necessarily because anyone cornered the market on him unfairly. It’s because Zubia hasn’t shown up with a competing version of his own. The story circulating about him, … Read More
Guest Editorial: Scottsdale Residents Deserve a City Council That Listens to you!
At our first Council meeting following the primary election, City Hall was filled to standing room only with residents from across Scottsdale and every political affiliation celebrating my outright re-election. The Mayor’s recognition of my victory and the residents’ applause were an incredibly uplifting way to begin the evening. Thank you to everyone who came to City Hall! Unfortunately, the … Read More
Ishac Loses to Dubauskas a Second Time
By Vanessa Rogers Conservatives of Greater Scottsdale announced this week that it is “suspending” its recall campaign against Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas, citing a lack of signature-gathering manpower ahead of the September 2 deadline. Translation: they didn’t have the votes, they didn’t have the case, and as we said back in the spring, they never really had a reason. A Grudge … Read More
Ethan Knowlden Shows Scottsdale How to Lose With Class
Ethan Knowlden ran for Scottsdale City Council this year and came up just short. A few weeks later he posted a sweaty selfie from a morning run in DC Ranch, captioned “Running in the 6’s (hours) right now means running in the 80’s (degrees). Which is healthier than any other form of running I’ve done lately.” That’s it. No bitterness, … Read More
Two Proposals: Put Residents First, Fix the Political Sign Mess
By Solange Whitehead Monday, I will propose restoring public comment to the beginning of Council meetings. The Council’s decision to move citizen comments to the end of meetings effectively silenced everyday residents. Listening to the community is free, vital, and helps catch problems early—before they become costly. I will also propose a council meeting item to establish voluntary campaign sign … Read More
Guarantee: Michelle Ugenti-Rita Will Win One Of Two Remaining Scottsdale Council Seats Up For Grabs In November
By Hamilton With the surprising and some would say selfless decision by Bob Littlefield to withdraw from the Scottsdale City Council race, it leaves three candidates for two seats this fall: former state lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita, incumbent Councilman Barry Graham and community advocate Raoul Zubia, who is making a more spirited run after an unsuccessful candidacy in 2022. But there … Read More
Guest Editorial: Moving Forward in The Fight to Keep Scottsdale Special!
Dear Friends, Today I made the difficult and personally painful decision to withdraw from the City Council race and return to my position as the Chairman of TAAAZE (Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions). I made this decision based on the results of the recent primary election and the effect those results have had on the Scottsdale political landscape. My … Read More