The first election is thankfully right around the corner, so we will get a reprieve from the political ads for a brief few moments. But in the meantime, partially lost in the shuffle of the competitive primaries in Arizona is the Scottsdale City Council race. And some significant battle lines are being drawn around the issue of development. Indeed, the … Read More
Add Glendale and Tempe to List of Valley Cities that Understand the Need to Build
If you read this blog regularly, you know that we have a housing shortage issue which is playing a major role in housing prices spiraling out of control. We also recently gave kudos to Mesa for having the foresight to be willing to build more and reject the local NIMBY voices of the community. Well we have a few more … 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
Guest Editorial: Kudos to Larry Kush on Hat Trick – If Only Our Leaders Listened to Him More Often
By Ronald Sampson I am unapologetically a fan of pro-growth policies. I believe that our communities are better off with elected officials who believe that building is typically preferred to not building, that housing prices are best when they are suppressed by solid supply, and that NIMBYism hurts nearly all of us. In that spirit, I was very pleased to … Read More
Guest Editorial: The Problem with Extremism
By Councilwoman Betty Janik Extremism was once considered an ideology, a belief system, outside of the common sense attitudes of society. Unfortunately, it now seems to be the norm. With the constant news stream of outrageous commentary, we are tempted to believe what we hear and frequently what we are shown. Social media has been used effectively to promote extremist positions … Read More
AZ Legislators Again Try to Address Housing Issues, but It’s Simple: Build More
We have spoken frequently about the issues of high rent in the region, and the need for more housing options. The extreme bill that was introduced into the legislature that would have nullified city and town zoning capabilities died a swift death. That said, the legislature is still trying to resolve an issue that they shouldn’t need to address. One … Read More
Assisted Living Care Rezone Hits Snag in Planning Committee – Another Example of Anti-Growth Policies?
We have spoken frequently about the lack of affordable housing and Scottsdale leadership’s refusal to rectify the problem. However, it seems as though this issue is manifesting itself in ways other than NIMBYism and no movement on potential developments. In a recent case, even an assisted living center is finding the pathway difficult. A recent application near the intersection of … Read More
Slacktivism Strikes Scottsdale: Very Few People Actually Turn Up to Comment on Old Town Character Plan
By Ronald Sampson There is an old adage about government, that people get the government they deserve. The implication is that a general lack of interest or attention will lead to sub-optimal governance results. And the more things change, the more things stay the same, as Scottsdale residents have shown recently. For a bit … Read More
A Crisis In Part Caused By Scottsdale (But Also One That Can Be Cured By It Too)
If there is one defining characteristic of Arizona, save the desert, it’s our natural disdain for the government telling us what to do. But every once in a while, they feel like their hand is forced and that they need to do something. Well we are quickly hurtling towards that point with rent prices in Arizona. Rent prices have risen … Read More
Guest Editorial: Solving the Housing Crisis By Stopping NIMBYs
By Ronald Sampson Economics is a complex subject, but some aspects of it are incredibly simple. For instance, supply and demand; when supply is low and demand is high, prices will move higher. Alternatively, when you increase supply, prices drop. And with housing prices surging to incredible highs in the Valley, it seems fairly common-sense that one good way to … Read More