By Ronald Sampson We’ve all seen this movie before in Scottsdale: when any sort of tax is mentioned in any capacity, so-called conservatives come out of the woodwork and tell you about how the money will be wasted, how it’s unnecessary, etc. Time and time again, regardless of the merits of the tax, lobbyists set the messaging and political candidates, … Read More
Leaving an Unfortunate Legacy: What Bob Littlefield has Wrong About Prop 490
By Alexander Lomax For those of you who have followed Proposition 490 and Scottsdale politics as a whole, you probably have noticed some familiar teams shaping up. Where absolutely anything related to tax dollars comes to a vote, the Goldwater Institute will pipe up and go to war against it, no matter how much it’s in the best interests of … Read More
Guest Editorial: Update on the Protect and Preserve Ballot Initiative
By Councilmember Tammy Caputi I’ve always been a strong proponent of our parks, Preserve, and open space, and the value they bring to our city. What makes us great is the unmatched outdoor amenities we provide our residents. I applaud past Councils for the foresight to purchase the pristine desert landscape which would become Scottsdale’s greatest asset. Council was very … Read More
Despite Attempt of Lobbyist Lawyers to Thwart the Will of the People, Popular Parks Initiative Will Be On Scottsdale Ballots in November
By Alexander Lomax It’s been a rollercoaster past week or so for Proposition 490, the Protect and Preserve initiative that is designed to replace the 0.2% sales tax used for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve with a lower 0.15% sales tax with expanded park maintenance and upkeep services. The very popular initiative brought the ire of the Goldwater Institute, the lobbyist … Read More
Guest Editorial: Listen to Our Firefighters, Not the Loud Activists
By Ronald Sampson Most cities of a certain size have some kind of a loud activist minority (minority referring to their size, not any immutable traits). You know the types; they don’t have too much to hang their hat on when it comes to their personal or professional lives, so they throw everything into some political causes, consistently raise the … Read More
Former Mayor Manross Nails It Regarding Parks Initiative
By Ronald Sampson As a relatively fiscally conservative person and a natural Republican, I **want** to dislike most government spending that I see. It’s a happy place to distrust it. But the activists on both sides of any issue tend to ruin it for everybody, finding any reason to be angry, even if it means resorting to half-truths, ignorance, or … Read More