By Vice Mayor Maryann McAllen Recently I attended a reception for the book, “Hands-on History , Residents Reflect on Scottsdale’s 75 Years”. It was filled with the Who’s Who of Scottsdale. Former Mayors, local business leaders, and civic volunteers, all of whom had a hand in shaping our beautiful city. The guests included many of the 75 writers who shared … Read More
Op-Ed: Why do Zubia’s Allies Avoid the Issues?
By Ignacio del Valle, Scottsdale resident The opinion pages have been busy this election — and the pattern is impossible to ignore. Residents who support Barry Graham and Michelle Ugenti-Rita — or the many who have doubts about Raoul Zubia — are focusing on the issues: the connection between high-density apartments and water security, short-term rentals, neighborhood safety, the Bar … Read More
Op-Ed: Barry Graham Endorses Election Deniers. Nobody Has Held Him Accountable
By John Ainley Harry Dunn, a former U.S. Capitol police officer who was beaten by January 6th insurrectionists, will be in Maricopa County later this week. This reminded me of Barry Graham’s endorsement of Alexander Kolodin for Arizona Secretary of State. Kolodin was directly involved in efforts challenging Arizona’s 2020 election results. He served as local counsel in Sidney Powell’s … Read More
Op-Ed: Raoul Zubia is Mainstream and Has the Moral High Ground
By Jim Derouin Jerome Garcia’s recent post makes several claims about Raoul Zubia that are preposterous and simply not true. Most glaring is the assertion that Raoul’s support comes “exclusively from Democrats and socialist factions.” That is pure poppy cock. Raoul’s publicly listed endorsers include Deb Gullett, a former Republican state representative, and Wes Gullett, a longtime Republican operative who … Read More
Op-Ed: The Raoul Zubia I Know
By Doreen Reinke Campaigns have a way of reducing people to mailers, slogans and thirty-second advertisements. But the Raoul Zubia I know is much easier to describe: he is a good man who genuinely cares about Scottsdale. Raoul was born and raised here. Scottsdale isn’t someplace he moved to and decided to get involved in; it is home. His memories are … Read More
Op-Ed: Barry Graham Is A Hypocrite. Bought & Paid For By Developers
By Bobby “Rob” Birmingham Barry Graham and his minions have spent weeks repeatedly criticizing Raoul Zubia over support from the Realtor Association. Their social media trolls continue to spread lies and disinformation about Realtors. Ironically, Graham’s own campaign finance reports show nearly $50,000 in contributions from people tied to real estate, development, property management, and related business interests. Want the receipts? … Read More
Op-Ed: Follow the Real Money, Mr. Nelson
By Allen Frank Raoul Zubia-surrogate John Nelson attacked Councilman Barry Graham for voting with a 6-1 majority to advance a voter-approved parking project. Nelson speculated that a $1,000 contribution from a longtime art gallery influenced Graham’s vote on a project 37,000 residents already approved. Silly. While Mr. Nelson reviews campaign finance reports, he should look at Mr. Zubia’s. Short-term rentals … Read More
Op-Ed: In Support of Raoul Zubia
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
Guest Editorial: Practice Civility — Don’t Just Campaign on It
By Andrew Wollmann In 2017 Scottsdale became a Golden Rule City: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” The City Council’s Civil Dialogue principles ask us to patiently listen, speak respectfully, and own our words. We expect leaders to live by that. We have seen many Scottsdale elections, some more than others, in which candidates abide by that … 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