An anonymous political blog here in Scottsdale recently criticized council member Solange Whitehead for her waffling support of zoning changes and other concessions (aka, “developer welfare”) for widely-opposed high-density housing projects. The term used to describe Solange’s efforts, “shuttle diplomacy,” caused me pause. As referenced in Wikipedia, the term was first applied to Henry Kissinger’s […]
Kush Klucks
Larry Kush just can’t help himself. After another bloviation from him in the so-called Independent, he once again took me to task for criticizing him for advocating for elimination of single-family zoning. I memorialized the thread here, in case the censors at the Independent decide to nuke it. Kush: Actually the Biden administration is saying […]
Does Development Pay for Itself?
Vice Mayor Betty Janik finally came to [Scottsdale Planning, Economic Development and Tourism Director Randy] Grant’s aid. “I’ve read quite a bit on does economic development pay for itself,” she said. “You can go and check all the literature and you can get six experts say it does and six equal expert people that say […]
Larry Kush calls me Racist
I don’t often single out individual citizens for criticism. However, in the case of Larry Kush, I’m going to make an exception, since he chose to insert himself in a thread of commentary about something that he, of all people, should have left alone. And then he called me racist. I made a comment on […]
Caputi’s True Colors
Tammy Caputi’s recent opinion piece in the so-called “Independent” demonstrates exactly the reason I recommended against her for city council in last year’s election. I’ve reproduced her letter below my comments. It is full of half-truths and outright dishonesty, with one goal in mind: Usurping the very purpose of the General Plan and our zoning […]
Otis and the SCOTT Project
I received an entertaining, late-night email from Otis Norton in my inbox this morning, in which he threatened me for mentioning one of his friends in a social media post. I’ve been around and involved long enough to have been threatened by a few folks. So, while I always take threats seriously, this one mostly […]
And Then Came the High-Rises
In the past, I’ve been critical of former Republic columnist John Talton’s loose cannon, anti-automobile ranting. I haven’t seen much from him lately, but his older piece, Phoenix 101: What killed downtown, Part II, recently came to my attention, and contains a nugget worth noting. Hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in […]
“I deserve affordable housing in Scottsdale”
I recently had an–interesting–social media conversation with a couple of keyboard warriors who are essentially demanding cheaper (“affordable”) housing in Scottsdale. It’s clear from the comments they made that, while cloaked in proletariat self-righteousness, their motivation is really more about self-interest and entitlement than the “working class.” The conversation started with an opinion piece posted […]
Developer Dishonesty? Say it isn’t so!
Vicki Falen and her husband Dana live in the Montana Ranch community south of Shea Boulevard at roughly 117th Street. Late last year an adjoining parcel which was similarly-designated as rural residential, was rezoned via “major general plan amendment,” by mayor Jim Lane and the Scottsdale city council to commercial use, for a developer who […]
Scottsdale Journalism, Jumbo Shrimp
“Scottsdale Journalism?” Is that even still a thing? I’m reminded of the George Carlin shtick about “jumbo shrimp,” “military intelligence,” and “business ethics.” More on that last phrase momentarily. Did you know that Carlin was a US Air Force veteran? He was also court-martialed three times. The USAF apparently doesn’t have a sense of humor. […]