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. […]
“Gastropub” by any other name is… a bar
With this headline, “Bitters cocktail bar and restaurant to open at SkySong in Scottsdale,” we see what I believe is the bar district’s camel nose under the tent at the taxpayer-subsidized SkySong office park gulag. And if bar district princess (and city councilwoman) Suzanne Klapp is tweeting about it, you can be sure that Klapp […]
Scottsdale Parking Solution? Quit Causing Parking Problems!
According to Daniel Davis, who wrote a letter-to-the-editor on the subject of parking that was recently published: Overlying our parking woes is something called “parking minimums.” Parking minimums are laws requiring developers to build specified amounts of free parking spots. These parking minimums are often totally arbitrary and inflate the costs of building housing and […]
Diamond Green Backs
In an article I posted last week (Bookshelf Intellectualism) about the utter failure of the Scottsdale Planning Commission to live up to it’s mission of serving the citizens of Scottsdale, I referenced a letter-to-the editor by political entrepreneur, Jim Bruner. You may also remember that Bruner was a driving force in bringing taxpayer-funded professional baseball to […]
Bookshelf Intellectualism
In a column that ran recently in “the other so-called newspaper” in Scottsdale, the editor regurgitated nonsensical remarks by Jim Bruner, which Bruner had delivered at a reception for city board and commission volunteer appointees. Scottsdale’s boards and commissions are SUPPOSED to vet issues and provide citizen-oriented recommendations to the mayor and City Council when […]
San Marino, California – Wikipedia
The Huntington Library in San Marino, California The San Marino City Council page states: “San Marino was formed to protect your personal rights and to control the growth and activities of the City in such a way that each individual resident will be guaranteed a pleasant place in which to live with a minimum of […]
Virginia Korte: Horse Troughs and Horse Hockey
In a recent example of press release journalism in the Scottsdale “Independent,” Virginia Korte is quoted: “Putting horse troughs in front of downtown stores is not going to keep Scottsdale the ‘West’s Most Western Town.’” That one dishonest statement sums up Korte’s sincerity about the so-called “Community Conversation” about the future of Scottsdale she’s proposing. […]
Millennial Intelligence
Someone get a copy of this to Mayor Jim Lane and the Scottsdale City Council, quick! They are basing all their zoning decisions lately on what Millennials “want” and “need.” [Thanks, Jim DelRae]
Shady Lane’s Legacy of Lies
I can’t remember who sent me this photo, and I have no idea where it was taken. But I’ve been saving it for an appropriate moment. Given the way the Lane4Mayor campaign has been circling the drain lately, I figured now is as good a time as any to share a photo of Mayor Swirly. […]