Until the last election, Scottsdale had a 100% “Republican” city council and mayor. I put “Republican” in quotes, because I always thought the party platform’s primary plank was fiscal responsibility. During the last decade, our elected officials (including Mayor Jim Lane, Virginia Korte, Suzanne Klapp, and even some who are supposedly populist politicians who are […]
One-Eyed Jackass
This crazy ‘public art’ installation was recently… ahem, erected, at Indian School Road and Marshall Way. “In the end, they [the artist and the public art division of Scottsdale Arts] went directly to the city council, which has the power to overrule the [city] design board. In February, all but one city council member voted […]
Roadway Maintenance Shortfall Due to Not Enough Taxes?
In a Phoenix Biz Journal article today, Eric J Toll proclaimed (or regurgitated from an ADOT press release): “A per gallon gas tax was always the system to pay into the fund to maintain and expand roads, but the funds are depleting faster than filling. That’s why so many places have maintenance issues.” That statement […]
“Media Buy” has a whole new meaning in Scottsdale
About a month ago, I published additional details in the ongoing saga of former-fake mayoral candidate Bill Crawford and his phantom nominating petition signatures, including Crawford’s cowardly attempt to bully me into silence with an empty threat of a lawsuit over comments his lawyer mistakenly said I posted on AZCentral. Thinking (foolishly, as it turns […]
Another $4 million taxpayer subsidy down the drain
Tuesday night the Scottsdale City Council and Mayor Jim Lane voted to flush another $4 million of your money down the award-winning toilets of the Scottsdale Cultural Council. Fiscal Year 2016/17 Scottsdale Cultural Council Financial Participation Agreement – Approved on Consent. Request: Adopt Resolution No. 10452 authorizing Agreement No. 2016-065-COS, an annual financial participation agreement […]
Some truths about Phoenix’s property tax deals
I don’t think this appeared in the Republic’s online AZCentral site, but it was clipped and forwarded to me by a sharp-eyed ScottsdaleCitizen reader who knows I have been highly critical of GPLET abatements for private developers. Thanks MK. While I do not believe the GPLET mechanism has been used directly in Scottsdale, the principle […]
Mesa Hopes New ASU Campus Spurs Downtown Growth
Cities across the Valley are looking inward these days, refocusing resources and money on creating attractive downtowns. Now, Mesa city officials are hoping a deal with Arizona State University will jump start their downtown’s growth. Voters will have their chance to approve the potentially $160 million dollar project to build a new ASU campus in […]
Scottsdale Museum of the West management agreement amendment
Shades of the Scottsdale Cultural Council…let’s throw good taxpayer money after bad. The Museum of the West, Inc., got the City Council to give it free land and over $11 million in taxpayer money for the purpose-built structure…mind you, that’s BORROWED money, for which we (the taxpayers) are on-the-hook. Plus, we gave them a $400,000 […]
The ongoing obituary of the Scottsdale Cultural Council
“Instead of a city of arts and culture, we are a city of entertainment,” [Agnese] Udinotti says. “It’s a party city now.” But Scottsdale’s arts scene has ebbed and flowed in the past. There’s a chance at another comeback, right? She’s cutting with her opinion.”It doesn’t come back.” Becky Bartkowski has penned a hard-hitting piece […]
More Questions from Citizens
Dear Scottsdale Neighbors, Thanks for your inquiry and the opportunity to answer your questions. Sorry for the delay in responding. The inbox is stacking up. With the election only three weeks away I’m almost constantly in motion between events. As a grassroots candidate, there’s never enough time (or money) to cover all the bases, but […]