“The clear, transparent and accountable path to the funding of the capitalization and recapitalization of the city’s capital infrastructure projects with voter-approved general obligation bonds,” would be [Scottsdale mayor Jim Lane’s] top priority he said during an interview Dec. 20. Well, if we are being “clear, transparent and accountable”… During Lane’s term on council and […]
Does Scottsdale’s entertainment district cost more than it’s worth? – azfamily.com 3TV
[Scottsdale city councilman David] Smith said the imbalance between tax revenue and public safety expenses [related to Scottsdale’s bar district] amounts to a subsidy from taxpayers – one he believes Scottsdale residents shouldn’t be paying. Yeah, $3 million in public safety costs vs $1 million in tax revenue. This is Scottsdale mayor Jim Lane’s “struggling […]
Swaback versus the flat-earthers
The Voice of Korte put out an email this morning with a tangential nod toward the taxpayer-funded folly of Scottsdale Desert Discovery Center promoter/designer, Vern Swaback. This week’s best sound bite comes from Vern Swaback, whose firm Swaback Partners [architecture firm], is working on the design of the Desert Discovery Center. “There may very well […]
Glendale’s Pro Sports Bill May Hit $21 Million This Year | KJZZ
“I don’t know to say if it’s an equal value,” [Glendale city manager Kevin] Phelps said. “But I think it certainly presents a compelling case to be in that market.” If you don’t KNOW that you are getting your money’s worth, then there is nothing “compelling” about such a case. This uncharacteristically disjointed article by […]
Realtors and the so-called “Independent”
I want to share one follow-on point to my earlier article today on the dark money injected into Scottsdale politics by the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors and the Chicago-based National Association of Realtors. This point merits its own article. As you know, I’ve been increasingly frustrated with the objectivity of the “journalism” coming out […]
Scottsdale Desert Discovery Center critics remain steadfast in fight for public vote
From social media this morning: [Scottsdale City] Councilwoman [Linda] Milhaven says if Scottsdale City Council were to have entertained the citizen petition [to require ballot approval on the $100 million Desert Discovery Center] there could be unintended consequences nobody wants. “For us to set guidelines for citizen votes for all of those kinds of things, […]
Desert Discovery Center and a Venetian Blind | Phoenix New Times
Someone mentioned the “Canals of Scottsdale” project in a Facebook comment this morning pertaining to the Desert Discovery Center controversy. Boy, did that kick off a little trip down memory lane. I moved to Scottsdale shortly after a grass roots effort had crushed this silly “Venice in the Desert” idea at the ballot. Here’s a little […]
Lane’s Big Tax Lie
In a campaign press release yesterday, embattled incumbent Scottsdale mayor Jim “Shady” Lane crowed that “Tax Rates Are Low.” In addition to refuting that claim based on what I know about our situation with property tax rates versus total tax collected, I did a little more digging on the general subject of Scottsdale taxes. What […]
Parking Garage for Luxury Retailer Not Legit Use of Taxpayer Credit
Embattled incumbent Scottsdale mayor Jim “Shady” Lane frequently brags about Scottsdale’s “AAA-rated bonds,” supposedly as a sign of what a good job he’s been doing. If you been reading my drivel for awhile, you know that I frequently point out that Lane is wrong, insofar as not all of Scottsdale’s bonds are actually AAA-rated. Now […]
More Lane Lies
Hold the Presses! The Scottsdale Independent prints yet another campaign PR puff piece for Scottsdale’s incumbent mayor Jim Lane, with no editorial challenge whatsoever to Lane’s lies. Shocking! Here’s the first paragraph: Recently I sent an e-mail highlighting why I think Scottsdale is the best city in which to live. Our economy is strong. Our […]