I was copied on an email to the Scottsdale city council and mayor today, in which a word caught my eye: “Quango.” Quango (quasi non-governmental organization) is an acronym that describes arms-length bodies funded by government departments but not run by them. They are given power and paid for by government departments. One of my […]
Tax Yourself
Did you know that in order to raise your own taxes, all you have to do is…nothing? There’s a Scottsdale property tax election less than a month away, and if more than half the pitiful, typical percentage of Scottsdale residents who show up vote for it, you get new taxes whether you wanted them or […]
Peter Pan City Planning and Fairy Dust Incentives
In an Arizona Republic opinion column a couple of days ago, Robert Robb brilliantly analyzes the current land-use planning philosophy that has pushed aside all common sense throughout the metro area: Phoenix banks on Peter Pan theory of Millennials. Among Robb’s observations: I believe urban form and government infrastructure should maximize the living preferences of […]