Scottsdale councilmember going to Taiwan doesn’t make sense
OPINION — Do you enjoy paying for boondoggles? Probably not. But like it or not, you’re paying for a big one.
Councilmember Dubauskas is taking an all-expenses paid trip (expenses paid by you) to Taiwan. How? Arizona is sending a delegation to a semiconductor convention in Taiwan in order to bring investment to Arizona.
Scottsdale’s delegation includes Mayor Borowsky, Kevin Burke (director of Economic Development), and Councilmember Dubauskas. Scottsdale’s delegation is one of the biggest government delegations, second only to Mesa.
Councilmember Dubauskas will be staying at a five-star luxury hotel in Taiwan, which is conveniently located near Asia’s most luxurious shopping mall. Nice!
Councilmember Dubauskas has no background in semiconductors, and the City of Scottsdale will be well represented by Mayor Borowsky and Kevin Burke. Her participation will come out of the city’s economic development budget. Councilmember Dubauskas is the only councilmember from the entire state attending. Why?
It’s no secret that Councilmember Dubauskas has mayoral ambitions. This looks to me like an attempt to burnish her reputation ahead of a mayoral campaign in 2028. If so, taxpayers shouldn’t pay the bill for her mayoral ambitions.
The bizarre part of this boondoggle, however, is that Councilmember Dubauskas is part of the council majority trying to drive Axon out of Scottsdale. Axon is a world-class, home-grown company with technology which is changing policing worldwide. Scottsdale doesn’t have much open land for new semiconductor companies, which are famous for eating up space and water. So why is Councilmember Dubauskas looking for new semiconductor companies to come to Scottsdale? Is she looking for a replacement for Axon?
There is no love lost between Mayor Borowsky and Councilmember Dubauskas, who famously tried to have the mayor prosecuted. Let’s hope they’re not sitting together on the plane. It’s a long ride to Taiwan.
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