By Laurie Roberts | Arizona Republic
In just 16 days, a tiny desert community northeast of Scottsdale is going to run out of water.
There are a lot of people to blame for the taps that are about to spit out dust in Rio Verde Foothills.
… The residents, for being dumb enough to build their houses in a place that has no guaranteed water supply.
… The state of Arizona, for allowing such stupidity.
… Maybe even Maricopa County, for quietly approving thousands of building permits and never raising a stink about a state law that prevents it from considering the availability of water.
You know who’s not to blame for the disaster that is about to befall Rio Verde?
Scottsdale.
Mayor sounds more Scrooge than Santa
That, however, is not to say that Mayor David Ortega and his elves shouldn’t fire up their red-nosed Range Rover and fly to their neighbor’s temporary rescue.
Thus far, though, Ortega is sounding more Scrooge than Santa.
“I’m the mayor of Scottsdale,” he told me. “I’m not the Rio Verde baron.”
