When Supervisor Jack Sellers was selected to join the Maricopa Board of Supervisors earlier this year, we were happy to see such a strong voice for transportation join an already stellar Board. You see, Supervisor Sellers is a longtime member of the State Transportation Board and tireless champion for the East Valley having served for…
DetailsCunningham Diving Deeper into Water PolicyStepping Down as HighGround’s General Counsel PHOENIX (June 24, 2019) – Veteran attorney and public affairs professional, Patrick Cunningham, will be retiring from his General Counsel position at HighGround Public Affairs Consultants to focus exclusively on water and environmental policy issues. With the passage of the Drought Contingency Plan earlier this year, much…
DetailsAs the Arizona Legislature moves towards Sine Die, we at HighGround wish to express our gratitude towards all of the Legislators for their hard work and dedication on the eve of our Country’s Memorial Day Weekend. We are grateful for your service. “From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military…
DetailsBusiness & Labor Leaders Oppose Prop 106. View this article on AZ Central Todd Sanders, Britt London and Steve Beuerlein, opinion contributors Phoenicians are being asked to vote on Proposition 106, which takes a reckless approach to a long-term pension obligation and turns it into a bill we would be forced to pay now. The initiative would require the…
DetailsSeeking Clarity on the Molera Decision and Its Implications for Future Initiative Measures “We will not stand by and witness over twenty years of transportation planning representing thousands of hours of work and billions in investment and economic development be thwarted because of the intense dislike by some of a single portion of the overall…
DetailsThe answers to our diseased political culture all point to ourselves. Earlier this week, my wife, Patricia, and I were listening to the radio about the latest discussion surrounding the immigration and border security debate. She looked at me and said, “Nothing ever changes.” She’s right. It has been nine years since the explosion of…
DetailsLast March, Maricopa Integrated Health Systems (soon to be Valleywise Health) announced the purchase and re-opening of Maryvale Hospital. At the time, we hailed the announcement a big win for the Maryvale community. We said, “There is no better example of the nexus of these two goals – protecting the taxpayers and improving community health –…
DetailsFor almost two years, HighGround has worked with a broad coalition of stakeholders and community partners to provide leadership, strategy, survey research, messaging, and communications support to pass the Arizona Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). Along the way, we have experienced many different types of days – some challenging and others heartening. One day that sparked celebration…
DetailsHighGround has had the pleasure of working with both Ted Ferris and Peter Burns for many, many years. Both were instrumental in helping several gubernatorial administrations navigate the difficulties presented when recessions hit, and state and public revenues plummeted. Their wisdom is valuable because they have helped the state avoid bigger challenges countless times by exposing bad legislation like SB 1460. The…
DetailsIn the realm of politics, most issues are navigated with the “fifty-percent plus one” mentality – finding consensus among the number of folks that it takes to win an election. The fact of the matter is, very few issues in this current political environment can achieve near-unanimous support. That is why our recommended threshold for…
Details