Wow, do they have no shame at all? Dipsh*t Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon wants to go Vegas-style and put slot machines in Sky Harbor Airport in a desperate attempt to raise money now that the state's fake real estate-based economy has spectacularly collapsed.
And, if that's not enough money-grubbing shysterism for you, DPS has 100 more speed cameras coming your way!
No wonder this article ran today about how Scottsdale has become the laughing stock of the nation.
EDIT: Today's news story: 100 cameras are only the immediately plans ... a total of 200 are in the works!!
It's like the Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
It's invasion of the Scottsdale Snatchers.
100 fricken' cameras? You've got to be kidding?
I can't wait until the fed-up populace starts...well...taking those puppies out, so so speak. This is Orwellian madness.
Phil Gordon should be recalled for allowing Phoenix to be a sanctuary city for illegals. When that cop was recently shot by an illegal, people were pissed off Mayor Gordon was out there saying "boo hoo," when his sorry a** is partially responsible.
I'm all for responsible gambling now and then, if you can pay your bills and act with self control. But Vegas-style slots in the airport? Pfft! That's about as goofy a** desperate as I've seen in a long time.
Might as well just put slots on the side of the road instead of cameras. At least people would be willing to lose their money and have a little fun rather than being raped of half a paycheck for driving 5 mph over the limit on 101 and Raintree.
I've always thought the political establishment, top to bottom, were a bunch of third-rate shakedown shysters.
This is more proof...
Valley of the stir fry Wok, baby, Valley of the Wok!
Posted by: joe jacari | July 17, 2008 at 11:15 PM
If you research how the UK populace deals with the cameras they figured out the easiest way to demolish them is to take a tire, slather it with the same stuff thats in Sterno cans, toss it up in the camera light it and poof...totally destroyed cameras.
Posted by: Matt | July 18, 2008 at 01:28 AM
I like that idea! The problem though is Scottsdale is full of the biggest bunch of pussified sheeple anywhere in the world. They'll just continue to sit back and take it like the wimps they are.
Posted by: Frank Rumbauskas | July 18, 2008 at 02:01 AM
Here's the dead givaway: if Scottsdale were so high-class and had a truly affluent tax base--say like Bevery Hills or Palo Alto, California--why would they need to sheist people, by slapping up cameras on every corner, to try to turn a quick buck through petty traffic fines?
Answer: they wouldn't.
Bingo!
Posted by: joe jacari | July 18, 2008 at 09:41 PM
I wonder if Supreme Soviet Napolitano considered the tourism consequences when she unleashed this nauseating money grab. Think about it... a tourist from back east comes out in January to pay a few hundred a night to stay at a hotel and a hundred or two to play golf each day, and when he gets home he gets a thank you from the state of Arizona with a few hundred bucks worth of speeding tickets. Think he's coming back? The sad part is that the idiot politicians will be in denial for a few years before they figure it out. So they will have to rescind the Big Brother cameras and spend $50 million or so more of taxpayer money begging people to come back to the new, somewhat less Soviet like state of Arizona. Maybe Comrade Napolitano will end up as Comrade Obama's running mate. If it sounds desperate, it is. I can dream, can't I?
Posted by: Dean Kennedy | July 24, 2008 at 01:17 PM
There is DEFINITELY a tourism hit coming from the speed cameras. Here's a true story to demonstrate:
Last fall my girlfriend's relatives in North Scottsdale had family from all over the country come out for Thanksgiving. They came from New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Los Angeles, and Orange County.
They were all immediately shocked, outraged, and disgusted at the presence of speed cameras everywhere. One was pulled over "on suspicion of DUI" even though she hadn't had a drink at all that day. The reason? She turned on her headlights about a second after she put the car into gear. This was "just cause" for a DUI stop, complete with two cop cars and a breathalyzer.
Luckily for her the breathalyzer came in at .00, which makes a conviction tough even in arrest-happy Scottsdale. So she got away that time.
The point here is that everyone in attendance swore never to return to Scottsdale. Not only were they unimpressed by the town itself - everyone thought it was bland, barren, and boring - but the presence of the Soviet-style cameras was a huge turnoff.
To top it all, one of the cousins from LA was greeted at home by three photo tickets in the mailbox. You see, in So Cal, you can drive up to 85 mph on the freeways with no fear of cops. Scottsdale seemingly capitalizes on this by speed-trapping visitors from states were you can actually drive without Big Brother watching you every single minute.
Fuck Scottsdale. Writing this has gotten me pissed off all over again. Oh yeah, we're one of the many visitors from that weekend who swore never to return again.
Posted by: Frank Rumbauskas | July 24, 2008 at 01:31 PM