Dean Kennedy posted this insightful comment, and my response follows:
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?
My response:
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.
F*ck 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. We may go visit friends in Phoenix but will not set foot, nor give one cent in sales tax revenue, to the corrupt and despicable City of Scottsdale.
To sum it up:
- Scottsdale is experiencing a crash in property tax revenue, with a record 48% of property tax bills going unpaid this year, and more to come.
- Scottsdale has publicly discussed the sales tax crisis, thanks to a complete standstill in auto sales now that the Scottsdale phonies are ruined and can no longer get credit to buy/lease cars.
- Scottsdale tourism is way down, per the AZ Republic this week, and hotel/sales tax revenues are crashing.
- And now to top it all, they're strongly discouraging visitors with their Soviet speed cameras and abusive DUI procedures.
Nice going. The "leadership" of the City of Scottsdale is a perfect example of why you should NEVER raise children in Scottsdale or let them go to Scottsdale schools. The brain damage is lifelong and irreversible.
Let's see...Franks, girlfriend's, idiot relatives were 'upset' because they could not go their predetermined speed of 85MPH, and refused to accept their due and proper citation?
Anybody see a problem with this picture?
Anyone, other than Walmart enjoy business from this group of wackos during their holiday. Discerning, and well educated folks, I am sure (not).
Whole gaggle of assholes, with Frank as leader.
Posted by: steve lowen | July 24, 2008 at 05:13 PM
Steve is an obedient little sheeple who hates himself and the rest of society.
Posted by: Frank Rumbauskas | July 24, 2008 at 05:44 PM
Frank, I don't understand why a speed limit should be totally disregarded.
If the cameras were really meant to rip people off, then why are they set ONLY to go off at speeds of greater than 75?
Posted by: Tyler B Harvey | July 24, 2008 at 06:30 PM
Two thoughts:
1. Arizona and California both have prima facie speed laws. In plain English, that means the speed limit is NOT an absolute limit, but a guideline. Under safe conditions it is legal to exceed the limit by a reasonable and prudent amount.
2. Are you aware that Scottsdale is artificially lowering speed limits all over the city, including down to 55 on stretches of Loop 101, meaning you now get a ticket at 65 instead of 75?
Speed limits are fine when they're realistic and reasonable - most of the surface streets around here are 50-60 mph limit. But when it's down to 25 on stretches of Camelback and down to 55 on stretches of 101, sorry but that's not reasonable anymore. It's just a money-making scam.
Posted by: Frank Rumbauskas | July 24, 2008 at 06:46 PM
Frank, you know that the speed cameras right now are TURNED OFF, and that Loop 101's speed limits are set by the Arizona Department of Transportation, and not Scottsdale? Did you also know that they are constructing carpool lanes on Loop 101 so right now there is NO SHOULDER? That's why it's 55 MPH.
The roads in Orange County are totally different than the roads in Arizona. First of all, California has totally different design standards than the rest of the country, which calls for greater right of way, generally wider lanes, strict restrictions on median landscaping, and loop detectors in all directions for every traffic signals that are, in my opinion as an engineer, overspecified.
California has a huge problem with the way traffic flows on a wide open surface street, because the signals are generally uncoordinated. You might be traveling down Jamboree noticing that as soon as you get a green light, the next one will be turning red on you just as you reach the intersection. This is because the lights are timed by gaps in the traffic, and since your car stopped at the last light, there was a large enough gap in traffic ahead of you for it to turn red before your car crossed the loop detector. This kind of light timing is absurd.
As for speed traps...most CBDs (central business districts) in any state are signed as 30-35. PCH through the congested part of Newport Beach drops its speed limit to, I believe, 30 MPH. Camelback is NEVER 25 MPH, at least not east of Scottsdale Road (where it is NOT A THROUGH STREET and is entirely residential). I'd like to see proof of that speed limit, by the way.
Posted by: Tyler B Harvey | July 24, 2008 at 08:02 PM
The Camelback one is between Miller and Hayden, where there is now a daily speed camera van PLUS a motorcycle cop lying in wait.
As for PCH in California, you're forgetting that the State of California banned speed traps on roads below 65 mph. That's what happens when people actually stand up for their rights instead of lying back like sheep and saying "speeding is bad, the cameras are good for us."
Oh yeah and this county banned photo radar.
Posted by: Frank Rumbauskas | July 24, 2008 at 08:07 PM
By the way, Frank, after becoming friendly with this male Cousin, did you find it hard to leave this behind after your weekend of regaling the family with your witty repartee on Scottsdale?
Posted by: steve lowen | July 24, 2008 at 11:49 PM
I just want to say thank you to Frank for your unwaivering criticism of photo radar. I can still remember that stupid white "photo cop" van that first flanked tatum blvd in PV back in the mid 90s. It's been all down hill from there. I've only received two citations for speeding by mail and ignored both of them. Luckily they both went away.
For those of you who are not so lucky, please visit http://www.photoradarlaw.com/ if you are even THINKING about paying your ticket.
Frank I wish Maricopa County could band together and end this practice like Orange County did, but I just don't see it happening. Too bad sheeple. Arizona was founded on the concepts of Initiative, Referendum and Recall. It seems all three have been dead since Fife Symington was impeached, which may have been the last valiant act of our community.
Posted by: More like Photo GAYdar | July 25, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Can someone decipher Steve's gibberish? I think he had one too many shots at Barcelona before he typed that.
The cousin in question is female, by the way.
Posted by: Frank Rumbauskas | July 25, 2008 at 02:31 AM
I see Mr. Hyphen has had the point sail a mile or two above his head.. "you sonsabitches should just accept that our wonderful government has seen fit to snap your picture and shake you down for a couple hundred bucks." Mr. Hyphen, whether the citation is "fair" or not is really irrelevant. The point is that a tourist who just dropped a few grand on a Snottsdale or greater Arizona vacation is in all likelihood going to be mighty pissed when he gets his thank you letter from Comrade Napolitano shaking him down for a few hundred more to pay for her socialist "investments". You think that guy is going to sit down with the wife and go "you know honey, at first I was a little upset by these photo radar tickets. But now that I think about it, it really does make sense. Can you hand me the checkbook sweetie? And don't forget, we need to call our travel agent and book our vacation for north Scottsdale next year!" I say no, that guy isn't coming back. And the holier-than-thou tools like yourself, Comrade Napolitano and her enablers in the Arizona Kremlin will be clueless until the tourism numbers take a dump. By then, the damage will be done.
I probably wasted my time with this response, but I enjoy the battle of ideas nonetheless. If I can win over one leftist worshipper of big government I consider that a success.
Posted by: Dean Kennedy | July 25, 2008 at 10:31 AM
I want to tell Steve to go away because he really is a waste of space and bandwidth on this site, but it's too damn funny to watch him try to be clever. Keep up the good work SR-L.
Posted by: More like Photo GAYdar | July 25, 2008 at 10:48 PM
Yes, Frank, we get it...a first cousin irrespective of gender, or anyone without intellect or an education. That would be a challenge for you.
Posted by: steve lowen | July 25, 2008 at 11:57 PM
I initially wanted to tell Steve to go away as well, but the reality is that he amuses me to no end. He comes here trying to prop up north Scottsdale as some kind of ultra-wealthy educated community, but all he does is show how ignorant, self-obsessed, and uneducated north Scottsdale really is.
He proves every point I make here - I love the guy!
Posted by: Frank Rumbauskas | July 26, 2008 at 01:15 AM
Hey, I like Steve's schtick. Who doesn't like to watch an annointed one piss down his leg on pretty much a daily basis?
C'mon Steve, wear that hyphen proudly! Show us again how supremely trendy you are!
Posted by: Dean Kennedy | July 26, 2008 at 12:23 PM