The Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee met yesterday and the main item discussed was SCR 1029, which would give the citizens of Arizona that elusive vote they’ve been screaming from the rooftops for years to get.

The Committee passed the measure by a 4-1 vote and sent it to the Senate floor, where it should be voted on. Although, that’s not a done deal.

By 2008, the majority of AZ motorists had grown tired of being treated like lab rats, by then Spy-in-Chief (and Governor) Janet “Big Sis” Napolitano and her Redflex-sponsored peep show aka the freeway speed cameras.

After setting up this unprecedented violation of every sacred right that motorists have been guaranteed by the US and Arizona Constitutions, turning the freeway system into a cluster… disaster area, she blew out of town to become head of DHS, where she now is able to scan and grope just about anyone passing through an airport without any reasonable suspicion. 

It’s clear that motorists and travelers don’t enjoy having their liberties violated for the profit of private and sometimes foreign (Redflex) contractors while complicit government agencies make up stories about safety being their concern.

It doesn’t take a traffic engineer to figure out that adding more distractions in the form of flashing camera boxes and tinkering with signal timing to make sure “violations” remain in the profitable range, actually makes intersections more dangerous.

But, just in case one needed the latest result of independent, university studies, here’s USF blasting camera systems to bits as the dangerous boondoggle they are. [link]

Getting back to the situation unfolding in AZ, this is no done deal. The same SCR (Senate Resolution) passed with a 20-10 vote and then was sat on by the rapidly expanding posterior of then Speaker of the House, Kirk Adams (RINO) who is now running for U.S. Congress.

The resolution died an unceremonious death, but with Adams out of the way, there is new hope for Arizona.

Taking it one step at a time, however, SCR 1029 needs to have that floor vote, which is a great bet to pass. Then House members like Michelle Ugenti (R), who is very much in favor of the citizens vote to ban camera systems will be heavily urged to push this measure to a house floor vote as well.

That’s an oversimplification of the legislative process to be sure, but the conclusion for today is that SCR 1029 is off to a good start.

Arizonans, let’s make sure that floor vote happens in the Senate at rapid-fire pace.

Below is a document with contact info that can also be found at the AZ Senate website.

[Contact Arizona Senators]

Let those elected officials know just how excited AZ is to kick Redflex and ATS off your streets and intersections for good!

In 2009, Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill in to law that would allow for toll roads in Arizona. So far, that Toll Road Authority has yet to be activated, but has been lurking like a dark menace.

Talks about converting U.S. I-15 into a Toll Road in Arizona had been going on in the secret chambers of AZ bureaucrats at ADOT until the Governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, caught wind of it.

He is now undermining Jan Brewer and ADOT’s backroom toll road talks. Quoted from the article on KTAR.com today:

Herbert said Arizona’s proposal is “a reflection of Arizona just trying to find dollars wherever they can because the budget is so upside down.”

The Utah governor said Arizona “cannot pick and choose which parts of our national interstate network it wants to maintain.”

Unlike Arizona, Utah is not in a budget deficit, nor does it allow for other government warfare against motorists like red light and speed cameras, which dotted Arizona’s highways for 2 years.

The subject of toll roads was also discussed by former Minnesota Governor on The Alex Jones Radio Show today. He described them as being like cancer.

Toll roads will be a tough sell in Arizona, where the freeway speed camera debacle made constant national news because of the backlash of groups like CameraFRAUD.

This is a fight that neither Brewer or ADOT is ready for, but thanks to Governor Herbert, we know they’re still plotting.

by CameraFRAUD

Scottsdale, AZ is the home of American Traffic Solutions and plenty of controversy involving their photo enforcement scheme.

Back in August of 2008, activist Jason Shelton was filming a peaceful protest of an operating photo radar van. From witness accounts, what happened next was an embarrassment to the Scottsdale Police Department and is now proving costly to the city and taxpayers.

The van operator, under instructions from ATS management called the police who arrived on the scene quickly. Shelton was accosted by Scottsdale PD officer Keith English when he didn’t provide an ID card. Witness accounts and subsequent video evidence showed that Shelton verbally told Officer English who he was, which is sufficient identification in the eyes of the court. English went outside his authority and arrested Shelton for “failure to provide ID.”

Video evidence obtained via FOIA request showed an outburst by English during the booking process in which he stomped on Shelton’s foot, which then required medical attention.

A lawsuit was filed by Shelton against the city of Scottsdale over the incident which was just settled this week for $28,000. [settlement]

According to the terms, Scottsdale has chosen to take the money to pay out on the suit from a property tax fund and will raise their residents taxes to compensate.

Not only is Scottsdale willing to suppress freedom of speech over their questionable law enforcement practices (ATS), but will then use taxpayer money to bail out the Police Department, when their officers do the bidding of a private corporation.

This is not an isolated incident for American Traffic Solutions, the city and the PD. Less than two years later, a retired Federal Agent of 26 years, Neville Cramer, noticed some ATS employees running an illegal test of their radar and flashing camera equipment. Cramer was flashed while driving at the posted limit.

He pulled over to investigate, informed the ATS employees that they were violating the law and called Scottsdale PD to come out and intervene. When the police arrived, they arrested Cramer instead.

He was booked and charged with “fighting.” Unsurprisingly, it was Officer Keith English making this arrest too. He appears to be the chief thug enforcer for ATS.

During the subsequent dealings he had with ATS attorneys, they informed him that he “might as well plead guilty,  because no matter what, you’ll be found guilty.” The ATS attorney boasted, “we tell the city of Scottsdale what to do and they do it.” [VIDEO] Cramer was found guilty and his appeal was denied.

If American Traffic Solutions and CEO Jim Tuton really have that type of hold over the court system and the police department, a full federal investigation of fraud and corruption would be appropriate to determine just how they’ve been able to exercise that control.

by CameraFRAUD