Show Low Residents Speak Out Against Redflex

During the last City Council election, Globe voters elected councilmembers and a mayor who promised to get rid of the Redflex traffic cameras. The same thing may be happening now in Show Low.

The White Mountain Independent reports that  the Show Low City Council “got an earful” this week from people who wanted them to get rid of the cameras in that area.

A few people spoke in favor of the cameras at the City Council meeting, but most people were against them.

Show Low Councilmember Gene Kelley brought up the Redflex scandal in Chicago. In January the Chicago Tribune reported that Redflex Executive Aaron Rosenberg allegedly provided Chicago government officials with gifts and bribes. Redflex lost its $100 million contract with the city of Chicago.

Redflex fired Rosenberg and is suing him in an Arizona court, blaming him for the company’s wrongdoing.

Rosenberg says in a counterclaim that Redflex provided gifts and bribes to government officials in 13 states--including Arizona—in order to get new contracts. Redlex denies the allegations.

A public survey in Show Low shows a 50/50 split between those who say the cameras caused them to change their driving habits for the better and those who say the cameras  had no effect. A slim majority of about 54% said to keep photo enforcement as it is or  modify some aspects of it.

Those speaking against the cameras at the Show Low City Council meeting said the cameras  made visitors feel “unwelcome.” Some visitors wrote scathing letters to the editor saying they would never return to Show Low because of the cameras.

The same thing happened in Globe while the cameras were active. Several people wrote comments in the KIKO blog saying they would never return to Globe.