Ringmaster Arpaio creates ‘Con Rail’ circus
Elizabeth Taggart
Maricopa’s infamous Sheriff Joe has, in my opinion, just pulled another ridiculous publicity stunt.Arpaio recently announced plans to transport prisoners from the airport via the new light rail system, jokingly referring to it as “Con Rail,” despite claims from Skyharbor officials that parking has always been free for law enforcement.
Arpaio only desisted in his plans after being issued four parking passes by the airport.
Sheriff Joe originally insisted that he was trying to save taxpayers money but I find it hard to believe that Skyharbor would give everyone besides the sheriff’s department free parking.
Even if MCSD has been paying for parking, wasn’t there another way Arpaio could resolve the issue without turning it into yet another media hoopla?
He could have easily gone to the Skyharbor officials and said “Hey, how about we save the county some money and make sure everyone has free parking?” or if that didn’t work, simply telling the public that sheriff deputies had to pay $25 a day to park at the airport while trying to perform their duties probably would have the same results as his ludicrous “Con Rail” scheme.
This was just another attempt by Sheriff Joe’s to save face after he said there was no way to cut his department’s more than $250 million budget by 20 percent in December.
When asked by the Board of Supervisors to come up with ideas, Arpaio said he would have to layoff 600 people, lose 2,064 beds and close the maximum security prison.
This is not the first time Arpaio has disagreed with supervisors about budget issues.
In the 90s, he sued the supervisors but a judge threw it out.
In January, Arpaio initiated his other marvelous money saving plan.
Inmates are now charged $1.25 for each meal despite the fact that they are not paid for their labor.
The money comes from their accounts, which is made up of money they have on them when they are arrested and money that family sends them.
Arpaio said that if family members are sending money for the commissary, it should go to food first.
This makes sense except for the fact that that money also goes towards things like medical services, which inmates also have to pay for.
In the past, Arpaio has made moves to try and charge prisoners for their beds
While this does save the department money, I want to know why Arpaio can’t seem to come up with ways to cut his spending without toeing the line of the constitutionally mandated minimum of care or causing a media circus on the light rail system for four measly parking passes.
