This is probably too local to post in LBN, but I was so outraged, I had to post it somewhere....
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio unveiled a plan Tuesday to avoid airport parking fees by transporting inmates on the Metro light rail, but officials claim that parking is already free.
Arpaio said he planned to transport extradited inmates using the light rail from 44th and Washington streets to the Fourth Avenue Jail in order to eliminate parking fees at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. MCSO estimates that the new system can save about $72,000 in transport fees.
Arpaio said free parking offered to law enforcement agencies was revoked several years ago and MCSO has been paying $25 per day for each car parked at the airport. Sky Harbor officials said Tuesday that all state law enforcement agencies have access to free and secure parking as long as they notify the Airport Police Bureau in advance.
“Law enforcement officers park in a secure location at the airport and the officer and their prisoners are transported by Phoenix Police to their airline gate,” Deborah Ostreicher, Deputy Aviation Director for Sky Harbor, said in an e-mail. “The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office currently (uses) this service.”
http://www.azcentral.com/news/traffic/lightrail/articles/2009/01/27/20090127abrk-inmatelightrail.htmlAnother reporter did the math, and in order to rack up $72,000 in transport fees, there would have to be 3 prisoner transfers per hour, which is obviously not the case.
When will we be free of this lunatic?!?!?!?
on edit: typo in thread title