SCR 1004 sponsor Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-LD7) closed committee testimony with a sharp warning about what she called misleading public safety claims. Sen. Rogers opened her closing by referencing “How to lie with statistics,” then cited Scottsdale crash numbers as an example of why she disputes the argument that photo radar improves roadway safety: 2020: 2,963 2022: 3,500 2023: 4,093
“So I take issue at this recitation of so-called safety statistics. And I submit to you my fellow members that this is a scam.” Sen. Rogers argued photo radar is not just a safety debate — it’s a business model, and she framed it as a monopoly: “There’s only one company that does photo radar. One company. So that’s a monopoly.”
She also raised concerns about Clean Elections funding, calling it a direct conflict of interest: “And 11% of the proceeds go to politicians’ Clean Elections campaigns. That’s a conflict of interest.” Rogers then questioned why municipal officials and law enforcement leaders continue to defend the systems: “So my final question to myself is why are the police here testifying the way they do? Why do mayors come and testify the way they do? Because like it or not, it’s a convenience. And it’s a cash cow.”
She acknowledged activists who testified against photo radar, noting they are not backed by the same financial resources or lobbying influence.
In an exclusive statement to Jen’s Two Cents, Rogers expanded on her message: “In my closing remarks, I cited how to lie with statistics. Police officer testifiers, and municipality testifiers tried to say Photo Radar makes roads and intersections safer. The Scottsdale accident rate shows this is not true. I also noticed there is a tendency for towns and cities to want to regulate themselves, in which I’m in total agreement, however Photo Radar is a STATEWIDE concern because we pass through each other’s towns. How else does one explain the fact that Paradise Valley issues 10 tickets per resident per year?! Those are all not Paradise Valley residents. This is a freedom issue. Let the voters decide.”
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