What do people from the Phoenix Metropolitan Area think about Joe Arpaio? (Ajo: credit, Home Depot)

[observer53]

Originally Posted by ZonyPony

Arpaio may be a bit of a showboat at times, but he's still the best person for the job that any other city (county, or state) purports to have! Count your blessings, Arizona!

Sorry, I find myself counting the millions of dollars that egomaniac and his henchmen have cost us so far in lawsuits (and may cost more yet before he walks out or is carried out of that office).

[teach1234]

It's been over a decade since I lived in Phoenix, but I do remember he never undertook an operation without calling a press conference first. He'd saturate one street with horsed deputies to chase away prostitutes, who migrated two streets up. Or his crime sweep through the sparsely populated parts of the Valley, pulling over no-doubt felonious minded perps who failed to come to a full stop at a stop sign.

The biggest problem with S. Joe is that his attitudes are communicated throughout his departments; therefore, when dealing with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, I've found people to be antagonistic and rude. Okay, maybe the biggest problem is violating civil rights and/or excessive force lawsuits, costing the city millions. But the lack of professionalism on the part of his organization leads to this.

[azriverfan.]

I know Sheriff Joe racially profiles. A friend of mine is Indian (dot not feather) however, he could easily pass for Mexican. He is a physician as well. He drives an old 1996 Lexus. His Lexus is a little worn and beat up looking. He was driving on Greenway and 35th on a Saturday night to a cultural event held at one of the high schools gyms out there. He was pulled over for "following another car too closely" And before the officers approached him, one of them said loudly to the other "He is English speaking" They wrote him up for following another car too closely" which was a b.s. charge because I know how this guy drives and he drives like an old man. That's how Sheriff Joe gets away with racial profiling. They saw a brown gentleman driving a beat-up looking car in a bad part of town on a Saturday night and decided to pull this guy over with the hope that he was an illegal.

[sassy2]

The pro-immigration activists are out of control and I respect the fact that the sherrif takes a stand and enforces the law. Laws are written for a purpose and people cannot pick and choose which ones they wish to obey. Our country is in a financial crisis and I believe a large portion of that problem was created by the invastion of illegals and the burden they have placed on the taxpayers. I stand by Sherrif Joe.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by sassy2

Laws are written for a purpose and people cannot pick and choose which ones they wish to obey.

Great. I will put you down as another supporter of the speed cameras.

[johnnyb588]

I don't know that there's a single sane person who would say that we can pick and choose which laws to obey. That's never really the case. The problem with the issue of immigration is the way that we enforce the law. Who can say with absolute certainty that the correct response to illegal immigration is to kick all illegal immigrants out of the country? No one. There are other options, and some of those options have just as much validity as the option that is being pursued by Joe Arpaio. Like I said before, I don't blame Sheriff Joe for doing what he's doing. I blame the federal government for allowing this situation to explode and then shoving the situation aside to take care of bullcrap like "steroids in baseball."

With politics, there is never just one right answer, and sometimes there are no right answers.

[catbob007]

Our government has been taking the easier softer way. But like cattle we are blinded to the big picture. What is right and what is wrong, Isn't always whats legal. Our legal system has gone astray, with money Hungary politicians, who have forgotten their beliefs and where they came from. Famous politicians are the most fearing, Sheriff Joe deserves a metal or two, I wish we had people like him 20 years ago. Where would we be then? We will never know.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Great. I will put you down as another supporter of the speed cameras.

More and more: I like the idea of speed cameras. Although in all fairness; one has to driving 11 MPH (86 MPH in a 75 zone is hauling) or greater above the posted limit to be snapped. That is fair besides; many an asshat who is flagrantly speeding will get nailed.

[fcorrales80]

Sheriff Joe is a polarizing figure in Phoenix. He wins because the has the support of the most vote conscious populous out there at the present time; the older folk, those that don't really know the issues, and such. However, with the last voter registration drives and awareness campaigns, the Sheriff had the lowest voter approved victory in his career; only 54%. He used to account for 60, or 70% of the vote but that was then. I voted for him many times until he turned into the current kook of today.

[New Horizons]

The last thing I would do is start another thread about Arpaio, so let me latch on to this one. Piers Morgan had him on the other night. As usual Joe was very serious, stated his opinion on guns which were the topic. But I did realize that the sheriff has a relaxed demeanor about him. He just answered the questions in an easy going way, never raised his voice, never interrupted Piers. In fact he even yielded to Pierce's interruptions.

It got me thinking, I wonder what he's like in person. Anyone ever meet him? All I've ever seen are mostly his interviews regarding immigration, and he's very serious and monotone when talking. I've seen some youtube vids of him in California, endorsing sheriff candidates in Orange County. I wonder if he enjoys his trips to California, at the very least to beat the heat in the summer. He probably can afford to take trips all over the place. And I wonder what he thinks of Los Angeles? Sometimes people will suprise you, he may not demonize LA like the way one might assume him to.