Paradise Valley government should not compete with private enterprise
OPINION — Over a decade ago on council, the former police chief flagged a critical “911” issue: our alarm monitoring system’s hardware had failed. We restored it temporarily, but it was on life support and required urgent replacement.
Updating the hardware would have cost far more than the $50,000 spent last year. I opposed spending public money on a system that, even new, could not match private-sector offerings. Roughly 600 residential addresses used the Paradise Valley Police monitoring service then; the number was already declining and has now fallen to 255.
I am fundamentally against government competing with private enterprise. Most of the council wanted to continue the service, so I sought the best possible solution. I contacted Paradise Valley resident and former Entrepreneurs’ Organization member Jay Jennings, whose family then owned Safeguard Security. Though opposed to government involvement, I asked him to advise council and staff. Jay delivered a cloud-based solution that avoided a large capital outlay and received no financial benefit — he simply donated his expertise.
This is the same pattern seen in New York City, where Mayor Mamdani’s government-run grocery stores operate at a deficit while competing with private businesses. Both cases represent government deficit spending that undercuts private enterprise and uses tax dollars to pursue a utopian vision of government’s role. I hope the current council chooses a superior private option — technologically and financially.
Private providers already offer audio and video monitoring far ahead of our system. We should let innovative private businesses meet market needs rather than spend $50,000 to prop up a shrinking service for 255 residents.
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