Slashdot Mirror
Astroturfing For Speed Cameras
New submitter dalosla writes "Chicago's mayor is pushing to change red light cameras near schools and parks into speed cameras. Just about everybody sees it as a cash grab by the city. Today's Chicago Tribune has an article about how the expanded speed camera program would benefit Redflex, the company Greg Goldner, one of the mayor's long time political supporters, lobbies for. This is of merely local interest, but of wider interest in the article would be information about Goldner's astroturfing for Redflex around the country. Redflex is the sole financial supporter for the Traffic Safety Coalition, a 'grassroots' organization to promote more traffic camera usage and fight any attempts to restrict such cameras. Goldner has already successfully facilitated the killing of one anti-camera ballot measure in Texas."
This will probably continue for the same reason DUI laws keep getting more draconian - everyone is scared that if they speak against it they will be lambasted as uncaring assholes - which doesn't make for good campaigning. And good luck fighting any tickets you receive in a school zone, you insensitive bastard. You''re putting all of our kids at risk!
... or, really, anywhere with a ballot initiative process.
Citizens should push for ballot initiatives that require that all money collected for traffic and parking offenses goes back to the citizens as a tax credit. This should have broad popular support in most places.
Yeah, the police/DoT would have to raise taxes to replace the lost revenue... but it would create a system where they have no fiscal incentive to engage in highway robbery, which is what traffic enforcement these days amounts to.
I like how you propose "don't speed" as a solution, while simultaneously saying you got a speeding ticket you didn't deserve.
So apparently "don't speed" isn't actually a valid defense.
Yes. Breaking the law is always reckless. Well said, comrade.
I once sat at a red light that refused to change for five hours before finally a police officer came and granted me permission to go across the otherwise empty intersection. And rather than go a perfectly safe 5MPH over the speed limit, I always drive 5MPH under the speed limit to make sure I don't ever, ever cross over. And I have my speedometer calibrated weekly. I also check to make sure my signals are working every time I get in the car. Sometimes, on trips lasting more than 5 minutes, I'll pull over into a parking lot and check my signals again.
Can you believe there are maniacs out there who don't do these things?!
... or you could be rolling, because the intersection was designed properly and you can clearly see the crosswalks etc before even reaching the intersection.
This is a case of enforcing the letter of the law over the spirit of the law. It should be the other way around.
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
Nobody ever suggests this, but maybe just don't speed.
You've never driven in almost any downtown street where they've timed the lights to be green only if you're traveling 3-5 miles per hour over the speed limit. If you don't speed, you get stuck at almost every light. But the cops know this, because when they're not camping those streets, they're traveling at 3-5mph over the speed limit with the rest of the traffic.
Don't forget the current President is also a Chicagoan, and he's obviously corrupt.
Conveniently he's a Chicagoan when discussing corrupt Chicago politics, a Washington insider (former Senator) when discussing national politics, and a secret Kenyan when discussing whether he should even be president. Welcome to "Newspin" on the Faux News Network.