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Chicago's Red Light Cameras Now a Point of Contention for Mayoral Candidates
The same system of red-light cameras in Chicago that was shown last year to have been generating bogus tickets is still around -- but now, reports Reuters, it's a political punching bag for opponents of Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel in an upcoming election. "[Emanuel], who supports the nation's largest automated camera system, is polling slightly under the 50 percent plus one vote he needs to avoid a run-off against the second-highest vote-getter. Three of the four challengers seeking to topple Emanuel say the cameras should go.
Emanuel's closest rival, Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, who is polling at about 20 percent, said he would only keep cameras that have been proven to reduce accidents. .... Chicago has red-light cameras at 174 intersections and 144 speed cameras near schools and parks around the city. They have brought in $500 million since 2003, according to media reports, a figure Chicago has neither confirmed nor disputed.
Over the past 10-15 years we've seen the politicians sell the Chicago Skyway, the parking meters, and the red light/speeding cameras to private interests. The money is gone and the city is still stuck with deficits in the hundreds of millions. Maybe the mayor and councilmen should get those jackets with ad patches like NASCAR.
Instead of pulling this traffic light crap (which can increase accidents), they could just legalize marijuana... seems to be bringing in quite a bit for Colorado, in spite of the industry not being fully developed, and the banking problems the industry still has from the federal prohibition.
But then you would have the opposite problem. People stopping at green lights.
At first I wondered why mayoral candidates would be worried about cameras in Chicago's red light district.