Propaganda Pre$$ Monitor: Tools of Tyranny: Ticketing Terrorists

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Tools of Tyranny: Ticketing Terrorists

And YOU COULD BE NEXT, American!!!

Remember way back when you were told the cameras were only for catching "terrorists" and nothing else, America?

Remember the people who warned against it, and said it would expand to include all sorts of things?

They were right:

"let cameras play traffic officer at red lights.... a new source of revenue for cash-strapped governments.... a money grab.... city leaders often place the cameras where they are likely to make money, rather than where they are likely to reduce accidents....

Umm, are they not supposed to be SERVING the PUBLIC, instead of SHAKING US DOWN!!!??

local officials were posting the cameras where they were likely to generate cash.... the for-profit companies involved in installing the cameras have been pushing cities to use them as revenue generators as part of their business model.... Members of the industry that sells the cameras and their relatives have given thousands of dollars to elected officials at the state level"

Oh, ONCE AGAIN WORKING for THEMSELVES and CORPORATE INTERESTS rather than the people!

"Patrick pushes for cameras to catch red-light violators; Critics say goal is levying more fines" by Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | November 13, 2009

Governor Deval Patrick is advancing a plan to make Massachusetts the 25th state to let cameras play traffic officer at red lights, an enforcement measure that many police chiefs and mayors have been seeking for years.

He really doesn't want a second term, does he?

So what job is awaiting him in the Obama administration, huh?

The administration’s push has set off a debate that is already unfolding in other states: whether the cameras are there to improve driver safety or whether they represent a new source of revenue for cash-strapped governments. The way Patrick introduced the measure, in a budget bill, has some detractors saying that it is a money grab.

The evidence is mixed. Federal government studies say that strategically placed cameras can improve safety by encouraging obedience to traffic signals, according to the Federal Highway Administration, which gives them a qualified endorsement. And city leaders around the state - including Brockton, Salem, and Boston - are ready to put them up as soon as the Legislature gives them the go-ahead.

So the LOOTING STATE ENDORSES IT? Then it is to be REJECTED!

On the other hand, a newspaper investigation in Chicago showed that city leaders often place the cameras where they are likely to make money, rather than where they are likely to reduce accidents. And federal government studies say that cameras have actually increased some types of crashes, as drivers are tempted to stop short or speed up to avoid being photographed....

How come EVERYTHING this government does to "improve" things MAKES IT WORSE?!!!!!

To address at least some of the “Big Brother’’ concerns frequently cited by critics, the bill specifies that camera systems should be designed to avoid identifying the driver, passengers, or the contents of the car....

Big whoop when you are GETTING a TICKET in the MAIL for ORDERLY and ALERT DRIVING!!!!

“By putting it in the budget, they’re admitting it’s about money and not about safety,’’ said Ivan Sever, state chapter coordinator of the National Motorists Association, an advocacy group that opposes the cameras. “That’s not right.’’

Sever said the for-profit companies involved in installing the cameras have been pushing cities to use them as revenue generators as part of their business model. And he points out that studies have shown the cameras actually increase rear-end crashes, perhaps because drivers stop suddenly when they notice the warning signs, only to get hit from behind.

But federal studies have shown that the cameras have reduced the number of right-angle collisions in the middle of intersections, which are often more dangerous. The Federal Highway Administration says they should be used as a safety tool, not as a way for communities to make money, and should be done in combination with driver education and improvements to intersections, including evaluating the timing of traffic signals....

The Feds don't care as long as they GET THEIR SPYING EYE on the STREET CORNER!!!!

But there are questions about both the money and the effectiveness involved in camera enforcement. Investigations by the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune found that the vast majority of tickets were issued to drivers who failed to stop completely before making a right turn at a red light, a traffic violation that rarely leads to a crash. The Tribune report found that local officials were posting the cameras where they were likely to generate cash, rather than where the most serious crashes were occurring.

And although some cameras have generated $60,000 a month, the city of Dallas had to pull more than a fourth of its cameras because they were not earning enough fines to meet operating costs, according to the Dallas Morning News.

The thought of taking a ball bat to the cameras really lit up my face when I thought about it.

Wham, wham!

Members of the industry that sells the cameras and their relatives have given thousands of dollars to elected officials at the state level....

Makes you want to puke.

--more--"

Think I'll give 'em the old one-fingered salute the next time I roll through town!

The State Budget Swindle