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(Reprinted in its entirety with permission from Eddie’s Corner, the blog of Eddie Rose at www.eddierose.org)
Every once in a while, there is a bill introduced in the California State legislature that actually makes sense. Such is the case with SB29, introduced by Senator Joe Simitian (D, Palo Alto), and subsequently approved in the State Senate.
SB29 addresses the use of red-light cameras at various intersections throughout the state. The bill requires a “demonstrable safety need” before red-light cameras can be installed. SB29 would establish statewide standards for operating and installing such red-light cameras.
Of course, cities love red-light cameras because they serve as an easy source of revenue for the cities. I am not against red-light cameras per se but, as Sen. Simitian correctly points out, traffic tickets should be used “to improve public safety (and) not to raise revenue”. Amen!!!
The Honorable Eddie Rose
Former Laguna Niguel (CA) City Councilman
“A Voice—Not an Echo”
Eddie,
We have been behind this type of thinking for years. Hopefully, it will gain the gravitas and traction…..to sweep to victory!
Hold a good thought!
Thanks for letting folk know!
Red light cameras degrade the rights of individuals and increase the power of the surveillance state.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
Judges have found that red-light tickets are unconstitutional because there is no witness. They have also found that traffic engineers shade the timing of the traffic signals to increase the number of tickets.
If you run a red light and get into a wreck killing someone, is that murder?
And if so is running a red light and not killing anyone, is that attempted murder?
I recommend slowing down to the MAXIMUM or less speed limit and stop running red lights and right hand turns without stopping first.
Cigarettes are a legal product that is responsible for many deaths per year and are severely restricted in there use.
Cars are legal product that is responsible for many deaths per year and are mildly restricted in there use.
As long as the automobile driver (few) continues to act irresponsible and keeps creating an unsafe conditions on the public roadways, all of us automobile drivers will need to pay the price. (or take the bus)
The bill is junk. Simitian is not the motorist’s friend. He is a long time SUPPORTER of cameras, and always votes for bigger fines, more surcharges. This current bill is his devious attempt to give the appearance of doing something, to deceive the constituents who are calling his office complaining about the ticket mills in his district and north of it on the SF Peninsula. The bill actually makes things worse. For example, it reduces the number of warning signs, from four per intersection under current law, to just one or two. (Compare the bill’s version of 21455.5(a)(1) to the current version.) If Simitian really wanted to help motorists, he would do a bill to cut the fine for rolling right turns, like what Assy. Jerry Hill proposed last year (vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger).
I am also concerned about some of other motoring legislation in the legislature right now, and the fact that no one seems to be writing about it.
There is a bill to legalize photo enforcement of speed (AB 1311), from Jeff Miller (Anaheim/Corona).
There is another Miller bill that started out good, to do something about the 1.5 million cars with protected plates (these are the private vehicles of government employees and their families, and the plates make them immune to camera tickets). That bill, AB 3, has just been amended into worthlessness, no doubt because of pressure from govt. employee organizations.
If you too are concerned, phone your legislators.
Finally, as a treat for those of you who read all the way to the end:
Last week (May 18) ATS, the Arizona-based supplier of the cameras in Capistrano, Murrieta and San Diego, suspended VP Bill Kroske, after the Everett, WA Daily Herald (heraldnet dot com) revealed that Kroske had posted a bunch of pro-camera comments while pretending to be a resident of several WA towns.
The evils of the Red Light Cameras starts with those that endorse their use….by getting their campaign coffers stuffed. The second worst thing is adding additional infractions to the intersections other than truly running the Red Lights…..like not completely stopping on a right turn infractions….or even worse…..no arrow left turns where the driver goes in on the green arrow and then gets stuck behind a dawdler…the light changes and they are stuck in intersection and forced to fight another ticket.
The speed cameras they use in the United Kingdom are reknown for zero tolerance by even one kilometer per hour. Lane changes……passing on the left (right in the US)….and a whole array of others……especially when it comes to round abouts. The Reason Foundation has been pumping this system for years and years. They are the ones that want people to pay tolls to go between cities, towns and counties…..starting the ticker when you start your car.
The effort to control Red Light Cameras is a must for us all. Right now there are 32 RLC in Los Angeles…..those that actually could save some lives are estimated at 8 realistically.
We need constant vigilance……
Auto drivers need to pay more, a lot more. (And the government people need to pay their own way too)
The cost of owning, operating and maintaining California roadways come to @50 cents a mile per car / vehicle.
The gas tax + sales tax / excise tax of 55 cents per gallon. At 20 mpg the auto driver pays 3 cents of the 50 cent cost of the use of the roadways. That is a 94 percent subsidy, even greater than Metro-link.
Couple that subsidy cost with the billions lost in property damage and the 30 to 40 thousand deaths per year attributable to the private automobile, and those cost even out-weight the high cost of operating 2 wars fronts.
Enjoy your car while you can, the golden age of the private automobile is coming to an end.
And save some dollars by driving slower and stop running Red Lights and Stop Signs. (The life you save may be your own)
OK….then it looks like prayer is our only hope. How about recognizing that Robert Poole and the other think tank heroes…..are not our friends? How about allocating the fees that are collected for the purpose of road maintenance expressly for that purpose? How about electing those that understand that paying off Red Light Camera Companies, Bureaucrats and Construction Companies that create our roads is as unamerican as watching someone die on the side of the highway…..and not stopping to help.