It really IS unbelievable how many people believe these cameras are in place to 'protect us' ... Seriously: You REALLY believe that POLITICIANS care about you ... ? Let's talk: I have some land, a bridge, and (for the right price) I'll toss in riparian rights ...

The ONLY proper regard for any politician is contempt ... Read this. Not that it'll do any good, but hey ... y' won't be able to say "I didn't know ... " ... It's ALWAYS about the money ... 'safety' is just 'pap for the sheeple' ...

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http://www.scrollinondubs.com/2008/12/10/photo-radar-in-arizona/

Photo radar in Arizona is out of hand

In the next six minutes $1k in revenue will be generated from photo radar cameras in AZ. And another $1k six minutes after that. Now picture the for-profit entity that just snapped your photo reaching into your wallet, extracting $165 and giving a chunk of it to the State of Arizona. I haven’t verified these facts independently but I’ve read five different articles this evening that indicate there are over 200 Redflex photo radar cameras in operation in Phoenix Metro now. Governor Napolitano signed a law into effect this summer enabling the state-wide use of photo radar enforcement and if you drive in Phoenix you know that the situation is out of hand. Here’s why:

A. A for-profit Australian company (Redflex – RDF) has been essentially granted the ability to levy a tax against Arizonans and split the profits with the State. Last time I heard you needed to be a government entity to have the right tax a population.

B. You paid for the installation of these cameras with your tax dollars. Doesn’t it stand to reason that the penalties exacted on you from these “safety” devices would flow back into your municipality? They don’t (at least not the majority) – they’re flowing to a publicly-traded Australian corporation.

C. The people who are collecting the tax get to do so under the guise of enforcing a safety measure. I call B.S. Camp out by a photo radar van or a fixed camera and watch as the flashes as they occur every few seconds. You’ll see an inevitable cascade of brake lights for half the cars on the road- 1/2 of the traffic instinctively slams the brakes for fear of getting flashed and the other half continues at their existing speed. That is a recipe for one thing, and it’s not safety.

Are you aware Redflex and its competitor American Traffic Solutions are both beginning to employ active OCR technology to track the movement of your vehicle about the city? Again, it’s done under the guise of “homeland security” and “amber alert response effectiveness” but a byproduct is that they conveniently get to interpolate your speed between cameras and issue tickets based on that calculation. Oh and your movements over time are logged and kept indefinitely (“limited only by available hard drive space and the types of cameras installed”). How long until they successfully pass a bill that gives them the right to have an ACH draw on your bank account to extract the speeding fine immediately?

Don't break the law & you won't pay a fine.

This seems to really "get your goat", I have been driving for 43 years & have recieved 3 speeding tickets. I admit I push the speed limit constantly. We have cameras in both Council Bluffs & Omaha.
Haven't got a ticket from them yet, know where they are & am more careful. So guess it just isn't a big deal to me.

SORRY, for you discomfort.

It DOES 'get my goat' ... I resent government intruding on my life - and if reaching into my wallet isn't an intrusion, I don't know what you call it. I have NO problem with a ticket issued by a living, breathing police officer ... still won't like it, but I can argue or explain my case and situation at the time of issuance.

I have a BIG problem with an impersonal camera and a shortened YELLOW light cycle that's DESIGNED to put people outside what traffic engineers call the 'dilemma zone' ('Do I stop or go?') to COLLECT FINES. The camera installers DO alter the yellow light time, too ... do the research. I still can't believe you're in favor of Statists who think only of taking OUR money for THEIR pet projects ... this is called 'redistribution' ... If you think these cameras have ANYthing to do with 'safety' ... ? Sorry ... that's SO not true ...

You DID read that part about the camera company SPLITTING the take with the city, right ... ?

safety is the sugar coating on top to make the pulbic less argumentative about it. whenever a law like is put in place, the "safety" word is thrown out there to calm the sheep...

My opinion, most everything is about MONEY.

Yes, I referred to the company making money, in the other thread; on this topic.
I just know, these cameras have been around for a couple years in this area & I have not gotten a letter. The people I know that have gotten one/or more, admit they speed & crowd the lights on a regular basis. Know one person that got an attorney & beat the ticket, don't know how, but that is what he said.

To me, saftey is a part of it, as figures (in this area) show a drop in accidents at those intersections. THAT is a good thing.

For me, in the end, don't break the laws & you won't pay fines. Then it doesn't matter. OPINION

would it matter if you didn't break the law and still got a ticket?
it has happened before

Yes, I have seen travesty's of justice. Walked both side of the tracks, in my; close to 60 years.

My dad always said, the more you push the limits, the more you will get caught. Think he said it right.

If I don't think I deserve a fine, I fight it & win.
All of the law enforcement & judges I have met, were as reasonable as I was. Give them attitude & they will show you THEIR power.
Might not be right, but how the world has ALWAYS worked.

Don't like the camera's, but they have cut down on accidents, where used. Least around here.

I respect your opinion & ask the same.

of course, no disrespect here...i see both sides of the issue, but i wish they would just tell us the truth about things... safety was at the bottom of the list when they made these things. i live in houston, and i have never seen so many people run red lights as they do here. and the only reason they put red light cameras here was dollar signs.

OPINION

What is really needed is; govt's should run like a business.
Make money when poss. & lower tax's.
No "Pensions" for elected officials & 2 term limits.
Sales tax, not income tax; would ruin the "black market" economy, so many are living by. Buy something, pay the tax.
Make it "desirable" for normal business people to hold political office & run this country. LIKE IT USED TO BE.

Just my OPINION, but really think it holds water.