Quote:

If the red-light-camera trends are an early indication that “crimes” must now be assured of happening in order for government to keep going then this country is headed for a lot more trouble than a sputtering economy.

 
 
 
http://romenews-tribune.com/pages/full_story/push?article-EDITORIAL-+Red+light+shouts+-Stop-%20&id=16236248
 
EDITORIAL: Red light shouts 'Stop!'
by Rome News-Tribune
 

A PRIMARY function of local government, perhaps No. 1 on any taxpayer’s list, is to keep citizens from being mugged and similar. Which now, thanks to red-light cameras, appears to bring up an interesting question: Who protects citizens from being mugged by local government?

Greater Rome and all of Georgia cannot now be victimized by government through being bludgeoned with automated ticket-writing red-light cameras, the specific case cited in a recent report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. It found that increasingly the contracts and revenue sharing between local governments and the private companies providing the electronic vigilantes were making sure the mugging victims would be helpless.

Specifically, the study found that with governments increasingly desperate to keep their income streams from non-tax sources strong some such contracts now restrict police from doing things like lengthening the yellow caution signal in order that fewer motorists will be “caught” due to the simple expediency of being given sufficient time to get through the light or stop in time.

THE REPORT found that currently about 700 communities in half the states have revenue-sharing deals with for-profit outfits to install, maintain and run these systems. It further noted that this has become increasingly in vogue as local governments seek revenues to keep from reducing their workforces ... which, one presumes, includes those advising elected officials what a great idea this is.

For Greater Rome and most Georgia communities this is one of those “There but the grace of God go I” situations. Well, but for the good sense and determination of State Sen. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, who represents Floyd County at least through the coming session; after that he’s been redistricted into other lands.

Additionally, one supposes this newspaper deserves some credit for disarming this mugger as it was the earliest and loudest opponent of this entire concept the instant it appeared in Rome.

That opposition, by the way, had little to do with the continuing argument about whether such monitored intersections increase public safety. That is a continuing debate with, at least based on Rome’s results, somewhat scanty evidence to justify the $70 tickets. (The identical ones were $231 in California.)

IT HAD everything to do with it being the car’s owner, not the driver who could not be identified, being “charged” and having to pay. This was so legally dubious that the normal deductions of points for running a red light leading to revocation of a driver’s license could not be applied by state government. It sure appeared to be more about collecting money than anything else.

This situation is gone locally now, of course, as well as in much of Georgia. Loudermilk’s 2008 legislation forced a full extra second of yellow light to be added to all such camera-armed devices. Rome’s “take” plunged by 75 percent not only erasing “profits” but also not bringing in enough money to cover expenses. The city and supplier mutually agreed to shut all the cameras off (at Turner McCall Boulevard and Hicks Drive, at Veterans Memorial Highway and Martha Berry Boulevard). There were at the time, by the way, plans to similarly “police” several other local intersections.

It’s a good thing Loudermilk acted so quickly. He probably couldn’t get it done now. This year, in Florida, when similar legislation was proposed the camera companies fielded 40 lobbyists in opposition ... and the bill died.

ALL THIS began in Rome during the “good times” prior to the current economic downturn and the local battle against them was largely based on principle, fairness and such. Now the cameras are finding new favor elsewhere in bad, bad revenue times for government as a new income stream that avoids use of the word “taxes,” known to instantly awaken citizens from their slumbers where following the news is concerned.

That’s something different, and even more alarming. It may be time for citizens to wake up and stay alert.

There is nothing wrong with “privatizing” many public functions with the view of saving costs/money. This newspaper has long endorsed this approach as worth exploring. However, that does not mean private companies, whether monitoring inter-sections or health-care or anything else, should be guaranteed a profit.

Free enterprise means taking risks and seeking efficiencies, not rewriting laws so as to load the dice. The tax codes are already too often shaved or weighted to bring up winning numbers for a select few, but when one starts tinkering with traffic laws (length of yellow lights) and similar to guarantee an outcome, that is really alarming.

THERE IS already plenty of reason to believe any number of fines, fees, permits and similar are set at levels to guarantee revenue instead of covering government’s costs. Nothing wrong with some level of regulation, particularly for public-safety reasons, nor with recouping the government’s costs of protecting its citizens. Nothing wrong with using financial punishment as a deterrent either.

However, using such devices to generate revenues above and beyond costs to prop up the general fund is something else entirely. If the red-light-camera trends are an early indication that “crimes” must now be assured of happening in order for government to keep going then this country is headed for a lot more trouble than a sputtering economy.
 

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