Red Light Camera News Miami Dade RLC SCAM is being pushed. Also Mayors SON IS A LOBBYIST FOR SCAMERA VENODR ATS!
Miami Dade RLC SCAM is being pushed. Also Mayors SON IS A LOBBYIST FOR SCAMERA VENODR ATS!
Ban the Cams note: Wonder who might "get' Miami's scamera contract???????HMMM let me guess, ATS???
We WONDER WHAT THE PAYOFF IS ON THIS FOR THE LOBBYIST. We know from Louisiana that lobbyist there were paid by ATS competitor, Redflex, PER TICKET!
http://www.motorists.org/red-light-cameras/jefferson-parish-ticket-cameras
Quote; But all the revenue, including Redflex's share, is tied up in escrow after several drivers challenged the parish in court over the cameras.
Bunkse said the company (Redflex) had agreed to pay the Baton Rouge consulting group Courson Nickel $45,000 to lobby the Legislature and to pay Wagner an annual percentage of the company's earning from the Jefferson contract.
The letter also stated that Redflex intends to keep its arrangements with Wagner and Courson Nickel in place this year.
(Thanks to www.stpetecameas.org) for the link!)
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/28/2435741/miami-dade-red-light-camera-system.html
(Note: pictures above from CameraFraud, and www.thenewspaper.com respectively)
Miami-Dade red light camera system in the works
By DAVID OVALLE The Miami Herald
.The traffic camera industry’s dominant player in South Florida employs as a lobbyist the son of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
By DAVID OVALLE
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Miami-Dade County is forging ahead with a plan for a controversial red-light camera program despite concerns that it could swamp the traffic court system. And the technology company that dominates the business can boast a valuable advocate: the mayor’s lobbyist son.
Carlos Gimenez Jr., the son of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, is listed as a lobbyist for American Traffic Solutions, the company that contracts with most of the red-light camera programs in South Florida, records show.
The county has yet to award, or advertise for, a contract to any company. The younger Gimenez, a lawyer-lobbyist for Becker & Poliakoff, registered to lobby earlier this year for ATS with the city of Miami, which contracts with the Arizona-based company for its camera program.
The mayor says he will not oversee the plan directly. “In an effort to avoid any appearance of impropriety, I will delegate oversight of this issue to the deputy mayor overseeing public safety, regardless of which companies show interest in the program,” Gimenez said in a statement.
Gimenez also pointed to a letter issued last month by the director of Miami-Dade’s Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. It said the mayor would not have any conflicts of interest if his “son is not involved in Becker Poliakoff’s representation or lobbying efforts.”
Then-Director Robert Meyers recommended “that you not take part in any actions as County Mayor if your son were to lobby to represent clients who have matters before Miami-Dade County government.”
The younger Gimenez, who has not registered to lobby for the company at County Hall, did not return a phone call from The Miami Herald.
An ATS spokesman stressed that Gimenez’s son would not be working on any county deals.
“We understand the state’s road safety challenges and we would be honored to have the opportunity to have an opportunity to work with the county to help enhance road safety,” said spokesman Charles Territo.
Across Florida, the use of red-light cameras have expanded in recent years — but also garnered negative headlines and a slew of lawsuits challenging the programs.
Advocates say the programs promote traffic safety at dangerous intersections. Critics call them naked money grabs designed to boost municipal coffers.
Nearly 30 municipalities in Miami-Dade and Broward use the cameras. In Miami-Dade, ATS contracts with 22 cities to run the programs, and nearly 80 across the state.
Controversially, the programs were first administered by the cities themselves. In July 2010, lawmakers passed a law green-lighting the programs, making red-light camera violations traffic citations and moving the cases to state courthouses.
Motorist can pay a $158 fine, without a traffic citation being issued. If a motorist does not pay, it becomes a traffic citation with a fine of $273, plus possible points that count against their driving record.
But for some cities, the programs have not provided the expected financial boon. Hialeah and North Miami Beach axed the programs after deciding the cameras were a headache.
In January, the Miami-Dade County Commission asked administrators to study the feasibility of implementing a red-light camera program, with the hope of installing cameras at a staggering 200 intersections. The county, at the time, estimated that program would garner $2.6 million in revenue in its first year.
According to an early progress report on the program obtained by The Miami Herald, county officials are recommending a decrease in the size of the program, instead opting for just 20 intersections. The county expects to advertise for a contractor in October.
(Ban the Cams note: No doubt because of lack of "violations" to make them profitable most likely).
Miami-Dade Police, which would run the program, would spend an estimated $409,062 per year, dedicating four staffers to run it. The report, however, notes some challenges to the program.
“It is important to note that as public awareness increases, there will be a further decrease in citations and revenue,” the report notes.
And the drain on the courts would be tremendous. The report suggests that the expected 32,640 citations per year would spur the creation of night court sessions.
“Each night court session would cost an estimated $500,000 annually. The cost of building out and staffing each new courtroom is estimated to be $2.4 million in start-up costs and $800,000 in reoccurring expense annually,” the report notes.
In Miami-Dade, the number of red-light citations has skyrocketed to the chagrin of administrators dealing with overflowing courtrooms, and a lack of parking spaces and personnel for security and clerking.
“If this is the law, we’ll process [the tickets], and do the best we can with the resources we have,” Miami-Dade County Clerk Harvey Ruvin said of the proposal.
From January to August, 79,000 cases were filed in Miami-Dade. In August, the number ballooned to a staggering 20,000.
“We’re virtually out of courtroom space right now. We don’t have room for anything else,” said Miami-Dade County Judge Steve Leifman, who heads the traffic court division. “If the red-light camera system is going to grow, we’re going to have some conversations on how we’re going to have to pay for that growth.”
Overall during the past year, according to court statistics, there have been 85,501 red-light camera cases filed. Of those, more than 9,000 were dismissed, and in nearly 5,000 instances, the motorists were found not guilty. Another 26,376 chose to pay the fine while another 9,725 received a “withhold of adjudication,” meaning motorists paid fines but no points appeared on their record.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Articles Menu
Find Info
Latest Comments
Member Login
