Red Light Camera News S. Florida VOTER ALERT: State Senate Canidate Miguel Diaz de la Portilla is a ATS SCAMERA LOBBYIST!
Ban the Cams note: For South Florida Voters, REMEMBER THAT State Sentate Canidate Miguel Diaz de la Portilla is a ATS LOBBYIST. SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE RLC, DON'T VOTE FOR THIS TURKEY! (hit the "read more" and his name is highlighted down the list).
Miami banks on traffic cameras to close budget gap
Miami will install red light cameras at its intersections, a move city leaders believe will bring in enough money to finally balance a large budget shortfall.
BY CHARLES RABIN
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With a decision Thursday to install red light cameras at dozens of city intersections, Miami leaders believe they finally solved the final piece of a massive budget shortfall.
Though a final budget approval is two weeks away, Thursday's vote, which is expected to create $8 million in revenue in 2011, ended a hectic three weeks in which the city cut salary and pensions, hiked fees and installed penalties to close a $105 million hole.
The camera initiative will cost those running red lights $158 a pop. Commissioners say they hope the devices -- controversial in many cases -- will make a city with a poor driving reputation safer.
``Our goal is to have zero revenue generated by this in the future,'' said Assistant City Manager Johnny Martinez -- meaning fewer fines. (Ban the Cams note: BOY IS THIS GUY FULL OF IT! IT IS PART OF THEIR BUDGET! If it generate 0 FINES they WILL TAKE THEM DOWN!)
Miami, reeling from a depressed real estate market and sky-high pensions, slashed $79 million in salary, pension and healthcare costs at the end of August. On Tuesday, commissioners came up with another $8 million by hiking license and garbage fees, and by charging for vehicle impoundments.
The commission also agreed to transfer more than $10 million from the city's redevelopment agencies to the budget -- though a legal opinion on half of that money is not expected until Monday.
Then on Thursday came the final $8-million-piece of what has been the most difficult budget puzzle in decades. ``It hasn't been easy, but we're covered,'' said City Manager Carlos Migoya, a former banking executive with Wachovia, who was brought in by Mayor Tomás Regalado to clean up the financial mess.
The camera initiative has been controversial from the start. Two years in the making, the contract was originally won by one company, then awarded to another after a bid protest. Along the way, the procurement director, who expressed displeasure with the process and the bevy of lobbyists hired, was let go.
Frustrated, commissioners decided to start over, and last week Migoya finally awarded the contract and its $152,000-a-month windfall to American Traffic Solutions. The Arizona outfit hired lobbyists Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, who is running for state senate, and long-time Regalado friend and campaign consultant Armando Gutierrez.
ACS Solutions, which lost the bid, wouldn't go away quietly. It, too, hired a stable of prominent lobbyists, including Brian May and Steve Marin, a political consultant who helped propel four of Miami's current five commissioners to office.
May sent a letter to the city Wednesday night questioning whether American Traffic Solutions could deliver the equipment it promised. Thursday he proffered that question to commissioners. When ATS said it could, it sealed the deal.
Now, the city plans on placing cameras along several busy corridors that include U.S. 1, Southwest Seventh Street, Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard. Unlike many other cities, drivers will only be ticketed for running red lights, not for late left turns or rolling stops while turning right on red.
Every video incident will be relayed to a police officer, who writes the ticket. Notices sent to violators will also include a link to a website where a person can study the video. The program is expected to start around the New Year.
Some question whether Miami will be able to collect anything close to $8 million. With 40 cameras installed, that translates to some 3,133 tickets per camera between January and September -- with some revenue set aside for the vendor. The city gets $75 for each infraction. The camera installations are being challenged elsewhere in several appeals courts: Simply, critics note, the cameras track license plates -- but police can't tell who's driving the vehicle.
Ironically, that's what happened to Commissioner Wilfredo ``Willy'' Gort, whose daughter recently got ticketed while driving her dad's car. Gort got the ticket. The commissioner showed his daughter how to look up the video online, then signed an affidavit saying he owned the car.
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