Red Light Camera News Traffic camera opponents plan to fight Bellingham plan with a voter initiative
Traffic camera opponents plan to fight Bellingham plan with a voter initiative
From Paben
Opponents of red-light and speed-zone enforcement cameras plan to fight Bellingham’s planned camera program through an initiative.
They plan to gather signatures on an initiative that would do the following:
• Repeal a law previously approved by the City Council that enables installation of the cameras.
• Make it so at least five council members and a majority of voters must approve using cameras in the future.
• Limiting the fines issued for violations caught by the cameras to the least expensive parking ticket, which is currently $10.
• Require that any law that authorizes the cameras must be put to an advisory vote at the next general election.
The following people are backing this effort:
• Johnny Weaver, a member of a group called “Transportation Safety Coalition.” He’s a Bellingham registered voter.
• Nick Sherwood of BanCams.com.
• Alex Rion of Washington Campaign for Liberty.
• Tim Eyman, an anti-tax and enforcement camera activist.
Under the Bellingham Charter, they gather signatures on an initiative, and, if they get enough, the initiative is introduced as a law for consideration by the City Council. The council then gets an up or down vote on the initiative. If the council rejects it, it goes to the ballot at the next general election, although the council could send it to a special election earlier.
In a letter to the mayor and council members, the four individuals above say they plan to gather 3,880 valid signatures from Bellingham voters in coming months. They want to get the initiative on the May ballot, they wrote.
“We firmly believe Bellingham’s citizens oppose the Big Brother, profit-making policy and oppose the process by which it was adopted,” they wrote. “Our signature drive for Bellingham Initiative 2011-01 will give the citizens of this community the chance to decide this issue.”
At noon tomorrow, they’ll provide the draft language to the city’s finance director, who reviews the language.
Click here to see the letter they sent to city leaders. http://media.bellinghamherald.com/static/images/downloads/JaredPaben/Weaverletter.doc
Click here to see the petition. http://media.bellinghamherald.com/static/images/downloads/JaredPaben/Bellingham%20petition%20final%20draft.pdf
The City Council on Nov. 22 voted 6-1, with Seth Fleetwood opposed, to approve a law allowing installation of the cameras for at least a year. The program would allow the cameras to be installed at four intersections to catch red-light runners and in two school zones to catch speeders.
Click here to see more on the city’s planned camera program. http://www.cob.org/issues/traffic-safety-cameras.aspx
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