Speed Camera Backlash
Gov. Pat Quinn has a week to decide whether to put the brakes on a bill allowing Chicago to install speed-enforcement cameras — and so far the public feedback he’s received is overwhelmingly opposed to the measure.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has spent months lobbying Quinn to sign the bill authorizing speed cameras near city schools and parks.
It turns out the public has been doing its own lobbying.
The governor has received 224 phone calls, letters or on-line communications on the bill, and more than 91 percent were against the new law, according to Quinn’s office.
Emanuel shrugged off the negative response.
“All the data show that, when you put the cameras in, people comply. It’s the right thing to do. I didn’t think it was going to be popular. The question is, can I save lives?” the mayor said Monday.
Save lives? Is "for the children" out this week?
Emanuel said he understands the controversy generated by mailing $100 tickets to motorists caught on camera speeding down neighborhood streets.
But the mayor said his police superintendent and schools CEO came to him and said Chicago has a speeding problem “unique from other cities” that’s endangering kids.
“If popularity or perception were my only issue, I’d be sitting in my office doing a lot of nothing,” he said.
“That’s not what I’m worried about. My goal is the safety of our children.”
Oh wait, there it is. Thank goodness Rahm the Humanitarian is thinking of the children because you know that no one else is. Not anyone at all.
- For the umpteenth time, the mayor denied that he views speed cameras as a cash cow for the city. That is precisely what red-light cameras have become.
It is? Oh yeah. It is.
Labels: dumb ideas
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
55 Comments:
If Rommy really thought that speeding violations in school zones were such a problem and he cared that much, he would have some special traffic assignments around the schools to "save the kids!" Oh wait, he doesn't care about the kids, just the big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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•For the umpteenth time, the mayor denied that he views speed cameras as a cash cow for the city. That is precisely what red-light cameras have become.
Then have all the cash go towards the schools they protect. Simple answer.
Wanna bet rahm gets the cameras! quinn and the rest are in his pocket!
All these phoney politicians & reverunds need to find someone else to save. They've worn out "For the Childruns". What it means is it's another way for them to enrich themselves with $$$$$$, and political favors which result in vendors getting big time $$$$$$$$$.
Would you leave your child with that racoon eyed fucker in shitty hall ??? With Shortshanks ???????
If they are for the children then why not put all that money reaped right into the schools. That much should cover their budget or maybe they could buy each honor student a new ipad. and then they can try to properly fund pensions with the money saved from the education budget. or does this money go into the pet project fund?
Maybe the school Superintendent and the Police Superintendent need to spend a little more time in Chicago. If they would have grownup in Chicago and new how to drive. Then they would know, we don't have a speeding problem. WE HAVE A GANG PROBLEM! Gang-Bangers with their raming cars and drive bys. Leave it to out of towners to talk $h!+. This one term Mayor better get some new go too guys!
If there's a red light camera, I'm not stopping the car for blowing the red light.
And, because Rahm is relying on that camera, I am not:
1) checking for a driver's license
2) doing a check for outstanding warrants on the driver
3) looking the car over during the stop, for other violations, like no brake lights, no mirror, vins that don't match...
4) taking a hard look at what's on the seat or in the cup holder, so if there's open liquor in that car, I don't know about it
Etc., etc
You see, Mr. Mayor, if I'm not making that traffic stop (because the cameras are SO good at what they do), then we're losing out on that one-on-one contact with the driver/passengers. They could have a sawed off shotgun in full view on the front seat, but I won't know it, because your CAMERA is handling the traffic problems now. Don't we all feel safer now? And, aren't the CHILDREN safer, too?
How many children have been "saved' by the pod cams with the gun detection microphones that can pinpoint the victims within milliseconds?
Yeah..how many children were shot over the last weekend again?
Is this a democracy or is it a dictatorship? 91% of the people don't want it and our elected officials are going to ram it down the public's throat anyways. You work for the people, the people don't work for you mayor.
Quinn will cave. He's spineless.
The best part of all of this was that the statistics showed no major increase in accidents at/near schools/parks that involved children. It's all a cash grab for that nine and a half fingered little punk.
http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/pages/contactthegovernor.aspx here is the link to contact the governor everyone should let Quinn know what a load of crap our mayor is feeding him. The cameras are about money and nothing more just like everything else he does.
Fuck you Rahm. You are a worthless big government asshole who needs to fucking go. If more than a quarter of this city votes, you are out on your little punk ass.
Perhaps this will be the straw that breaks the camels back.
I fired off an email to Gov. Quinn. I encourage everyone to do the same. Tell him this bill is nothing but a money grabbing, big brother ish maneuver by Rahm.
Yeah right!!
What number can citizens call and demand Quinn dump this law.
If they are not a cash cow for 9.5 then are they going to shut them down from say about 10 pm to 6 am?
I mean there are no schools in session nor parks operating during that time frame so it can't be about the safety of the children, can it?
Time to "Racall" the Mayor and Governor, NOW!
These guys are "Nazis and Communists" that are out of their minds with their big brother crap!
One can feel more free in Russia these days than here in the "Socialist Republic of Chicago"!
The only time the Racoon lies is when his lips are moving. I hope Quinn has the balls to throw this POS legislation in the trash can. If this idea is so great then the entire state should have been included. These fucking politicians rob us and don't even use a gun.
Win Win
Protecting The Children is a great idea, so go ahead with the
cameras around schools. Mail thousands of tickets to offenders
the punishment should not be a fine but community service
at the school where they were speeding. The schools win, the
mayor gets his fill of protecting children and the offender gets
to interact with the kids they may have run over .
How convenient, his hand picked sup. and school chief asked to fix this problem. Can't imagine the sup. has time with all the crime to focus on school crossings. Here's an idea, put more crossing guards back out there. People need jobs
Gov. better think twice who he pairs up with. May cost him the next election
If he is so concerned about safety of the "Children" why doesn't he hire more police who can be out there protecting the "Children" and their families rather than supporting these revenue machines? Also maybe if he treated the Police Department a little better they would actually start generating some much needed revenue for the city, in a way that satisfies due process.
For the safety of the children?
Then do like they do in Arizona, put movable 15 mph signs in the street at dismissal time. Out here the people slam on the brakes and come to a crawl.
Never seen anything like it and not a cop in sight.
Contact gov Quinn here!
http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/Pages/ContacttheGovernor.aspx
I'll call RAM's bluff. Every penny goes to our pensions until it is funded 100%
Who speeds over the speed humps??? I ask mr mayor, who??? Once again, the only ones that do, have no license plates, no drivers license,& a piece of crap car.
Majority of people in these areas don't speed because they like all the parts on their cars to remain in the correct places.
WASTE OF MONEY THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE. USE IT TO HIRE MORE POLICE OFFICERS...THANK YOU, BUT I KNOW I WON'T BE HEARD. I posted the same thing on your Chicago blog, where you asked for suggestions...
“All the data show that, when you put the cameras in, people comply."
Yeah, and if Imperial Storm Troopers began publicly vaporizing pedestrians for jaywalking, compliance with the jaywalking statute would go way up, but does a good end(even if real) justify ANY means? The cameras are just another scam to suck money from the plebes and enrich...someone, somewhere.
If it's not about the money, then require the offenders to perform community service, perhaps at the schools "for the children." After a certain amount of violations, it would go against their driving record and then their DL privileges could be in jeopardy. There is no need to bring "money" into the solution if there are alternate methods of punishment like community service. The people who don't pay the tickets are the same people that will refuse to do the community service.
1 312 814 2121 is the number to the Gov's office. they don't take any names just tally up the yes/no votes on this subject.
If they are not a cash cow for 9.5 then are they going to shut them down from say about 10 pm to 6 am?
I mean there are no schools in session nor parks operating during that time frame so it can't be about the safety of the children, can it?
*********************************
What are the actual numbers of children struck by speeding autos in close proximity to these schools anyways?? I'm betting not many, if at all. When was the last time you heard of such an incident on the news? I cannot recall!
If these cameras are allegedly for the safety of the children, why are they being kept on until 2200 hours? Aren't kids under 12 supposed to be indoors after 2030? What purpose, other than to merely generate revenue are these cameras really for?
Didn't Rahm actually include the revenue from these cameras in his city budget? That would explain why HE'S so anxious to get the bill signed.
Looks like Quinn doesn't have the balls to say NO to Obama's pal. In typical cowards fashion, watch Quinn not sign it but allow it to become law anyway, without his approval.
These politicians DISGUST me!
Anonymous said...
"...they can try to properly fund pensions with the money saved from the education budget. or does this money go into the pet project fund?"
2/01/2012 12:16:00 AM
Oh, no. There's no need to cover the pensions. They're just going to go under, anyway. What they NEED to do is make the VOTERS happy.
They need to fund the OTHER city budget.
You know... The Sanctuary City.
Never mind that red light cameras have been proven to cause more accidents, so the whole "for the children" bs doesn't fly. Just another way to suck cash out of the working guy's pocket.
As a civilian, my concern is this: The cameras, in the end, are cash cows--i.e. taxation by another means, under the guise of law enforcement.
This creates even more cynicism about law enforcement, and the rule of law in general, amongst the part of the public that should have the greatest stake in these things: the law-abiding, taxpaying citizens who have very little direct contact with the police because they live peaceably.
They've never been installed in my little county, as that would mean the removal of the sheriff at the next election.
Enjoy your blog. Stay safe.
Anonymous said...
"...You work for the people, the people don't work for you mayor."
2/01/2012 12:48:00 AM
If only that were true!
Anonymous said...
Fuck you Rahm. You are a worthless big government asshole who needs to fucking go. If more than a quarter of this city votes, you are out on your little punk ass.
2/01/2012 01:44:00 AM
I WILL be going just as soon as my girlfriend finishes his second term and I can move into the White House!
speed bumps slow down cars. I don't like then, but they do slow down cars.
But there's no income generated.
That's the fucking gov't game we are playing here.
Cameras do NOT slow down cars. You can still do 100 mph if there's a camera.
Can't if there's a speed bump.
I bet the City won't put them in the Ghetto.They know they won't get a nickle out of the savage.
Over $ 30 million in fines from traffic cameras last year already in place, WHERE'S THE MONEY?
Can we put a camera in all public offices? You know, just to make sure that our politicians comply... it seems like the right thing to do... Mayor goose, meet citizen gander.
Try driving down any major city street and not be within the stated distance of a park or school -- ones you can't even see. People are going to be lit up with tickets.
Wanna bet rahm gets the cameras! quinn and the rest are in his pocket!
2/01/2012 12:11:00 AM
Quinn and Rahmbo can't stand each other. Any chance Quinn can get to stick it to Rahm, he will and visa versa.
"...cameras of all types contribute nothing to safety, provide only the illusion of police presence, exist solely to generate revenue and replace officers, thereby decreasing safety in a never-ending spiral that seems to end in something looking like Detroit."
...with "certain people" walking away in all directions dragging duffle bags stuffed full of money.
"But the mayor said his police superintendent and schools CEO came to him and said Chicago has a speeding problem “unique from other cities” that’s endangering kids."
But they fail to explain the uniqueness. Only thing I can think of that may be unique is the number of speed bumps in the area and the generally crap condition of the streets. Perhaps they're worried about somebody going 32 m/h and having a tire fly off and hit some kid.
It's amazing that these clowns cans say this sh*t and keep a straight face.
Anonymous Anonymous at 12:16:00 AM (and someone else) said...
"... then why not put all that money reaped right into the schools."
Great idea, simply great. Why didn't they think of that? Oh, that's right, because those fookwits already played that game with the Lottery. Remember? "Ah yes, pass this and ALL the money will go to the schools! [sort of - what they meant was that if the Lottery generated $100 million (after feeding their fat cat friends under the table) they would put THAT money in the schools fund and withhold $100 million from the general fund that was supposed to fund education] The only thing that accomplished was a bigger pool of money to steal from and piss away.
I don't have a problem with setting up speed cameras at all. It is far less intrusive to get a ticket in the mail then to be pulled over and go thru the charade of "papieren, bitte".
I would be perfectly happy to have traffic enforcement in general handled this way. It would free up police resources to deal with more pressing issues.
Not a cop.
speed bumps will do the same without hammering the taxpayers
Any tickets and fines generated by Speed cameras cannot be counted as a moving violation.
The ticket will be against the vehicle (owner of the vehicle) and not the driver!
Won't the insurance companies suffer because they won't be able to count this against the driver as a moving violation and thus raise your insurance rates?
"One of the penalties of not participating in politics is that you will be governed by your inferiors."
Plato
My new favorite quote.
There has been a lot of negative feedback from the public regarding the speed cameras, but...
1. Quinn's not known for taking the public's opinions into account
2. Who knows what deal will be made between Quinn & Emanuel-this is Illinois, after all.
Any tickets and fines generated by Speed cameras cannot be counted as a moving violation.
---------------
Given that traffic enforcement is mostly about revenue (at least as far as government is concerned) this is an additional good reason to handle most traffic enforcement this way.
And it gets cops out of the revenue stop business, which will probably lead to less dislike and distrust of the police by the average law abiding citizen. Which almost has to be a good thing, given how much distrust and dislike of the police is out there, regardless of whether that distrust and dislike is warranted.
Not a cop
If Rambo really wanted to cut down crime why don't he install hidden video cameras with voice recordings in the alderman's offices at City Hall and catch the conversations and envelopes full of money changing hands.
I don't have a problem with setting up speed cameras at all. It is far less intrusive to get a ticket in the mail then to be pulled over and go thru the charade of "papieren, bitte".
I would be perfectly happy to have traffic enforcement in general handled this way. It would free up police resources to deal with more pressing issues.
Not a cop.
not a cop just an idiot
stop trolling Rahm.
Since Quinn and Emanuel imposed this ridiculous law on an the population, the people have no choice but to take matters into their own hands. I call for organized resistance to this ridiculous imposition on our civil liberties... random groups of social media coordinated activists, using spray paint and bolt cutters to disable each individual speed monitoring unit. They can't watch them all!!!
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