Red Light Revenue Explained
- Some random clicking led me to this NPR piece on red light cameras which was interesting.
What's the point of a red-light camera — to make intersections safer or to generate revenue? That's the question prompted by researchers at the University of Tennessee, who say the cameras are sometimes used in ways that are more likely to make money than to improve safety.
Real shocker that something sold to the public for "safety" would be perverted into a revenue maker that might actually compromise safety, right?
OK, you're done rolling your eyes now I suppose...moving on...
Go read the entire thing. It outlines exactly how and why red light cameras can be used for revenue enhancements rather than public safety and the tricks used to manipulate the law in order to not only maximize revenue, but to reinvent and recover additional money if a stop light camera actually makes an intersection safer (which is a doubtful outcome in any case.)
Labels: money questions
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
17 Comments:
If they really want the red light cameras to promote safety, they would make the don't walk signs with numbers counting down, like they have on corners without red light cameras.
Awe come on man.... It's for the safety of innocent Chicago school children..... Isn't just about everything?
I'd like to see red light cameras everywhere. Slow down everybody. I am though really surprised the city didn't install them at intersections by police stations. Catch their workers speeding in late for work.
I don't see how Red Light Cameras can be pushed on the public today under the guise of 'public safety'. As time after time, after time, after time, it has been proven, or shall we say -- Exposed -- that the real purpose is Revenue Generation for the Private Companies who own the cameras.
That's accomplished simply by changing the timing of the Yellow Light at said intersection and its shortened dramatically to catch someone in the middle of the street on the Red. And the news of that gets out at light-speed to those who regularly travel those routes. It turns into a 'game' of: Catch me once, shame on you. Catch me twice, shame on me. And to win that 'game' the drivers SPEED UP approaching that intersection.
And according to Newton's 2nd Law of motion, a 3,000# mass accelerating to 50 MPH, is a lot MORE DANGEROUS, than that same 3,000# mass traveling at 35 MPH (Newton's 1st Law). The potential energy increases exponentially.
That doesn't Promote or make the Public 'Safe'. Not by any definition or standard.
Of course they generate revenue. Revenue that is needed to pay all the city expenses, such as city workers, fire and police. The money to take care of all the poor has to come from somewhere.
CITY CASINO NOW!
Proceeds to Pension Funds, then Rahm can shut the fuck up, the whiny sniveling Wilmette bitch.
Let's face it, when could a pussy from New Trier ever stand up to someone from the City. These Emanuels are wanna be tough guys, make believe bullys.
New book coming out on Rahm, on Amazon, recommended by Ben Joravsky:
Mayor 1%: Rahm Emanuel and the Rise of Chicago's 99% by Kari Lydersen
"I urge everyone to read Lydersen's book. Over the last few months, many Chicagoans have told me they didn't realize who they were voting for when they cast a ballot for Emanuel. Thanks to Lydersen, they'll have no excuse in 2015."
—Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader
It is the same public relation trick that makes a "Speed Trap", a "Speed Enforcement Zone". It's all about how you say it. "Baby you mean the world to me", which means I really want to get laid. Unfortunately for us, when the Government says it WE get screwed!
This is one of the most visible and disgusting ways that our government has gotten out of control. How could there even be a debate on this stupid idea? Easy. America is gone. No American would have put up with government cameras fifty or more years ago because we valued our freedom then. Now the sheeple have been conditioned by the socialists to accept government intrusion and will be that much more easily led to the camps. They don't enslave you over night. They do it incrementally. This is one step down the wrong path.
I did a pretty extensive amount of research on red light cameras for a college course, and the one technique that was almost unanimously agreed upon as the best way to prevent disobedience to a solid red signal was increasing the time of the yellow light. It's really just that simple, but you'll obviously always find a study to contradict anything, so the cities come out and say "it's inconclusive as to whether increasing the time of the yellow light helps." As we all know, it's all about the money grab.
How dare he speak the truth?
I give him lots of keeses though.
The red light 'scamera' system in Fox River Grove, IL is very successful, generating well over a million dollars in 2012. They appear to be proliferating faster than rabbits in the northwest suburbs, all in the interest of "safety" ($$$$$); in many instances issuing tickets, where a real cop would never even bother stopping the car, for extremely minor technical violations, like failing to stop at the stop line, if you stop three feet behind it instead. It's too bad the Chicago Tribune doesn't do an expose' on this scam, that's giving former judges, among others (like the clown that Fox River Grove uses) huge six-digit salaries (of taxpayer $$$$) for working just a few hours each week, just to tell people that he is finding them guilty anyway, no matter what they say at their administrative hearings. This is earning that pipsqueak of a town the new name, "Little Moscow, U.S.A."
its for the children! All the safety! another way to take from the people! Another day another scam, wonder which crew of alderthugs will get paid off?
The function of government is to maximize revenues much like that of big corporations. Maybe we should use the mantra " BIG GOVERNMENT" much like the catch phrase, big business. Cash is king. Big business conditioning conjers up negative connotations such as greed, excessive profits, overcompensated executives, downsizing and the like. Everybody hates that big business. Maybe big government can be conditioned to conjer up waste, unending revenue generation schemes at any cost, inefficientcy, crony capitalism, excessive regulation, excessive taxation, rigged public bids, unaccountability,preferential treatment for special interests,elcted officials being less than honest,infringement of civil liberties and rights, just to name a few. I wish public policy had safety as its priority and primary objective. Remember, money by any means is the mother's milk of politicians.
Lets say that instead of a cash fine, red light violators attended a safety school for a bare bones fee instead of those oppressive fines. How about first offenders volunteer in a soup kitchen or the like instead of a cash fine. Safety was the issue sold to the public. Wouldn’t refresher driving classes contribute more to traffic safety than a cashier’s check? Overlook the manipulation of these cameras and related practices to create the greatest number of finable offenses. No unethical practices here. Remember, its not the driver but the registered owner who is fined. Unfortunately, the triple LLLs, the Lawyers, the Lobbyists and the eLected officials forged air-tight legally binding contracts maximizing the collection of fines optimizing much needed revenues. This New Breed Coalition, the triple L’s, tout the banner of safety but collect all the cash monies to be divvied up to the greedy interests of red light operators and the thirsty respective municipal jurisdiction. And don’t forget the generosity and influence of lobby efforts directed at elected officials. And remember if you fail to pay the fines, administrative law procedures allow the suspension of the vehicle’s registration plates or the registered owner’s drivers license. In addition, another legal permissible strong arm tactic is the reporting of negative business records to those information collection apparatuses doing business as the credit bureaus. The negative consequences of these private sector reporting agencies puts fear in an overtaxed and one check a way from poverty citizenry. Its nice to see a public and private bi-partisian effort to maximize municipal revenues and instill fear. The public officials like all that safety, but truly love all that money those red light cameras generate.
Red light cameras are what you would call in business a cash cow. Its nice to see a successful public/private partnership.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
CITY CASINO NOW!
Proceeds to Pension Funds, then Rahm can shut the fuck up, the whiny sniveling Wilmette bitch.
Let's face it, when could a pussy from New Trier ever stand up to someone from the City. These Emanuels are wanna be tough guys, make believe bullys.
New book coming out on Rahm, on Amazon, recommended by Ben Joravsky:
Mayor 1%: Rahm Emanuel and the Rise of Chicago's 99% by Kari Lydersen
"I urge everyone to read Lydersen's book. Over the last few months, many Chicagoans have told me they didn't realize who they were voting for when they cast a ballot for Emanuel. Thanks to Lydersen, they'll have no excuse in 2015."
—Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader
9/27/2013 07:52:00 AM
If they can't beat you down physically, what better way to bully you than to cripple you financially.
"The function of government is to maximize revenues much like that of big corporations. Maybe we should use the mantra 'BIG GOVERNMENT' much like the catch phrase, big business. Cash is king. Big business conditioning conjers up negative connotations such as greed, excessive profits, overcompensated executives, downsizing and the like. Everybody hates that big business. Maybe big government can be conditioned to conjer up waste, unending revenue generation schemes at any cost, inefficientcy, crony capitalism, excessive regulation, excessive taxation, rigged public bids, unaccountability, preferential treatment for special interests, elcted officials being less than honest, infringement of civil liberties and rights, just to name a few. I wish public policy had safety as its priority and primary objective. Remember, money by any means is the mother's milk of politicians."
They've mastered this in Chicago, Crook County, Ill-Annoy
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