Posted on 01/11/2005 10:25:13 AM PST by HMFIC
D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams cited the "urgent need" to collect revenue in his recent request to continue the city's automated traffic-enforcement program, which added four new cameras yesterday, despite previous assurances that use of the technology is driven by concerns for safety, not profits.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
The first stop for any LIBERAL politician? OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY! The most OVERTAXED people in the USA and they STILL don't have enough.
How about reducing spending by no longer giving "free" housing with digital cable to anyone too lazy to get a job? That ought to save some $$.
At least he admits the reason for the program is to raise revenue, instead of insulting our intelligence and saying that it is to reduce accidents.
Due Process does not involve cameras and computer generated tickets, how can you question your accuser? And due process and attempting to collect shakedown money under color of law is very un Constitutional..
That's okay, it's not a criminal charge, it's just a "violation," so you don't have any rights. Sorry about that.
And dumping some of the DC cops who have an ass so big, it precludes ANY CHANCE of a foot pursuit. Nasty.
It's these bastards that are driving people out of the cities and into the country! (Personal rant)
I invite other drivers to join me in my morning salute to the Mayor's tax collectors. My collector of choice is the cop in the car on New York Avenue at the gate to the National Arboretum. I start by honking (to wake him up) and then extend my arm fully outside my vehicle, middle finger raised in salute. A small, probably futile gesture, but it makes me feel soooo good.
My understanding of the law is that "due process" has nothing to do with enforcement of traffic laws anyway, regardless of whether you are ticketed by a camera or a police officer.
Don't come to my part of the "country" if you're looking for no-ticket zones. Jackson County, Michigan routinely surpasses the metro Detroit counties, as well as counting housing much larger cities (ie, Grand Rapids) for the number of tickets written.
WE have officers who single-handedly write 4,500 tickets each year.
Of course, this has nothing to do with revenue, just an interest in safety.
If there was ever need of proof that big government programs do not help poor folk, Washington, D.C. is it.
A 50-percent drop-our rate in the school system that spends more money per capita, per student than any other political jurisdiction in the nation; infant mortality is still a huge problem in DC; the number of chidren born out of wedlock is stupendous; it is also the stolen car capital of the US. That's quite a parley, isn't it?
Mayor Williams is just like every other elected DC mayor: Desperate for dough because the city wastes so much of it in such expert fashion.
If it were not for the National Mall area and Capitol Hill and Ward 3, the District of Columbia would be a third world country.
And now Marion Barry is back on the DC City Council. Great.
If the District government were a person it couldn't find water if it fell out of a boat. But now I'm being generous!
I just got pinched last month by a traffic light video...
rolling on a red making a right turn...
338 bucks...another tax deduction. LOL
Where do you get that understanding, I never heard of it, traffic court gives you a trial (of sorts)
Of course he has an urgent need to collect revenue, they've got a $400 million dollar baseball stadium they've got to start working on!
If the people allow themselves to be steamrolled like this than they deserve what they get. Up here our local liberals tried photo radar and we ran them out of town in a hurry. Not only that but we also neutered our local parking nazis at the same time. We gave our liberals quite the reality check on that one!
-PJ
I appreciate his honesty on this issue
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