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Red-light cameras boost coffers, rile drivers (Calif. fine is $480)
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | February 5 2012 | Kevin Fagan

Posted on 02/05/2012 7:25:54 PM PST by WilliamIII

California has the most expensive red-light camera tickets in the world - the fine is so steep that one camera in Oakland generates more than $3 million a year - and a Fremont man is launching a protest group to do something about that.

If Roger Jones has his way, that freezing dread that knifes through a driver the moment he sees the overhead flash of a traffic camera will become a thing of the past.

But he's facing quite an uphill fight against officials hungry for the cash the cameras sweep in and police who are convinced they make the roads safer.

Anyone in California snapped violating a red light pays a fine of $480, and according to the traffic-watch site TheNewspaper.com, no other jurisdiction anywhere has a tab that high. The second-highest fine in the United States is $250, and it is usually more like $100.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; US: California
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To: cuban leaf
"I believe that in every single instance where the presence of the cameras is put to a vote of the people, the people vote to have them removed."

Of course!. But that's the problem. We don't usually get a say in how laws are enforced. Unmarked cruisers, radar guns, photo tickets, all BS IMHO. And don't get me started with the average donut muncher decked out in a tactical swat team costume.

Every once in a while an old school Chief or Sheriff comes along and does away with some of these policies. Other than that, the only way is through the state legislature, provided the state Constitution allows for it.

61 posted on 02/06/2012 9:22:54 AM PST by moehoward
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To: WilliamIII

simple pass a constitutinal state amendment prohibiting the issuance of any fines or court costs through the use of traffic control cammeras.


62 posted on 02/06/2012 9:31:01 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Ernie Kaputnik

fraudsters could just send people fake bills and demand payment of a ticket fine and they would collect.


63 posted on 02/06/2012 9:51:01 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Ernie Kaputnik

Our town installed six of these bloody cameras. They got lots of bad press because of similar rulings to yours (case thrown out) so they “fixed” the problem - by prohibiting ‘right turn on red’ turns altogether. The bastards!


64 posted on 02/06/2012 12:54:27 PM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: cuban leaf

When you listen to the traffic reports now you can hear the reporters pleading with people to use 520, lol


65 posted on 02/06/2012 1:03:01 PM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: WilliamIII

Colorado Springs Gazette did a article awhile back on red light cameras. The way it works with most municipalities the cameras are installed & maintained by a private entity who get a percentage from the revenue generated by the camera. No up front costs to the city or town ... strictly a revenue generator, the safety aspect is pure BS.


66 posted on 02/06/2012 1:16:06 PM PST by BluH2o
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To: rockrr

—When you listen to the traffic reports now you can hear the reporters pleading with people to use 520, lol—

That is seriously funny!

Is it really that bad?


67 posted on 02/07/2012 5:14:58 AM PST by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: moehoward

—IIRC, San Diego once had such a backlog of ignored parking tickets they wiped the system clean and started over again.—

Chicago did the opposite with toll violators. People were not getting tickets for YEARS, and then in 2010 (I think) they sent everyone collective bills. People were getting $10,000, $20,000 and more “bills” from the city for all the times over the last few years they blew through a toll. A friend of mine got one for only $7,000.

If you didn’t pay, you lost your license, for starters...


68 posted on 02/07/2012 5:23:56 AM PST by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: cuban leaf

C’mon - you know that the Seattlunatics are all loons. They allow the most draconian baloney to be put into place and then freak out when they realize that it applies to they themselves ;-)


69 posted on 02/07/2012 6:28:12 AM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: rockrr

—They allow the most draconian baloney to be put into place and then freak out when they realize that it applies to they themselves —

Yep. That’s why I left after living there since 1966. ;-)


70 posted on 02/07/2012 6:39:29 AM PST by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: BAW
"I live in Southern Cal, and I was in a traffic intersection turning left a couple of weeks ago. The bright white strobe light went off as I progressed through my turn. Seeing the strobe light made me look quickly at the traffic light - which was a yellow arrow.

Think of all the OTHER people at that intersection, seeing the strobe flash and jerking their heads, averting their eyes from the road.....

....somebody is going to die from these hazardous robotic intrusions into the traffic flow.

Another pet traffic peeve is the frequent radio commercials with horns, sirens, tweeting phones, etc.: My immediate reaction is to snap the radio off to ascertain whether or not I have an incoming call or if a fire engine is coming. I'm not sure how that helps the advertiser. many radio commercials with horns, sirens

71 posted on 02/07/2012 7:37:21 AM PST by cookcounty (Newt 2012: ---> Because he got it DONE.)
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To: WilliamIII
"YOU MUST GO TO COURT AND FIGHT THE TICKET."

They don't hold court on the weekend. You have to ruin your perfect attendance record at work and lose $200 in income in order to fight the ticket.

With actual officers on site, there is room for human interpretation of the event. I have a friend who was stopped at an intersection with an emergency vehicle coming from the rear. It was a divided road and all 3 lanes were blocked. He carefully pulled over from the middle lane into the intersection to let the emergency vehicle through and ended up with a photo ticket.

72 posted on 02/07/2012 7:47:37 AM PST by cookcounty (Newt 2012: ---> Because he got it DONE.)
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To: Eska
People started shooting them, destroying them

LOL! GOOD for them!

73 posted on 02/07/2012 3:59:24 PM PST by b9 (NEWT all the way)
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To: WilliamIII
Jones and other camera foes also insist that rolling a red light on a right turn, also known as making a "Hollywood stop," is not as dangerous as other violations - even though the vast majority of tickets given by most red-light cameras are for that violation.

I DO NOT support these cameras.

You have to stop before turning right on a red. A couple times a week I have a-holes turn right in front of me as I move through intersections on a green light.

And, I DO NOT support these cameras.

74 posted on 02/07/2012 4:10:34 PM PST by TankerKC (Welcome to the age of "I Meant to Do That" Diplomacy)
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To: Auntie Mame

Your assumption that the locals destroyed the cameras may well be in error. Check this bit: http://news.yahoo.com/flash-light-across-phoenix-skies-mystery-235359289.html So, how many times do you think a traffic camera array is going to turn up a UFO and live?


75 posted on 03/09/2012 6:16:28 PM PST by muawiyah
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