Posted on 10/18/2014 10:00:41 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows
Drivers in Chicago have gotten wise to speed cameras, budget figures show, and now the city needs to come up with $50 million in revenue.
Chicagoans are costing the city tens of millions of dollars -– through good behavior. Mayor Rahm Emanuel underestimated the intelligence of Chicago drivers, and the city paid for it big time.
On a smooth, wide, well-travelled stretch of Irving Park Road, running between two cemeteries — no homes, no stores, no parking — the city of Chicago is trying to balance its budget. Each flash means a photo; each photo, a violation. Each violation: a hundred bucks, from red-light and speed cameras.
CBS 2 has learned the speed cameras caught far fewer speeders than expected. According to the Mayor’s 2015 Budget Overview, there have been “lower than expected violation rates.”
How much lower? Fifty million dollars lower.
Emanuel’s administration had figured on $90 million in fines to help balance this year’s budget, but they can only count on $40 million. That’s a $50 million shortfall, putting pressure on the next spending plan.
“It was a combination of the camera company’s salesmanship and the city’s greed,” says camera critic Barnet Fagel. The city was expecting a nearly $100 million windfall by flooding the city with the speed cameras, using proximity to schools and parks as justification. The speed camera on Irving Park is listed as close to Challenger Park, which actually looks more like a parking lot — and is, during Cubs games.
-snip-
A report by Inspector General Joe Ferguson maintained “the City cannot prove red-light camera locations are based on safety considerations.” And a University of Illinois at Chicago study concluded “red light cameras are not effective in improving safety.”
(Excerpt) Read more at screen.yahoo.com ...
"Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Reardon, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with." - Ayn Rand, 1957 -
Ping!
The story missed, $40 million stripped from the public.
People aren’t speeding??
They must be punished.
Raise their taxes!
Hey Rahm!
Fire your Union hack cronies and you’ll save $100 MILLION!
Photo radar has NOTHING to do with safety and EVERYTHING to do with revenue enhancement.
The same goes for red light cameras and any other automated “law enforcement”.
Yet the powers that be and the police wonder why they are losing credibillity and respect from the public...
They can just resort to bogus police stops and civil forfeiture.
Maybe government should not base budget assumptions on receiving huge amounts from fines for legal infractions??? How can you just assume that so many people will speed and get tickets?
Read this.
Chicago is hopelessly in debt, from all angles.
They never are, but that's always how they're sold.
I suppose you can based on historic levels where the cameras are used.
I sure wouldn’t base my budget on it. Well, I might to a small degree, say 25% of suspected revenue.
You know as well as I do he never expected to get the $90 million. He needed to balance his budget, so he blew out the prediction.
*Apologies to any fine, upstanding, disease-carrying vermin for associating them with Chicago Demonicrats.
I’m surprised the public has not fought back with cans of black SPRAY PAINT over the lens.
They could make up the shortfall by ditching the camera scheme.
> Hey Rahm!
Fire your Union hack cronies and you’ll save $100 MILLION!
But thn he’d lose his organized crime protection benefits...
In MD, one of the mobile speed cameras was attacked by a citizen with a baseball bat, while the operator was in the car. They had a huge manhunt but never found him.
I’ve been tagged twice in MD and once in DC. I fought DC and won. Paid MD. They had me dead to rights on those
> Chicago is hopelessly in debt, from all angles.
Look at the type people that live there and you’ll understand why...
Laws are established to maintain order. Full stop. They are enacted to punish citizens or reap financial benefits. Every pol involved with these speed cameras should be forced to run across the Dan Ryan Expressway at rush hour.
The dog-shooting doesn't help, either.
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