Funny you should say that. Just the other day I was talking to a friend who told me about how hard a judge and the city council of a medium sized town near her had worked to convince the voters that installing these camers would ensure safety and generate much needd revenue at te same time. What they failed to say is that the red light camera company would receive a 40 / 60 % of the fines collected and that if they didn't collect a certain amount a month they had to pay a penalty (pretty much the norm for most of tese types of companies). What the city didn't expect was that people would obey the law and it caused massive loss of revenue. I wonder what perks and incentives they gave the decision makers to install them in the first place? Personally I think receiving gifts or donations in matters like this should be both an ethics violation and criminal offense.
In Rochester NY's case, minorities were blowing through red lights at an alarming rate, getting the tickets then never paying the fine. Seems they would pay the fine right after they actually insure and register the vehicle, get a valid driver's license. . .oh wait--a good chunk of those vehicles were stolen. "But Mayor Lovely, that wasn't me driving my car, it was your average, ubiquitous, un-friendly neighborhood thug who stole my car."