At least some politicians have the nerve to be honest about revenue cameras:
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (D) on Thursday outlined his plan to reduce the state’s $600 million deficit and help struggling municipalities by, among several other revenue raising measures, installing red light cameras. The governor’s proposed fiscal year 2010 budget amendments would eliminate an existing state law forcing police officers to issue traffic citations personally. Under the new legislation, any jurisdiction in the commonwealth could give private, for-profit companies the right to issue $100 traffic tickets.
Although some lawmakers had proposed red light camera authorization bills in the past sessions, the measures have never succeeded. Patrick’s quiet inclusion of the measure in must-pass legislation gives the proposal new momentum. Photo enforcement firms encouraged the move by giving lawmakers $10,245 in campaign donations. Australia’s Redflex Traffic Systems gave $1800 to Patrick and state legislators, Affiliated Computer Services gave $7445 and Nestor Traffic Systems, now American Traffic Solutions, gave $1000.
… but I refuse to respect the politician in question for being honest about his motives – I appreciate the honesty, but consider what the news report actually said. Various red-light-camera-producing and -monitoring companies gave money to politicians in the form of campaign donations, and now those politicians are giving those companies money in the form of business. Furthermore, those politicians are considering installing equipment that is known to increase accidents and crashes, solely for the sake of making money for the state.
I guess this is a helpful lesson for any Massachusetts residents reading this weblog: your politicians are not above apparently-legal activity that closely mirrors bribey, and, as far as those politicians are concerned, your safety and your lives are insignificant concerns compared to your ability to make money for the state.
Was it not similar corruption and exploitation that convinced us to found this country to begin with?
(Courtesy of No Silence Here and Taxing Tennessee.)
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