First it was the red light and speed cameras, now it’s your cell phone. In reality, another tax... and they're all for your own good. (Or at least the city's good.)
As you know by now, you're not allowed to talk on your cell phone without a hands-free device while driving. If a you're caught, your first offense is $100.00 and your second offense is $200.00. More money for Mayor Marty, more money for the City Council, less money for you. Remember we're adding this to the over $5 MILLION that has already been taken in by the Red Light Camera Program (a.k.a. Marty's Money Makers).
Mayor Chavez and the administration love to tout Albuquerque's recent ranking in Fortune Five Hundred Magazine. We just wonder... do you think that when the administration was schmoozing the folks at Forbes they told them about the increasing cost of simply moving from place to place? Probably not.
On to more important matters... What to do if you're pulled over. Remember, you're allowed to make emergency phone calls without a hands free device.
Here are a few helpful suggestions:
1. I think I left the oven on.
2. I forgot to lock the front/back door.
3. My child is sick at school.
4. I can’t make it to pick up my child/children.
5. My dog ate my homework?
Ok... we know that's a bit crazy. However, the City has to prove you were not conducting an emergency phone call and a Law Enforcement Officer does not have the right to check your phone without a search warrant. Federal Law protects your cell phone records and the City has no legal authority to interfere or have access to them. Quite a quandary for the prosecution and for the city. If you claim you are using your phone for emergency purposes how do they prove you were not?
Now, most honest law abiding taxpayers will go ahead and cop to the "offense," and pay the tax... uh, fine. Now if you happen to be on an "emergency" call...
Remember, the system was overloaded with taxpayers challenging the red light and speed camera citations and over 1,000 were dismissed. Who knows what could happen?
2 comments:
donnathedead said:
will it count if I tell them that I was calling 911 to find out if (s)he was really a cop?
*and if the dog ate your homework, does it count if you were calling the EMERGENCY vet?*
OK. once again. I can't believe that the city(Council) cannot think of doing something better with their time. Now we have Councilor (Dukes II) Harris, Marty's newest dog on a leash, suggesting that the public wait till the end of City Council business to give public comment?
See, the thought here is if they wait long enough, they'll leave and they won't have to listen to the complaints/comments. If that's the case, how about we all come down to the council chambers at 10PM and sign in then, instead of at 5 O'clock and wait all night to give a 2 minute comment that goes in one ear and out the other,while Craig Loy sits there chewing gum,(like a cow chewing it's cud) while Sally munches down a couple bags of potatoe chips, and the rest just stare into space like their almost interested in what you're saying.
Do they not realize that they are on live television. They should be at our disposal, not the other way around. Now that they hold the position of power,they forget who put them there.
Please, for the love of God and Country, take on issues that really matter. Here's a thought; maybe crime, gangs, government corruption( right under their noses) and the civil rights violations that are taking place in various departments.
Gee, enough said?
Post a Comment