As a result, the bucks continue to roll in and the council fiddles while Rome burns. (Yes, we're trying to use as many cliches as possible to sound as silly as the council often acts). KRQE Channel 13 is reporting that the city's take in 18 months is equal to over $3 MILLION. A Couple of months ago the city had collected a gross amount of over $6 MILLION. That's our money folks and here's the truth... not a single criminal was caught.
To make matters worse, those knuckleheads don't even care where the money is going! The only red light camera legislation to actually get to a vote was Councilor Harris' audit proposal and it was defeated 5-4 (ABQ Tribune) with Councilors Mayer, Sanchez, Benton, Winter, and Loy voting against passage.
What the council doesn't seem to get is that the public generally does not like the Almighty's Money Makers. As Councilor Winter said in his town hall announcement, "people have the right to determine how they are going to be policed." Not to mention the fact that the city has found a way to dispense with common concepts like proof beyond a reasonable doubt, innocent until proven guilty, due process, and making the punishment fit the crime - concepts that most reasonable people find appealing. Ah... What the heck? Who cares? The program is paying for itself!
Now Chief Schultz is counting on apathy and fatalism to make us accept being fleeced by the city (ABQ Tribune). Seems that after about 3 years we'll all get used to the red light toll system and even become fond of forking over our hard earned cash. He may even be right, after all when people are held captive against their will they eventually come to view their captors with affection. It's called the Stockholm Syndrome.
Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response sometimes seen in an abducted hostage, in which the hostage shows signs of loyalty to the hostage-taker, regardless of the danger (or at least risk) in which the hostage has been placed. Stockholm syndrome is also sometimes discussed in reference to other situations with similar tensions, such as battered person syndrome, rape cases, child abuse cases, and bride kidnapping. - from wikipedia.orgBack to the deck chairs... Councilor Loy (who we almost wish was running so that we could hang these "photo enforced" intersections around his political neck) maintains "reduc[ing] these fines - that's outrageous" (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required). What's "outrageous" is that he was ever elected. Wait a second... he wasn't. Four years ago he was the default choice of District 8 and has never run against an opponent. (Splains a lot don't it?)
(Sidebar)
Bride kidnapping? Now that's funny! Now we understand what that APD recruiting poster is all about.
(End Sidebar)
Marty doesn't get it, the council doesn't get it, and Chief Schultz certainly doesn't get it. MOST PEOPLE DON'T WANT THIS SYSTEM! Even police officers are generally against it unless they are required by the 5th floor to attend meetings to support the red light scam-era program.
You can lower the fines. You can give an option of community service. You can even try to wait until we all suffer from a collective abducted bride syndrome. But you can't change the fact that the system is wrong and that it has struck the iceberg of public opinion.
24 comments:
That first sound you heard...that was me dragging my chair to the other side of my desk...attempt at trying to get another perspective...those other strange sounds you heard...me falling off my chair in an attempt to get my head up my ass...neither worked...still hate red light illegal taxation system.
Please please tell me that Marty will go down with this ship, and take his first mate Shultz with him? Puhleeeze!
And Marty thinks that by bucking public opinion he'll get voted in for governor?
Does he honestly think that John Q public likes these cameras? And that they'll forget that he's the one that cost them and their friends and relatives all that money when it comes time to vote?
More fool he.
What is wrong with the camera system? IF you do or don't like them then go the speed limit and don't run red lights! So those people that do BREAK THE LAW have to spend some money our city! GOOOD! GOOOD 2 TIMES!
I don't run red lights or speed and I don't like the cameras.
Where are our paint ball snipers?
What's wrong with the camera system?
Well, the STOP ordinance breaks the law by establishing the administrative hearing process under the auspices of the city. New Mexico law, that is, which says the jurisdiction for city ordinances and civil actions (under $10,000) in our fair county is BC Metro Court.
There's more, but how's that for a start?
You know...I used to think that paintball was stupid and a big waste and now you go and point out just how short sighted I have been...boy do I feel really dumb...but in a really good way :)
Two posts up, you need to go back to law school. The ord. was already challenged and the cas won by the city, so get over it. You don't like the cameras or the fines? avoid the intersections with cameras, don't speed or run reds & no fines, no problems. Besides that, the folks that obey the law are more likely to vote & those are the same folks that vote for Marty.......nuff said
Oh, I do love the self-righteous, almost as much as they love themselves.
The case to which you refer did not bring up Metro Court jurisdiction. Have you read each sides' briefs and the judge's decision? I have.
Do you know whether or not the judge's decision in that case is precedent-setting?
Familiar with a little case from Minnesota?
Familiar with the part of NM law I refer to above that uses words like "shall" and "all"? (it does go on to list exceptions, granted, but none apply to our subject)
Have you read the STOP ordinance?
Ever wonder who sets yellow light timing and what their boss tells them to do?
Do you know what a "conflict of interest" is?
Do you believe cameras and technology are acceptable substitutes for human judgement?
Is it OK for the city to pass ordinances that are in conflict with state law, if they really mean well, and all?
And, do you believe it is proper to punish the owner of an instrument(in this case a car, but it could be, let's say, a gun), even though that owner might not have committed an unlawful act with that instrument since we really can't prove exactly "who done it" with the evidence? Oooh, study your case law on this one.
And finally, are you willing to give up your rights? I'm not willing to give up your rights, I love you too much. XXXOOO
I obey the law and I vote, but not for him.
Anyone know monkey-boy's home address? I wanna send him a love-gram....
Sweet Jesus!! - check this out!!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/koat/20070510/lo_koat/13290384
Your car, your fine. You figure out who was driving. Rights? What rights? Like I said, go back to school. You do not have a right to drive a motor vehicle in NM on a public road, it's a privilege. Don't worry about my rights, I take care of myself just fine. You just crawl back into your hole & send in your fine! Quit running the lights & you won't have to defend yourself against the cite. Seems pretty simple to me...Have a nice life!
According to product literature directly from RedFlex(camera system manufacture AND operaters) the catalog illustrating their services specifically says that the pictures are reviewed by Redflex, then attached to a generic citation template by Redflex and sent directly to the motor vehicle owner from the RedFlex office out of Scottsdale, AZ. Sounds like APD really has there work cut out for them. With such a tasking process, how will they find time to offer free Breathalizer tests to the folks down at the busy bars on high volume nights to prevent DWI's instead of letting them roll out of the parking garage with 3 beers and 4 shots under their belt? Oh wait, they dont do that. But hey, at least they are using bluetooth headsets instead of talking on their cell phones when they drive. Who knows, I may not be hear today if they didnt rid us of that damn wreckless DWT(Driving While Talking).
On a more serious note;
This "Fantastic" Australia based company, whos camera system was originaly developed around English Common law(guilty until proven innocent) also wraps this citation up with critical personal identifying information, like YOUR address, a pic of YOUR car, YOUR lisence plate number, YOUR vehicles regsitered address and anything else a rather educated person(not including the douche above) of the criminal persuasion needs to shop for a nice ride at 2 O' Clock in the morning. All he's got to do is get a hold of these highly noticable Photo STOP(RedFlexs trademark) envelopes and ride out with his "homies" to your house and still "yo shit" as they say.
I have a proposal;
The camera systems are actually pretty expensive, about 10-15 grand depending on the volume of the intersection that needs to be covered. The fines you pay, well, half of that goes to RedFlex for operating fees. Dont believe me, call them. They have no problem gloating about that. So here is what we do...
Step 1.
Purchase barely drivable runned down vehicle
Step 2.
Pay bum off the streets to run this vehicle into every camera pole he can, effectively knocking them down
Step 3.
Giggle in lawn chair across the street.(Just dont let them take a picture of you doing that)
From the link above:
Drivers Confused Over License Plate Covers
Wed May 9, 9:17 PM ET
The controversy over New Mexico license plate covers is heating up.
ADVERTISEMENT
The covers are supposed to block red light cameras from getting a clear shot and a license plate number, so police can't track the vehicle, Action 7 News reported.
On Wednesday, the Albuquerque Journal reported a Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputy was caught with a cover on his license plate.
The department said its rules prohibit the devices, and he'll be punished. But others said there's nothing in the law that should keep anyone from getting them.
Officials at Metro Court said there is a law against improperly displaying a license plate, and that law could include license plate covers. Court officials said until a higher court rules on it, the law is up for interpretation.
Once again, ABQ is in the news, and NM is embarrassed. Remember this when you vote......
I can giggle...
Wonder if anyone has done a check on how much the theft of license plates has gone up? Find a car the same make as yours, take their plate, throw it on your car, and Voila, instant pass. Unless someone runs it, in which case you then say, in court, "SOMEONE SWAPPED MY PLATE FOR THEIRS AND ARE NOW USING MINE TO GET OUT OF MARTY'S MONEY MAKERS" If like me you have a dark colored car, the camera is not going to be able to tell at night exactly what color it is, so again, free pass.
Tinted windows, that'll help too.
I REALY like the idea above though, instead of bum fights, bum drivers, lol....!
Anonymous said...
I can giggle...
Go ahead, laugh right out loud, this is good! LOL
Yep - Marty Lied to Billy that he would reduce the fines so Billy had the state back off of enforcing the reasonable limits, then Marty passed the buck to the city councilors whom quickly "shelved" the matter, and now Billy can say "Marty told me he would be good and reduce the fines". Now Billy has washed his hands of it!..........and nothing has changed...... &*&%$^%!
Good I hope nothing does change! I like the cameras! It does produce money for the city! OUR CITY! I hope that it can make more to fund our community centers, pools, soccer/yafl/baseball fields, beautify OUR city... all off people that BREAK THE LAW! As a matter of fact, I hope that the fines INCREASE! So we can make more profit because as I understand it much of the money is just being spent on the company that we bought the cameras system from (which is fine - free market) and administrational costs (courts, postage, manpower, etc.).
Oops, sorry, I mean I HATE THE CAMERAS, I HATE MAKING OUR CITY MONEY, I WISH OUR CITY WERE BANKRUPT, and in FACT I WISH JIM BACA, ERIC GRIEGO OR SOMEOTHER ULTRA LIBERAL WACKO would RUN FOR MAYOR AGAIN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN!
This city is already bankrupt...morally bankrupt. The love of money is the root of all evil.
Wow. Some of these posts are great...they shed light on the true problems here, then there are other posts that I can only assume are from members of King Marty's Court of Jesters.
The fact is, speeders and red light runners are nuisances. But the cameras are a MUCH bigger nuisance. They are a nuisance to 34's responding to priority ones, god forbid if they HAVE to run a red light to improve response times and save a life or two....only to end up spending hours trying to validate why they ran the light or sped through the intersection....a nuisance to public safety causing accidents when people slam on their brakes to avoid ending up in King Marty's Court, and a nuisance to "Joe Citizen" who innocently travels through an intersection at 6 mph over the speed limit, not realizing he was speeding. Remember the days when a 34 could just issue a warning? Those days are LONG gone. Too bad, Albuquerque. King Marty and Prince Schmultz have imposed their will on you. Do not disobey, or it's off to the gallows!
TEAR DOWN THESE CAMERAS MR. GORBACHEV !!
Sound familiar? Or is it GorbaCHAVEZ
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