On the front page of the Journal we're treated to a photo showing how traffic enforcement should be done. Three officers with laser speed detection equipment, monitoring traffic for violators and issuing criminal citations. This is how you enforce the law.
(Sidebar)The implication of the Journal's story is that Super Marty complete with cape, is coming in his speed van to save the day and all of us from evil law-breaking truckers. The reality is somewhat different. Marty's speed cameras don't enforce the law, they collect money. Perhaps the mayor should exchange the cape for the Hamburgler's mask.
The top of the fold photo shows two sergeants and a captain operating the lasers. Please tell us that it's just a case of rank trying to get some media face time... or at least media side time. Shouldn't officers receiving supervisory pay be, I don't know... supervising?
(End Sidebar)
Vehicle's caught speeding by intersection cameras, speed vans, or the - coming to an Interstate near you - freeway cameras will be issued a civil citation. In addition to all of the due process issues (like the complete absence of due process), there's a jurisdictional issue. Marty is extending his program to federally funded state roads.
Legislators around the state were already upset by the city pocketing all of the money that would normally go to the state from traffic enforcement. Now Marty's going to make a grab at the revenue generated by state roads.
We've got to hand it to the mayor... we can't think of a more profitable source of revenue than Albuquerque's two major freeway's. Cameras can snap away at freight traffic moving through the city. There's minimal danger that the city will have to hold hearings since the driver of the vehicle will be literally thousands of miles away by the time the "citation" catches up to them 10 days later.
Mayor Marty will have single handedly transformed the Interstates into Revenue Roads... at least until the Legislature gets back in session.
17 comments:
Uh-oh :) I realize the Mayor isn't very bright at times, but "messing" with the truckers would be a particularly stupid move on his part. I hope he isn't expecting them to simply roll over and play dead and pay up. They won't just sit back and take his shit. I guess the Mayor underestimates the importance of truckers to this city. In case you were not aware Mr. Mayor, trucks move America. Let's see the trucker's first move can be to simply pull over and take a nap while this city comes to a screeching halt. Will the tanker driver's please pull over first. No gas, no cars running red lights...
Other than whining here is a noble idea, don’t speed. You are not in touch with reality, the fact is most of the public (me) support the red light cameras and speed radar/laser.
Just another fucking thing to be embarrassed about when it hits the national news that the truckers are boycotting ABQ. Nice. Thanks so much Mr. Mayor.
God I love this city. Is there no end to the reasons to get out? No end to the dirty politics? No one who will stand up and do anything? There literally are no redeeming qualities. It's not just the red light cameras. It's not just the gangs, prices, unsafe neighborhoods, or the people that feel that they can't go out of their homes at night. Those are all just the symptoms of the bigger problem.
Our management IS the problem. Marty and his minions. His Napoleonic attitude. His cronies that are as dirty as he is. His attorneys that work for him that have literally sold their souls to have a job that entails kissing his ass every fucking day.
There is no reason to stay here, and sure alot of people have moved here just recently. Has anyone done a study to see just how many have moved the hell out as soon as they've gotten a taste of city hall? This place is going to be a ghost town except for the thugs, drug dealers, graffiti artists, pimps, pro's, and that's just his managerial staff. The rest of the good people will be gone. Why would anyone stay here? Give me one reason to stay in this town if you are not on the take? If you don't have a skill that you can work at anywhere else, or are not locked into a piddly retirement? Trust me, EVERYONE I KNOW IS GETTING THE HELL OUT OF THIS CITY AS SOON AS THEY CAN!!! I am only one person. How many people do you know? There's nothing to stay here for, and it is truly sad.
You consider yourself "most of the public" and you think that I am "not in touch with reality"??? I come from a family of truckers, believe me, they ain't gonna sit back and take your shit. And when they don't, I will be the one wandering up and down the line of parked truckers handing out cookies and milk. "...most of the public." Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha :)
I can picture it now, the poor little bully boy Mayor left on the playground all by himself after everyone else has gotten the hell out of here cause they don't want to play with him anymore. Me and mine will be the group in the vehicle behind you "riding your tail" out of here. I apologize in advance for "riding your tail", but I can guarantee you that no matter how fast you plan on driving out of here you will not be driving fast enough for me. And with all of those truckers parked along the sides of the highway, there won't be enough room for me to pass. Besides it has always been my job to ride the "ass end" of the convoy.
yep. point and click. that's all it takes.
You've got to be kidding me! I've not met a single person who supports our dictator's red light program. Sure, some may be ambivalent, but NO ONE supports it.
The REAL citizens of Albuquerque see the red light cameras for what they are, cash machines. The rest are obedient fools.
I can remember how mad the truck drivers were that the roads weren't cleared of snow/ice... how they made fun of the lack of preparation, and rightly so.
I also seem to recall one, drug-adled, meth-crazed, truck driver who went on a rampage in a local neighborhood supposedly because he "hates Albuquerque" so much.
I'm not saying that is the norm of truck drivers, not at all.
However, this new folly could cause a whole new breed of pissed-off truckers and who can blame them?
And why focus on the truckers? There are plenty of local idiot drivers in SUV's and BMW's driving like maniacs on I-40/I-25... and most of them have gov't plates.
My, my, my...you are just soooo touchy aren't you. I bet you "road rage" too. But you are probably right...Albuquerque would be much better off without us...Albuquerque will implode much quicker if we all stop trying to prevent it from happening...we'll be sure to not forget to lock the gate on our way out.
All the ones supporting this city's BS, are most likely employed by the city and don't want to lose
their paychecks,even though they really don't believe in the policies of this administration. These are the same people that can't get a job in the real world and on their own merit. In other words,just little con artists and
carneys.
p.s. Can we stop using the vulgarity in expressing ourseleves? (Paul C)
There are some of us that work for the city that can't wait to get the hell out either, but have worked so long that we would be stupid to throw away our investment in our retirement. Everyone that gets hired into our department is lectured about getting out before you either make so much you can't take the cut in pay (although I can't believe I just wrote that) or get so many years into PERA that you can't just give up the retirement.
I can and will get a job in the real world. And there are still a few of us that can remember what it was like not to have to work under the little bastard. And there are still a few of us that won't kiss their ass to keep our jobs, but we are getting to be few and far between. I am taking my retirement and getting the hell outta dodge and finding a job in another state ASAP, and had I known what kind of asshole I'd be working under all these years later, I'd never have come here to work all those years ago.
Here's the litmus test of ass kissing. Do you have rank above sgt in apd that you got in the last 3 years? Do you have a managerial job making salary not hourly? Do you have so many skeletons in your closet that it has stunk up your whole house? Flat knees? A round mouth? Two of your 3 kids by different wives/girlfriends/babydaddies? Is Jerry Springer calling you for what you know about the little napoleon? High up enough in managment that you can get high whenever because you know there won't be a piss test? Drive drunk all the damn time? Have a stamp for your checkbook that says payable to the order of Martin Chavez? A dog that's half dead out in your backyard because you were trying to look good for the media when you went to the adoptathon? YOU MUST BE A MARTY SUPPORTER.
Trust me, when I do get out, I am never looking back at this shit hole that ABQ has become.
I've got so much invested in following the devil that I don't dare stop now. Interesting concept. Never thought of it that way before.
Instead of Hamburgler, I'm thinkin' Marty's Mayor McCheese. The Admin Hearings reek of grease and drive-thru McJustice.
I ain't "lovin' it", but if you think you do, you really need to think about the legal implications of what's going on here. Riding around so fast on a high horse isn't safe either.
Think of it this way, if you've got a twenty year retirement, and you have 17 years in, it would be hard to quit and throw all that away. That's why so many of us are just having to grit our teeth and stick it out.
But it sucks the big one, knowing that you work for assholes, and they have their hooks in you. And again, as soon as I can get the hell outta dodge, I'm taking my retirement money and spending it somewhere else. Alot of us would go to other departments too, but again, you have to find a department that pays into the same retirement.
Yep - once we retire, we can leave!! The picture in the news of the cops hiding like cowards as they "shoot" their prey with their radar, just goes to prove it's all about the money, nothing to do with safety. If it were safety, they would want to be visible, heck, put somebody on the overpasses with a uniform & fake radar gun..... watch the folks slow down! That's what we really want, right????????? :)
Money is not so important that some of us could not easily walk away from it.
It's not even the money.....it's the insurance for the rest of your life, and not ever having to work again because you HAVE to, only if you want to.
And then there is the family. Can you imagine going home and telling your wife or husband that you just threw away a shitload of years because you couldn't hack it for a couple more. And you were this close to getting the hell out of this jacked up city....
Yeah, that'd go over real well.
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