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| Thursday, August 21, 2008 | (6 comment(s))
Red light cameras will get another look from the Indiana General Assembly next year, but not as a way to improve safety.
What has driven communities like Hammond to consider installing these cameras at traffic lights is to generate revenue. The idea is to use technology to photograph the license plates of offenders so the owners of those vehicles can be sent traffic tickets in the mail.
It's an interesting idea, but not a good one.
Red light cameras aren't currently set up to photograph the driver behind the wheel, so determining who actually committed the offense still requires a human -- a police officer, not a camera.
Because of Hammond's zeal for these cameras, which prompted requests by interested legislators, Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter was asked to render an official opinion on whether they are legal.
Carter's answer is that they aren't legal yet.
Three years ago, the General Assembly crushed a bill to legalize the red light cameras. The bill got only 17 of the 51 votes needed in the House.
State Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, said the tax caps that have put the squeeze on municipal budgets are a good argument to reconsider the legislation.
"I think when we dealt with it before, we weren't concerned about dollars," she said. "But I think that the addition of dollars to the discussion would aid and assist it."
Or maybe not. Her argument is to use a device designed to improve safety -- even though it isn't unfair in its law enforcement techniques -- and use it to generate revenue.
The pursuit of revenue should not be a driving force behind the push to authorize municipalities to install red light cameras.
An argument can be made for safety, but coveting the revenue could jeopardize safety down the road by officials wanting to shorten the yellow light to increase revenue from each red light camera at some point in the future.
The property tax caps that are curbing municipalities' spending are there for a reason. They are in place to force local governments to learn to live within their means. Tightening the belt, not installing red light cameras, is the answer.
It cannot be said often enough: Communities must stop whining about how much they're hurting and cut their budgets, including getting rid of their bloated payrolls.
Your opinion, please
Should red light cameras become legal in Indiana?
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pat wrote on Aug 21, 2008 4:57 PM:
Red light cams wrote on Aug 21, 2008 11:56 AM:
The PaidPay Taxes More wrote on Aug 21, 2008 9:28 AM:
These "big businesses" not only paid/pay for Lake County, Indiana, they are responsible for its existence. Since no one came here for the view, it is likely we would not be sitting where we are today, if it had not been for theses industries. They have provided jobs, which provided food and clothing, shelter for thousands and thousands of people, many of whom, could have only otherwise dreamed about the lifestyle they, their children, and grandchildren have enjoyed. They actually were able to say that they had enough to eat, and some of them were even able to send their children to college. All because of these businesses. Now, we blame them, because they are tired of being treated like social welfare agencies. Now, the people of Lake County might have to actually act like they are part of the State of Indiana. "
Same Editor wrote on Aug 21, 2008 9:15 AM:
Just the beginning wrote on Aug 21, 2008 8:17 AM:
Wet Hen wrote on Aug 21, 2008 5:33 AM:
That and we want this , that, and the other thing is all that pols seem to know.
A one percent cap on the real estate tax is not the answer.
The answer is to have big business pay their fair share as they were doing a few years back.
They paid the taxes and made money, so why change?
Another example of the pols looking out for themselves and not the people who put them in office.
If the laws cannot be rescinded then the powers to be MUST learn to live with what they get and quit nickel and dimeing us to death
CUT THE FAT!!!!! "