Looks likes the red light cameras may be toast

1. Mixed bag on this one. I hate Big Brother mailing tickets out, but on the other hand I hate all the morons that constantly run the reds (41st and Louise anyone?) knowing they are never gonna be hassled.

2. Speaking of toast, you need one of these:
   http://jesustoasters.com/

3. I’m not even Christian and I think that is wrong. Maybe he should sell wine carafes to?

4. Lemming – I agree 100% people should get tickets for running red lights and they should be handed out by a PO. No questions about constitutionality. It would be cheaper if once a week they would have stings at that intersection, say Fridays between 4-6 PM.

5. Red light cameras probably do reduce crashes and save lives, and I don’t see how they complicate and burden our lives more then any other ticket. That being said, unconstitutional is unconstitutional and they need to go.

6. “Being a cautious and defensive driver and/or pedestrian saves lives”

   Sure does…. let me know when you find one.

7. By the way, if you read the ordinance it would only make sense to repeal it rather than attempt to modify it since 90% of it would need to be changed. Don’t be surprised if they add a new ordinance in the near future which will use different language to most likely tie the fine to the driver.

   That said – nobody will convince me our streets are safer just because those cameras are off. The end result is that people know they can get away with running a red light – especially during the times of year where motorcycle cops can be hiding on the sidewalks. This explains why there are three or four cars burning through the red at 41st and Louise and why an extra couple always squeeze through 26th and Marion as well as 41st and Minn.

   It is a huge problem and although not many lives have been lost here in Sioux Falls, there are a ton of accidents and injuries due to red light running. Heck there was one just last weekend that resulted in a four car accident (Kiwanis and Russell I think it was).

8. No doubt, I agree 100% that the cameras are effective, but I will refer you to a favorite quote of mine;

   “Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

   The fact remains, tickets MUST be given to PEOPLE not VEHICLES. Heck, accused murderers have more rights, and I.L.’s lawsuit proved that. Redflex’s agenda is simple; profits – they let the city’s worry about the repercussions of the law while cashing in. I feel sorry for the city council that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place because of the foolish signature of a former mayor. There was a better way to do this, but since a certain newspaper on the corner of 10th and Minnesota wanted to shove this safety issue down the throats of taxpayers the city made a bad decision. Face and plate recognition could have saved them alot of heartache, but just like the events center we need results RIGHT NOW instead of thinking things thru and doing it right the first time. That is how I look at the camera issue. It was a lawsuit waiting to happen. It would be like ticketing a piece of garbage for littering the side of the road.

9. Costner – ‘Sure does…. let me know when you find one.’

   I found one, she’s my grandma… She has a driver license but she is being defensive by giving up driving all together and staying home.

   Ha! 🙂

10. It would be cheaper if once a week they would have stings at that intersection, say Fridays between 4-6 PM.

    The city made $364,856.00 in 2009 in big brother revenue at 10th & Minnesota. Part of that lost revenue can be made up by having sting operations at the exits of our city run golf courses and around J&L after their weekend beer fests. Think that’s gonna happen? Not anytime soon…Bank on it.

11. So much injustice, so little time.

    Corndog anyone?

12. Red light cameras probably do reduce crashes and save lives…

    Can’t say I agree with that. I say big brother increases the chances of rear end collisions. Drivers still are 10 MPH above the posted speed limit regardless of how an intersection is “controlled.” Driving 10 MPH above the posted speed limit means drivers panic at camera controlled intersections and cannot control their reaction time to light timing at intersections. Panic stops and ensuing rear end collisions are the end result. Tenth & Minnesota is a safer intersection today since big brother has been nuetered.

13. Make Randy Beck happy, and put a red light camera by the new event center.

14. Hey, Detroit Lewis, when did you stop being a Christian?

15. It should be noted that case #08-2478 determined city civil procedures are unconstitutional. They have no authority until they allow appeals

16. Indeed, city council meetings are illegal and unrecognized if they’re charter is void. Huether considers himself chancellor of a separate nation. Give him a high front arm ‘Heil Huether’ salute.

17. The monkeys at city hall finally realized how stupid they look when the camera case is cited as precedent for cases around the country. Next will be a 60 Minutes story naming Huether and the council for their Nazi Home Rule unconstitutional government.

18. “The fact remains, tickets MUST be given to PEOPLE not VEHICLES.”

    So billions of parking tickets are unconstitutional?

    Face it DL, the issue isn’t that tickets must be given to people, the issue is that city law was attempting to supercede state law which prevents traffic tickets from being downgraded to civil violations (similar to parking tickets). Couple that with the issues the city has with appeals and that is where the problem lies.

    If the city would fix the appeals process, and if they can convince the state legislature to push through a bill allowing red light cameras to dispense tickets to vehicles just like parking tickets are… they could turn the cameras back on tomorrow.

    I doubt that will happen though – the state legislature has more pressing matters to deal with… like coming up with new and more interesting ways to try to ban abortion without actually banning abortion.

19. Running red lights is not the problem on that intersection…well, except for illegal right turns on red which in my mind is a completely different thing. Lane management is the biggest issue there. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people completely unable to figure out which lane is the left turn lane, which usually leads to two cars attempting to simultaneously turn left.

20. […] I want them to be checking my site for leads (well they already do). A good example is this blog post that finally made the newspaper […]

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