Houston Votes to turn off red light cameras

[Nate-ForLiberty]

HOUSTON -- Houston voters have given a "red light" to the city's 70 red-light cameras.

With almost all of the city's precincts reporting, 52 percent voted to turn off the cameras being used document motorists who run red lights, with 48 percent voting to keep using them.
Houston Proposition No. 3 Red Light Cameras

Votes %
Against 157,302 52
For 142,661 48
Precincts Reporting - 662 of 885

The vote comes four years after the first cameras were activated in Houston and results from a battle waged by three brothers under the banner "Citizens Against Red Light Cameras."
Numerous studies have, however, found a drop in collisions at intersections with cameras, partly because signs warning people of the cameras make them drive more carefully.
However, Houston bail bondsman Michael Kubosh, who founded the anti-red light camera group, contends that the devices are a municipal shakedown of the city's motorists and have not been proved to be a life saver.

http://www.click2houston.com/politics/25616312/detail.html

http://www.click2houston.com/video/25615806/index.html

[Texan4Life]

Awesome.... so I guess houston wont use them anymore?

[tpreitzel]

one step at a time ... :)

[Anti Federalist]

Awesome!!

[RileyE104]

Yes!

[BuddyRey]

It looks like people are finally starting to get it.

[Nate-ForLiberty]

Houstonians rejected the city's red light camera program in a hard-fought ballot contest, delivering an immediate $10 million hit to an already dire budget situation at City Hall.

With almost all votes counted, a majority of voters put a decisive end to the use of the devices, which had been used to issue more than 800,000 tickets and collected $44 million in fines since 2006.

Proposition 1, a referendum asking voters to pay a drainage fee to support a 20-year, $8 billion spending program to shore up the city's infrastructure and alleviate flooding problems, passed by the narrowest of margins Tuesday. Proposition 2, which would have reduced the residency requirement for those seeking to hold city offices from one year to six months in the 2011 election cycle, was soundly rejected.


Continued...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7276380.html

[Noob]

the next step is to ban all CCTV security cameras in public places in the city, and ban them being place in public housing, residential areas and make sure they don't get into private homes.

[oyarde]

It looks like people are finally starting to get it.

Yes , but I would expect more than 52 % in Houston .

[Bern]

...
City Attorney David Feldman said drivers still have to pay their red-light camera tickets – at least until the legal department decides on its next move. The city still has a contract with ATS, the cameras’ manufacturer, and it’s not set to expire for another two and a half years.

The CEO from ATS was at the council meeting Wednesday. He told reporters that the Arizona-based company had not yet decided whether to sue the city.

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Houston_Votes_to_Turn_Off_Red_Light_Cameras_106618 093.html

[Pericles]

Yes , but I would expect more than 52 % in Houston .
Huge city in the USA = Democrat party

[oyarde]

Huge city in the USA = Democrat party

Probably right .

[QueenB4Liberty]

Haha yeah!!! I'm still surprised so many people voted to keep them on. Who are these people? Cops?

[Nate-ForLiberty]

Haha yeah!!! I'm still surprised so many people voted to keep them on. Who are these people? Cops?

cops, medical, firefighters, city employees etc

[AxisMundi]

http://www.click2houston.com/politics/25616312/detail.html

http://www.click2houston.com/video/25615806/index.html

Several studies prove otherwise in any safety benefits from red light cameras, that they in fact increase accidents, specifically rear end collisions as people slam on their brakes.

The companies who operate such systems for municipalities are also known, from what I understand, to shorten yellow light times to increase profits, and the cameras are known to "catch" peope who are merely making legal right-on-red turns.

Cudos to these citizens for breaking their Elected Employee's blindness to paid-for studies and savvy corperate salesmen with shiney objects.

[AxisMundi]

the next step is to ban all CCTV security cameras in public places in the city, and ban them being place in public housing, residential areas and make sure they don't get into private homes.

Agreed (except for the last part which smells of hysteric conspiracy)

They are horribly expensive in the long run and no deterent to crime.

Nothing beats the Beat Cop.

[LibertyEagle]

Woot!!!! :D

[Anti Federalist]

Originally Posted by Noob View Post
the next step is to ban all CCTV security cameras in public places in the city, and ban them being place in public housing, residential areas and make sure they don't get into private homes.

Agreed (except for the last part which smells of hysteric conspiracy)

What's that about hysterical conspiracy theories??? :mad:



Britain To Put CCTV Cameras Inside Private Homes

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/britain-to-put-cctv-cameras-inside-private-homes/

By Charlie Sorrel
August 3, 2009

As an ex-Brit, I’m well aware of the authorities’ love of surveillance and snooping, but even I, a pessimistic cynic, am amazed by the governments latest plan: to install Orwell’s telescreens in 20,000 homes.

£400 million ($668 million) will be spend on installing and monitoring CCTV cameras in the homes of private citizens. Why? To make sure the kids are doing their homework, going to bed early and eating their vegetables. The scheme has, astonishingly, already been running in 2,000 family homes. The government’s “children’s secretary” Ed Balls is behind the plan, which is aimed at problem, antisocial families. The idea is that, if a child has a more stable home life, he or she will be less likely to stray into crime and drugs

[Humanae Libertas]

I'm very surprised, Texas is usually very Neocon, pro-giving cops unlimited power.

[surf]

Washington C4L endorsed this one -
Seattle
Eyman's red light camera initiative passes in Mukilteo
Mukilteo voters were overwhelmingly passing a measure that would require a public vote for any red light or speed zone camera in the city. It also would limit fines to the least-expensive parking ticket.


Proposition 1 was passing with 70 percent of the vote Tuesday evening.

"I think the ripple effects on the vote on that will give a lot of fuel (to similar efforts)," Eyman told seattlepi.com.

Eyman, the initiative guru whose statewide measure requiring a two-thirds legislative vote for tax increases also passed Tuesday, had said he hoped the Mukilteo red light measure would spur other locales to push their own red light initiatives.

The City of Seattle has a contract for red light cameras with Scottsdale-based American Traffic Solutions that's worth more than $1 million annually.Seattle started a 12-month pilot project with red light cameras in July of 2006. Initially, six cameras were deployed at four intersections. In the first year alone there were 16,539 citations issued, with more than 70 percent of violators paying fines of $1.07 million.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/227021.asp

[Bern]

Apparently, the city is now trying to figure out how to void the contract so they aren't stuck with a buyout penalty:


Although voters abolished Houston's red light camera system Tuesday, the 70 cameras have the green light to keep recording traffic violations for months as the city weighs a legal strategy for exiting its contract with the firm operating the cameras, city officials say.

Anti-camera activists slammed the delay Wednesday, insisting on immediately terminating the five-year contract — whatever the cost - with ATS, the Arizona firm that manages Houston's system. The May 2009 contract has a termination clause that requires the city to provide the company with a 120-day notice of cancellation, a period when the cameras will still be in full operation and civil fines issued, according to the city attorney.


More: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7278330.html

[AxisMundi]

What's that about hysterical conspiracy theories??? :mad:



Britain To Put CCTV Cameras Inside Private Homes

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/britain-to-put-cctv-cameras-inside-private-homes/

By Charlie Sorrel
August 3, 2009

As an ex-Brit, I’m well aware of the authorities’ love of surveillance and snooping, but even I, a pessimistic cynic, am amazed by the governments latest plan: to install Orwell’s telescreens in 20,000 homes.

£400 million ($668 million) will be spend on installing and monitoring CCTV cameras in the homes of private citizens. Why? To make sure the kids are doing their homework, going to bed early and eating their vegetables. The scheme has, astonishingly, already been running in 2,000 family homes. The government’s “children’s secretary” Ed Balls is behind the plan, which is aimed at problem, antisocial families. The idea is that, if a child has a more stable home life, he or she will be less likely to stray into crime and drugs

Would you happen to have something more concrete than an OpEd piece from wired.com, and/or something at least related to the United States?

Or at least an article that provides links to reliable sources, instead of other OpEd sites that link BACK to the same article?

I recall other articles by Charlie Sorrel posted on forums, and all are of little credibility, rely on other OpEd sites and questionable sources, and many of those sources also link back to the same article as well.

So yes, all I see is hysterical conspiracy theories so far.

[Romulus]

Yes , but I would expect more than 52 % in Houston .

I'm shocked it was only 52%. Who the hell likes red light cameras besides those who profit?

[surf]

in Washington there were a few write-ups from the C4L regarding the following
ATS secures investment from Goldman SachsPhoenix Business Journal - by Patrick O'Grady Phoenix Business Journal

Dave D’Amato, design and engineering manager for American Traffic Solutions Inc., works on a device that will take pictures of speeders. View Larger American Traffic Solutions Inc. is getting an investment boost from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to help it meet increasing demand for its red-light and speed cameras.

...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2532613/posts



these were the cameras voted out in Houston and Mukilteo

[garyallen59]

so how can we go about getting this on the ballot in our own cities that use red light cameras

[Madly_Sane]

Wish this would happen in more places than just Houston. :( ... like possibly NC?

[georgiaboy]

me 3!