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Cops Outsmarting Greedy Lawmakers

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Flying Headbutt, Mar 8, 2008.

  1. Flying Headbutt

    Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030703484_2.html?hpid=topnews


    Basic gist is that one county's cops refuse to pay for tickets issued because of speeding cameras. These cameras issue fines for speeding, but no points, since it can't be proven who was behind the wheel at the time of the offense. Thus, the law says the owner of the car gets the ticket and it's up to them to sort it out. Thus, the union representing police officers say if the county owns the cars, the county is on the hook. One of the cameras mentioned in the story is put, conveniently, at the bottom of a hill on a six-lane road.

    Some could and will argue quite fairly that cops are just trying to claim immunity from traffic laws, since they're always seen speeding and avoiding traffic lights by flashing their lights and then turning them right back off again. But since I think these speeding cameras are just revenue generators with less emphasis on safety and more about stealing my money easy and should be declared illegal and unconstitutional, I'm all for it.
     
  2. Sleeper

    Sleeper Member

    Douchebags.

    I hate traffic cameras, but I have zero sympathy for these cops, who are behaving like a bunch of whiny teenagers. The union should stop sheltering these guys and make them pay the damn fines.
     
  3. Flying Headbutt

    Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

    The law says the fines are applied to the owner of the vehicles. The county owns the vehicle.
     
  4. Sleeper

    Sleeper Member

    So what? If I worked for DHL and I got photographed speeding or running a red light, who do you think is going to end up paying that ticket? Or losing their jobs?

    These policemen are breaking the law and hiding behind their union to avoid paying a fine. It's pretty disgusting to me that the people charged with enforcing the law are brazenly ignoring it and then hiding from the consequences.

    From the article:

    There's an example of county employees "doing the right thing."
     
  5. Flying Headbutt

    Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

    Well now I'll admit my biases against the county. It's got the highest taxes, most busy-bodied government in the state. They're simply after more money to fund basic nonsense. And I firmly believe the cameras are unconstitutional. They've had them in DC for years now, and now that people know where they are, the revenue they generate continues to decline. Thus, taxes or something else must go up instead. The same thing will happen in this county. It's unconstitutional and it's a cheap and lazy way to stiff people.
     
  6. Sleeper

    Sleeper Member

    I despise the cameras as well and feel you pain when it comes to local government. I'm on the other side of the river and it's the same nonsense here. Nothing makes the blood boil like seeing local pols complain about "budget crunches" for counties and cities that have had almost a nonstop economic boom over the last 10-20 years.
     
  7. Pancamo

    Pancamo Active Member

    One of the richest counties in the country, with unreal property taxes and still running a $200 million deficit. This is a revenue grab, pure and simple.
     
  8. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    And they've got a sickening superiority complex over there.

    Let's see them catch a little heat for a change.
     
  9. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    Speeding and running red lights are only dangerous if you are a civilian.
     
  10. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    Texas doesn't allow speeding cameras, but it allows cities to set up red-light cameras and mail you a ticket.

    Guess what? It's not even a criminal offense; it's a civil offense. You can't take it to traffic court because there's no court to take it to.

    You don't even have to pay the fine — there's no court jurisdiction and thus no legal repercussions for not paying. The worst the city can do is report it to the credit bureau.

    It's just a cheap way for Texas cities to fill their coffers with money from unsuspecting drivers who aren't hip with the law.
     
  11. MacDaddy

    MacDaddy Active Member

    And they tout it as a safety measure, when in reality intersections with traffic cameras show an increase in rear-end collisions. Purely a money grab.
     
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