City Slips, Truth Leaks Out

Oops. It seems that a couple cities in North Carolina have let the truth slip out regarding the so-called "red light cameras." A recent court decision pointed out that cities and towns across the state were breaking the clear dictates of the State Constitution, and they were directed to stop doing so. At issue were the various millions of dollars collected in fines across the state.

Various cities and counties were using the fines collected for, well, whatever they wanted to use them for -- from neighborhood grants to paying operating costs of government. However, the courts recently ruled that "clear proceeds" of fines collected are required to go to the school system, as the Constitution dictates. With the red light cameras, the vast majority of money was going to the operating agencies.

Once the cities have been told that they must follow the Constitution, the cities have very quickly suspended all use of the red light cameras. You see, in many cases, the operators of the cameras and the city were making large profits from the fines. If the city is forced to follow the Constitution, the city will not make a cash profit -- it will instead actually cost the city money to operate these cameras.

As soon as the cities realize these were not a revenue-generator, they all stopped operating the cameras. In other words, as I have been telling people from the first time these were proposed -- the city is ONLY operating these red light cameras to make money. They have absolutely nothing to do with safety and the recent actions of Charlotte, High Point, and Greensboro clearly show that fact.

Posted by: Ogre at 05:03 AM

Comments

1 And your average citizen out there has no idea. But it sure looks clear to me, it was only for the mula.

Posted by: Jay at July 25, 2005 07:24 AM (2FcUc)

2 Actually Jay, I got out of one of those tickets by sending a 20 page affidavit to the district attorney's office, declaring the ticket uncostitutional, and I got away with it; however, it did take a lot of research to get away with it.

Great Post Ogre!

Posted by: Michael Churchill at July 25, 2005 07:33 AM (eqaaP)

3 I got out of one of those tickets, too -- I simply refused to pay. I requested a hearing -- however, they will only give you a hearing AFTER you pay the fine and admit guilt. I refused.

Posted by: Ogre at July 25, 2005 07:43 AM (/k+l4)

4 Minneapolis just started with the red-light cameras now too. I don't think we have a similar clause in our state constitution though.

I will just stay out of Minneapolis as much as possible.

Posted by: Echo Zoe at July 25, 2005 10:13 AM (K+h36)

5 You can do what I did when they first started this crap -- just take your license plate off. I put it in my back window where the camera won't see it -- and it helps the window is tinted.

Posted by: Ogre at July 25, 2005 10:19 AM (/k+l4)

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