Do it for the children

So says Rahm Emanuel. According to Rahm (aka the "Godfather," whose motto is to never let a crisis go to waste), revenue cameras are all about the children and are part of an overall strategy to protect the children. He wants us to believe that it's not about the revenue. Ok, so why aren't you using that money to, well, actually do something for the children. Nope. Gotta burn that money on some other big government scheme!

Who will protect our children from a government run amok? Who will protect our children from someone who would trash the Constitutional right to confront an accuser? If you want to do something to protect the children, how about giving them a country that values freedom and Constitutional rights.

We're watching you anyway, SO GET OVER IT!!

That's the fair implication of The People's Republic of Farragut's photo enforcement enforcement manager's words to the "TEA Party" members at a meeting regarding the Republic's red-light camera system. According to Ben Harkins, the photo enforcement manager, "Love or hate red-light cameras, surveillance has been with us for many, many years."

Not surprisingly, he also thinks Tennessee's new law that prohibits traffic cameras for citing right turns on red is "misguided." Considering how the vast majority of these red light tickets are for "rolling" rights on red (that cause nearly no accidents anyway), I suppose Mr. Harkins sees the writing on the wall and realizes that his job could be in jeopardy. Well, BOO HOO.

Maybe he should have been a little more direct: "Dear subject, the government is watching you. We want to know your every move. We want to know where you go and who you associate with. It's in your best interest. Trust us. Nothing bad can come from this. We will take care of you. If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. This is for your protection. We know what's best. Bwaahaaahaaahaaa."

Mindless Culprits

After a speed camera in the U.K. was set on fire for the second time in a few weeks, a spokesperson for the Safer Roads Partnership "blasted the 'mindless culprits', claiming the damage put motorists and pedestrians at risk." She then goes on to lament that the "irresponsible perpetrators should realise the cameras are put in place to protect road users."

Meanwhile, John Danneskjold, spokesman for Americans Who Love Liberty*, blasted politicans who install speed cameras and red light cameras as "mindless culprits" who would rather defecate on the Constitution than actually read it. He stated that "their appetite for revenue and the corresponding ability to use that revenue to buy votes and thereby cement their political power is a sad statement on American politics and culture. We have allowed ourselves to be ruled by a political class that is more concerned with cementing its own power over the populace than with liberty and the freedoms entrusted to us by our founding fathers. It's time for that to change."

*No, Americans Who Love Liberty does not exist as a formal organization....but perhaps it should.

Johnson City Red Light Cameras

It looks like Johnson City has made sure that there is no way to get through town without dealing with these cameras. Accordingly, I will just avoid businesses in Johnson City as much as possible. Elizabethton has a growing selection of restaurants and shopping, as does Bristol, TN. I can order online and avoid the whole mess. Are you listening, Johnson City business owners?

Here are the interections that have or will have these encroachments on liberty:
North Roan Street / Mountcastle Drive
North Roan Street / Browns Mill Road
North Roan Street / Springbrook Drive
State of Franklin Road / West Walnut Street
State of Franklin Road / West Market Street
State of Franklin Road / Browns Mill Road

Yes, I will boycott

I will boycott any restaurant in Tennessee that voluntarily posts signs that prohibit the carrying of a handgun. The restaurant owners are worried that they now have to take a stand and can no longer depend on the government to do their bidding for them. SayUncle has started a list and I will post anyone in the Tri-Cities that I become aware of. Bring them to the comments when you see them.

To me, it is a deeply personal matter. It is not about retailiation or intimidation as the left-wing loonies contend. I simply refuse to knowingly support anyone who disfavors freedom or that otherwise supports the left-wing agenda. I try to be as consistent as possible in this. I don't subscribe to the Johnson City dePressed because of their liberal agenda. I have never purchased anything from Ben & Jerry's because of the causes they support. The list could go on, but with handguns, it is even more personal. I don't go to any business that posts a prohibition on handguns. No one else will defend me if I need defending. I must be able to defend myself and my family. I choose to patronize the businesses that allow me that opportunity to the expense of those who do not.

It's not about safety!

Now some want to use the red light cameras to send tickets to those who do not have insurance. I thought the cameras were supposed to be about safety.

The Stimulation of the State

Mark Steyn has it spot on - the only thing being stimulated is the state.

At some point, the dwindling band of citizens still foolish enough to earn a living by making things, selling things or providing services other than government-funded program coordination will have to vote against not just taxes but specific agencies and programs – hundreds and thousands of them.

John Allison Has It Figured Out

John Allison, the Chairman of BB&T appeared on Bill Bennett's radio program this morning. It was an outstanding interview in an otherwise generally dry show. He explains the financial crisis and what can be done about it, including privatizing the financial system. The financial industry is the most heavily regulated industry and yet it fails. Could the problem be that the government is screwing things up? Here is a great video of John Allison going into greater detail. Hopefully, the Bennett show will post some excerpts.

Is Illinois Targeting Blacks With Speed Cameras?

The Illinois House has passed a bill approving speed cameras for the Martin Luther King, Jr. bridge in East St. Louis. Prior to making this post, I had no idea of the demographics of East St. Louis; however, my anecdotal experience suggests that bridges and roads named after Martin Luther King, Jr. are more typically found in areas with higher than average populations of blacks. It appears that my conclusion has some basis in reality, as the linked article notes that:

On average, black Georgians constitute approximately 47 percent of the population in a location with a street named for King. In more than 90 percent of places in the state with a Martin Luther King Jr. Street, the black community makes up at least 20 percent of the population. This pattern is consistent with that in other states and predictable given the role of black activists in initiating the street-naming process.

Could it be that Illinois is targeting a specific area of town in an effort to rip off certain segments of the population? According to Wikipedia (for whatever that is worth), the population of East St. Louis is over 97% black. This is an incredibly insidious use of these cameras, despite the politicians' claims that it is about "safety" on the bridge, if that is the case. The looter will always have a facially valid excuse for his games. "It's best for everyone," he will say.

This is just another reason why these cameras should be outlawed. They give politicians power to attack groups they do not like by placing cameras in areas where they travel.

Small Poll Finds Support for Red Light Cameras

After surveying 800 people, a group called "Public Opinion Strategies" has determined there is vast support for red light cameras. First, I question this group and who funds them, but beyond that, I wouldn't be totally surprised if their results are somewhat accurate. After all, this nation is full of nanny-staters who think that more government is the solution to every problem. It is full of people who have a very limited understanding of the Constitution and have an even lesser understanding of the word "liberty." That's what you get when the government is in charge of education.

UPDATE: Public Opinion Strategies is known as a "Republican polling company." Their website notes: "We have extensive experience in polling both for AND against initiatives around the country, which provides us with an unmatched depth of understanding in translating polling data into winning campaign strategies." In other words, they know how to get the results their client seeks. So the question is, who is paying them to create this poll? Is it the camera companies or the municipalities who want to have another source of revenue? Someone else?

OK for Government to Track You Without a Warrant

So says a Wisconsin court. The ACLU is dead right on this one. There is no way that the police should be able to attach a tracking device to a car without a warrant. Can you say "police state" anyone?

Texas considering an end to red light cameras

House members gave the bill preliminary approval Friday after including amendments by Rep. Gary Elkins, R-Houston, to give the Texas Department of Transportation authority over red light cameras in the state.

“As soon as these contracts are up, (cameras) would have to come down,” Elkins told the Star-Telegram. "We’re just saying as a matter of public policy going forward, this state doesn’t want them." (emphasis added)

Following the Constitution is good public policy. Our founding fathers would be shocked at some of the ordinances that allow these revenue cameras.

Speed Cameras Hurting Safety

Yet another article talks about how an overreliance on speed cameras is hurting road safety in the UK. It seems that drivers become distracted by worrying about the cameras and forget about watching out for important things (like cars, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.) Coming soon to a state near you!

Another Town Says No to Red Light Cameras

Shreveport, LA. One of the councilmen even cited the word "freedom"

Red Light Cameras Violate Civil Rights

That's what the Florida Civil Rights Association and the National Motorist Association say and I agree with them 100%. The true MORONS in this country are those who believe that "if you aren't running red lights you have nothing to fear." How is that any different from giving up your Fourth Amendment rights because "if you aren't guilty you have nothing to hide?" Simple - it isn't. For the record, I don't run red lights any more or less than anyone else. Everyone occasionally has a yellow turn to red as they are entering the intersection which is a technical violation despite the fact that it is not necessarily dangerous. Those technical violations make up the bulk of the red light tickets (along with rolling rights on red which rarely cause an accident).

A few reasons to oppose red light cameras

In a concise editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. points out several reasons why all Americans should oppose this infringement on our liberties. Money quote:

Britain has gone furthest in using cameras for comprehensive auto surveillance, and now says it's capable of monitoring every car trip in the U.K. and keeping a record for five years. Most traffic cameras are "on" all the time, and capable of being networked with plate- and even face-recognition software. In Britain, the data yielded will be incorporated in a database of all kinds of personal information and camera observations to enable "data mining" to let the government know who's doing what, when and where.

Buffalo News Columnist Favors Red-Light Cameras

I've never heard of Rod Watson until I read this article today. A couple of his points really set me off:

And to critics who call all of this a municipal money grab, so what?
Think of it as a stupidity tax—and a voluntary one, at that.

There is more than enough stupidity to go around here. Longer yellow lights will decrease accidents, but municipalities don't care about that. Why not? Let's not pretend this is about safety when this is really about money.

Of course reading the rest of Mr. Watson's article make me believe that he would prefer the nanny state to provide the magical illusion of protection for every aspect of his life. Then, you have the obligatory anti-gun reference:

Driving is one reason I don’t hunt. After watching what morons do with a lethal steering wheel in their hands, there’s no way I’m going to give them guns and then go out in the woods and walk around in the middle of them.

Page 31 of the liberal playbook is not too be missed. That is the page that commands that you must denigrate gun owners at every opportunity.

I'm glad I didn't pay for that newspaper. Talk about a "stupidity tax-and a voluntary one, at that."

Best News of the Day So Far

The Senate is reviewing how college football picks No. 1. That means that they are NOT doing something else to screw over the productive class, at least for a little while.