Officials Are Giving Big Brother the Green Light
by Robert Russo
There are rules of the road that don’t appear on any DMV forms or legal memos. One is that everyone who gets behind the wheel is at risk, complete safety is an illusion. Another is that everyone commits some kind of traffic infringement, and if a light turns red while I’m driving under it I’m relieved that either no one saw it, or no one considers it a big deal. I don’t stop to think I might get a call at home that evening from someone who took a photo of me running a red light.
But the rules of the road are changing. Instead of helping motorists avoid trouble, traffic signals will be looking for it. More signs of support for red light cameras are appearing all over the state, both official and unofficial, as this measure allotted to local communities last month is inevitable to begin in the capital city. Public surveillance of streets began in countries like Britain, the once-seat of imperialism, where overpopulation and a decline of the objecting spirit have led to a muted prescribed lifestyle. With NYC, Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia among the major cities that have already adopted this ordnance, it will not be long before the entire country follows suit.
When the first signs of approval from the House came through on February 5 the Washington Post described it as "a victory for safety advocates".* I find it amazing that a small number of good-intentioned, perhaps naive citizens believe this was their doing, when in fact it is a victory for revenue. City planners caring only for the boom of their own burg plot growth endlessly as they just did in Hanover (a county of great natural beauty which will now be parceled out to prepare for the next 20 years)**, then just as innocently the State passes not a decree, but a matter of principle that communities can decide for themselves how to make the increased bustling safer. Once a local board has this consent who wouldn’t use it? All they care about is safety and revenue. No one wants to stand out by objecting.
The intersection on my block is notorious for high-impact wrecks, many of them undoubtedly caused by the running of red lights, however these would be significantly decreased if there was a simple turn light installed. The daily congestion on Rt. 10 as it approaches I-95 in Chester could be relieved both ways by just removing the stop lights at Old Stage Rd. There must be innumerable solutions in every precinct through simple planning measures and diligence, beginning with the need for smarter lights themselves (not those that stay green for 5 minutes when there are no incoming cars). Cameras are easier than diligence and more profitable than accountability.
Whenever rules are enforced by the collection of funds it is inevitable that that revenue will become the bulk of planned income. The amount Richmond could glean from this is astronomical. Traffic violations are dependable enough to be a guarantee of it. Almost no one would be exempt, sparking a boom of traffic cases and jobs for police, clerks and judges. Traffic court will become a community center for all debtors to get in line, or the process will be streamlined so we can all pay without trial. If safety were the only concern, speed violations could be solved by giving each automobile a unique code and after a set number of infractions a cop could pop the hood and adjust the governor on the engine with his key.
Growth and overpopulation feeds the spread of imperialism by setting a stage to cut corners on our rights. Planners in every profession think they are so smart by making their jobs easier, thinking the world will be better if there is more of one product or service (i.e. city franchises), and treating the life that connects all of these things as something we’ve put aside just as they have. It’s hard to tell a cop or city official why the law shouldn’t be absolute. All we can do is choose new leadership. By the time the Bush administration is over what good would a moderate "Third Way" democrat like the Clintons do? The 1984 olympic commercial used to mock Hillary last week was made at a time when people still cared to avoid 1984!*** The development of Hanover County defies massive public objections. Gov. Kaine’s campaign to ban all smoking in restaurants defies massive public objections.**** Our representatives are making these decisions without us. These issues are not related as far as they are concerned, along with affected citizens and even opponents. We Libertarians are the true third way. For information on how to prepare for red light camera issues go to http://www.motorists.org/issues/enforce/index.html.
* http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/05/AR2007020501391.html
**http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173350470397
***http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3G-lMZxjo
****http://www.smokefreevanow.org/
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