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The Voters Speak Out On Red Light Cameras – Updated

There’s a revolt brewing on the west coast.  Voters in the Anaheim, California and Mukilteo, Washington have approved referendums to stop the use of red light cameras.  This is great news!  Maybe we in Belmar need to do the same thing.

Amazingly, in Anaheim the measure was supported by their mayor, who’s name is Pringle!

From The Los Angeles Times:

Anaheim voters overwhelmingly back ban on red-light cameras

Voters in Anaheim on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a ban on red-light cameras in their city.

The vote comes amid growing debate about whether cities are using the cameras to generate revenues. Dozens of Southern California cities have installed the cameras in recent years, arguing they make intersections safer.

Measure K prohibits the Anaheim City Council “from enacting an ordinance which would permit or authorize any red-light camera or other automated traffic enforcement system,” according to the city’s analysis.There are no red-light cameras in Anaheim. Backers of the measure fear that such cameras would be used to generate extra revenue for the city and question whether they improve safety. Mayor Curt Pringle was among those backing Measure K.

Red-light violations accounted for nearly 40% of the 2,397 accidents at Anaheim intersections between 2007 and 2009. In all, there were 12,858 traffic accidents during that period.

According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters website, about 73% of voters approved Measure K.

— Shelby Grad

.

And from The Seattle Post Intelligencer:

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.

UPDATE: HOUSTON TOO!

From The Houston Chronicle:

Houston voters reject red-light cameras by wide margin

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 all votes counted, 53.2 percent of voters demanded 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.

“This is a victory for the people,” said Paul Kubosh, an attorney who defends red light runners and collected more than 20,000 signatures with his brothers to get the referendum on the ballot. “The voters said that they do not like cameras.”

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