Karen Fann and Stan Barnes Capitol Circus Act – Insult Arizona Activists

From January 2009 through June of 2010, approximately 1,700 volunteers of Arizona motorists and concerned citizens launched an effort called “Arizona Citizens Against Photo Radar” to push back on the unconstitutional and dangerous freeway photo radar system installed by Janet Napolitano after being approved in the budget proposal by Arizona Legislature.

Arizona Citizens Against Photo Radar or ACAPR collected north of 130,000 signatures using a measly sum of just over $4,000 in donation which mostly came from individuals in the group itself. These facts are indisputable and corroborated by the AZ Secretary of State Office, who even did an audit of the donations. Why? Because they didn’t realize how badly Arizona government screwed up by allowing for a network of Redflex spy cameras to be installed on AZ interstates and highways. The blowback was somehow unanticipated.

They just couldn’t believe that citizens could really put that much energy into fighting them with nothing in return other than the satisfaction of working hard to preserve their rights.

They were wrong. The effort was overwhelming, though it didn’t qualify for the state’s tough standards to be placed on the ballot automatically. Jan Brewer caved in and canceled the state’s contract with Redflex, but refused to put the citizens initiative on the 2010 vote, when she had the power to easily do it.

The cameras on the freeway came down and since then, members of the CameraFRAUD group have been demanding legislature do their job and ban the rest of Redflex and American Traffic Solutions’ automated ticketing machines.

Yesterday, Representative Karen Fann [contact], chair of the Transportation Committee and Stan Barnes [contact], American Traffic Solutions whore vampire lobbyist teamed up to not only make a mockery of the committee process, but also to insult the intelligence of their fellow Arizonans and dance all over the remains of the shredding of our state constitution.

After hearing from just two members of this group, pro-camera lobbyists were paraded up one by one, each more delusional than the next, thanks to Fann’s appetite for statist grand-standing.

Then came Stan Barnes, the highest paid lobbyist in the state of Arizona who shills for ATS. He began by mocking the effort to get rid of his company’s cameras and then repeated lie after lie. Lies so ridiculous that audible laughing could be heard from the chamber.

Barnes: “A well funded, out of state group launched a citizens initiative against the cameras that failed to make the ballot”

Chamber: *Laughter*

Barnes calling $4,000 in just over 18 months “well funded” and ACAPR “out of state,” is an absolute joke and an insult to the hard work of this group which is still paying dividends for defenders of citizens’ rights.

Barnes designer jeans began to visibly shake as nervousness set in after that little liar’s rant.

However Barnes was just “doing his job,” as depressing as that is for hard working Arizonans. And his salary, in terms of our $4,000, makes him the equivalent of Goldman Sachs, Chase Bank, B of A or any other corporate welfare recipient/bailout baron in the state of Arizona. Barnes is well paid for his acting.

So well paid, in fact, that he has plenty of cash every cycle to donate the max amount to Rep Karen Fann’s campaign, records show. So Fann allowed for seemingly endless debate on a 1/3 of a page bill (HB 2579) “Photo Radar Prohibition” and throughout the proceedings, informed the other 5 members of the committee just how to kill it.

The most blatant act was visibly talking Rep Sonny Borrelli out of voting for HB 2579, after he said during debates that he would vote to send it to the House floor (yes vote).

Fann was counting votes and saw that hers would be the decider, so she leaned over to Borrelli (the committee vice-chair) and told him he had to switch to a NO. Borrelli caved to her demand voted no on HB 2579 then saying, in an effort to clear his conscience “My mother is retired LAPD and will kill me for this vote. She saw how rear end collisions went up with the cameras and hates them too.” Borrelli placed his no vote, giving Fann the cover she needed.

And they really expect the voters in their districts not to see through all this.

Every member of the committee who voted no told their districts during their testimony that their job was NOT TO REPRESENT THEM, but to leave that up to someone else back home. They must be confused about why they go to the state capitol each session.

Fann clearly doesn’t understand her role as chair and allowed Stan Barnes, The Redflex contingency and her vice chair to turn the Arizona House of Representative Transportation Committee into a circus act, complete with the elephant dung smell.

Arizonans aren’t buying it and this bill is likely to find its way to the House floor for a vote despite Fann and Barnes best efforts.

Reminder: HB 2579 Goes to Committee Tomorrow

This is just a friendly reminder to all you enthusiasts of safe roads, rule of law and equal protection of said laws in Arizona.

The bill to ban the dangerous red light and photo radar cameras still littering the streets and intersections of multiple cities in Arizona gets its first vote of 2013 on Thursday.

Legislature foisted this system upon the motorists of our state and now it’s time for them to end it.

An excellent example of what your legislators want to hear was sent to us yesterday [link].

The Transportation Committee in the AZ House will debate and vote on HB 2579 tomorrow

You can copy/paste their emails from the list below. Your fellow Arizona motorists thank you!

kfann@azleg.gov, rgray@azleg.gov, vsteele@azleg.gov, bbarton@azleg.gov, sborrelli@azleg.gov, jescamilla@azleg.gov

Redflex and American Traffic Solutions Dirty Scheme for “Clean” Elections

There has been a lot of whining down at the state capitol in the last two weeks as anti-photo radar/red light camera activists have applied serious pressure on legislators to cosponsor and support HB 2579.

They’ve used every excuse in the book and here are some highlights:

“I don’t cosponsor any bills, that’s just my policy.”

“It doesn’t matter if a bill has cosponsors and you should leave it up to the bill sponsor to contact them.”

“If I cosponsor this bill, another legislator who doesn’t like me might kill the bill to even the score.”

“I really wanted to cosponsor, but I just couldn’t find the time to go over and sign my name on it before it was filed.”

“You’ve missed some (arbitrary or made up) deadline and I’m no longer allowed to sign on.”

“All the phone calls and emails are a turn off and you should really back off before you upset your reps and they vote against your bill.”

These are what we call excuses and poor ones at that.

The real deal is that your legislature is mostly bought and paid for by photo ticket money that funds their campaigns.

From WarOnDriving.com

The Redflex scandal in Chicago isn’t going away, any time soon. Politicians who may or may not be in bed with the camera vendor in other cities and states may claim that Chicago’s corruption doesn’t apply elsewhere.

Anyone using this excuse is either lying, ignorant or both.

Let’s take the entire state of Arizona as an example. More than 10 municipalities, such as Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Tucson, Chandler, Prescott Valley, Surprise, etc still use a combination of speed or red light cameras. Despite the fact that photo tickets sent by mail are not legally binding in Arizona, millions of dollars in fines are still collected.

10% of that money goes into a fund ironically called “clean elections,” which provides public funding to political campaigns, like members of the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives. These folks, not coincidentally, are responsible for allowing photo radar and red light cameras to litter the roads and scam Arizona motorists.

What’s also NOT a coincidence is that 80% of candidates for Arizona Legislature use “clean” election money to fund their campaigns. If you connect the dots, that means that Redflex and American Traffic Solutions fund their operation and basically own them. If a bill (currently HB 2579) to ban them passes, most of that clean election money will instantly vanish. The political gravy train would stop dead in its tracks and there would be quite a few state senators and reps scrambling to find a way to fund re-election in 2014.

Those are the hard facts and they’re undeniable. Chicago-style corruption with backdoor payola is still likely to be going on, but the scheme in Arizona is right there in plain sight.

[CONTINUE STORY]

HB 2579 Goes to Arizona House of Reps Transportation Committee on 2/21

From the CameraFRAUD meetup group:

Sunday, February 17, 2013 to Thursday, February 21, 2013, 7:00 AM

There’s no way to tell which order the chairman (Karen Fann) will schedule it, but the info is available here – [link]

This bill would make using ANY unmanned devices to issue traffic citations and fines illegal in the state of Arizona. That would mean all of Redflex and ATS’s scameras would come down and be shipped out to another state that still puts up with this unconstitutional racketeering.The best way you as an individual can help would be to swing by the House of Reps building at 1700 W Washington in Phoenix, sign into their system and register as a supporter of this bill. We understand that many of you couldn’t fit that into your schedules, so there’s another option…

The next best thing you could do is send a friendly email to every member of the transportation committee before Thursday and let them know why you personally want these cameras off your streets and traffic lights. They want to hear from you!

Spread the word far and wide that a bill to ban the scameras is once again making its way through Arizona Legislature. We’ve lost by just one vote the last two years, so any help we get could push us over the top this year!

Copy/paste the list below or email each individually:

kfann@azleg.gov, rgray@azleg.gov, vsteele@azleg.gov, bbarton@azleg.gov, sborrelli@azleg.gov, jescamilla@azleg.gov

The Photo Radar Prohibition Bill (HB 2579) will be voted on in the Arizona House of Reps Transportation Committee on Thursday February 21st.

The Axis of Fraud is Trying to Buy a Congressman in AZ

They already own countless city council members, mayors and state legislators so it only makes sense that the scamera lobby would want to move on up and buy themselves a brand new Congressman as well.

Given Ben Quayle’s penchant for posting photos all over the web for Nik Richie’s Dirty Scottsdale under an assumed identity, photo fraud vendors Redflex and American Traffic Solutions (ATS) were a perfect fit for campaign financiers to the little internet prankster turned Congressman.

George, “The Hitman” Hittner, executive general counsel of the mafia-like corporate leech, ATS (owned by Goldman Sachs), has thrown his support behind Quayle. Redflex’s Jay Heiler has been Quayle’s spokesman since his 2010 Congressional campaign.

Arizona should really be proud to be represented by such a creepy guy, who once faked having a family, just to seem somewhat normal compared to his internet persona, “Brock Landers.” Brock (also the name of a character from the almost-porn flick Boogie Nights) spent day and night posting pictures of women at Scottsdale night clubs in various stages of intoxication and undress.

Don’t let Brock, err Ben fool you, those days of what some conservatives in Arizona call “internet porn” really prepared him to be a “responsible adult” and cosponsor the SOPA bill which would shut down any website at the drop of a hat if the almighty DOJ didn’t fancy its content. One wonders if Ben’s old buddy Nik would get a pass even though he outed him 2 years ago. At least Nik was kind enough to wait until most of the early ballots had been returned so it wouldn’t cost Brock Ben the election.

Quayle, Hittner and Heiler – what a team!

“Ban the Scameras” is Back! Let’s Get Moving on this Arizona

Arizona Senators are almost begging to hear from you on this matter. They’re ready to pass this bill, so let’s make sure they know how excited we are that they’re ready to listen and act.

SCR-1029 would put an all-out photo ticketing ban on the ballot in November of this year. Contact your AZ Senators today [list].

Source: WarOnDriving

Arizona Gets Another Chance to Ban the Cameras

The Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee met yesterday and the main item discussed was SCR 1029, which would give the citizens of Arizona that elusive vote they’ve been screaming from the rooftops for years to get.

The Committee passed the measure by a 4-1 vote and sent it to the Senate floor, where it should be voted on. Although, that’s not a done deal.By 2008, the majority of AZ motorists had grown tired of being treated like lab rats, by then Spy-in-Chief (and Governor) Janet “Big Sis” Napolitano and her Redflex-sponsored peep show aka the freeway speed cameras.

After setting up this unprecedented violation of every sacred right that motorists have been guaranteed by the US and Arizona Constitutions, turning the freeway system into a cluster… disaster area, she blew out of town to become head of DHS, where she now is able to scan and grope just about anyone passing through an airport without any reasonable suspicion.

It’s clear that motorists and travelers don’t enjoy having their liberties violated for the profit of private and sometimes foreign (Redflex) contractors while complicit government agencies make up stories about safety being their concern.

It doesn’t take a traffic engineer to figure out that adding more distractions in the form of flashing camera boxes and tinkering with signal timing to make sure “violations” remain in the profitable range, actually makes intersections more dangerous.

But, just in case one needed the latest result of independent, university study, here’s USF blasting camera systems to bits as the dangerous boondoggle they are. [link]

Getting back to the situation unfolding in AZ, this is no done deal. In 2011, the same SCR (Senate Resolution) passed with a 20-10 vote and then was sat on by the rapidly expanding posterior of then Speaker of the House, Kirk Adams (RINO) who is now running for U.S. Congress.

The resolution died an unceremonious death, but with Adams out of the way, there is new hope for Arizona.

Taking it one step at a time, however, SCR 1029 need to have that floor vote, which is a great bet to pass. Then House members like Michelle Ugenti (R), who is very much in favor of the citizens vote to ban camera systems will be heavily urged to push this measure to a house floor vote as well.

That’s an oversimplification of the legislative process to be sure, but the conclusion for today is that SCR 1029 is off to a good start.

Arizonans, let’s make sure that floor vote happens in the Senate at rapid-fire pace.

Below is a document with contact info that can also be found at the AZ Senate website.

[Contact Arizona Senators]

Let those elected officials know just how excited AZ is to kick Redflex and ATS off your streets and intersections for good!

Top 10 Scamera Stories of 2011

In our estimation, these were the ten biggest stories related to photo radar and red light cameras from around the U.S. in 2011

We hope you enjoy this look back at activism and politicians meeting head-to-head throughout the past year.

#10 - Texas legislature eliminates penalties for driving without a license plate

#9 –  Michael “Big Brother” Bloomberg calls for a “camera on every street corner

#8 - Mayor, Police Chief Take Down Colorado Springs Red Light Cameras

#7 - Redflex’s Gamble Backfires, Sale to Macquarie/Carlyle Canceled, Stock Plunges

#6 - Peoria Red Light Cams Finally Come Down After 3 Yrs of Increased Accidents

#5 - Redflex Kicked Out of Tempe Arizona Over Cash Grab Lawsuit

#4 - 15 Simultaneous Red Light Camera Protests in Florida

#3 - Voters Kick Red Light Cameras Out of 7 Cities in 3 States on Election Day

#2 - Houston City Council Votes 11-1 to Ban Red Light Cameras

#1 - Activists Convice LAPD Comission and LA City Council to Take Cameras Down

Syracuse Says No to Redflex, ATS

Courtesy of WarOnDriving.com:

Syracuse Scraps Plan for 50 Red Light Cameras

More and more cities are now using caution before wantonly installing red light cameras, which have proven over decades to have no safety benefit.

Sure, all the money from Redflex and American Traffic Solutions (ATS) lobbyists is still appealing, but they tend not to donate to those who’ve lost their jobs after thwarting public will.

Syracuse, NY is the latest to take a wise step back and examine the situation before dotting their public roads with Big Brother.

The city had been listening to bid from multiple vendors, which included both Redflex and ATS.

Mayor of Syracuse Stephanie Minor’s chief of staff Bill Ryan was quoted as saying, “As other cities are running away from this, why would we run into it?”

Halloween Party Crasher at American Traffic Solutions

A CameraFRAUD member, who also identified himself as the Post-it Note Bandit sent in a picture from his latest stunt. He’s in the Guy Fawkes costume on the left.

For a company that prides themselves on safety and security, ATS seems to really have an issue practicing what they preach.

You may remember when they left their old building with the doors wide open and sensitive info available for anyone to see!

Our Halloween infiltrator says that the ATS Brass are “real loudmouths when they’re drunk” and has a compromising cell phone video of a Herman Cain type incident between an executive and a low level employee wearing a revealing costume. To be released soon?

Happy Halloween ATS! We’ll be watching you…

TRICK OR TREAT!

click to enlarge

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Editor’s Note:

On November 5th, 2011, an event called “Bank Transfer Day” which has been promoted by both Occupy Wall Street and Anonymous who both have used the Fawkes Mask as a symbol of their distaste for tyrannical government and corporatism. The idea is to take money out of bailout recipient banks and move them to community banks and credit unions.

American Traffic Systems is owned by Goldman Sachs, which was one of, if not the largest benefactor of bailout money. They aren’t just in bed with the banksters, they ARE the banksters.

Colorado Springs Rediscovers the 4th Amendment

American Traffic Solutions (ATS) will have to pack up and leave yet another city by the end of 2011. This time it’s Colorado Springs, which is about 70 miles away from another ATS surveilled city, Denver, who is stuck with their cameras into 2012.

ATS, Redflex and their front men always parrot talking points about red light cameras “freeing” up police to go catch criminals. Never mind that most dangerous criminals are caught during routine traffic stops.

[read more]