Redflex Front Groups invade Texas; Port Lavaca city council spineless reaction

The largest jellyfish in the Gulf Coast reside in the city council of Port Lavaca

When you’re beaten in the court of public opinion, badly, there are only a couple routes for giant, blood-sucking multinational scamera corporations. All roads usually lead down the path of lawsuits and front groups funded by the money extracted from motorists by dangerous red light cameras.

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South Carolina, South Dakota Ban the Scameras

Arizona continues to fall behind other states with better leadership. It’s alarming to watch our politicians stand by while states who have much fewer cameras wise up and ban them.

In South Carolina, the governor signed a bill in to law that bans photo ticketing. TheNewspaper.com featured a story about it on Friday, June 19th:

“South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford last week signed a law banning the use of red light cameras and speed cameras in the state. The measure swept unanimously through the House, 106 to 0, on June 3 and in the Senate 38 to 0 on June 2. – – South Carolina’s law takes effect immediately.”

Not to be outdone by the other state with the word “South” in its name, South Dakota was the next to step up and ban the scameras. This time it was judicial action that did it, which could mean more financial losses for Redflex. Again, TheNewspaper.com with the report:

“A red light camera company faces being fined for running an illegal operation in the state of South Dakota. Last Tuesday, a circuit court judge ruled that Redflex Traffic Systems and the city of Sioux Falls violated state law and the US Constitution when they set up automated ticketing machines without approval from the state legislature. The question of whether Redflex is financially liable, and to what degree, will now be determined by a jury.”

Why is it so difficult for anyone with a position of power in the state of Arizona to step forward, admit this system is a complete scam and save the citizens from one more day of dealing with it? Sure, we’ve had folks in law enforcement step up and do the right thing, but they only have so much power.

Arizona truly is at a major deficit in leadership. When you go to the polls in November, first to vote for our citizens initiative to ban scameras, but also to select our next group of leaders, please choose wisely.

Anyone who didn’t do their part to ban photo radar in the state of Arizona, and mind you, there are very few who did, does not deserve to “serve the public” for another term.

Tucson Saturday 4/17: CameraFRAUD and Campaign For Liberty

For all those lovers of freedom and liberty out there in The Old Pueblo, Campaign For Liberty of Arizona is going to school you! They are offering the renouned “Activist Boot Camp” tomorrow for $25 at HomeTown Buffet on Oracle Road tomorrow, Saturday April 17th, starting at 9 am.

Also, CameraFRAUD volunteers will be present to collect  filled out signature sheets for the Ban Photo Radar In Arizona Initiative. Even if you don’t plan on attending the Boot Camp, you are welcome to stop by, drop of your sheets and pick up new ones. Thanks a million! Or should we say, thanks 300K…. that’s the goal!

Special Message from AZ Campaign For Liberty:

Guess what: the politicians see you coming.  They know how to deal with people like you.  They don’t want to give in to people like us.  They know how to confuse you, discourage you, make you waste your time, make you go away, and if all else fails, buy you off.

Effective political mobilization is not taught at major universities.  It is not taught at think tanks, it is not taught at mass demonstrations, and it is rarely even taught by grassroots organizations, who for the most part only expect their members to send letters to legislators and send them money.

It is not taught because the political class doesn’t want you to know about it.

Accident in Photo Radar Zone

After all the accidents we’ve seen right in front of the scameras, this was the first that we were able to get some clear pictures of. A CameraFRAUD volunteer spotted this accident scene on March 17th at about 4 p.m. on the 202 San Tan Freeway and was able to snap a few photos of it.

(click picture to enlarge)

Accident occurs in Photo Extortion Zone; debris on shoulder

Red coupe had rear ended another vehicle

Watching scene while pulled over

Another eyewitness reported that 15 minutes after these photos were snapped, the accident and its debris had been completely cleared away.

FOIA anyone?

Lip Service and Lobbyists

As promised, the action is starting to heat up. Over the weekend, The Arizona Republic(Gannett Co.), a famed pro camera publication, ran a story about newly appointed DPS Director Robert Halliday’s assessment that DPS patrolmen needed to be more visible on AZ roads. Channel 12, also owned by Gannett Co., aired an accompanying story that night.

The gist of both stories is that Halliday favored more “Cops Not Cameras,” which is a change in tune from the DPS during the term of Roger Vanderpool. That tag line should sound familiar if you’ve been paying attention to this blog since its inception in August of 2008.

Courtesy of The Arizona Republic, Nick Oza

A CameraFRAUD volunteer called DPS Director Halliday’s office on Monday to ask for a clarification on Halliday’s position regarding photo enforcement and a message was left with his assistant. It’s been 48 hours and the phone call was not returned, so we can only assume that Halliday is not willing to denounce photo radar or come out in favor of banning it.

***UPDATE*** DPS responded to CameraFRAUD and they are considering our offer to bring Director Halliday in for an interview. Stay tuned.

He and Governor Jan Brewer, who recently appointed him, seem to march to the same beat in that regard. If you remember, she mentioned on the record and on the air with Jay Lawrence’s KTAR Radio Show that she did not like the system. When given the chance to terminate the state contract with Redflex, she shrunk from her position, using the excuse that it would be too expensive due to penalties for ending the program early.

Halliday is now pushing for an increase of 280 DPS officers from the current level and Brewer is pushing for an 18% (one cent on every dollar) increase in the state sales tax. While their interests could go hand-in-hand, that connection has not been made yet. What’s clear is that neither is willing to do the right thing and admit that the state of Arizona was lied to by Redflex Traffic Systems about the safety record and the nature of the program during the term of former Governor Napolitano and end the dangerous practice of photo enforcement.

As if that weren’t enough to pontificate on, a story on TheNewspaper.com on Monday described our friend Jay Heiler’s latest game of media and public manipulation. Heiler has now contrived some type of road safety association by registering it through a lobbyist firm. The main goal of this group is clearly damage control after countless public relations disasters for the photo radar industry and namely his current company, Redflex.

A volunteer called the Arizona wing of APCO Worldwide, the lobbyist firm which registered the web address for for The Partnership For Advancing Road Safety (PARS), there was no answer and the voicemail belonged that that of one Jay Heiler. It’s not too difficult to connect the dots on that association, but what’s unclear, is what Heiler plans to do with PARS and if it will have a presence in Arizona.

The contract for the freeway camera system between Redflex and the state of Arizona expires on July 1st. Governor Brewer has indicated that she will not renew it. Signatures for the Ban Photo Radar in Arizona initiative are due at the same time and a public vote would happen in November.

Thanks to Those at the Chandler Ostrich Festival

Just before the gates opened

The Chandler Ostrich Festival came at just the right time and couldn’t have gone better. Fresh off of the Chandler City Council members ignoring the will of the people in their own city, CameraFRAUD volunteers were able to capitalize on popular anti-photo radar sentiment. Thousands of signatures were gathered and the aisle by our booth was usually backed up with people waiting to sign.

Special thanks goes out to Chandler Police for their support of our cause and willingness to sign the Ban Photo Radar petition in uniform!

The Chandler Ostrich Festival typically has about 150k attendees over the weekend and is put on by Universal Fairs. Thanks to Brian from that organization for all the help. It’s just a shame we won’t be back next year because….

The Cameras Are Coming Down in November 2010!

signatures, signatures, signatures!

Fox News Channel with Douglas Kennedy

The video is finally up and ready! Sorry about the delay.

Enjoy!

Monthly Meeting Tuesday

It’s not time to celebrate but we’ve had another great month and captured the spotlight again. This is the most critical time in our ballot initiative effort. We now have LESS THAN 120 DAYS to collect signatures for the BAN PHOTO RADAR IN AZ initiative.

The opposition is still waiting to take their best shot, if history is any indication.

Tactics Employed by Redflex/Go Media. Photo Courtesy of AZCentral.com

We’ve been on local news, we’ve been in the national press and now we’ve been on National Cable Television News.

There will be a couple exciting announcements that you don’t want to miss.

Tuesday, 7 p.m., you know the place, check the Meetup and RSVP.

CameraFRAUD on The Fox News Channel

Douglas Kennedy, reporter for Fox News National ran a story on Thursday about CameraFRAUD with several segments throughout the day.  The story also featured a short clip of Jay Heiler mentioning something about compliance. Heiler’s demeanor has changed quiet a bit since his debate appearance in November.

Video of the segments is available here: CameraFRAUD on Fox News

Excerpt from Douglas Kennedy’s blog post from FoxNews.com is below. Comments have been frozen from time to time, so they may not show up after you post them.

Douglas Kennedy, Reporter. Courtesy of FoxNews.com

Arizona: The Surveillance State

March 4, 2010 – 6:00 AM | by: Douglas Kennedy

For years Arizona has been known as the “sunset state,” but lately some residents simply call it the “surveillance state.”

“They track us everywhere we go,” says Phoenix resident Shawn Dow. “It’s unbelievable. I can’t go anywhere and not have a camera tracking me.”

Dow is now trying to change all that with a ballot initiative this November that would ban all ticket cameras in Arizona.

“I’m tired of being constantly watched,” he said. We’re all being tracked like cattle.”

In 2007, Arizona became the first state in the country to install ticket cameras state-wide, meaning there are cameras on most state highways; there are cameras at many intersections; and there are camera-vans videotaping on side streets.

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