Year In Review: Redflex, ATS Beaten Down in 2013

WarOnDriving.com

2014 is here!

Alas, another year has gone by where drivers in 33 states were having their wallets drained by flashing boxes in intersections and creepy vans parked along the side of the road.

2013 also marked the largest and most widespread scandals the industry has ever been exposed for and it only promises to get worse for Redflex, American Traffic Solutions (ATS), Affiliated Computer Services (ACS – Xerox) and others in the new year.

In light of that good news, we bring you:

TOP 10 TRENDING SCAMERA STORIES OF 2013

10. License Plate Scanners Being Used in Red Light Cameras to track every driver

Although this little nugget of info has been known for years, the ACLU uncovered the widespread use of license plate scanners which were set to data mine every driver passing by, regardless of any suspicion that they were violating the law. In a year where blanket surveillance came under major fire, this was more ammo for motorists’ rights advocates to heavily criticize the dubious nature of red light cameras. Read more – [link]

9. Judge in Ohio Orders Refunds, Camera Seizures

A Cincinnati area Judge really put the hammer down hard on red light cameras in a nearby village. He ruled Elmwood Place and Optotraffic in contempt of court for continuing to issue photo tickets for months after he initially ruled them illegal.

Refunds were also ruled by Judge Ruelman and the cameras were to be seized. [read more]

8. $4.2 Million in Camera Ticket Refunds for New Jersey Drivers

American Traffic Solutions (ATS) were caught up in yet another multimillion dollar lawsuit, this time in the Garden State, where drivers were awarded over $4 Million in refunds. Why? So glad you asked. It’s because they were issuing red light camera tickets in 18 municipalities where they were actually illegal. Minor detail, of course. Read more – [link]

7. Michigan Kills Red Light Cameras Before They Go Up

We are proud to say that this website actually sounded the alarm in Michigan when a camera shill of a legislator was trying to sneak through a Red Light Camera bill back in May. Michigan Campaign for Liberty’s Tony DeMott lead the rally cry to successfully defeat the cameras before a single one could be installed. Thanks Tony!

6.  Protestor Arrested in Florida

Wayne Schmidter, a man who has had to defend himself from violations of his free speech in the past, was handing out flyers at an intersection with Red Light Cameras in Apopka, FL. An overzealous police officer demanded to see both his permit to hand out flyers and his ID, neither of which are required under any law in that jurisdiction. Schmidter answered he did not have either, nor did he need them and was then arrested. Amazingly, the Judge who heard Schmidter’s previous civil rights suit was eating at an establishment near by and ran out to tell the officer he’d better back down! Read more – [link]

5. Multiple States Move to Ban Photo Ticketing

State Legislatures in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio all advanced bills in their 2013 sessions to make red light cameras and photo radar completely illegal. Citizen backlash against the unconstitutional camera systems has demanded legislators file these bills – in some cases under major duress! Expect these states as well as others to take the issue up again in 2014. After all, the Cameras Are Coming Down!

4. Redflex Faces Massive Financial Troubles

Fallout from the bribery scandal in Chicago (don’t worry, that one’s coming too) crushed any expectations of staying above water that Redflex may have had. Shortly after it was announced that they were losing their contract in Chicago, Redflex put out a press release that detailed their grim fortunes to come – [link]

Later on in the year, the camera vendor announced that their profit had dropped a whopping 50 percent! Look out below! [read more]

3. Missouri Court System Condemns Red Light Cameras

Missouri courts spend the last 4 months of 2013 absolutely obliterating the state’s red light camera scheme. In September, they deemed that it violated due process. In November, the 2nd highest Court in Missouri ruled that red light camera programs are unenforceable and thus void. Later that month, the MO Appeals Court agreed and upheld that ruling. And in December, the MO Appeals Court ruled that red light cameras are unconstitutional!

2014 should be the end of red light cameras in Missouri and the court system, not legislature, will be the ones to thank for that.

2. Florida Caught Up in Yellow Light Time Shortening Scandal

And they say Journalism is dead in this country. One News Affiliate in Tampa Florida proved that it’s still alive in 2013 when they blew the doors wide open on a $50 Million dollar yellow light shortening scheme being carried out by American Traffic Solutions and several municipalities. They estimate that $50M figure is what’s been stolen by ATS by lowering yellow light duration to illegal and very dangerously short durations.

Thanks to WTSP (Tampa) for doing this great public service and the fallout continues to be felt across the state [read more]

1. Chicago-Redflex Bribery Scandal

And now the Granddaddy of them all and the scandal which rocked the entire mafia of photo ticketing, the Chicago Bribery Scandal. To prop up their $80M per year photo ticketing racket, a few palms need to be greased, right? Chicago is no stranger to this form of corruption, but the city never seen a scandal with bribery that tallied as much money as Redflex was dishing out, under the table.

[read more] from Chicago Tribune’s David Kidwell

In true Chicago style, the contract with Redflex, which was announced to be dead and gone in 2013, by Mayor Emanuel, has been quietly extended to January of 2014. When the Redflex cameras are finally shut off, and they will be, that company will plunge into multimillion dollar deficits from which it will be nearly impossible to dig out of. 2013 brought more citizen, lawmaker and court backlash against red light cameras and photo radar than ever before. It will only continue to grow and crescendo in 2014!

Happy New Year and keep motoring!

Mary Rose Wilcox, Redflex Apologist Busted for Lying about Car Accident

Mary Rose Wilcox, of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, who is little more than a crook with a fancy title, was in her little red Corvette, riding through the ‘hood.  Things went sideways in a hurry when it looks like she burned up a turn, most likely to impress her ride-along activist pal and somehow the front end of her car was mashed up pretty badly.

More from WarOnDriving.com

Ahhh, the infamous “red light runner.” Apparently this is a careless person who exists only to attempt to cross intersections during a red cycle just for thrills. This mythical creature is always used as an excuse to necessitate ticket cameras being placed at every street corner. “A camera will stop these people!” – the politicians and lobbyists always say. (Of course we know accidents always go up when scameras are installed)

Sometimes this thrill seeker can even run red lights that don’t exist! How mysterious! Well, that’s according to Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and her accomplice, Lydia Guzman. In an article published today in The Phoenix New Times, a “red light runner” was accused of causing an accident that damaged Mary Rose’s taxpayer-funded red Corvette.

[Continue Reading at WarOnDriving.com]

Somehow a “red light runner” ran a nonexistent red light at this intersection and smashed into Mary Rose Wilcox’s red Corvette. How would that be possible Mary Rose?

 

The Cameras Are Coming Down in Mesa

News last week out of Mesa via WarOnDriving.com

Another Arizona city is taking down their unpopular automated ticketing camera system.

This time it’s the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, which has a population of more than 400,000 residents. American Traffic Solutions has been issuing scamera tickets in Mesa intersections and via mobile devices since 2006. Their driver-distracting cameras and illegally parked radar vans are no longer welcome in the city after the Public Safety Committee voted to not renew the contract.

In 2011, a similar LAPD panel in Los Angeles voted to kick American Traffic Solutions out of that city as well. The main reasons given by the panel were that accidents had increased and most people who were sent the wallet-busting $500 citations by ATS simply ignored them.

It’s no surprise that Mesa would follow suit, given the public outcry about confusing intersection lines and the loss of due process. On the panel’s recommendation, the cameras will be torn out in 2014.

Mesa can look forward to their intersections being free from a private company with a profit motive spying on every motorist passing through.

Last summer residents spoke out on local news about the chaotic situation and uneven law enforcement for drivers:

No words from the ATS sockpuppets yet about their ouster. But it’s easy to assume their legal team and internet shills are going to  play their typical games with the media.

Redflex in Shambles: Karen Finley Flees Along with 2 Other Top Execs

Arizona, this one’s for you.

More fallout from the Redflex (we’re too corrupt for) Chicago Scandal. This time investors and bought politicians should be running for cover, deep cover. That being said…..

Memo to Arizona Politicians:

You have refused to do anything about a system that was too corrupt for Chicago and for that you will pay dearly. Yes, THAT Chicago – the one whose mayor is Rahm Emanuel.

Members of the Arizona Republican Party, like Rep Karen Fann for example, have been given opportunities to ban Redflex and their scamera boxes from the roadways of Arizona, multiple times. Your party platform specifically states you are to oppose photo radar.

However, when given legislation (SB 1352, SCR 1029, HB 2579) or a wildly popular initiative that would get rid of Redflex and their unconstitutional system of phoney baloney ticketing, all we hear are excuses. It’s deafening and you should be ashamed of yourselves.

For the democrats who claim to give a rip about civil liberties – your defense of photo radar makes you a complete joke.

The game is ending and so is your career. Deal with it.

Speaking of people whose career is over with, Karen Finley, Redflex CEO aka the Wicked Witch of the West is done, fired, adios.

Gone with her are two other top executives, the CFO and top attorney (General Counsel). The Redflex Death Watch is currently entering it’s 4th week and we’re on the third halt of trading their stock. It will resume trading on Tuesday in Australia and so far the predictions are not good.

This house of cards has been swaying violently ever since Janet Napolitano installed their ring of spy cameras across Arizona highways only to skip town and head to D.C. The Redflex Chicago Scandal (yet to be named) will end the company as we know it. Investor confidence is shattered and will likely result in a sale with a measly sum compared to the 2011 bid by the Carlyle Group and Macquarie.

They should have done the deal and now they’re out of luck.

“Out of luck” is the best that any politician in Arizona who has defended photo radar or taken money from Redflex and their lobbyists can hope for. Behind bars is another scenario.

Some advice to Reps Karen Fann, Sonny Borrelli, Victoria Steele and Juan Escamilla – you’d better give any money back you took from the Redflex Gangsters and vote YES on the “Photo Radar Prohibition” bill when it goes to a floor vote in the AZ House. If this company and their kind is too corrupt for Chicago, think about what’s about to happen in Arizona.

This is just getting started. The cameras are coming down!

Who knew it would be Chicago that finally crushed Redflex?

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 Ousted From Chicago; Is Arizona Next?

In case you missed it:

Just in time for the Scamera Ban bill to be filed in Arizona Legislature, the ground is crumbling around Redflex Traffic Systems, who used to own the freeway photo radar system in this state.

Now Redflex is losing a huge chunk of business that was even bigger than Arizona /DPS. The corruption at Redflex is so bad that even Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, who brought Redflex in as a lobbyist, has now been forced to cancel their contract, effective July 2013.

HB 2579 would make photo radar and red light cameras illegal in Arizona. It should be heard in the AZ House Transportation Committee this week.
More from WarOnDriving.com –

13% of Redflex Traffic Systems’ yearly revenue will evaporate in the next 6 months.

You don’t have to take our word for it, just check their latest news release [here].

This one is going to hurt and Redflex knows it. Last Wednesday, the foreign held camera vendor requested that the Australian Stock Exchange halt trading their stock ahead of the news that hit on Friday about the massive corruption in Chicago and the ongoing internal investigation.

The AUS gave them their wish, but it only temporarily staved off the investor bloodletting which came during Monday’s resumed trading of Redflex common shares.

At close of market, the stock had lost nearly 25% of its value as news hit the wires in Australia about the coming demise of Redflex’s largest (by far) contract. By 2012 figures, this would mean the company will start losing money very quickly.

Redflex’s deal with Macquarie Bank in 2011 fell apart in late negotiations after a shareholder revolt, but don’t be surprised to see them seek a bidder or have a hostile takeover bid before the summer of 2013.

The news is especially problematic as legislatures in Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Ohio are considering bills to make photo ticketing illegal in their respective states… [Continue Reading]

Time Magazine – “Big Brother Backlash”

The CameraFRAUD meetup group was mentioned in this piece by Time Magazine’s “Moneyland.”

With bills like SCR 1029 making their way through state legislatures in Arizona, Iowa, Colorado and Florida to name a few in 2012, the citizen backlash is being felt by politicians everywhere on the state level.

The question is, are they listening?

Read entire article at moneyland.time.com.

Red Light Camera Company Steals From Elderly

Courtesy of WarOnDriving.com:

Florida Red Light Cameras Scam Woman on Fixed Income

Nobody who’s paying attention is going to pretend the US economy is in good shape, nor has it been since 2007.

In Green Cove, Florida a retiree was not only sent one of these scam tickets, but was charged extra just to fight it in court.

What a racket they have going out there in North Florida. From the news report below by First Coast News, it sounds like the cameras are on the way to even more communities.

Will the citizens of Green Cove say enough is enough?

Redflex Out of Albuquerque After Council Vote

Courtesy of WarOnDriving.com

Redflex Traffic Systems will say goodbye to Albuquerque in 60 days. Last night, the city council, headed by the efforts of Councilor Dan Lewis, voted to uphold the will of the people and get rid of the city’s red light cameras.

Also gone will be the Redflex “Scamera” vans that take up space on the side of the road and have been known to burst into flames due to over heated electronics.

This decision comes on the heels of an advisory vote by the citizens of Albuquerque last month that favored ending the program.

KQRE has more on this development:

Redflex Cameras in Port Lavaca Horrible Safety Record Uncovered

photo courtesy of PortLavacaMainStreet.com

Port LaVaca, TX has some serious issues surrounding their red light camera program. The latest news, in the form of accident figures, further proves what a terrible choice the mayor and town council have made for their citizens. Let’s start from the beginning.

January 2009: Port LaVaca, a town of around 12,000 which is located between Corpus Christi and Galveston on the Gulf Coast of Texas, installs red light cameras, with no justification, after a decision by their town council who had been heavily lobbied by Redflex. Accidents were not a problem at any of the intersections where cameras were installed according to a report just released. [Report]

[READ MORE]