Speeding-camera bill appears dead
Bipartisan opposition in a state Senate committee last week appeared to put the brakes on a proposal to mount cameras on city streets to catch — and fine — speeding motorists. We applaud legislators’ uncommon good sense in opposing what is nothing more than a transparent money-grab suggested by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The governor advanced the idea to help close a $20 billion budget deficit by automating tickets for speeding, which was expected to have generated nearly $400 million in annual fines for the state to split with trial courts and local governments.
Similar to cameras mounted at intersections to catch motorists running red lights, the proposed additional cameras would be used to document speeders’ license plates on video, resulting in traffic tickets mailed to the malefactor. Driving up to 15 miles an hour faster than the speed limit would cost $225, and $325 for going faster than that.
This clear government fundraising scheme envisioned 500 devices installed in California, catching 2.4 million speeders a year. It was a shameful demonstration of how low the governor is willing to go to further Sacramento’s profligate spending rather than living within the state’s fiscal limitations.
But the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday seemed to indicate the idea would not advance, despite testimony on its behalf from the Legislative Analyst’s Office and Mr. Schwarzenegger's Department of Finance.
The scheme ran up against formidable opposition from the Teamsters union, the Automobile Club of Southern California and Democratic as well as Republican senators. Objections included concerns that cities could manipulate the length of traffic light sequences to increase revenue, and that the presence of cameras might increase the number of rear-end collisions.
Sen. Alan Rosenthal, D-Long Beach, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the “terrible idea” was driven by a desire to raise money, when such proposals should be considered only if they enhance safety. It’s not every day so much wisdom is shown in Sacramento. The governor would do well to take note.
