Speed Cameras To Aid New York's Budget Deficit

[RobBrady]

TheNewspaper.com reports that New York Governor David Patterson advocates the use of speed cameras to help reduce the state's $7.4 billion budget shortfall. The proposal, which includes a plan to roll out fifty camera vans, has a target of "$96 million in net profit for the general fund by 2012". The announcement follows California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's similar initiative earlier this month.

Patterson's proposal describes the use of speed cameras on freeways as a "revenue action" and not a tax increase. Careful wording aside, do you think that this is a more honest approach to justify the increased use of speed cameras on our roads?

If politicians pushed for better services on the back of clearly defined and stated camera revenue targets, might more be persuaded to love, not loathe the cameras? Most of us want better services and understand that to gain them we need to pay more tax. That tax has to come from somewhere, so why not from those who have broken the law?

Agreed, the whole speed camera debate can't be answered with a quick yes or no, but just imagine for a moment that you REALLY HAD TO make the choice, which would you choose; higher taxes or more speed camera revenue?
_________________
Robert Brady

[DennisN]

Oh Yessssssssssss! Put me down for speed cameras every time, the more the merrier and hide them sneakily too! Then all you speed merchants with big posh cars can pay for my roads and maybe even give me a rise in my old age pension and winter fuel allowance too.
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[BigPerk]

Surely the trouble with this is that it is really saying that speeding is to be expected and is a useful tax for the government, yet it is against the law - should a government be seen to appear that cynical?

Cigarette tax is also a very useful revenue earner, but it is legal - heroin and cocaine, on the other hand, are NOT taxed.

So if exceeding a speed limit is to deliberately used to generate revenue, perhaps the speed limit should be reduced below its 'safe' level, and then a fine be levied, but de-criminalise such restricted speeding so that no penalty points or convictions are incurred. "Pay for Speed" (Early Arrival Tax)?
_________________
David
(Navigon 70 Live, Nuvi 360)

[mikealder]

At least he is being honest in saying why these cameras are being deployed unlikes the SOB's in this country who stupidly claim they are an aid to road safety - Mike

[DennisN]

[MaFt]

Officer: "Son, why were you speeding?"
Driver: "Just doing my bit for the country's finance sir. I f I didn;t speed then we'd all be poor."

[DKGame]

In the case of NY, having just got back from there 2 weeks ago I can tell you guys speed cameras there are a brilliant idea.

Case in point:

Belt Pkwy from JFK to Verazzano Bridge, there was construction work along it for about 2 miles with a speed limit of 35MPH (May have been 40, memory patchy, although the regular limit varied between 55 and 65) I was doing around that and the amount of people flying past me at 60-70 was ridiculous. Even in lane 1 I was getting morons right up behind me flashing lights flipping the bird and yelling insults at me for deigning to go at the mandated temporary limit. Again there weren't always workers there, but the lanes were extra narrow due to construction kit so I also supported it being in place 24/7.

On Staten Island, the limit on the Korean War Vets (ex-Richmond) Parkway is 50. I had people whizzing past me at 80+. New Yorkers have absolutely NO regard for speed limits.

Don't get me wrong I'm not a fan of un-necessary cameras, nor am I in favor of the sort that get you for doing 55 in a 50, or their use as pure revenue generators but in the cases above, I would consider their use justified if it helped drum it into the local populus that the limits are there for the safety of the workers and the drivers having to use extra narrow lanes in stupidly wide 4x4s! There were far too many people blatantly disgregarding the safety limit for even the most well-staffed of police departments to get even 5% of them, and I even remarked to my friend I was staying with that the city would make a fortune for badly needed road improvements if they had the SPECs system like we have here.

We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
Have you considered making a donation towards website running costs?.
Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!