Anaheim Votes to Ban Red Light Cameras

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed or get The Freedom Minute delivered by email.

In a continuation of the national trend against the use of photo enforcement to pick the pockets of the nation’s motorists, voters in the city of Anaheim voted overwhelmingly today in favor of Proposition K which amends the city charter to ban the use of red light cameras within the city’s limits. As has occurred each and every time the question of photo enforcement has been put before the voters, citizens solidly rejected the use of this insidious traffic enforcement scheme which wastes billions of dollars without improving public safety. At the time of this posting, the measure to ban the cameras was being approved by 73% of voters.

In other red-light camera news, voters in Houston and Baytown, TX opted to end those cities’ red light camera programs as well. The results of today’s elections should finally put the lie to the camera industry’s phony pronouncements that the public supports the use of red light cameras. If this is support, I’d hate to see what opposition looks like.

For those of you who are interested, here’s the text of the Anaheim ballot measure:

Measure K: That new Section 1213 be, and the same is hereby, added to the Charter of the City of Anaheim to read as follows:

Section 1213. PROHIBITION OF AUTOMATED TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS (RED LIGHT CAMERAS).

No ordinance shall be adopted by the City Council which would permit or authorize any red light camera or other automated traffic enforcement system in the City of Anaheim. Any ordinance adopted by the City Council in violation of this section shall be null and void.

Neither the City Council, nor any officer or employee of the City when acting in his or her official capacity, shall (i) take any action which would directly or indirectly result in the authorization, approval or installation of any red light camera or other automated traffic enforcement system in the City of Anaheim; or (ii) acquiesce or concur in any action or decision of any other governmental agency or governmental official having jurisdiction concerning such red light cameras where a protest or objection procedure is available to the City and where failure to so protest or object could result in the authorization, approval, or installation of any red light camera or other automated traffic enforcement system in the City of Anaheim; or (iii) approve, authorize, execute or enter into any agreement or understanding, or take any other action of any nature whatsoever, which would authorize, approve, or in any way facilitate or result in the installation of any red light camera or other automated traffic enforcement system in the City of Anaheim, including, but not limited to, any agreement or understanding relating to the installation of any red light camera or automated traffic enforcement system which would result in the receipt by the City of any revenue of any kind from such cameras or automated system.

The term “red light camera or other automated traffic enforcement system” as used in this section shall mean and include any automated traffic enforcement system, as that term is used in California Vehicle Code Section 21455.5, or any successor legislation thereto, which is used to enforce any provision of the California Vehicle Code.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with others by clicking on the Facebook “Like” button above or one or more of the icons below. If you wish to be notified each time I put up a new post, you can subscribe through one of the links to the right. (If you don’t know what RSS is, just choose the email option.) Finally, leave some feedback or join the discussion by commenting below. I’d love to know what you think.

LAPD Cooks the Books on Photo Red Light Enforcement Statistics

November 3rd, 2010 Posted by freedomminute | Motorists Issues | one comment

« Previous | Next »

One Response to “Anaheim Votes to Ban Red Light Cameras”

Comment by Eli | January 14th, 2011

Yay! You go Anaheim, Houston, and Baytown! Would love to see a vote here in LA…

[Reply]

Search for:

Welcome to the Freedom Minute

The Freedom Minute is dedicated to a discussion of all things having to do with personal freedom and what I see as the steady encroachment by government on our personal rights. I take a decidedly libertarian point of view in my analysis of economics and personal freedoms. Note that I intentionally spell libertarian with a small "l" since I identify more with the overall philosophy than with any political party. If you're not familiar with libertarian philosophy or you think you know what it is, it might be useful to read the short primer which appears in the Philosophy section. In addition, you might want to grab a copy of Libertarianism: A Primer by David Boaz or Libertarianism in One Lesson by David Bergland, both excellent books on libertarian thought.

As for this site, I attempt to be as evenhanded in my approach as possible. There is no question that I have a point of view and an opinion. I state that up front. Many times I will give both sides to an argument before stating why I agree or disagree. Under most circumstances, it should be easy to distinguish between the facts and my personal opinion. If I think there might be some confusion between the two, I will try to specifically point out when I'm giving my opinion as opposed to relating facts that I have researched.

My goal, if there is one beyond my desire to create a public forum for my personal opinions, is to get people to think about things in a way they might not have thought about them before. I don't know if I will change many minds, but one can hope. The British philosopher Bertrand Russell once said, "If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence". I hope that even if you disagree, you read this site with an open mind. I can ask for nothing more.