Big Brother Byron Brown Is Watching You…
Posted in Buffalo, Uncategorized on Apr 16th, 2009
…to collect more revenue for the city.
Apparently, outrage over this shocking news that the city will soon start monitoring traffic lights to catch people running red lights was so minimal that I only just heard about it.
After several years of lobbying by the city, Buffalo is getting permission from the state to install cameras at dangerous intersections as a way to reduce accidents — and raise revenues.
Blocked the past few years by an influential Assembly Democrat from Rochester, bills rapidly moved through the Legislature to permit the devices in Buffalo and several other cities and counties statewide.
The compromise, however, allows the city to install 50 cameras at any one time — half what the Brown administration had wanted — and to impose a maximum fine of $50—also half what Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown had sought.
The red-light camera bills were approved Monday in the Assembly and today the Senate approved them in a 55-7 vote.
“The city has been lobbying to get the cameras for three years now, and we believe they will make traffic intersections in the City of Buffalo safer, and [revenue from] fines generated will go into public safety measures to continue to make our city safer,” Brown said.
Let’s not kid ourselves… this is all about the revenue, not about public safety. What makes this so interesting to me is the lack of outrage from those who were more than willing to publicly express outrage over the NSA terrorist surveillance program. Why is it okay to monitor citizens in order to collect more revenue but it’s not okay to monitor terrorists planning to attack this country?
