‘Big Brother is watching you’

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1:42 PM Wednesday, November 4, 2009

... Several years ago, Middletown was facing a financial shortage. So what did they do to make it easier on the citizens to shop downtown? They closed all the free parking lots so you had to use metered parking. Really made you feel welcome.

Now that times are as bad as they’ve been since the Great Depression, what’s their answer? Sell their soul to the red-light camera devil, collect 20 percent of the fine for the city and send 80 percent of the fine away — gone forever. That was their deal with the first camera company.

Now, with a new company, it’s 55 percent (to the) city, 45 percent (to the) camera company; and then 70 percent city and 30 percent camera company, after the first 150 citations. Still, the red-light “cash trap” hasn’t lowered the (number of ) accidents; it just records them. ...

It’s amazing to me that no one or no organization has filed a discrimination suit already. One also has to wonder if the timing is set to maximize the number of infractions.

It’s strictly a money-making scheme foisted on the citizens (who are) already stretched to and beyond their means.

Middletown, if you insist on having them and want them to be an effective deterrent and not a “cash trap,” try putting a continuous flashing yellow light at eye level that says, “Big brother is watching you.” ...

Orville Wright

Franklin

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This is an example of Government out of control..The good buddy system is very popular in this town..People accept things in this townn..Mainly because they are poor and ignorant..Not too many people know that the cameras on the lights are against your personal rights..Tell Middletown you are on to them!The republicans in this town are Rhinos..They've spent too much time with socailists..

Joel Crouch
1:32 AM, 11/9/2009

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It's only a cash trap if you run a red light. Some idiots need a big brother watching them.

joe
8:03 PM, 11/8/2009

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It's already been reported that the "camera" light yellows are significantly shorter then "no-camera" traffic lights. Have the cameras done their "safety" job ? Don't know, City produced no real proof to justify the cameras in the first place. Of course, it's all for safety - but maybe the money helps offset the bad public image of a dying town.

steveo
8:25 AM, 11/5/2009

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Smarter cities have fixed their traffic light problems for FREE!They simply got their traffic engineers off their butts,sent them out to where they belong (working on things)and had them re time lights to have longer yellows and overlapping reds!No cost to taxpayers,no income scam,just good common sense.But the leaders of Middletown have been lacking in that department since the early sixties.

middsteve
4:15 AM, 11/5/2009

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