Arizona budget banking on speeders (Phoenix, Scottsdale: photo radar, lawyers, home)

[Steve Hazzard]

PHOENIX - Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano says the deployment of new photo radar or other speed enforcement technology on state highways is all about public safety. But her proposed state budget counts on the anticipated speeding fines to help erase a projected revenue shortfall.

Arizona budget banking on speeders - Yahoo! News (broken link)

[BillyBaroo]

Sounds good to me, I don't think they can get much more money out of cigarette taxes. They should throw in some higher taxes on booze while they're at it. Let's also find a way to pry more money away from the snowbirds while they're visiting.

I'm all for more taxes as long as it's on stuff that I don't do or use. That's the way it is now, isn't it? Support a ban or tax as long as it impacts someone other than myself, preferably a member of the voting* minority.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by BillyBaroo

I'm all for more taxes as long as it's on stuff that I don't do or use. That's the way it is now, isn't it? Support a ban or tax as long as it impacts someone other than myself, preferably a member of the voting* minority.

Yep, that's how it works. It's amazing how many don't use their heads and don't realize they'll be next.

[Valley Native]

Anybody who claims that photo radar isn't about revenue generation must be high on something strong. The article's second and third paragraphs are all the proof I need:

The proposal, submitted to the Legislature late Friday, anticipates $120 million in revenue the first year, including $90 million in net income after expenses from the statewide effort. Even bigger dollar amounts are expected in future years.

The state faces a projected revenue shortfall of at least $1.2 billion in the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Translation: the state is short on funds to waste because of the government's idiocy and carelessness with the budget, so they want the public to contribute via traffic fines. I've said all along that this photo radar nonsense is nothing more than a revenue collection scheme ... but the people who think they have a right to poke along on the freeways instantly contradicted me by insisting that it is all about public safety.

So tell me how photo radar ARRESTS the criminal speeders who do 100 + MPH on the Loop 101. How can a robotic camera take the place of a police officer by getting the aggressive, the intoxicated, and the excessive speeders off the road by putting them in jail where they belong? How can photo radar curb some of the real annoyances on the road (the slowpokes in the center & left lanes who hold up the flow & won't move to the right)?

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by Steve Hazzard

Arizona budget banking on speeders - Yahoo! News (broken link)

Sounds like a winner to me, Steve

I'm all for any means that lowers my taxes.

I have absolutely no sympathy for those clowns driving as though they are at the Indy 500. While on the 101 the last two days, goons were passing me like I was going backwards and zipping from lane to lane even in the camera area.

Do they just don't give a damn or just blatantly stupid?

[Steve Hazzard]

Do they just don't give a damn or just blatantly stupid?

That sir would be considered a rhetorical statement. We have the same situation with the stretch of 1-81 that runs from the New York border, through Scranton and Wilkes-Barre to Harrisburg, PA. It is one of the busiest stretches of Interstates in the country. The accident and fatality rate is very high. This stretch of I-81 handles traffic to and from New England, New York and Ontario Provence, Canada. BTW, Canadian drivers can put the "pedal to the metal", no problem. It is a very heavily patrolled and camera monitored stretch of highway, yet the accidents and fatalities continue to mount up like a free fire zone.

[Greatday]

To those who oppose foto radar - here is a simple solution:

Don't speed

Class dismissed

[101trap]

Hello,

I was visiting some relatives in Phoenix and had no idea about the photo radar installed on the 101.

Anyway, when i got home last week i received 3 tickets for speeding on the 101. I don't really have a problem with 1 as i was going 79mph.

But 2 of the tickets are within 1 minute of each other.(101 and Shea then 101 and Scottsdale rd.) The other is a few hours later at 101 and Shea on the way back. If i would have been pulled over i would most certainly not have been speeding after that.

When i called the number on the ticket i was told that all tickets were valid and the $170 for each ticket stands.

I have researched the internet and saw lawyers, police and different people say the radar is illegal due to not being served in person.

They also say that if i ignore the tickets they will go away after 120 days (6 months) and i will probably not be served in person since i am out of state.

Does anyone know the truth about this?

Thank You.

[ArizonaBear]

For the record: the photo radar does not 'get' you unless you are driving 11 MPH or greater than the posted speed limit.

Translation: on a 75 MPH freeway; one can safely cruise @ 83 MPH and not worry about the cameras------just watch out for the actual DPS officers.