Protesters organized by camerafraud.com gathered outside the main Arizona office of photo enforcement vendor Redflex Traffic Systems yesterday to urge the company to pack its bags and “return to Australia.” About three dozen activists armed with signs stood out in front of the speed camera company’s posh new Phoenix suite at 23751 North 23rd Avenue to hold signs while passing motorists honked in approval. The group is preparing a statewide ballot initiative giving Arizona residents a chance to ban photo ticketing. Observers now wonder whether the legislature will act before the ticket ban initiative even qualifies for the ballot. The photo radar program’s staunchest defender, Governor Janet Napolitano (D), is leaving the state to head the US Department of Homeland Security. Her successor, Secretary of State Jan Brewer (R), has been snubbed in the past by Redflex.
In the past three months, Redflex has issued 40,40 freeway photo tickets worth $7.5m. With the program generating revenue at a rate of $10k an hour, a storm of complaints has hit state officials who have reported an increase in angry telephone calls.
Increasing unrest brings uncertainty to the company operating the greatest number of red light cameras and speed cameras in the US. Losing the statewide freeway contract and the ability to issue tickets in Chandler, Pinal County, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Prescott Valley, Star Valley and Tempe would deliver a multi-million dollar blow to the Australian firm.
In 2005, shares of Redflex stock plunged to just A$3 on the Australian Securities Exchange, after the Ohio House of Representatives passed a bill that would have banned photo ticketing. The stock recovered after the bill narrowly failed to pass the state Senate.
Investors Down Under have yet to take the current Arizona situation into account. Shares closed today at A$3.15, up significantly from its low of A$2.06 as recently as July.
We spent Thanksgiving in Phoenix and went through easily 12 of these things on the freeway. We would drive 15 miles and go through 6 of them. I didn’t see any at intersections where people were running red lights. I guess those going 65 in a 55 run a much higher risk of hurting someone than the guy or lady running a red light at 55.
I wonder if the cameras know not to photograph the illegal aliens speeding.
jkross22 :
December 4th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I wonder if the cameras know not to photograph the illegal aliens speeding.
If that is the case, then I’ll have to start driving a white U-Haul van or just a car that looks like it is clearly not insured.
Remind me to put dealer plates back on my car when I go to Arizona.
The other thing is that the speed limit changes almost mile-to-mile along the freeways in the urban areas of Phx. You see a sign that says 65 then all of a sudden you see a flash a mile later and see another sign that says 55 and you’re screwed. I’ll give the guvner a little credit in that she was very upfront about this NOT being a safety issue, only a revenue generator, to of course make up for the 2billion deficit she’s lavished mostly on supporting our illegal alien population. Now, she’s in charge of Homeland Security. If you are not a little scared for the future of our country, you should be.
I just installed blocking shields on my plates which will hopefully thrwart these cameras, though I have no intention of speeding, sometimes you just forget that you are, especially when you are on a glass-smooth 5-lane fwy with no landmark references that remind you that you are going too fast.
Get yourself an Escort Passport 9500ix radar detector – it sync’s like your iPod to a nation wide database that keeps up with these cameras and warns you in advance.
The real story here is Janet Napolitano becoming the head of Homeland Security. What an awful choice. I couldn’t find any stories that were positive about her. This one is typical: http://www.laweekly.com/2008-11-27/news/janet-napolitano-homeland-futility/1
Good luck in trying to ban speed cameras,
Down here in the “unofficial” Speed Camera capital of the world (Melbourne, Australia), the state government loves them because:
A. They raise lots of revenue.
B. People are speed/running red lights, so they are breaking the law.
C. They are cheap to run, unlike a Police officer with a radar gun.
Its form of taxation on law enforcement.
Get use to using cruise control everywhere.
Oh did I say its all about the revenue.
My wife and I just spent the weekend in Phoenix and this is crazy. I wouldn’t mind so much if the speed limit was consistent, but it can shift from 55 to 65 and back in less than a few miles. And guess where the cameras are?
I downloaded a great app for my BlackBerry (also on Iphone) called Trapster. That will use GPS and warn you before any camera.
Try it out.
gatsos, ’nuff said