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Randi Shannon is a Liberty Candidate running for Iowa Senate Senate in District 34

Photo enforcement is about revenue. One cannot deny the amount of cash they generate. Many cities generate thousands and sometimes millions from these machines; the party that always wins… is the camera vendor.

Many say it’s always been about the revenue, rather than the safety. All that is needed is to increase the length of yellow lights by one second, and you’ll have fewer people running red lights and significantly fewer accidents. But… if passive easy revenue is your goal, then you shorten the yellow light time, a few cities have been caught doing just that.

Cedar Rapids has ignored the safety benefit of increasing the yellow light time and decided to install red-light cameras and collect the profits instead.

No points are assessed to a driver’s license when caught by a camera, many do not know they can contest the fine. It is also impossible to face your accuser (the camera) in court. The cameras punish the car’s owner, not the driver. When a spouse or child borrows your car and is caught by the camera, you pay the fine not them. This is unconstitutional but no one seems to care to follow the law on this.

A police officer’s presence would prevent speeding as opposed to speed cameras catching speeders after the fact. Anyone who drives on I-380 knows that seeing a police car with lights on will get everyone to immediately slow down.

Are the speed cameras about perks for politicians? In one state, speed camera lobbyists treated some politicians to dine at an expensive restaurant where the check was nearly $4,000. A few speed camera companies and insurance companies combined, gave almost $1,000,000 in campaign contributions to politicians in Maryland, over the years to implement speed cameras. Cameras have been called a wise and courageous move for crooked politicians. Have any in Iowa received something similar?

Companies that operate red light and speed cameras are always looking for receptive city council members. Joe public very rarely has the opportunity to review the sales pitch these companies make behind closed doors, as it is many times unlike to the message they present to the general public.

Cameras are just a beginning of a complete loss of freedom in America.

If you don’t like these cameras you should check out a gps camera detector like this.

Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

– Benjamin Franklin

What say you?

by Randi Shannon

Republican Candidate for Iowa State Senate District 34

Read more about Randi Shannon at her website http://shannonforsenate.com/