Canton Red Light Cameras

There will be a special meeting of the Ross County Board of Elections at 8 p.m. Wednesday September 2, 2009 at the Ross County Service Center’s large conference room, 475 Western Ave.

If you value your rights as Americans, you need to attend this meeting. There needs to be a packed house ad corrupt politicians are trying to take away your rights. Chillicothe Citizens have spoken. They followed the law and submitted signatures on ballots to pass a law banning red light cameras and speed cameras. Show your support and attend the meeting on Wednesday!

The reason for this meeting is that Redflex and City Council in their greed, are trying to remove the initiative from the ballot that will remove the red light cameras and speed cameras from Chillicothe. This is just a ploy to try to collect more revenue from the citizens of Ross County. The City and Redflex are planning on fighting this in court to help delay the vote and collect more money from the cameras until the courts rule (and they will) in favor of the citizens of Chillicothe.

All that the Residents want is a chance to vote on the cameras. If City Council thinks that the red light cameras are so great, then let the issue go on the ballot. If voters agree, they will keep red light cameras and speed cameras. City Council and the Mayor know that they have sold their soul to Redflex and that the cameras are gone, and so are they. This is just a power play to grab a few more bucks on the way out.

Well, it looks like the panic is setting in at Redflex and they are paying huge amounts of money to fight the ballot initiative in Chillicothe to remove the red light cameras and speed cameras. This company will stop at nothing to maintain the ability to steal from the citizens of the USA.

CantonRedLightCameras.com will be devoted to helping the citizens of Chillicothe fight the propaganda from Redflex and the City of Chillicothe until the red light cameras and speed cameras are successfully removed.

There will be an meeting with the board of elections to discuss the initiative to remove the red light cameras and speed cameras. The city has scheduled this meeting during a time when most Americans are at work, so that it will appear that this initiative has no support. Details are below.

NEED EVERYONE THAT PAYS CHILLICOTHE TAXES TO SHOW UP NOON MONDAY AUG. 24, 2009 CONFERENCE ROOM B AT BOARD OF ELECTIONS

Redflex along with the City of Chillicothe has filed to stop the red light cameras from going on the ballot. But why wouldn’t they ? They are taking money out of our pockets to benefit them , there is no safety concerns.

They are angry because citizens are speaking up and not allowing them to do as they please. Citizens are demanding a VOTE.They are angry because when this passes the Mayor and Council will not be able to vote Redflex or traffic cameras back into town. They will still able to vote on issues JUST NOT THE CAMERAS AGAIN.

Donations needed: Make checks payable to CAPE and mail to treasurer at 1060 South Fayette St. Washington Court House ,Ohio 43160
Or call 740-505-0811 for cash donations

Thank Citizens for your support, we speak for freedom to VOTE.

Our law enforcement will still be able to use radar , but to use this, there must be an officers present or at the location. This assures our law enforcement a job.

America stand together ! We are getting people from everywhere donating money to fight this. Everyone help speak up for your rights.

Be here Monday Aug. 24Th 12 noon at the board of elections, conference room B ,Chillicothe. Everyone from everywhere show up to express your concerns and opinion. Make it a Huge turn out; take the day off to make sure your rights remain, the big company’s from out of town/country do not take over our town.

WE DEMAND OUR RIGHT TO VOTE, EVEN IF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL DO NOT CARE ABOUT US, WE MUST CARE

Donations needed: make checks payable to CAPE and mail to treasrer at 1060 South Fayette St. Washington court House, ohio 34160
Or call 740=505-0811 for cash donations
Citizens thank you for your support, CAPE standing up for freedom and demanding A VOTE.

Do not let the city get away with this. Show up at the meeting and speak up for your rights. The organizers of the petition drive have been required to follow Ohio law in obtaining signatures. The City is required to follow Ohio law and place the initiative on the ballot. I believe that the City is engaged in stall tactics, knowing they will lose a court challenge, but if it allows them to collect illegal fines for six more months until a new election is held, then they do not care what the law says. Citizens of Chillicothe, show up for this meeting and let the City know you will not allow them to disregard the voters’ wishes!

For more information on the fight to remove red light cameras in Chillicothe, see the Citizens Against Photo Enforcement forum.

Last night, Canton City Council voted 11-1 against the legislation to install red light cameras and speed cameras in the City of Canton.  The defeat was expected, but to have one person vote for the legislation was unbelievable.  

The lone yes vote was from ward 2 democrat councilman Thomas West.  Mr. West stated that he voted his conscience.  He said that he had heard from the senior citizens and elementary school students in his ward that they wanted the red light cameras.  This man must have the smartest ward in all of Canton.  If elementary school students are writing letters and phoning their councilman at the age of seven, there is great hope for the future of Canton.

The above story is how Mr. West portrays his vote.  My guess is that he wanted the money that these red light cameras and speed cameras would produce, but since they are a political hot potato, he did as all politicians do, he blamed it on senior citizens and children.  Remember in the 1990s when the republicans took the house and senate?  Everything that the democrats did during that time was because the republicans wanted to “starve kids and kill old people.”  Republicans have had their own share of “for the kids” moments too.  The truth is, these laws are seldom “for the kids” or “for the senior citizens,” but who can possibly be against something if it “benefits” our most vulnerable population, the children and senior citizens.

People of Canton, Ohio, you have made your voices heard.  It appears that Mayor Healy wants to be reelected next time he runs, so he is pulling the red light camera and speed camera plans “for now.”  Mayor Healy blames it on the fact that “Council is not on board.”  Mayor Healy should have stuck to his guns.  He should have asked for a vote on Monday, so Council could be on the record as being against the issue of red light cameras.  Mr. Healy chickened out.  I wonder if any Redflex goons will be golfing in his next golf outing.  We will see how long until the issue comes back, but we can relax for now.  For more information see the Canton Repository article.

I would like to thank Nick of www.SexCpotatoes.com/blog for helping to get the word out.  His blog has had some very good information on it, please pay him a visit and thank him for his hard work.  I would also like to thank the folks at www.myrosscounty.com for some GREAT information, including the recordings of short yellow lights and sham hearings.  

Now that the Canton Ohio red light cameras and speed cameras are dead, we can turn our focus to the proposed speed cameras in construction zones that were included in Ohio HB2.  I have written my state senator, urging him to vote against these automatic traffic ticketing devices.

Ward 3 Councilman James Griffin will be holding a community meeting tonight, March 17, 2009 at 7:30 PM to discuss Canton’s red light camera and speed camera proposal.  Questions will be “answered” by City officials for residents who have questions about these traffic enforcement systems.  The meeting will be held at the Westminster Community Church, 171 Aultman Ave NW.  

If you would like to reach Councilman Griffin, you may call the council clerk’s office at (330)489-3223.

I think this is going to be more of the same high pressure sales tactics we have see from the City. Any answers to questions from City officials will be Redflex propaganda.  Mr. Griffin has been flip-flopping on the issue since he found out what a political hot potato it is. Mr. Griffin voted initially with all but one council member to allow the City to enter into an agreement with Redflex.  Mr Griffin then was quoted two different times in the Repository has “having reservations” and he said of his constituents “they just don’t want it.”  I am sure that this meeting will be a way to tell us that we really do want red light cameras, but we are just not smart enough to realize it.  

I hope that Mr. Griffin hears a lot from angry residents at this meeting.  I would love to go to it, but my work schedule will not allow it.  Maybe SexCPotatoes will be there, if he is, he will write about it.

Red light cameras, speed cameras, delaying the vote on the legislation to allow these red light and speed cameras, it all sounds simple enough.  At the city council meeting last night in Canton, Ohio, some of the motivation was revealed for Mayor Healy pushing so hard for Redflex to be allowed to install their red light cameras and speed cameras to ticket canton residents for profit.  

At the meeting last night, Canton City Council president Allen Schulman questioned Mayor Healy about two associates of Redflex that contributed to his campaign.  The two Redflex associates purchased tickets to Healy’s golf outing, each contributing $125.00.  Mayor Healy says there is nothing wrong with this, and that he knew that each was a Redflex associate.  

I have a few serious questions that need answered.  If Redflex sent two of their associates to Healy’s golf outing and everything is above board, why did Rice (a Redflex associate) feel the need to lie about his occupation and list “self employed” when he registered online?  What other contributions were promised if Redflex is successful in pushing its red light camera and speed camera systems onto the residents of Canton, Ohio.  

Mayor Healy says that the Council president is the one who looks bad after last night’s meeting.  I have to disagree with you Mr. Mayor.  The Council president is not the one who asked for a vote to be delayed so that he could try to buy time to ask for political favors when it was looking bad for a political contributor of his.  Mr. Mayor, give up on the red light cameras and speed cameras before you completely ruin your political career.  Do you really want your legacy to be these red light cameras and speed cameras?   You know that it is easy to have residents sign recall petitions at the same time they are signing petitions to let the voters decide the fate of red light cameras.  Nobody is saying the contributions are illegal, but they certainly explain why the mayor is so insistent that these red light cameras be installed.

Read the Canton Repository Story Here

Canton City Council agreed to table the proposed legislation until March 23, 2009.  Council did so at the request of the mayor.  Mayor Healy said that he was going to “make adjustments” to the legislation to make it “more palatable for people.”  

Many people attended the meeting and were disappointed to find out that there would be no vote on the issue.  I hope that all of those people, and more, attend the meeting on March 23.  We cannot let these red light cameras and speed cameras be installed.

The changes the mayor wants to include are cosmetic, designed to make people think that the cameras are actually doing good.  Who would be against funding for community patrols and bicycle cops?  The mayor says that there may be a cap on the number of red light cameras and speed cameras in the City.  

Credit must be given to councilwoman Mary Cirelli, D-at large, she opposed tabling the measure, as many people had attended the meeting for the vote, some taking the day off work.  

The bonehead of the day award goes to Council Majority Leader Donald Casar, D-at large, who said he  supports the cameras. “Why are the people so upset?,” he said after the meeting. “If you obey the law, you don’t go through red lights, you don’t speed — what’s the problem?”  Well Mr Casar, the problem comes when people like you in city after city install the red light cameras and speed cameras, shorten yellow lights, cause an increase in collisions (746% increase in collisions in Chillicothe within 100 feet of red light camera intersections), and Redflex breaking countless laws in city after city.  Redflex recently admitted streaming 24 hour video and having the ability to track movements of individuals based on the cars passing through several cameras that are streaming video.  You see, councilman, if I am not speeding, and I do not run a red light (after you shorten the yellow light to try to make me run the red), I will still be just as dead when the guy behind me slams into my motorcycle because I had to brake hard to stop in time to not get a red light camera ticket.  Again, the system in Chillicothe led to a 746% INCREASE in collisions within 100 feet of red light camera intersections (this is the approach, where people brake hard to keep from getting a ticket).  Reflex will tell you that there is no, or next to no increase, but that is because if the car does not come to rest in the middle of the intersection, they do not count it.  People are braking hard in the approach to the intersection, not after they have already entered it.  Mr. Casar, this is what I have to worry about, you putting me at risk, then if I am forced to run a red light, knowing the guy behind me cannot stop, knowing that I will be killed if my motorcycle stops faster than his 18 wheeler, you deny me my due process rights at your “administrative hearing.”  You shift the burden of proof from the City to the accused.  This, Mr. Casar, is more to worry about.

To all of City Council, vote how your constituents feel.  Most people, when informed, are opposed to these cameras.  You have been hearing that, you said so at the last meeting.  Any people that vote for these cameras will not stand much of a chance of being reelected.  If these cameras are installed, there will be petitions circulated to remove them.  While these petitions are being circulated, there may be petitions circulated to recall council members who vote for these cameras.

Good Citizens of Canton, you read the headline right.  With Canton’s plans to install red light cameras coming up for a vote, it is important that you call your councilman and voice your opposition to these devices.  Not only do these red light cameras and speed cameras rob you of your money, but also your constitutional rights.

The people of Arizona did not fight the red light cameras and speed cameras initially, as they were only going to issue civil fines.  No points would be issued and the violation would not show on a person’s driving record.  Does this sound familiar?  It should, it is the same thing that Redflex and the City of Canton are proposing.  People of Canton, you need to know something.  It turns out that the Attorney General of Arizona now wants people JAILED for red light camera tickets and speed camera tickets.  Get a ticket for doing 46 in a 25 by a speed camera and look out.  Your are guilty until proven innocent as in the Chillicothe Recording (if you listen to this, the hearing officer states that the burden of proof is on the appellant, or accused).  If Canton allows these cameras, it is only a matter of time until they start giving points on your license, and maybe the threat of jail time for a red light camera ticket or speed ticket.

Politicians and Redflex promise that the cameras will only hand out tickets resulting in fines, no points, and no threat of criminal action.  Once they get the cameras installed, they begin taping 24 hours a day, keeping track of movements of motorists, and then threatening jail for a simple ticket generated by a machine.  With the violations of Constitutional rights that have been documented by Redflex and the cities who invite the Trojan Horse of red light cameras in, I want no part of this.  I have made my voice heard.  I hope that you will contact your Council member and tell them to vote no on red light camera tickets.  The vote is set to take place this Monday 3-9-09.  Show up and make your voice heard.  We do not want Redflex and the fraud and organized crime they bring.

After voting to enter into a contract with Redflex, it appears that Canton City Council may end up voting down the legislation that would put red light cameras and speed cameras in Canton, Ohio.  The city administration wants these cameras for revenue safety.  

During a finance committee meeting on Monday, there were four council members that said they would vote against red light cameras and speed cameras in Canton, Ohio.  These Canton City Council members cited strong opposition by residents in their districts as the reason for their decision.  Three more Canton City Council members stated after the meeting that they were either opposed to red light cameras or they were “leaning” against the installation of red light cameras and speed cameras in Canton.  

The sudden opposition to the red light cameras in Canton, Ohio comes just days before the legislation necessary to proceed with installation of red light cameras and speed cameras is to be voted on.  The vote on the new civil traffic code section is expected at the council meeting on Monday.  

The Canton City Council members who are planning to vote against Canton’s Red Light Cameras are: Jim Griffin, Democrat Ward 3, Joe Carbenia, Democrat Ward 9, Karl Butch, Democrat Ward 8, and Greg Hawk, Democrat Ward 1.  After the meeting, Greg Hawk, Democrat Ward 1 announced his plans to vote against the legislation that would allow red light camera installation in Canton, OH.  Patrick Barton, Democrat from Ward 7, and Bill Smuckler, Democrat at Large said they will vote against the red light camera and speed camera legislation.  Terry Prater, Ward 5 Democrat said that he will probably vote against the red light cameras.  

Several of the Canton City Council members said that their phones have been ringing off of the hooks with people upset over the proposed red light cameras.  Keep up the good work people.  Contact your council members and voice your opposition to photo enforcement.

I would urge Canton City Council members to all vote no to the Redflex red light cameras and speed cameras.  I would then urge the Canton City Council members to vote to lengthen yellow light times at dangerous intersections.  Longer yellow lights have been proven time and time again to reduce accident rates at intersections.  Longer yellow lights eliminate the dangerous dilemma zone where a driver cannot make a good choice when the light turns yellow.

I would like to thank the Canton City council members who are willing to vote against the red light cameras and speed cameras.  I have typically been a Republican, but I will give support on this website to anybody who stands up to Redflex and votes no to these red light cameras.

I had not really had strong feelings one way or another on the plan by Canton, Ohio to install red light and speed cameras until the recent meetings. At the meetings, it was revealed that the red light and speed cameras are all about money, not safety. The politicians will not say this, they stand by the safety argument, but their approach to violations shows otherwise.

Here is why I think that the red light and speed cameras are about money and not traffic safety. At the meetings it was revealed that any vehicle crossing the sensor would activate the camera system. This seems pretty straightforward so far. The representative then stated that still photos would be taken of the infraction and the license plate of the vehicle. This too seems to be legitimate. Here is the part that proves these red light and speed traffic cameras are only about money; THE FACE OF THE DRIVER WILL NOT BE PHOTOGRAPHED! What??? This is simply to make prosecution much easier and you cannot argue that the driver pictured is not you. The City of Canton is not really interested in prosecuting the right person, or changing the driving habits of the offender. The City of Canton will simply mail a camera ticket to the owner of the car. They do not care who will get a red light camera ticket, they just want somebody to pay to bolster the budget of Canton.

If City officials want to argue that these new red light and speed cameras are about safety, then they need to photograph the driver and be sure to prosecute the right person. Their argument is that no points will be assessed to the license of the car owner, and that it is a civil penalty. My argument is that this is being done so that the wrong person can be prosecuted, which I thought was illegal with my limited understanding of law.

I said when I started this site, that I would reserve judgement until I knew more facts, including how Canton was planning on operating their new red light and speed cameras. The information provided at the meeting has turned me against the system, based simply on how Canton officials are choosing to prosecute a car owner, no matter who is driving. Oh, there is an “appeal” process whereby a person can say “Joe was driving, not me,” but it is up to the owner to prove. Last time I checked, the burden of proof was supposed to rest on the prosecution (City of Canton) not the defense (car owner).

Canton City residents should try to get a ballot initiative to outlaw these red light and traffic cameras. Let the residents of Canton decide at the November election whether these red light and speed cameras should be installed or remain in operation. I think that these cameras COULD be beneficial IF City officials operate them properly. Prosecuting a car owner no matter who was driving is not the right way of doing it.