Friday, September 08, 2017

Peek-A-Boo!

Dayton, Ohio brings the RedFlex traffic cameras back to local roads.
The eyesores known as traffic cameras will appear once again.

The cameras will once again strip the residents of $125 for speeding and running red lights.

The sixth largest city in Ohio and 15th most miserable city in the United States comtinues it's decline. The mayor of this city is running for governor. The police chief got his service weapon pulled.

The city is number one in the nation in opioid addiction.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of the rust belt city of Dayton in the fight over traffic cameras. The city said that the 2015 law Ohio lawmakers passed violated a home-rule law established to the city.



The law was to stop cities from using traffic cameras. Lawmakers complained that the cameras bilking residents of their money.

Many Ohio cities partnered with Redflex to place cameras at local intersections to catch drivers who speed or run through traffic lights.

Dayton, Columbus, Toledo, Cleveland, Springfield, Hamilton, Akron and Middletown had traffic cameras. Most of the cities with the exception of Dayton took them down.

In order to run the cameras, the cities must have a police officer present at the intersection. The cameras would only be valid in school and construction zones.

Dayton said it would drain resources and police officers would had spend a 1/2 their shift to watch intersections.

Dayton continue this fight. It claimed the city was trying to curb dangerous behavior on the roads. The Ohio Supreme Court found the concern legitimate and struck down the law.
Dayton mayor Nan Whaley. She is vying for the Democratic nomination for Ohio governor.
Dayton was threaten with loss of state funding if they kept them running under the law.

Ohio lawmakers are hoping to pass another law to strip the city of cameras.

Whaley says the residents approve of the cameras.

I don't believe that for one bit. I think the cameras are a distraction and do more harm than good. For one thing, these things could malfunction.

City officials could impound an innocent motorist vehicle if they don't pay fines triggered by the camera. Police officers, the city workers and even the mayor could exempt themselves from paying fines if they run a light or speed.
Dayton, Ohio is ranked one of the most miserable cities in the United States.
The average income of most Daytonians is average $45,000. The city residents have low income flowing into the region. The city has over 200,000 abandoned properties with no end in sight. Paying for a $125 fine is costly especially if the ticket wasn't issued by a monitoring officer. You can appeal this in court but it's time consuming. Privacy advocates might question the cameras are invasion of a person's right to drive without distraction.

The city doesn't have a big box store within the city limits. Most of the west side of Dayton is poor and depleted. There is no valuable assets west of Interstate 75.

The city is gambling on trying to court Amazon's Eastern Campus to the area.

It's not likely going to happen. Companies look at value and compassion.

Dayton lacks that.

The city is still segregated.

The current population is 137,000 residents. The city is caught between a rock and a hard place. The city developed a reputation for being miserable.

Locations for the cameras include Main at Siebenther, Gettysburg at Fairbanks, Smithville at Linden, and Third at James H. McGee. These locations will have 24/7 operations.

Damn it's time to bolt. I rather live in Cincinnati to be closer to my son.

More things to do in Cincy/Northern Kentucky.

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