Fed-up with big government bureaucrats using taxpayer dollars to install red-light cameras that will take more of their hard-earned money, citizens in Houston, Texas have launched an effort to let voters
decide whether the cash-cow cameras stay or go away.

“A petition to ban red light cameras in Houston has been certified by the city secretary,” the Houston Chronicle reports, ”making it all but certain that voters will decide in November whether the 70 devices at intersections across the city will be taken
down.”

Three Houstonian brothers spearheaded the anti-traffic camera petition campaign in an effort to let citizens — not greedy bureaucrats – determine whether the majority favors or opposes the devices. The
Kubosh’s successfully collected 20,000 signatures as required and voters
will decide the fate of red-light cameras in November.

“This is a great day for Houston,” said Michael Kubosh. “People just need a right to vote, that’s all we’re saying. Now the citizens will have a chance to decide.”

Standing in opposition to the Kubosh brothers’ efforts on behalf of 20,000 concerned citizens is an interest group that advocates Big Brother traffic cameras. Jim McGrath, a spokesman for Keep Houston
Safe, claims the petition is “illegal and represents an abuse of the
city charter amendment process.”

McGrath also claims that one of the Kubosh brothers, Paul, is an attorney who represents traffic ticket violaters/victims and has a “business interest” in the outcome of the proposed measure, should it be
approved for inclusion on the ballot in November by the city council.

“Mr. Kubosh has repeatedly stated that he went to his own clients to sign his petition, so no one should be surprised that a traffic ticket attorney and the clients he has defended are against holding red light
runners accountable,” McGrath said. “We’ll see what the council has to
say and we’ll abide by their decision.”

First, McGrath should realize that it’s not only motorists who’ve already been nailed by red-light cameras that are fed-up with bureaucrats using them as cash cows to fix their broken budgets.
Concerned citizens across the nation are opposed to the cameras that
often have their yellow-to-red light timing set so quickly for sole
purpose of cashing-in on more violators than a reasonably timed and
unmonitored intersection traffic light would typically allow. (Most
red-light camera foes reading this blog post know the dangers posed by
red-light cameras, so we won’t delve in to details. Please comment below
if you’d like to elaborate or share your experiences.)

Second, we applaud McGrath’s efforts to allow city officials to make their decision and step aside if the outcome does not favor his organization’s pro-traffic camera agenda.

However, we do wonder whether he and his cronies will take the city to court should citizens approve the ballot measure in November, just like the homosexual advocacy groups did in California when voters
rejected the legality of gay marriage and insisted a court overturn the
will of the people.

This effort in Houston to let the voters decide the fate of traffic cameras, whether they’re being proposed by bureaucrats or have already been installed, should encourage concerned citizens to follow
suit in their own municipalities. Let’s call it the “Green Light Party!”
Who’s on-board?

http://nannystateliberationfront.net/2010/08/26/houston-citizens-re...