Valentine’s Day Red Light Camera Protest
Red, red, red.
That’s the only color you see on Valentine’s Day.
Red hearts, red roses, red candy, red balloons and now, red light cameras?
With all the love and romance in the air on Sunday for Valentines Day, there won’t be any love being shown at the intersection of Western & Addison between 12-3 PM.
This red light camera intersection will be ground zero for the Chicago outpost of a national protest against red light cameras.
Chicago’s participation is being spearheaded by Scott Tucker, Republican nominee for Illinois State Representative in the 11th District, formerly John Fritchey’s seat.
The 37-year old Tucker has made the RLC issue an important part of his platform.
“I think it’s a quality of life issue… it’s a tax presented as public safety,” said Tucker about red light cameras. “It takes money out of the citizens’ pockets and puts it into the hands of wasteful government.”
This national protest, is being spearheaded by The Liberty Restoration Project, based in Kansas City, MO.
The group decided, after the success of a red light camera protest a few weeks ago, they’d do another one. But this time, they’d try to do it on a national scale via their Facebook page.
According to Tracy Ward, the group’s Area Director for Kansas City, it took just two weeks for the protest go from just a handful of cities to 10 locations nationwide including Chicago.
“It’s been pretty good,” said Ward of the response to their national event. “It’s a totally spontaneous national protest. It kind of blew up on us. We have over 500 people nationwide saying they may or will attend just via Facebook.”
But do protests opposing red light camera actually have any effect?
“They are a necessary part of the process to overturn the use of ticket cameras,” states Gary Bills of the National Motorists Association, an organization which represents and protects the interests of motorists. “The public protests help inform local residents about the money raised by the cameras at the expense of motorists, without any corresponding safety benefit.”
Tucker, running an uphill battle against Democrat Ann Williams, supports Senate Bill 2466, introduced by State Senator Dan Duffy, that looks to eliminate all automated enforcement cameras (red light or speed) in Illinois.
However, according to Sen. Duffy and Tucker, SB2466 is being held up in committee by Senate President John Cullerton. Tucker hopes this protest in Cullerton’s backyard, will bring some pressure to bear on the Democrat.
“It depends on how Sen. Cullerton reacts,” says Tucker when asked if he feels Sunday’s protest will have an effect. “If he sides with Mike Madigan than constituents, then constituents will suffer. If he chooses to represent constituent concerns, he will call the bill to the floor. But without some decent public pressure, this bill will not see the light of day.”
Repeated requests for comments were made to Ann Williams’ campaign office but without any response.
WHAT: Chicago’s red light camera protest
WHEN: Sunday, February 14th from 12-3 PM
WHERE: Western & Addison (Lane Tech High School) in Chicago
MORE INFO?: Call Scott Tucker at 773-230-2682 or e-mail him at: Scott@TuckerMailServer.com
Everyone should show up and show the
city and Cullerton what we think about rigged
red lights and $cameras!
If I can’t face my accuser in an open court of law, then it’s time for the citizens of the United States of America, who happen to be citizens of the great city of Chicago, Illinois, to march on to city hall. Once there, we are obligated by the irremovable flesh & blood connection to our forefathers to remove those people, by any means, who could not care one tiny bit less about constitutional law. Give me liberty or give me death.
Here’s a question for a constitutional lawyer or a member of the ACLU… Let’s say a protester was holding up a protest sign that just happened to block the view of the red light camera. Wouldn’t that be constitutionally protected free speech??? After all, the sign is telling the operators of the camera company (and passing motorists) how the protester really feels… Do it for enough time and the red light camera at that intersection becomes unprofitable. And no city or state law against blocking the view of the camera, “home rule” or not, could override protections guaranteed by the US Constitution…
I think there’s something to this idea…
Please get those red light cameras in the garbage.We should protest by putting a garbage bag over the camera saying insert here.
I wish to fight for my right as an American to tell this camera BS. to
leave my country and never come back. You don’t intimidate me you money sucking animals. Whoever invented this should be shipped to the Taliban.
[...] Tucker, the issue ultimately comes down to one thing: money. “It’s a tax presented as public safety,” he said. “It takes money out of [...]
[...] was Valentine’s Day when Chicago’s last red light camera protest took [...]
Hi, Mr. Tucker!
I wish I could say HURRAH!
I had the pleasure of speaking with you over the telephone a few months ago, a propos the commando struggle that you were leading against our common enemy, the blasted photo-snipers. I don’t know if you are still engaging the enemy, or if this note will reach you, but I would appreciate hearing from you regarding this seemingly defunct resistance campaign. Because I am seeing red -yellow, rather- to the extent that I find myself having to plan evasive routes through enemy territory in an attempt to avoid crossing some of the fields of fire.
Case in point:
Harlem/Ogden. Southbound, lately the “DON’T WALK” sign does not flash any more -it is permanently on. Result: No estimate of impending doom, unless you are good at ticking off seconds, after you have timed the green light. (Ha: I had timed it at approx 70″, therefore today, expecting the change, I held up traffic approximately 20″ before the favorite municipal color went on!) Last week, I tracked various outside -non-Riverside- entities in order to question this nonsense, and ended up being directed to the IDOT…!!!
63rd./Pulaski. Eastbound, at sundown, the sun opaques the display of the countdown to doom, therefore you have no clue of how many seconds are left.
The horse’s 6 in Traffic Mgmt. evidently never became receptive to the preposterous suggestion of prolonging the yellow light by one piddly second for an obscene total of 4″. (That anatomical part is where I would love to install a JATO -while I need to install one on my vehicle to get me out of those jams, somewhat like that USAF regular did over a decade ago in the South-West and ended up smeared on a cliff side).
Hardly anybody mentions the war in the news, preference being given to trivial horse feathers. So nobody would be interested in this insignificant concern. Right? Well, we need a military leader like you to wake them up!
I look forward to hearing from you!