I used to think rather highly of Mayor Bill White. He showed leadership in a number of high-stress situations during his time in office, but he finally exhibited a crass dishonesty in an area where honesty is in very short supply among politicians; money-making scams by City Hall. A couple years ago, Houston began putting in red light cameras at dozens of intersections around town; 50 cameras at first followed by another 20 soon afterwards. Despite complaints and warnings that other cities had found problems with the cameras, Mayor White assured citizens that the lights would make driving safer and lower accidents.
Well folks, he was wrong. The City of Houston paid for a study on the results of the cameras, which they promptly buried for several months, until a pair of lawyers sued for its release.
As you might have guessed, it turns out that red light cameras in Houston don't reduce accidents. The study discovered that after installation of red light cameras, accidents at those intersections more than doubled in the next year.
Now, most of us would expect the good mayor to admit that the cameras were a bad idea, maybe try to back off this bad idea. But not Bill White. This guy actually insisted that the cameras were working, claiming that the rest of the city was actually having even more accidents and that putting these cameras in reduced the accidents at those intersections! Remember, the study showed that accidents at those intersections more than doubled, so Mayor White is trying to claim that the entire city has seen accidents skyrocket by even more than that rate. Problem is, there's not a lick of evidence to support that claim - in fact, the guy who was hired to produce that study for the mayor, Bob Stein, "acknowledged that data from the Houston Police Department shows accidents have declined in the city since 2004".
Oops, huh?
White should just admit that he was lying the first time he pushed to have red light cameras installed to bring in more money without paying for more police. Instead he followed it with an even more stupid and obvious lie.
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Comments (9)
Just another typical Democr... (Below threshold)1. Posted by El Capitan | December 30, 2008 5:46 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Just another typical Democratic politician.
Lie, cheat, steal, then run for higher office.
1. Posted by El Capitan | December 30, 2008 5:46 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on December 30, 2008 17:46
2. Posted by MF | December 30, 2008 7:54 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
It's for the money obviously.
To be honest he has been a good Mayor.
I am not a Demo but what he and the area did for Louisiana during Katrina was purely unselfish and well done.
2. Posted by MF | December 30, 2008 7:54 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on December 30, 2008 19:54
3. Posted by Smiles | December 30, 2008 8:25 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
When they put cameras in my town, the camera company shaved a couple seconds off the time for a light to change from yellow to red. Their contract awarded them for each ticket/picture.
3. Posted by Smiles | December 30, 2008 8:25 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on December 30, 2008 20:25
4. Posted by Duke DeLand | December 30, 2008 9:15 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
White was busy joining with his council members to usurp property from two brothers, through eminent domain, that will be a neat green entrance (er.....P-A-R-K, yeah that's it...) for the Mayor's pet.....er friend's major development. This despite his Park department's acknowledgment they didn't seek nor need the park.
White's not a phony....just a crook!
4. Posted by Duke DeLand | December 30, 2008 9:15 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on December 30, 2008 21:15
5. Posted by John Irving | December 31, 2008 3:30 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
When they put cameras in my town, the camera company shaved a couple seconds off the time for a light to change from yellow to red. Their contract awarded them for each ticket/picture.
Doesn't surprise me in the least.
5. Posted by John Irving | December 31, 2008 3:30 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 31, 2008 03:30
6. Posted by retired miilitary | December 31, 2008 8:23 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
My feelings on the cameras are these.
a. if you enter the intersection and the light is yellow than no ticket.
b. Otherwise if you run the red light or dont stop than you get a ticket.
You do the crime and you do the time. Sorry no excuse (unless it is an emergency but being late for your hairdresser appt or golf game is not an emergency).
It isnt the cameras fault that people are having accidents. IT IS THE PEOPLE's FAULT. Dont we say the same thing about guns?
The number of accidents SHOULD be irrelevant of a camera. People SHOULD be paying attention to their driving and not yacking on their cell phones or putting on lipstick or talking to their girlfriend.
Just because we dont like it doesnt mean that we are right.
BTW I got a ticket from one and paid it. I viewed the video on line and yep I didnt stop before turning right on red.
6. Posted by retired miilitary | December 31, 2008 8:23 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on December 31, 2008 08:23
7. Posted by Chad | December 31, 2008 9:47 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I'm with retired military on this one. We got a camera system at the most dangerous intersection in town. NOT ONE accident there in three years. Tickets went through the roof for a couple months. Camera paid for itself in two weeks. Now, hardly any tickets written for that intersection. I can think of three more around town I'd like to see them on. Used to be somebody died at that intersection just about every year.
7. Posted by Chad | December 31, 2008 9:47 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on December 31, 2008 09:47
8. Posted by Wayne | December 31, 2008 12:40 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The purpose of a yellow light is to give drivers a warning that the light is about to change to red and give them a reasonable time to proceed safely or stop. By Retired Military's logic, if a city decided to reduce the time of a yellow light down to .001 seconds, that would ok and anyone that received a ticket would deserve it.
8. Posted by Wayne | December 31, 2008 12:40 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 31, 2008 12:40
9. Posted by kevin whited | January 3, 2009 3:30 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
** but he finally exhibited a crass dishonesty in an area where honesty is in very short supply among politicians **
Finally?
If you truly believe that, you need to read some of the local blogs a little more often. Here's a start:
http://www.bloghouston.net/item/7445
9. Posted by kevin whited | January 3, 2009 3:30 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 3, 2009 15:30