Letters to the editor: The red light camera scam

A letter writer from East Aurora correctly points out that Mayor Casey's red light camera scam is just that. A scam. It's not a safety issue, but a for-profit venture by the city to fleece more taxpayers out of their hard earned money. We are still waiting for Casey to come up with one idea to encourage people to move into the city...

Red light cameras are another tax on citizens

I’m dismayed by those who describe red light cameras as a safety measure instead of what they really are—another way to tax citizens without calling it a tax. These cameras are generally administered by a “for profit” third party, with a cut of the profits going to the municipality. Both parties have a vested interest in manipulating the system to maximize the number of tickets issued. Since my space is limited here, do a Google search for “red light camera scams” to see how this is accomplished in other cities.

The idea that there are drivers who routinely and intentionally run red lights is questionable. If that were true, they would soon be removed from the driving pool via fatal accidents. The majority of offenders occasionally misjudge a traffic light, and pass through the intersection a fraction of a second late.

Michael Sartori

East Aurora

Good letter from Mr. Sartori. Brown, Casey, and Councilman GoLISPek: You're not fooling anyone. We're all on to your ridiculous money grabbing scams...

Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the red light...

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Casey's garbage games

Instead of looking inside city hall to save money, Buffalo Mayor Steve Casey has instead directed his efforts towards the garbagemen. I can tell you this. Garbage is a tough job. I worked as a seasonal garbageman in the pre-tote era. These guys work in all sorts of weather and have to deal with getting stuck with needles or having objects fly out of the trucks at them. It is a dangerous job at times.They do more work in 5 hours than most people in city hall do all day.

This is what will happen. Casey will crack down and come up with "reforms" in the sanitation department. The reforms will last for a few months and then everything will go back to normal (because workers will not lift garbage for 7 hours per day). I do agree with Casey that the workers should be more careful about leaving garbage out on the street as well as totes.

I know everyone would love to work a shorter day but very few people could do the work the garbagemen do day in and day out. I hear the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority just hired Crystal Peoples' husband (who also happens to be Leonard Stokes' uncle) as their new "crime prevention specialist." No word on whether Mayor Casey is as outraged over this obvious waste of taxpayers' money.
City aims to revise garbage routes, increase efficiency : City Hall : The Buffalo News