I know this group is very diversified in your opinions on local issues in Arlington, and I totally respect that. The photo Im posting here is a snippet from an actual late payment notice from someone who failed to pay their initial red-light camera citation. The red-light camera vendor (on behalf of the city) tacked on an additional $25. Trouble is, theres nothing - and I mean NOTHING - the city of Arlington can do to compel you to pay this citation, which makes this very unfair to those who dont know the whole picture here. This is extortion, pure and simple. The late notice is deceptively written to make you believe they have ways of making you pay. Please allow me to offer the following facts to shed some light on the MANY myths surrounding this issue. But before I go further, I need to say that we are am NOT advocating running the red lights! Far from it. This has nothing to do with our safety. Heres what you need to know about the citations issued from the red-light cameras: MYTH #1: If I dont pay this red-light camera ticket, it will go against my credit report. FACT: State (TX) law forbids unpaid tickets from being reported to credit agencies. statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/TN/htm/TN.707.htm MYTH #2: If I dont pay this red-light camera ticket, they will come arrest me. FACT: The City cannot issue a warrant for your arrest. Why? Because the red-light camera tickets are a civil violation (with no teeth in it to compel you to pay it), not a criminal violation. Criminal code is not applicable to civil citations. statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/TN/htm/TN.707.htm MYTH #3: If I dont pay this red-light camera ticket, they will place a hold on my vehicle registration &/or renewal. FACT: Every county in Texas *can* enforce the tickets under the scofflaw, but are *not required to*. In other words, its up to each countys tax assessor and/or county judge and commissioners to determine as to whether they will actually enforce the red-light camera citations, by placing a hold on vehicle registrations and renewals. In May of this year, the city of Arlington tried (and failed) to get the county to agree to such a method of enforcement, but that agreement never saw the light of day at the commissioners court. They refused to even bring it to a vote. In Tarrant county, Tax Assessor Ron Wright has already gone on record saying that he will not enforce them for any city in the county. Dallas county, as a contrast, DOES enforce them. (elections matter!) If you are in possession of a red-light camera citation, and you are worried they wont renew your vehicle registration, you can simply go in person to the Arlington sub-court house, and pay for your renewal there. You wont be able to renew online or at a grocery store. But you also wont have to pay the citys red-light camera citation at the sub-court house! MYTH #4: The red-light cameras make intersections safer. FACT: Red-light cameras at intersections have proven to actually INCREASE the number of accidents! By 49%! Heres just a few of those studies conducted by independent organizations: motorists.org/red-light-cameras/increase-accidents Red-light cameras are unfair: chicagotribune/news/ct-red-light-camera-ticket-spikes-met-20140717-story.html New Jersey is about to pull the plug on red-light cameras: philly/philly/news/new_jersey/20141108_N_J__likely_to_shut_down_red-light_cameras.html Voters all over the country are standing up to their citys red-light camera laws: According to unofficial elections results, Cleveland voters approved -- by a three-to-one margin -- a city charter change that bans using the cameras unless a law enforcement officer is present at the location of the device and personally issues a ticket to the alleged violator at the time and date of the violation. cleveland/cityhall/index.ssf/2014/11/were_clevelands_red-light_came.html
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 06:25:07 +0000
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