With tax revenues on the wane, New Mexico’s second-largest city is hungry for revenue. Unfortunately, Las Cruces is in a tough spot. Without a Right to Work law, with an income tax, and without oil and gas to prop it up, why in the world would someone live and work in Las Cruces rather than El Paso (which has Right to Work and no income tax)?
Rather than doing whatever it can within the context of New Mexico’s government policies to make itself friendly to businesses and citizens alike, the folks running the City would rather enact draconian measures such as shutting off water and sewer service for photo ticket nonpayment. Critics have repeatedly argued that red light cameras are mere revenue generators and have nothing to do with safety.
In these difficult economic times, the City of Las Cruces, rather than having empathy for someone who may not have the money to pay for a red light ticket, is using its monopoly powers to exact revenge and turn up the pressure on alleged scofflaws.
This use of system-wide power is an excellent argument against red light cameras, but also why governments should not own and operate water and sewer systems themselves.
Indeed, Big Brother is here! This is an example of abuse of power. I could not vote to keep these scoundrels off the city council but I have total sympathy for its residents. The red light cameras should be removed, just like the smart folks in Albuquerque did. What can you expect, we have a progressive, ultra liberal socialistic leftist city government in Las Cruces. It is also making it impossible for business to grow with the outrageous Burrocrats and their suffocating red tape. The Las Cruces regulations are ‘Round-Up’ to the business environment. It is a sad state of affairs. We need to replace all of the city council and its “head.”
The citizens of Las Cruces should be outraged that non-payment of a red-light camera ticket can result in city sewer and water cut-off. That it over the line!
The red lights are evil and need to be dropped. What is interesting is the same people want to buy the old private golf course for a million dollars. Coercive government at it’s worse. these progressive government types are ruining this area. Already housing starts are down to ten a week because of the start up costs.
This RN introduced the Camera enforcement concept after founding “Stop on Red Orange County” in 1997. There is a huge difference in programs. First, these are NOT red light cameras, they are also green light speed traps that generate the majority of tickets. Second, in OC, all videos were reviewed by two police/traffic officers, matched to drivers license photo and car registration. If no match, no ticket. In Las Cruces, the speeding technology was added after public presentations and comments. Tickets are issued for 5-6 mph over limit in a city where speeding and tailgating is the local pastime. NMSU studied the results of camera enforcement and found no improvement in crash rates, in fact several intersections had higher crash rates (rear end). Finally, tying utility shutoffs to offenders in called collective punishment, the work of despots and dictators. I no longer support this program and as the cameras removed but Aussie company Redflex has the city by the $$&”! Of the money collected, they get as much as the city. It is a deceitful and vile attempt to coerce, intimidate and harm innocent parties. Furthermore, it renders the home uninhabitable and can cause children to be removed by social services. Dispicable abuse of power.