Solutions Seeking Problems!

photo credit: pissedpoet pics; artist, Henry Bateman

Or, bait and switch, if you prefer.

The PRU Crew feels today's post title perfectly captures the essence of one of the meetings set to take place tonight.

First up will be a Special Public Safety Committee meeting whose members, Chairman Frank Wsooooolman (7th ward), Don Bachtard (3rd ward), and James Allspaghetti (4th ward) will take action to "APPROVE IDOT RESOLUTION AGREEING TO INDEMNIFY THE STATE OF ILLINOIS FOR PHOTO ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT ATTACHED TO IDOT FACILITIES."

If nothing else, government bureaucracy is exceptionally good at finger pointing.

In the cover memo (.pdf) for tonight's meeting we read that "IDOT does not allow Red Light Cameras at intersections interconnected with railroad crossing signals"; the Oakton and Dee intersection, that was originally recommended for a red light camera by Red Speed. We wonder if the consultant, Mr. Liebert of Red Speed, knew about the IDOT regulation the first time his company studied and then recommended that intersection in Park Ridge? He's an expert in this area, isn't he?

It is also interesting to note that the intersection now being recommended for a red light camera, Oakton and Northwest Hwy., was not among the intersections initially recommended by either of the red light camera companies asked to do studies. According to the August 7, 2008 Public Safety meeting minutes (.pdf) Mr. Liebert's Red Speed company studied 5 intersections and recommended 3 intersections for red light camera installation: one camera at Oakton & Dee, Summit & Touhy, and Cumberland & Devon. Red Speed didn't study the intersection of Oakton and Northwest Hwy.; that was probably left to the other red light camera company, Red Flex.

According to the July 17, 2008 minutes (.pdf) of the Public Safety Committee meeting, Red Flex did not find enough violations at the 5 intersections they studied to justify installation of red light cameras. And according to acting Chief of Police Swoboda, the "top ten intersections" in Park Ridge were studied by these red light camera companies. Anyone care to guess whether or not the intersection of Oakton and Northwest Hwy. was among the "top ten intersections" studied?

So now, since IDOT won't allow installation of a red light camera at the intersection originally recommended by Red Speed, all the red light camera fans can all take comfort that another study was done and, voila! There now appear to be enough violations at the newly recommended intersection to justify installation of a city cash generator -- oh, sorry! We meant to say red light photo enforcement equipment.

And can anybody tell us why the other two intersections originally recommended by Red Speed weren't selected?

What's that sucking sound, you may ask? That's the sound of red light camera fans sucking up the "safety" koolaid while getting their taxpaying wallets hoovered. Just lay back and try to enjoy it.


And it will all take place tonight, along with another favorite topic -- "final approval of an ordinance regarding licensing regulations of temporary overnight shelters to be included in the Municipal Code, Chapter 12" and "final approval of an ordinance for Text Amendment TA-08-02 to the Zoning Ordinance regarding temporary overnight shelters, as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission" -- that is, if the darkside forces can't manage to have the ordinances tabled, so that they can, at some point in the not too distant future, try again to circumvent the will of the people.

Just lay back and try to enjoy it.