Just a sleazy way to make money

I don't understand why we are putting up with the use of cameras at intersections. A good lawyer explains they are unconstitutional. They are illegal. And quite frankly, they appear to be nothing more than a sleazy way to make money.

Apparently, there is an outfit in Arizona that has found a way to make a lot of money by offering a service that can be justified by twisting our laws.

Think about it. The system gives a so-called violator a ticket for a non-moving violation. Now they can charge the price of a parking ticket. By twisting the rules and calling this moving violation a non-moving violation, they can rake some money from the offense. To make sure the system is paying for itself, they raise the price of the violation from $20 or $50 to well over $100. The courts have said it is OK for these guys to do so. Pretty sleazy, huh?

If these cameras really are supposed to reduce possible mishaps and if they really aren't just a scam to make money, then why doesn't a person receive a ticket for the violation that really occurred? If an officer pulled someone over for running a red light, would they give a ticket for a non-moving violation?

The only reason these cameras are still here is because somebody is making a lot of money. And we are supporting the economy in Arizona by being naive enough not to do something about it.

The answer is simple, as Larry Simoneaux explained in his July 19 column. Stop running the lights and nobody makes any money. I am willing to bet the cameras will not survive the financial crunch if that happens.

In the meantime, we sit by and let a company in Arizona twist our laws and make us puppets to their pocket book. What a joke!

Cris Sherman
Mountlake Terrace