Maryland Stasi

The Maryland General Assembly is moving ahead with plans to introduce that "oldie but a goodie" from the days of East Germany -- the Stasi -- to a neighborhood near you.

That's right... under the Liberal Facist regime in Maryland, the speed cameras are coming.

I object wholeheartedly to speed cameras, redlight cameras, and cameras of any sort when there is not a law enforcement officer firmly attached to it.

My object comes from several points of view:

1)  We are allegedly guaranteed our right to challenge our accusers in a court of law.  Tell me:  how to do I challenge an inanimate object?  How do I ask the camera if it is calibrated properly?  How do I challenge its accuracy on the stand?

2) It allows government to continue falling flat on its collective ass in fulfilling one of its primary responsibilities:  protecting the citizens and property of <<insert jurisdiction here>>.  Especially here in Baltimore County, where a ravenous group of political prostitutes have been allowing excessive growth for decades without adequately staffing the Baltimore County Police Department.

The situation is so bad here in the North County, that to see a cruiser actually patrolling is more rare than seeing a bobcat.  If you want to make a quick buck, rob the PNC bank in Maryland Line.  You can be into Pennsylvania in 3 minutes and they will NEVER catch you.

And forget traffic enforcement. I have been trying to get the Cockeysville Precinct to enforce the ban on trucks over 5T on York for over a year.  Nary a finger lifted.  Not because Captain Lurz doesn't care, he just doesn't have the staffing.  The Cockeysville Precinct runs from Seminary Ave to the Mason Dixon, and from just past Falls Road in the west to the Harford County line in the east.  It's understaffed, undermanned, and underfunded.  But we have 3 times the number of homes we did 20 years ago.

In short, the Baltimore County Council isn't doing its job.

3)  Traffic enforcement is NEVER about enforcing the law, and it is ALWAYS about revenue.  If traffic enforcement was actually about enforcing the law, the best way to do this is patrolling.  EVERYONE knows where the worst spots for speeding are (how do you think they know where to put the cameras?).  All it would take is increased patrols in the area to slow traffic down.  On the Interstates, the old-fashioned rolling roadblock would go a long way.  (Our problem?  There aren't enough Dunkin' Donuts close to the Interstates.  And with Krispy Creme out of the delivery business, there are no more trucks to pull over.)

Or here is a novel concept:  stop letting judges pull the PBJ gambit on speeders.  Sure, let them not assess points. No problem.  But up the dollar fines.  Suspend the vehicle registration.  Physically take their licenses.  But make sure there is a record.  And for chronic speeders, or speeders in school zones or work zones, make the offense a felony.

In other words, why don't you enforce the laws on the books BEFORE letting us go all Stasi on Maryland's citizens.