A race to Albany not hindered by red lights
-
- June
- 18
Twice in two weeks the Yonkers City Council declared its support for bringing red-light cameras to the city, but the success of that legislation could have come down to whether a mayoral aide successfully reached Albany by noon today. The City Council last night voted to back a bill in the state Legislature that was supported by Albany lobbying firm Patricia Lynch Associates. That law would have allowed the lamp-post spies to be installed in Yonkers, Nassau and Suffolk counties, as well as Buffalo.
The Legislation was signed by Mayor Phil Amicone before 9:30 a.m. and John Fleming, his $97,000-a-year executive assistant, was soon on his way up to Albany to beat the noon deadline.
Only last week, the City Council had approved an earlier version of the home-rule message seeking passage of a Yonkers-only bill before the state Legislature. Mayor Phil Amicone’s office asked for a City Council do over because the bill that included all four municipalities seemed to have a better chance of winning the state Legilsature’s approval, said Tony Giambruno, the mayor’s aide to the City Council.
Meanwhile in Albany, a battle has been brewing over two different versions of the red-light legislation, each of which have been linked to two competing companies for the red-light camera business. According to a Gannett News Service report by Joseph Spec tor published here and in The Journal News yesterday Lynch Associates, which lobbies for Yonkers and Buffalo, also lobbies for Amercan Traffic Solutions which wants to win the state’s camera contract.
The other bill is backed by lobbyist Robert Scott Gaddy, whose company Excelsior Advocates represents CMA Consulting Services, which also hopes to win the contract. Gaddy is a former aide to Assemblyman David Gannt D-Rochester, who introduced a bill that would allow any municipality in the state to install the red-light cameras. That bill has been criticized by backers of the other legislation as appearing to favor CMA Consulting’s camera’s.
The red-light cameras, which were first installed in New York City in 1993, snap pictures of cars entering intersections after a traffic light turns red. Tickets are then mailed to the guilty motorists who have been identified from a photo of the license plate.
And yes, Fleming did make it to Albany by the noon deadline, though Giambruno later said the city’s chances probably wouldn’t have been dashed if he had gotten there by 1 p.m.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 at 5:42 pm by Len Maniace.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Share and Enjoy: 
| 
| 
Email This
Seems like the issue swings on who gets paid, the Democratic lobbyist or the Republican lobbyist. That, and which petitioner pays the most in “campaign donations” to the legislators. Great way to run a railroad. And one has to wonder how may red lights and speed limits Fleming had to disregard to get to Albany on time. Guess he was sent on this perilous speed- mission because the old Detective-emeritus gold-plated tin comes in handy.
Why would anyone have to drive to Albany to deliver a piece of paper?
Exactly, especially a $100,000 a year plus employee of the taxpayer. We are surrounded by nitwits.
Makes that thief Kriss look like chump change.
While vacationing in southern California last month, I received a $400.00 ticket for passing a red camera light. The judge didn’t care that I was from NY and driving a rental car for only two days before I got to the confusing intersection which had three traffic lights over three lanes. By the time I figured out which light controlled my lane, I inadvertently passed the red light.
During my one month vacation in California I learned that to avoid the red camera light I needed to either; speed up when the traffic light was yellow, try to avoid the intersections with red camera lights altogether, or give up my rental car and all the stress associated with driving on the California roads with red camera lights and the possibility of additional high fines and points on my license. I decided on the first two options.
The judge said I could attend driving school at my arraignment (I pleaded guilty with an explanation) to get the point off my license to clear my driving record in California, but when I came home and called the Ca. traffic court I was told the judge did not indicate I could attend driving school on the docket, so that option was not available to me!
Business owners beware, if you are located on streets with red camera lights, you most likely will see a decline in customers, because I for one, will not be driving down any Westchester County streets with red camera lights, and I am sure others will do the same, like the residents of southern California who will not drive on those streets!
ed nailed it: it is always ONLY about which pimp is getting through to the legislature.
pinochio’s spelling is getting much better. ;>
But. . .Ripped Off in CA is our new soul-mate.
As a fifth-generation Californian who has lived in New York for 28 years, I feel for you, “R O in CA.” All the retarded New Yorkers and midwesterners who moved out there have ruined the Golden State, causing CHP and LAPD to get real cranky with any motorist they see breaking the law, even a minute one. (A year after living in NYC, on a trip home, I got two jaywalking tickets.) Forget our poor brown “cousins” from south of the border, who have created traffic chaos beyond Jerry Brown’s imagination. There’s no traffic school in Mexico. (And no law, or rules, either.) So, driving in scenic SoCal is a nightmare.
That’s why I am an adopted New Yorker.
There’s only one thing to miss about Los Angeles, or about southern California, for that matter: Dodger Stadium. We have better beaches here.
Thanks for the welcome!
Several years ago I was in L.A. with my mom and we were walking to Olvera Street (Mexican marketplace) and a cop stopped us for jaywalking. I told him we were from NY and then I lied by telling him I didn’t know what jaywalking was and he let us go!
While I was in Ca. this year I went to Petco Park (Padre stadium) for the Padre/Dodger game. I was routing for the Dodgers because Joe Torre is managing them, and I want the Dodgers to do better than the Yankees since they gave Joe Torre the shaft. The Dodgers were losing since the first inning, so when a Dodger got a hit in the top of the 9th, without thinking, I excitedly stood up and clapped. I got such dirty looks from the Padre fans around me so I innocently said, “I wanted the Dodgers to tie the score so I could see extra innings!”
There are various rules regarding the red light cameras. In California, there must be signs posted alerting the driver that the camera light is there, the yellow light must be on a certain amount of seconds depending on what the speed limit is, if the late time (the amount of time the light was red before you passed it)is very short (I forgot the number of seconds)the judge is supposed to reduce the fine, the judge can determine who is allowed to attend driving school,
etc.
Imagine all the money the NY traffic violation attorneys are going to make from red light camera cases!
I learned about red light cameras from the web-site below:
www.highwayrobbery.net/
Let’s see, Fleming took a city car and put in for all that gas and mileage. Why didn’t they put a clerk on Amtrak? Or fax it to Albany?
This red light camera nonsense is all about money. Just like a red light district is. Not much difference when you think about it. You get screwed either way, in a manner of speaking. Big Brother Yonkers taking more money.
How pathetic, I just read that a Manhattan ADA, Matthew Bogdanos and Janet Difiore started a bogus investigation into the publisher of the Westchester Guardian in order to try and ruin his reputation. Wow how corrupt Matthew Bogdanos and Janet Difiore really are. They need to be sent to prison!