AN OPEN LETTER SPEECH TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF ALEXANDRIA , LOUISIANA
First of all, I would like to give a very humble and gracious 'thank you' to all of the citizens of Alexandria. I thank the people of the city of Alexandria, those people that you gentlemen work so diligently for everyday. I want you all to know that the city Alexandria will always have a place in my heart.
Alexandria was my city of refuge. When hurricane Rita hit Lake Charles, my family sought shelter from that storm in Alexandria, La. I followed 2 days later. And I will always remember the warmth of the people of this fair city. A lot of people are still recovering from the 2 horrendous Hurricanes that rocked our state. A lot of people are still waiting to get back to normal. I am one of these people.
I am waiting for Lafayette to get back to some "common sense of normalcy". You see in Lafayette, speeding and red light running used to be a crime. But that has since been changed to a civil violation, probably so that one of our departments, (and mind you not law enforcement) can lump speeding over the posted speed limit in excess of 6 miles per hour in with civil offenses like parking tickets! Speeding and red light running is not like a parking violation. And I would like to remind you that even one mile per hour over the speed limit is breaking the law. This new ordinance allows for speeding! 6 times over!
With slick brochures and lines like "no risk to you" and "at no out of pocket expense" they will basically buy your speeders from you. In essence,they will buy your people from you and their DMV information and credit card information and bank account information. In an age of identity theft, they just want to take pictures of your voting public license plates and send those pictures off to Arizona and then Australia.They should not do this and they should send them a bill at which you, the government, gets your little cut. This is not the practice of a society,gentlemen, this is the very manner in which gangs operate. Usually when you guys get your cut we call that a tax. Who are they?
They are foreign companies like Redflex of Australia ,who have been in business 22 years, and they still have "bugs" to work out. Australia a country which did not sign The Safe Harbor Act in a post 9-11 world.
I know some of you may feel like you work everyday, but we do not work so hard as a society that we must outsource our law enforcement and send local dollars to foreign countries for services do we? This is not why you gentlemen were elected. No man should be elected just to be lobbied. No man should be lobbied by the likes of Vice President of the State Republican Party. Too many questions would be asked. Too many headaches. Too many rear end collisions on your roads due to those "robocops".
To me, a "common sense of normalcy" comes down to this: Speeding and redlight running is a crime and should remain a crime. By changing laws, making them civil violations, is all too convenient for foreign companies like Redflex of Australia. Violating the constitution is also a very serious crime. One that we do not form into a misdemeanor or a civil violation. Speeding is a crime. Redlight running is a crime. Violating the Constitution of the great state of Louisiana is a crime. Violating the Constitution of the United States is a crime.
If you men wish to stimulate your local economy and boost morale , I offer an idea. Pay your first responders well. Pay local law enforcement to do their job and keep their dollars in the community. But best of all, The city of Alexandria, Louisiana will solve it's own problems right here in the good city of Alexandria. That will prove that the leaders in Alexandria, Louisiana did not throw their arms in the air and bring in a third party , from a foreign country to do the job of the people. You should side with the good people of Alexandria, those men and women that you work for. Do not side with the lobbyists, salesmen, and corporate lawyers of Redflex. But if you do wish to sign this deal with Charlie Buckels, at least allow the people an opportunity for a public referendum on the matter. We could let Democracy work, just for one day, gentlemen.
If you are not so motivated by that idea, then simply double the traffic fines for speeding and red light running. You can still get your cut, promote safety (redflex doesn't have a copyright on safety!) without breaking any laws, without protests, without lawsuits, without bad press. Just simply double the traffic fines in Alexandria. You gentlemen have the power to do so. You have the power of the people that was loaned to you. And as I well know, Alexandria's economy goes belly up every time our servicemen and women are activated and deployed.Those men and women are not here right now stimulating your local economy. They are fighting to defend the constitution of this state and this country. Others are fighting to take our rights away it seems.
Do not let this AUTOMATED TRAFFIC TICKETING SYSTEM be your solution for money woes or financial worries. Do not violate the rights of Americans. Government isn't supposed to be in business to turn a profit. Do something that will show the people what sets you apart from "sneaky new taxes" and taxes in general. Set yourselves apart from cities like Lafayette.
Be your own city. Show this state that you will be set apart as the heart of the great state of Louisiana that is the city of Alexandria.
My name is Todd C. Elliott and I am a lobbyist for liberty and justice.Thank you.
Todd C. Elliott
1330 KVOL-AM
Lafayette, La.
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