The Insincerity of Local Government

My city has a mayor who has touted several agendas in the name of the public interest when the actual implementation is more about adding money to the city’s coffers.

The first proposal was something that’s been happening nationwide: cameras at intersections. Ostensibly it’s to catch scofflaws. I don’t have an issue with that. What I have an issue with is that the public isn’t told what the rules are. Yeah…run a red light

, get a ticket. But at what point are you considered not to have exited the intersection in time? How much distance is allowed once a traffic light turns yellow? Is this figured to the stopping distance for a semi going the speed limit, or an MG Midget? What about road conditions? What about exceptions for when, say, you’re being tailgated and stopping short to make the light actually INCREASES the danger to the public? Who is responsible for calibrating the system, and what is the public’s oversight of that? How is a driver to know what the safe stopping interval is at any given intersection? If an interval is marked, what if you are withing that marking, but only at a significant fraction of the speed limit? What if the driver’s view of the light is blocked by a larger vehicle? What is the rule for turns, when you will be traveling much slower than thru traffic?

See what I mean? Too many questions without any answers.

Now, in the same vein, the government has instituted rolling speed patrols. These vans and SUVs will find speeders and then send them a ticket in 4-6 weeks ($100 for 1mph over the speed limit and increasing from there). While the surface principle is laudable, my problem is that it makes the situation indefensible for the accused driver (actually, the accused car). There has been no great effort to disclose to the public how they can dispute one of these tickets. Of course not. This isn’t a measure created to catch speeders, it’s meant to increase the city treasury. Surely some legal precepts must be being violated here as the accused essentially gets few rights (at least so far as I’ve found out).

Drastically changing focus, is water metering. My city has been in the grips of drought for a while, now. One consequence of this has been the need to encourage less water use. It’s a good idea, and no one really disputes this (except, apparently, those who somehow manage to keep all of the golf courses so green in the scorching heat of summer). One way to do this is to institute penalties on the water bill for excessive water use. Increased rates begin once your summer usage exceeds 300% of your winter use. What’s the problem? I can’t find out what figure they are using from my winter bills. It’s not on the summer bills…where it should be so I’d know. If I dig out my winter bills, I don’t know what month(s) they use for their figure. Basically, I have no idea how close to an increased rate I am? Am I being a good water-conserving citizen, or am I just a load of laundry away from exceeding my quota? For some odd reason, the powers that be don’t seem to want me to know.

It’s all so frustrating. I mean, I don’t mind at all following the rules, but if I’m expected to do so, I also expect in turn to be told, clearly, what those rules are. I realize that "ignorance of the law is no excuse"; but failure to make clear what the laws are must also factor into the equation. And what really kills me: this edition of city government is WAY less corrupt than the previous one…or maybe it just seems that way.