Traffic Cams Not Always About Safety

[FDWxMan]

In a duh moment for most of you....

Des Moines traffic cams not about the money...except when they are.
Apparently if you're a city employee, you aren't much of a danger while speeding and running red lights.

And....surprise, surprise, cops aren't paying.

 

[Cyclonepride]

That is ridiculous. So we have a protected class with a different set of laws? That is a big deal.

 

[CyDude16]

I enjoy how this topic comes up every other week or so here.

 

[simply1]

I enjoy how this topic comes up every other week or so here.

City employees being exempt is a new item.

 

[FDWxMan]

I enjoy how this topic comes up every other week or so here.

Not trying to complain/defend their existence...just curious as to why it doesn't apply to everyone.

Grocery checkers? Yes.
Librarians? No.
Auto mechanic? Yes.
Parks/Rec gardener? No.

If we're going to have them, I'm fine with that, but I think everyone should be subject to fine.

Disappointed that the cops that already drive like **** in this town get more freebies in addition to being above things like using turn signals and a safe following distance.

 

[CYlent Bob]

From the article:

"One of the challenges would be to figure out who was driving the city vehicle when it tripped a camera and, therefore, which employee broke the law. However, citations are not issued to drivers, necessarily. They are issued to the individual to whom the vehicle is registered."

The first city employee or manager who complains about that bolded portion of the quote gets smacked in the throat with a cactus. If the registered vehicles of "civilians" can be issued civil fines for alleged traffic violations, I think it's fair for the departments where these lawbreaking vehicles are registered to have their budgets docked the same amount per violation.

State of Iowa policy is that employees driving State vehicles while ticketed for violations are subject to being fired. Why doesn't the City of Des Moines have the same policy? Maybe because it's not about the safety, it's about the money.

 

[3TrueFans]

If the tickets are given to the owner of the vehicle wouldn't the city just be paying the city?

 

[FDWxMan]

If the tickets are given to the owner of the vehicle wouldn't the city just be paying the city?

Just hold people who drive company (city) vehicles responsible for fines they incur, just like if you were in a rental car.

 

[CYlent Bob]

If the tickets are given to the owner of the vehicle wouldn't the city just be paying the city?

The departments where the vehicles are registered would be paying into the "general fund", and it would get diverted to whatever slush fund the council decides to spend that money on.

The best part of that? You'd get departments like Parks & Rec or the Police coming down to the City Council meetings are complaining about how this is just an unaccountable "fundraiser" for the city that's affecting their pocketbooks.

And I can just sit back, pop some popcorn & say....."Welcome to the party, pals!"

 

[3TrueFans]

Just hold people who drive company (city) vehicles responsible for fines they incur, just like if you were in a rental car.

So if we start fining drivers of city vehicles and not drivers of other vehicles aren't they still being held to a different set of laws?

 

[3TrueFans]

The departments where the vehicles are registered would be paying into the "general fund", and it would get diverted to whatever slush fund the council decides to spend that money on.

The best part of that? You'd get departments like Parks & Rec or the Police coming down to the City Council meetings are complaining about how this is just an unaccountable "fundraiser" for the city that's affecting their pocketbooks.

And I can just sit back, pop some popcorn & say....."Welcome to the party, pals!"

But it's still just moving money from one city bank account to another, no? Would that be accomplishing anything?

 

[FDWxMan]

So if we start fining drivers of city vehicles and not drivers of other vehicles aren't they still being held to a different set of laws?

Fine, do this....

The departments where the vehicles are registered would be paying into the "general fund", and it would get diverted to whatever slush fund the council decides to spend that money on.

Or, the city could just include in any hiring paperwork for employees something to sign that says you will have to reimburse the dept for the fines you rack up, or be subject to termination, which, as stated above, is state policy.

 

[TykeClone]

But it's still just moving money from one city bank account to another, no? Would that be accomplishing anything?

Not in the grand scheme of things. But in "reality", moving city funds from one bucket to the next isn't as easy as you'd think.

Having certain employees tripping the red light cameras might expidite such transfers should they be needed...

 

[3TrueFans]

Not in the grand scheme of things. But in "reality", moving city funds from one bucket to the next isn't as easy as you'd think.

Having certain employees tripping the red light cameras might expidite such transfers should they be needed...

I suppose you're probably right.

 

[TykeClone]

I suppose you're probably right.

Think of it like this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxqv5W77cJg

 

[3TrueFans]

Think of it like this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxqv5W77cJg

Just goes to show, Joe Pesci is better at explaining things than all of you.

 

[TykeClone]

Just goes to show, Joe Pesci is better at explaining things than all of you.

I'm still looking for his explanation of debit card interchange - that would have to be about as entertaining...

 

[3TrueFans]

I'm still looking for his explanation of debit card interchange - that would have to be about as entertaining...

:biglaugh:

 

[Cycofan1]

They need to make the driver of the vechicle responsible with the bill. At my job at a store if I sell alcohol to someone not of age. I am slapped with a fine and a short leave of absence. It makes sense since it's my own mistake and not the company that I work for. The same should be implemented for the driver of the vehicle.

 

[CYlent Bob]

but.....that would be different from how they issue civil violations to "civilians". So it's a no-go on grounds of fairness.