BuckeyeBlog

Last week the Ohio House approved Governor Strickland’s transportation budget. There are a lot of problems with this budget. For one, it spends too much. I find it hard to believe we need to be spending $7.6 billion on transportation “needs” when the state is facing such dire fiscal problems. This is exemplified by the governor’s push for reintroduction of passenger rail in the state, which is a dream for social planners but which will drain taxpayer money for years to come. Aside from fiscal issues, there are also policy implications from this bill. Its provisions to allow speed cameras and give police power to stop motorists because they aren’t wearing their seat belts will mean a loss of liberty for Ohioans.

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Cincinnati citizens groups are organizing for a ballot initiative to ban red light cameras. The Buckeye Institute interviewed one of them, Chris Finney, on Buckeye voices .

Would you think such an effort would give officials pause, maybe cause them to go slow on establishing red light cameras? Maybe, but it appears not to slow down Cincinnati City Council. “This week could bring a decision by city council on whether to proceed with negotiating a contract with American Traffic Solutions, Inc., the Scottsdale, Ariz., company recommended by the city administration .”

Here’s a guess. Maybe council is hoping that by entering a contract now, they’ll forestall a successful effort to rescind the contract later, on the grounds that the contract cannot be changed after the fact.

That, or they just don’t care what voters think or do. Voters are hoi pollois, while council members are hoity-toity.

UPDATE: Council backed down after all. ‘Til September, anyway . My guess is people will be paying more attention then, not less.