Where Oh Where did our Spy Cameras Go?

 

 

August 2,2010

Last weekend my Father-In-Law informed me that there was a scam afoot.  One that purported to use license plate scanning cameras to make money for the state and was being backed by none other that Barry Switzer!  No!  I gasped…why those little money grubbing so and so’s…

There is the power of local media.  Thanks to people like Andrew Griffin, Mike McCarville and Lee Mathews and Fox23 Tulsa the machinations of industry and the complicity of some of our friends in state government was exposed widely-and where it mattered-locally

Here are some of the lawmakers who were on the License Plate Task Force back in 2007.   I can’t say for certain that they purposely paved the way for the ALPR devices but I can say this;  The design they chose just happened to be one that perfectly optimized our plates for reading by said devices.

I was just discussing the lack of movement on the Scamera contracts with a friend a night or two ago.   We were noticing that no Executive Order to permit the ALPR cameras to be placed in fixed locations had been issued and  the bill that would have permitted the license plate scanning devices to be installed in fixed locations died last session.  We were speculating on how the state might go about putting the devices in place.

It is quite possible that the state does not have the authority it needs to go ahead with the ALPR (automatic license plate recognition) devices right now.

I checked off the “citizens score”  category on this post because there is no doubt in my mind that the steady carping about Insurenet and so- called traffic safety devices that are used more as the state’s money funnel than they are for any safety purposes, played a role in gumming up the gears on this deal.

It will be interesting to see how this revenue enhancing scheme will unfold given that it has become such a hot topic and that the state was counting on the money to help fill the budget gap.  What to do, what to do….

This article confirms that our conversation was right on track.

Delay in contract award may harm Oklahoma revenues

8/1/10

A proposed traffic camera system being counted on by state budget officials to generate at least $50 million in revenues off uninsured drivers this fiscal year has run into roadblocks.

A proposed traffic camera system being counted on by state leaders to generate at least $50 million in revenues from uninsured drivers this fiscal year may have run into roadblocks.

American Insurance Association attorney Jeramy Rich says the technology has weaknesses and claims many insured Oklahomamotorists are going to be harassed with undeserved fine notices if the system is implemented.

…The contract calls for fixed or mobile cameras to photograph license plates on moving vehicles. Computers would transmit the data and match it to insurance verification information on national, state and insurance company databases.

Problems predicted

Rich said he sees several problems. His association was involved with the four-year development of the electronic database system Oklahoma law enforcement officers now use to determine if a motorist has insurance when they make traffic stops.Fleet and company owned vehicles are special problems because blanket insurance policies don’t electronically link the policies to each vehicle identification number in the fleet, Rich said. Law enforcement officers must rely on paper insurance verification card checks to determine whether fleet vehicles are covered.

. . .Rich also questions whether the state has the authority to implement the program, whether it will really generate the $50 million a year and whether it is appropriate to allow a private contractor to issue ticket notices and keep a portion of ticket revenue. (emphasis added)

Read more: http://www.newsok.com/article/3481381#ixzz0vPR7yPe8

 

Join other Oklahoman’s who want to  “Ban the Scameras in Oklahoma” on Facebook

Monday March 1st Legislative Action Alerts

Call OK House Members to Vote YES on These Bills!

HB 2317, by Rep. John Wright/Sen. Newberry, Creating the Oklahoma Enumerated Powers Act

HB 2317, now co-authored by Rep. Ritze – states that before a bill can become law in the state of Oklahoma the language must cite specific state and US constitutional  authority to do so.  The intent of the bill is to cause legislators to become the first line of defense in upholding constitutional principles and to identify early on in the legislative process if they are operating within constitutional limitations, rather than routinely passing the buck to the courts to figure this out.

This bill passed out of the full Appropriations and Budget Committee on 2/24/2010 by a vote of 16-0 and now will move to the floor for a vote.

Please call your Representative and House leadership to ask for a YES vote on HB2317.

OK House Switchboard: 1-800-522-8502, 1-405-521-2711.
II) HB 2569, by Rep. Wesselhoft/Sen. Newberry, Prohibiting the use of RFIDs (radio frequency identification, i.e. ‘tracking chips’) in the Oklahoma drivers license and identification cards.

HB 2569, co-authored by Faught, Kern, Pittman, Ritze, Sears, Sullivan – has passed both the Public Safety & Judiciary sub-committee and the full Appropriations and Budget Committee. The A&B vote on 2/24/2010, was 16-0.

However, the title was struck, by surprise, and now must be restored by the House or the Senate.

Please call your Representative and House leadership to ask for both a YES vote on HB 2569 and for the title to be restored to this single-subject bill.

OK House Switchboard: 1-800-522-8502, 1-405-521-2711.

House Leadership:
Speaker Rep. Chris Benge 1-405-557-7340 chrisbenge@okhouse.gov
Speaker Pro Tempore Kris Steele 1-405-557-7345 krissteele@okhouse.gov
Floor Leader Rep. Tad Jones 1-405-557-7380 tadjones@okhouse.gov

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Call OK House Members to Vote NO on These Bills!

I) NO on HB 2331, Rep. Steve Martin

HB 2331, by Rep. Steve Martin, proposes amending Title 47 to allow at-will random insurance verification via an online insurance verification system, without a traffic-stop or accident having occurred first; the bill further gives authority for law enforcement to then seize the vehicle if found to be uninsured.

Observation or verification can be conducted from a fixed location, i.e. from the roadside, or from a moving patrol car.

Oklahoma utilizes an online insurance verification system, which may or may not be accurate.

Fox23News in Tulsa, OK recently ran a couple of stories covering the growing use of remote camera technology, and a poll of 4,000 viewers after the 2/17/10 airing found that 73% of viewers opposed this use of cameras.

Given that both the Oklahoma Dept of Public Safety and the Governor issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) for ALPR cameras, this bill seems to be a little suspect.

HB 2331, allowing for random verification of insurance coverage and confiscation of private property, smacks more of revenue generation for both the insurance industry and a cash strapped state, than a public safety issue. OK-SAFE, while not endorsing driving uninsured, believes that the confiscation of private property by government for failure to purchase a product is not a move to be considered lightly; HB 2331 is a seriously flawed bill.

II) NO on HB 3250, by Rep. Sue Tibbs

HB 3250 would ban cell phone use/texting while driving and is part of a federal initiative to ban texting while driving.

The proponents of this bill completely ignore the issue of ‘enforcement’ which at some point will require a partnership between law enforcement and the telecommunications companies for real time access to electronic device usage while a vehicle is in motion.

Quote from US Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood:

“LaHood said enforcing restrictions on texting and cell phone use by drivers will be difficult. He urged the wireless industry to work with public officials to come up with a solution.’

Please call your Representative and House leadership to politely express your concerns about these two bills and the continued move toward bigger and bigger government.  Phone numbers are noted above.