New Jersey's leading anti-red light camera crusader is on the warpath again.

Red light Cameras
Mario Tama, Getty Images
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Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon is outraged that a red light camera company has created what he describes as a phony front organization to voice support for the use of red light cameras.

"The Traffic Safety Coalition is a phony organization designed like Tony Soprano would launder money through the Botta Bing club. This club is designed to launder messages coming from the camera companies," O'Scanlon said.

He said the coalition is funded by Redflex Traffic Systems, the company that is now being accused of bribing officials in Chicago and 14 other states including New Jersey.

"What's happening is disgraceful. If you didn't have to lie about your product and lie about what it did, and lying about the fact that it's stealing tens of millions of dollars from the people of New Jersey - you wouldn't need phony front organizations, O'Scanlon said. "There is no organic, unbiased, ethical safety official who will pitch their message anymore - because the message is phony."

O'Scanlon said numerous studies prove red light cameras don't increase safety, if anything they net marginally decrease safety.

"There is no competent, unbiased entity or person who can conclude that this equipment improves safety. It does nothing more than line the pockets of the camera companies and of the budgets of the municipalities where the local officials have decided to permit it to be placed," O'Scanlon said.  "It is government sanctioned theft, no question. Thus, no legitimate entity will stand up for this equipment."

Occasionally these phony shell-groups get legitimate organizations to sign on with them  because they don't know they're being run by the camera companies, according to O'Scanlon.  It recently happened to the New Jersey Hospitals Association, but they have since demanded their name be removed as a partner from the Traffic Safety Coalition website.

 

 

 

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