1. No clear proof that red light cameras reduce accidents or save lives (but they usually do generate lots of revenue for the city!).

source- http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/home/nma-objections-to-photoenforcement/#nosafety

2. Red light cameras might actually cause more rear end collisions, because people brake suddenly at yellow lights to avoid red light camera tickets.

3. The red light camera system might not be functioning properly, or might not be properly calibrated, and you could get stuck with a bogus ticket as a result.

4. If somebody else is driving your car and runs a light, YOU are responsible for the ticket.

5. You might have a bunch of red light cameras along your daily route, and thus be unfairly targeted.

6. Most of the Kansas City red light cameras are located in areas with higher minority populations and lower income populations.

7. Cities and red light camera companies often reduce the green->yellow->red light cycle time (aka “signal timing”) at intersections so more people will run the light, and get a ticket, and pay the $100+ fine and consequently increase revenue for the city and/or red light camera company that shares in ticket fine proceeds. An unfortunate side effect of this practice is an increase in accidents and injuries.

8. Steve Worley, the city traffic engineer who pushed for the red light camera system use, quit his job and went to work for the company that got the contract to supply red light cameras to the city.

source-http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/17/1733.asp

9. City employees and other people with connections in city hall often get their tickets dismissed. But YOU still have to pay your fine.

10. Red light camera tickets are a bogus revenue generator for the city that ultimately comes out of YOUR paycheck.

11. If you supposedly run a red light and get issued a ticket, the ticket is mailed to you. What happens if the ticket gets lost in the mail? You’ll probably never know about the ticket until you’re arrested for failure to pay the fine.

12. Hearsay (i.e. there is no certifiable witness to the alleged violation). “Ordinarily, if you wish to use a document or letter as evidence in court, you need to bring in a live person to testify as to its authenticity and accuracy (and he can be cross-examined about the same, by your opponent). Without that ‘live’ authentication, the document would be ruled to be ‘hearsay,’ and it would be excluded from evidence.  There is an exception to the hearsay rule, for documents created by a government employee – but many of the documents the police present in court have been created by a private company’s employees, who have no official duty to report accurately.” In other words, if you want to contest the ticket in court, you most likely would not win your case.

source one- http://www.highwayrobbery.net/

source two-http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/

13. This type of enforcement emphasizes ticket volume.

source-http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/home/nma-objections-to-photo-enforcement/#volume

14. Red light cameras encourage artificially low speed limits, and adversely affect traffic flow.

source – http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/home/nma-objections-to-photo-enforcement/#artificiallylow

15. There are better alternatives to red light cameras.

source- http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/home/nma-objections-to-photo-enforcement/#alternatives

http://www.iclei.org/

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is an international association of local governments as well as national and regional local government organizations that have made a commitment to sustainable development.

(READ MORE AND WHAT TO DO IN THE ARTICLE POSTED AT THE BOTTOM BY TOM DEWEESE)

Missouri Dues Paying Member Cities (paid with your tax dollars):

Olivette, MO, U.S.A.
Saint Louis, MO, U.S.A.
University City, MO, U.S.A.
Columbia, MO, U.S.A.
Kansas City, MO, U.S.A.
Creve Coeur, MO, U.S.A.

Here are the “partners” of the organization:

United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
Metropolis
World Economic Forum
Clinton Climate Initiative
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
UNFCCC Logo
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Climate Group
World Bankorld Conservation Union (IUCN)
REEEP – Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership
Global Footprint Network
International Centre for Sustainable Cities
Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative

Remove ICLEI – Restore the Republic!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Many Americans ask how dangerous international policies can suddenly turn up in state and local government, all seemingly uniform to those in communities across the nation and around the globe.

The answer – meet ICLEI, a non-profit, private foundation, dedicated to helping your mayor implement all of his promises. Originally known as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), today the group simply calls itself “ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.”

In 1992, ICLEI was one of the groups instrumental in creating Agenda 21. The group’s mission is to push local communities to regulate the environment – and it’s having tremendous success.

I have included a list of 544 American cities in which ICLEI is being paid with tax dollars from city councils to implement and enforce Sustainable Development. ICLEI is there to assure that the mayors keep their promises and meet their goals. Climate change, of course, is the ICLEI mantra.

Read the rest here: http://deweesereport.com/index.php?p=post&id=2

Catherine Bleish
executive director
Liberty Restoration Project
http://www.LibertyRestorationProject.org/

blog: http://www.donttreadoncat.com/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DontTreadOnMe

Freedom reaches across party lines.

Update by Kevin:

Kansas Member Cities:

Lawrence
Mission
Overland Park
Prairie Village

Illinois Member Cities:

Carol Stream
Chicago
Elmhurst
Lake Forest
Northbrook
Oswego
Plainfield
Rock Island
Springfield
Urbana

For a list of all member cities, click here

The Liberty Restoration Project has been observing our local city council for about a year.  We went into the project without an opinion about the council or the mayor.  Over the course of this time period we have collected a series of images and video clips that show you exactly what is happening during a city council meeting.  We’re not going to say we agree with the Mayor 100% politically, but we do see that Kansas City’s problems run deeper than a Mayor who let his wife volunteer in his office.

I encourage all Kansas City residents to attend the Liberty Restoration Project’s grass roots education day on April 26, 2009 starting at 10am, where we will be going over what we have seen at city council meetings.  See the entire schedule of grassroots trainings below.

Also, we plan to have a grass roots brainstorming discussion and your answers to the following survey will be of much help.  We will share this information with any local grassroots liberty group so we can all strive to provide the grassroots with an active and productive coalition of organizations.  Please forward to your friends: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=useVxKZRkmynsCuLLDELLg_3d_3d

You can RSVP to the grassroots education day here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=76856483383

Here is an overview of the education day:

Lecturers, Vendors, Networking opportunities galore!
We are looking for vendors who want to set up during our education day. $25 a booth. Local Businesses and organization encouraged to apply. info@libertyrestorationproject.org for more details! (please forward this around!)

April 26th (day after Monopoly March and LRP’s first fundraiser! Part of our Revolutionary Weekend in KC!)

FREE TO ATTENDEES!

9am-10am Coffee with fellow patriots

10:05am-11:05am City Council Topic Experts LRP, presented by Catherine, Tracy and Bryon. What is a City Council. How can a Liberty Lover influence a community by sitting on a city council? How to run and get elected. What the KC City council is up to… (includes footage of what your city council members are up to during meetings… KC City council members exposed?!)

11:05am-11:15am BREAK 

11:15am-12:00pm Grass roots brainstorming / discussion lead by Catherine from LRP (go over online survey, discuss success/failures/lessons learned in past year / looking forward)

12:00pm-12:20pm Josh Carter, grass roots activist to speak on awareness and involvement

12:20pm-1:00pm LUNCH (provided) 

01:10pm-1:30pm Richard Fry of November Patriots to speak on voter fraud and the Kansas 10th amendment resolution

1:30pm-1:50pm Cissee Spraggins, VP of MO Libertarian Party, to speak on her activities and shed some words of wisdom from her experience in third party politics

1:50pm-2:10pm Justin Windette, food activist to do a long term food storage demo, show you how to do it yourself! (if you’d like to purchase a pre-made bucket we will be selling for a donation that matches the cost)

2:10pm-2:20pm BREAK / Vendors

2:20-2:40 Frances Semler, former parks and rec board commissioner that attended a minuteman conference resulting a large backlash from the Hispanic chamber of commerce, etc… to speak on illegal immigration issues.

2:40-3:00 Josh Nelson of Recycled Rockstar Industries to talk about community development and proliferation.

3:00 – 3:10 BREAK

3:10-3:30 Earl Long to discuss Fair Tax legislation in Missouri.

3:30-3:50 Mark Moore of LRP to put on banking seminar.

Do you know a 12-23 year old revolutionary?  Look at the incredible opportunity below!  (and the deadline was JUST extended!)  LRP would love for you to pass this along!  Let us know if you know of someone who has applied!

News from City Hall
City Communications Office
City of Kansas City, Mo.
www.kcmo.org
CONTACT: Mary Charles, city communications officer, (816) 513-1356
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2009

Kansas City Youth Commission application deadline extended

The City of Kansas City, Mo., Youth Advocacy Office, a division of the City Manager’s Office, has extended the application deadline for the Kansas City Youth Commission to 5 p.m. on April 10. City residents between the ages of 12-23 are eligible to apply.

Youth commission members will be chosen through a competitive process. The 17 young people who are selected will be the official youth voice in the City’s decision-making process, and advocate for the needs and wants of the city’s youth. Commissioners will be called upon to encourage political involvement among their peers. This is the fifth year of the Kansas City Youth Commission.

To submit or download an application, visit the Youth Advocacy Web site at http://www.kcmo.org/youth. Completed applications also can be sent to: Youth Advocacy Office, 414 E. 12th St., 25th floor, Kansas City, MO 64106.

For more information, contact Thalia Cherry, youth advocate, (816) 513-1378 or youthcom@kcmo.org.

Today I was cced on an anonymous email sent to Chris Stigall (KCMO 710am morning show here in Kansas City) that I just HAD to pass along!

enjoy:

Hello Chris,

I have so so very much to tell you, however, I’m lacking in time.  I did want to mention my thoughts on our new tyrannical trash situation in the city.  Today, of course, in the Public Safety and Neighborhood committee meeting, we heard a lovely debate on trash.  Cathy Jolly needs to understand that being a tyrant isn’t the way to get something done in this city.  She wants to scrap the “notices” and put a “violation ticket” across somebody’s door “so they can’t open their door” if they have too many trash bags out on trash day.  Not only that but, the maximum fine of $500 isn’t stiff enough for her, she wants to make having trash in your yard a “state offense”.  Go watch the meeting on kcmo.org.  Cathy Jolly is obviously letting power get to her head.

First of all, it’s been a good while since I’ve been notified of the “rules” for trash but I do remember what they are from when the city implemented the program.  Yes, I get the notices every couple months about leaf pick up but they don’t say anything about the two bag trash rule on the flyer for their normal guidelines.  I can only imagine a newcomer to KC putting their trash out on trash day and getting a “fine” of $25 posted on their front door in order to “shame” them into following KC’s trash regulations.  HEY!!  Welcome to the neighborhood, I see you got the “memo” of our two bag trash rule.  I think this city needs to send out a notice that states the rules for trash several times a year. They even stated in the Transportation and Infastructure meeting in my neighborhood that education is the key for getting people to understand the rules.  Oh wait, that’s right, Cathy Jolly left that meeting before the “education” aspect was even talked about.  (I’m talking about a neighborhood meeting at the end of January in the Hickman Mills area that I attended).

Also, what happened to people joining together to help keep up their neighborhood?  Was Obama just elected President to “bring people together?”  and to also “serve our communities as our civic duty”?  Perhaps KC should do something like Independence and have a “clean up” weekend where they put a large trash bin in neighborhoods a couple times a year and everybody pitches in and picks up their neighborhood?  Oh wait, KC needs money, screw something logical, let’s just fine people or throw them in jail for violating trash ordinances that most know nothing about.  Way to be a city, KC!

I’d love a reply from you sometime.

Hope all is well and Happy Valentine’s Day with your wife.

Sincerely,
A Concerned KC Citizen

When you think of Kansas City, you think of a diverse, lively, upstanding community.  However, if you delve into the inner workings of Kansas City, you’ll find something more like a three ringed circus.  Granted, I’ve been paying a bit of attention to our city council for a while now because I figure that if you’re going to get to liberty, you have to hit it where it’s closest to you.  For me, that’s Kansas City’s city council.  Watching the local politicians on our very own KCCG-2 can sometimes be amusing all by itself, however, one must really step into the arena to get the full experience.  This was my witness account of my first official Kansas City city council meeting:

We did arrive a tad late, 3:20 for a meeting that was to begin at 3:00.  However,  the meeting still did not start for another 15-20 minutes.  Once the meeting did start, a couple of Council members were still not present.  Cathy Jolly couldn’t sit still.  She was constantly getting up and conversing with other council members, leaving and coming back, etc.  Beth Gottstein arrived late and proceeded to behave like a teenager wtih ADD; talking on her phone, texting, leaving and coming back.  At one point, she was late for a vote due to her being in another room and when she came back to council, she was directed by Jan Marcason on how to vote.  Melba Curls was on her phone almost more than she wasn’t and out of her seat when she was on the phone.  Terry Riley was also seen with his phone on his ear for quite a while as well.

Now, this is just the little pet peeves I had.  I don’t understand how you go to an official meeting and just wander about, chat, text, and not pay attention.  To me it seemed disrespectful and incredibly RUDE.  On top of that, it was incredibly hard to pay attention to what was going on because of all the chaos.

Now comes the whole “circus”:

I must admit that the 1st and 2nd district council members were incredibly business like and respectable.  They didn’t act like children who don’t get there way even when they were in disagreement with the Mayor.  The 3rd district ladies (outside of Melba Curls being on her phone) never really spoke up or had much input on the subject.

The 4th, 5th, and 6th district side of the room acted like stubborn, bratty kids who weren’t getting their way in the sandbox.  Huffing and puffing, sighing and moaning and completely indignate towards the Mayor.  I suppose if we want the City Council to seem like the American Idol rejects, look to those districts and that is what you get with their playing to the camera and acting over the top when they didn’t get their way.  Most of the bickering was from the 4th, 5th, and 6th districts and the Mayor.  However, I must say that while I don’t completely agree with the Mayor, he behaved incredibly well as opposed to the throwing of baby fits from the upper district side of the room.  I would say that they were the 3 ringed side of the circus.

Now, I understand the Mayor’s position, he was going to “settle” the lawsuit but he wasn’t going to give up the fight over the new ordinance.  He claims the ordinance is unconstitutional and under this wonderful Country of ours, we must uphold the Constitution. I commend Mayor Funkhouser as he swore to an oath when going into office that he would do just that.  The City Council is concerned with money, power, and attention.  I for one, believe that the Constitution is something that is VITALLY important to hold onto (what’s left of it these days) therefore, on the ordinance, I have to sway my vote in the way of the Mayor on this one.  Let them take it to a judge and find out if that ordinance is Constitutional or not.  End of story.

It’s apparent that there is tension within the City Council.  I do believe that Mayor Funkhouser has been singled out in this case.  The behavior displayed today from those that were completely adamant against Funkhouser was childish and choleric.  He offered to settle the lawsuit but bring the ordinance back for further review, the City Council said no.  Somebody’s going to have to give or take in this case, I just wonder who it’s going to be.