By Elaine Donnelly
Extending sexual misconduct to combat units
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
Privatizing law enforcement should never be done lightly. The combination of the government's power to restrain individual liberty and greed for profit invites corruption. That's the scenario playing out across the country with revenue cameras, sometimes called red-light cameras.
The lure of easy money can't be resisted. It tempts the defenders of red-light cameras to say whatever it takes to keep the money-making machines running. In a nearby letter, Alexandria Police Chief Earl L. Cook takes issue with a recent editorial that identified just how dangerous a game the city has been playing ("Alexandria's voluntary cameras," Aug. 2). Here's the whole story.
The city of Fairfax is about to join Arlington and Falls Church in making its streets far more dangerous. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) on March 28 gave its final blessing to the installation of red-light cameras at a pair of Fairfax intersections where the devices could not possibly result in any significant safety benefit.
Much of the discontent with the recently adopted economic stimulus bill has focused on the package's enormous cost. While the most expensive projects attract the most attention, taxpayers also will be affected by the small-dollar items of the sort found on the U.S. Conference of Mayors' wish list.
