Second in a series
Re “How Can I Prove Redflex Is Not Corrupt?”
Character may count in some communities, but not with the City Council when it comes to signing contracts.
Redflex Traffic System’s multi-million dollar corruption scandal in Chicago left the company sin-free in the view of every Council member.
“I don’t need to go to Chicago to know whether the red light camera equipment is working well,” said one Council member. “Nothing tells me they are not performing. The fact they may have had some pretty bad business practices, even illegal business practices, and that there were willing individuals on the other side of contracts willing to accept these bribes, all of that is something to give pause.
“But again,” said the Councilperson, “I am looking at our situation. We have not had any problems for the last three years. Their equipment works well. The collection rate is one of the highest in the County” – even if no one inside of City Hall knows the amount of revenue on a monthly or annual basis.
Therefore, how does the Councilperson know the collection rate “is one of the highest in the County”?
The Chief Financial Officer for Culver City does not know how much money comes in.
Is it possible the Councilperson does not know, may not have any idea, of the collection rate?
More than two weeks after the City Council approved a new three-year agreement with Redflex – terms, sight unseen – sensitive questions not only remain unanswered but largely ignored.
“The system seems to be working well,” said the proud Councilperson. “Now if you want to make an argument that red light cameras don’t solve problems, that is different. This is the issue for us, that everything is working fine.”
The member of Council, appearing to grow frustrated with resistance to certain contentions, said the arguments against Redflex “are kind of like the Donald Sterling issue. We are penalizing the wife for the behavior of the husband. We are blaming the whole company for something that happened in Chicago.”
