The confident City Council’s undulating approval of a new three-year agreement with its scarred red-light camera vendor never would have been mistaken for a spit-and-polish, dress uniform performance.
The discussion last evening throbbed with imprecision, sagged with ambiguity.
The Council and their advisors were determined to remarry Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc.
As a gentleman named Sterling cogently observed the other day, “Isn’t a man entitled to one mistake?”
But as with Mr. Sterling, Esq., the flaws in Redflex’s seedy-appearing complexion may be a wee bit more troubling than a glance would reveal. If the Council took more than a veering glance at Redflex last evening, it never was evident.
The casual Council made unspecific demands during the loosely knit dialogue. They were satisfied with what appeared to be abbreviated, offhanded responses.
Probing? Not at all.
On a night for informal inquiries, they were quite satisfied not to dip below the surface where they might have found blood.
What’s a $2 million bribery scheme between pals?
Members were neither adversarial nor more than slightly curious.
When the marathon meeting concluded at 12:30 this morning, janitors should have shlepped in a supply of mops and brooms. The dialogue in both directions skewed sloppy.
Close-mouthed Redflex, the vendor, owner of shaky reputation, was just thrilled to flop its reputedly flabby body across the finish line with merely a scarlet-colored face, thrilled that its most embarrassing sins would remain out of view.
What the incurious Council knows is this:
It ain’t gettin’ no virgin.
If they had brought this no-virgin home to their parents, pop and mom would have blushed over Redflex’s recent frolics with law enforcement.
But, hey, it can’t happen here, can it?
That is what Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells and police Capt. Allen Azran assured last evening’s audience in Council Chambers.
From the Chicago Tribune:
In a series of stories beginning in 2012, the Tribune has exposed a questionable relationship between Chicago’s red-light camera vendor and City Hall. Some of those revelations led to an ongoing federal criminal investigation and other probes that have cost Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. its Chicago contract and resulted in the resignation of the company’s top executives. In addition, the newspaper has raised questions about the company’s early connections to the speed-camera program launched by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The lead from a story in the Chicago Tribune less than four months ago:
A fired executive of Chicago's beleaguered red light camera company alleges in a lawsuit that Redflex Traffic Systems doled out bribes and gifts at “dozens of municipalities” in 13 other states and says he is cooperating in an ongoing federal investigation.
The explosive allegations, accompanied by few specifics, suggest investigators may be examining Redflex's business practices around the country in the wake of the company's admission last year that its flagship camera program in Chicago was likely built on a $2 million bribery scheme.
Aaron Rosenberg, who was the company's top national salesman, said in a civil defamation claim against Redflex that he was made a “scapegoat” to cover up a long-standing practice of “providing government officials with lavish gifts and bribes” after the Tribune began asking questions about the Chicago contract.
Redflex investigation
Ex-Redflex manager tells of secret meeting
Updated Feb 21, 2014
In a swanky bar overlooking the Chicago skyline, executives of a young and hungry red light camera company gathered for a secret meeting to get help in their fight for the city's business.
City red-light camera vendor under scrutiny
Updated Oct 14, 2012
Prompted by a Tribune investigation into allegations of wrongdoing in Chicago's red-light camera program, an Arizona-based firm has disclosed it paid a $910 luxury hotel tab for the city official in charge of its contract and failed to tell City Hall about the ethics breach for two years.
More Redflex coverage
Red light camera firm admits it likely bribed Chicago official
Updated Mar 02, 2013
Chicago's embattled red light camera firm went to City Hall on Friday in its latest effort to come clean, acknowledging for the first time that its entire program here was likely built on a $2 million bribery scheme.
Bribe scandal could be widespread
Updated Jan 23, 2014
A fired executive of Chicago's beleaguered red light camera company alleges in a lawsuit that Redflex Traffic Systems doled out bribes and gifts at “dozens of municipalities” in 13 other states and says he is cooperating in an ongoing federal investigation.
Chicago OKs deal with new red light camera vendor
Updated Oct 26, 2013
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration announced Friday that it has reached an agreement to replace the city's troubled red light camera operator that has been embroiled in a federal bribery investigation at City Hall.
Emanuel pulls handful of red light cameras as speeding tickets start
Updated Oct 02, 2013
Just as the city gets ready to start issuing tickets of up to $100 for drivers caught by the first of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's automated speed cameras, his office announced Tuesday that controversial red light cameras will be removed from 18 intersections.
Xerox picked for red light camera program
Updated Aug 14, 2013
A traffic camera company that lost its Baltimore contract earlier this year after acknowledging that its faulty equipment resulted in thousands of erroneous speeding tickets was named Tuesday as the preferred bidder to take over Chicago's scandal-ridden red light camera program.
Speeders were plentiful in camera test run
Updated Aug 12, 2013
As Mayor Rahm Emanuel rolls out his long-delayed speed camera plan, new numbers his office released suggest that drivers who speed in Chicago could rack up way more in fines than a cash-starved City Hall initially projected.
Chicago and red light vendor: Breaking up is hard to do
Updated May 08, 2013
Chicago's divorce with Redflex Traffic Systems is getting messy.
Redflex losing contract bids amid Chicago scandal
Updated Apr 11, 2013
Seeking to reverse their fortunes amid a debilitating Chicago corruption scandal, top executives of Redflex Traffic Systems flew to Florida for a personal pitch to local officials having second thoughts about giving the company a major contract for a red-light camera system.
Emanuel says speed camera program will proceed despite Redflex probe
Updated Mar 29, 2013
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday that he believes his administration does not need to halt implementation of a speed camera program in light of a federal bribery investigation centering on a former city employee who went on to work for an organization that lobbied for speed cameras in Illinois.
