Monroe wrote:
Just imagine, if we had 30% more to spend on road repairs! Want it? Get NJ to drop prevailing wage laws that add 30% to the cost of road repairs. As long as codes are enforced to insist quality work from contractors we'd have huge, instant savings.

But the politicians are scared to buck the special interest groups that fund their campaigns.

brewster wrote:
Quote:

Frank_M wrote:
She wants to catch people who break the law? Good for her, but that?s called police work, and police work isn't cheap.

I disagree that it's necessarily "police work" that needs to be done in the most expensive possible way. I think there's lots of ways to achieve enforcement, same as using parking agents or traffic agents for those jobs freeing cops for real crime.

I find it sad that the traffic cam issue has run so far off the rails, in part due to greed. It's a great idea to make our streets safer. That's why I like the idea of citizens submitting footage of traffic violations, maybe it would cut down on the absurd amount of stop sign running here, and I don't mean roll throughs.

Frank_M wrote:
She wants to catch people who break the law? Good for her, but that?s called police work, and police work isn't cheap.

brewster wrote:


I don't think the idea is for people to make their living videoing idlers, just that they're giving a "non-altruistic" incentive to do it.

brewster wrote:
Quote:

Frank_M wrote:
Of course idling engines burn fuel and generate pollution, but if we were sincere about working on the problem of automobile pollution, we would start by owning fewer cars and driving much less, our legislators would demand emission standards appropriate to the capabilities of twenty-first century technology, and Councilwoman Rosenthal would push for a congestion pricing initiative in Manhattan.

Instead, Americans continue to purchase and use oversize, inefficient automobiles for extremely light duties, our legislators continue to avoid rocking the emissions standards boat lest they interrupt the flow of campaign money, and here, Ms. Rosenthal lays two incredible turds at once by trying to create an underpaid, benefit-exempt contract work force (the cornerstone of America?s race to the bottom), only to have them report their fellow citizens to the authorities for a petty offense. That?s not a sincere effort, that?s just sad.

You left off the low gas taxes, both national and NJ. The reason roads are falling apart is that the tax was not indexed, so the US tax has fallen 40% in real dollars, I can't find when NJ's was last raised. Funny how some taxes like Sales are % and other are fixed, like they love to leave a bone to fight over in the future.

I don't think the idea is for people to make their living videoing idlers, just that they're giving a "non-altruistic" incentive to do it.

Frank_M wrote:
Of course idling engines burn fuel and generate pollution, but if we were sincere about working on the problem of automobile pollution, we would start by owning fewer cars and driving much less, our legislators would demand emission standards appropriate to the capabilities of twenty-first century technology, and Councilwoman Rosenthal would push for a congestion pricing initiative in Manhattan.

Instead, Americans continue to purchase and use oversize, inefficient automobiles for extremely light duties, our legislators continue to avoid rocking the emissions standards boat lest they interrupt the flow of campaign money, and here, Ms. Rosenthal lays two incredible turds at once by trying to create an underpaid, benefit-exempt contract work force (the cornerstone of America?s race to the bottom), only to have them report their fellow citizens to the authorities for a petty offense. That?s not a sincere effort, that?s just sad.

HeightsBrat wrote:
Funny that this thread started up.

This morning on the radio, before 6am, they had one of those 'man in the street' questions; this was in Manhattan. It was, in effect, would you take a video/picture of someone idling & turn it in if you could collect 1/2 of the ticket value for doing so. All but one person would.

trambone wrote:
Wouldn't this violate the sixth amendment?

JCMan8 wrote:
Reporting your neighbors is a tactic out of the Nazi's playbook. But I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if one could report cops who are idling their cars. No one is above the law, right?

JCMan8 wrote:
Reporting your neighbors is a tactic out of the Nazi's playbook. But I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if one could report cops who are idling their cars. No one is above the law, right?