The advocacy group Cameras For A Better Police State, aka the Buffalo Common Council and the Buffalo Police Department, cynically prop up the suggestion that safety is the primary concern. Everybody knows that is bullshit. I am sick and tired of our elected officials treating us like children in a juvenile detention center, who can't possibly possess the intelligence and foresight to realize how dishonest these fork-tongued bastards are. I wonder if they even regard us that much. This is what you get when your populace doesn't care - the people in power can fuck with you with no repercussions to their careers or reputations. Hell, if it isn't City Hall being buffoons and making a complete mockery of our city, it's the School Board. None of this is going to stop without the citizens demanding that they do so. I'm for safer streets like anybody else - I'm not for this tripe the city is trying to serve us in the form of reasons. I'm not hearing reasons; I'm hearing excuse making and patronizing vomit speech. Speaking of vomit speech, FUCK Byron Brown, the police department and our city officials. The idea that they are on our side and working to make our city a better place to live is a joke - our city is one or two plant closings away from being a certified hollow shell. They are currently worried about spending grant money in a way that will generate "revenue" to prop up their wasteful and utterly ineffective government. Misplaced priorities? Buffalo? Naaah. Let us keep building Security Cameras that will build us a "bridge to the future" (thanks Slick Willy) and ensure that our city will thrive well into the 21st Century. Don't these idiots know that sooner rather than later, there won't be a tax base left to nickel and dime, annoy, and generally take the piss out of?
Here's some comedy to temper the madness -
Indeed, because if you don't laugh you might cry. Or in the case of the City of Buffalo, you might die.
Chippewa Hoochie. ehehe.
and chico- no no no. buffalo won't pony up for more cops until we "pay them like our life depends on it."
god I hate those stickers.
Freaking cops. I would pay perhaps doctors/nurses/ambulance drivers/mercyflight pilots/etc like my life depends on it- but not cops.
Ever since I learned that they have this union-assured health insurance "rider" that covers cosmetic surgery (i.e. free hair transplants and breast implants for all cops and teachers) I have been fed up with them. I guess in an effort to fix budget woes the county suggested maybe NOT subsidizing this unnecessary 'health care' but the union got all involved and threatened to strike blah blah blah. Yeah, way to "help people", state employees.
Ok while I'm ranting-
I had a patient the other day who is TWENTY.
And she has had: a nose job. Breast implants. And an abortion.
(likely in that order.)
And before I saw her, I had formed this image in my mind...
fake-tanned, straightened hair, back tattoo, slutty little top... I had this total little chippewa hoochie in my mind.
And lo and behold when I got there to see her I was 100 PERCENT correct.
ok, rant off. Sorry for getting so off topic.
bahahaha, love the YMCA thing.
I had a little road rage episode yesterday.... I was driving down richmond at like 6am. No cars on the road. Some jackass pulls up on my right at a red light. As if he were turning right. But instead guns it when the light turns green, to get in front of me. Oh no.... now it's on. So I totally fly past him and pass him illegally to get back in front.
But then comes a red light.
And not only does he not stop- he passes me, on the right, runs the light, flicks me off, honks his horn, etc etc.
I followed him down richmond onto allen and he turned right on elmwood. There was a cop parked outside Towne, I was SO tempted to go tattle on the guy. Somehow he really pissed me off. i don't like being passed, I don't like being passed on the RIGHT, and I especially don't like when that passing involves running a red light. Grr.
(e:felly) - I have to admit to something. Yesterday on the way home from work a guy in a new Mercedes did that very thing to me on Elmwood, so in retaliation I cut him off at the next light. It was the first time I've ever done it, and (e:jason) much prefers it to my typical methods of expressing my road rage. The guy deserved it!
My hypothesis is that most people who pull up on the right side aren't Buffalo residents and don't really know the deal.
this pisses me off. Period.
Another thing that upsets me is people who pull up to the right side of you at a light only to peal out in front of you when the light goes green.
Great rant. I share your disgust. If the city wants to enforce laws more frequently, how about ponying up for a few more beat cops? Cameras and automatic tickets for traffic violations -- *shudder*
I do think that the camera Idea is a good Idea. The problem is that it is coming from the lets get money and ticket people way of thinking instead of lets save lives and one way to do it is by putting cameras in. If that was the case what they would do is put traffic cameras on lights that were focused on stop signs. I can't tell you how many times drives come up to a stop sign and don't stop or roll through it. I have been going to cross a street and see a car going and known that with how fast they are going that they won't stop for me or if they try to I could get hit and it isn't supposed to be that way so if safety is what they want watch corners with out lights. But what happens when something else happens at a light say jay walking, drive by, someone smoking weed, or walking with an open container could those traffic cameras be used to try and catch that person? What would happen then?
I fully supported lights on cameras in Philadelphia. Running red lights was absolutely an epidemic in that city. People would honk their horns at ya, if you didn't run the red! And people got hurt and it messed up pedestrian traffic.
But in Buffalo...I don't see the need. I rarely ever see people running red lights. So I'd have to agree that it's a money grab, but I'm not sure it's going to pay off the cost of the equipment.
To add to the fun, here's this article from Buffalo News about the behind the scenes manipulation of a politician to benefit his friend who manufactures the cameras: :::link:::