Red-Light Cameras Rake In Money For Cities As They Increase Accidents

By on October 17, 2013   /   Items of Interest, Latest, News Advisory, News Releases, Taxpayer Alert  

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CHICAGO—Red-light cameras are a scam whose only purpose is to generate millions of dollars for cities and towns, and, furthermore, actually increase accidents, not decrease them, according to Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America.
“Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel must have felt a tingle go up his leg when he announced last week that red-light cameras would be coming Jan. 31 at 18 Chicago intersections,” said Tobin. “He is looking forward to the additional millions of dollars that will be funneled into city coffers to fund the lavish, gold-plated Chicago government-employee pensions.”
“Emanuel stated that such cameras have reduced accidents, but this is either a sign of ignorance, or a lie.”
“One report after another has shown the reverse is true: Red-light cameras increase accidents. But they also increase revenues for municipalities, which is why politicians love them.”
“The National Motorists Association website has a sampling of these studies.”

“Taxpayers are being nickel-and-dimed to death by greedy politicians, except we’re not talking about nickels and dimes. In addition to having to pay out big bucks, motorists are suffering increased injuries caused by rear-end collisions. Only politicians and orthopedic surgeons are benefiting.”

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Chicago Speed-Trap Cameras ‘Discriminatory and Racist’

By on October 16, 2013   /   Items of Interest, Latest, News Releases, Taxpayer Alert  

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CHICAGO—The head of one of the nation’s largest taxpayer organizations today called Chicago’s plan to install more than 100 speed-trap cameras in the city “discriminatory, racist and unconscionable.”
“The greed of Chicago politicians knows no bounds,” said Jim Tobin, President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). “Chicago and the city’s government-employee pension funds are in dire financial condition, but rather than standing up to the unions and cutting spending and forcing pension-reform, Mayor Emanuel and his rubber-stamp city council once more will stick it to Chicagoans and motorists unfortunate enough to be passing through Chicago.”
“These speed-trap cameras have nothing to do with safety. They will provide a windfall of many millions of dollars for city coffers, which will be used to prop-up the finances of the city and its government-employee pension funds.”
“To be blunt, the speed-trap camera program is racist and discriminatory, impacting minorities and the poor who will struggle to find $100 for going 11 miles per hour over the speed limit.”
“How much of a penalty will be assessed for non-payment of the fine? These fines are often twice the amount of the ticket or more. There are government laws to protect us from private businesses gouging us, but who protects us from the government gouging us?”
“I strongly urge the Chicago City Council to say to Mayor Emanuel, ‘Enough is enough!’ and review and reconsider this entire program.”
TUA testified against the speed-trap cameras at the City Council hearings held on April 11, 2012.
 

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Tax Accountability Pres. Endorses Canceling Gov. Debt to Itself

By on October 15, 2013   /   Items of Interest, Latest, News Releases, Tax Accountability, Taxpayer Alert  

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CHICAGO—The President of Tax Accountability, economist, former Federal Reserve Bank examiner, and legendary tax fighter Jim Tobin, today endorsed the plan by U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson (D-9, Florida) that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke use his powers to end the debt limit crisis.
Grayson, quoted in Business Insider, Oct. 11, 2013, states that “…this idea was put forward not by me…but by Republican Rep. Ron Paul.”
“The solution advocated by Paul and Grayson is brilliant and elegant,” said Tobin. “Bernanke should simply cancel the Treasury debt that it owns. The government can just forgive the government’s debt.”
The Federal Reserve doesn’t own all of the U.S. government debt, but it does own roughly $2 trillion of it. Canceling this portion of the debt would, in Grayson’s words, “give the government substantial room under the debt ceiling standoff in Congress, and it would prevent a default.”
“Grayson is absolutely correct when he says the debt held on the balance sheet can be canceled without any significant consequence,” said Tobin. “It is a bookkeeping artifact corresponding to the money supply. In essence, the government owes this money to itself. This is not a debt problem; it is an accounting problem.”
Grayson, a Democrat, and Ron Paul, a Republican and former U.S. Rep. from Texas, are among the strongest critics of an out-of-control Federal Reserve.
Paul has campaigned to dissolve the Fed for 35 years, and wrote an entire book called “End the Fed.” Grayson has repeatedly slammed the Fed. Paul and Grayson also co-sponsored a bill to audit the Federal Reserve.
“Rep. Grayson has written to Chairman Bernanke asking that he cancel the debt held on the Fed’s balance sheet. If Bernanke were to do this, his legacy would be his being considered the greatest Federal Reserve Chairman in U.S. history.”

Tax Accountability is the political action arm of Taxpayers United of America.

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