‘Sneaky money grab’
Dear Editor:
This letter is in support of the letter last week from Larry Grovum (‘Predatory speed trap,’ March 27).
I was sitting beside a camping stove yesterday, the only warmth in my house as the hydro was out, when I opened a letter from the County of Wellington.
It was a penalty for exceeding the 40km/h limit on Belsyde Avenue in Fergus. It showed a photograph of my car in one of two empty lanes – no other cars, no pedestrians.
I had no idea there were speed traps in Fergus and I was not driving excessively fast, but at a speed perfectly safe for the conditions.
The real shock was the amount of the fine: $200. For context, my old age security benefit per month is $380. This is a sneaky money grab imposed by a mindless, brainless machine which has no common sense or conscience.
Our society must strongly oppose these cameras before the administration becomes addicted to the easy income they provide. No more should be installed and the existing ones taken down. They could possibly be sold to somewhere like North Korea.
In Ontario fining someone $200 for a slight traffic misdemeanor is surely unconscionable.
Eric Bzikot,
Conn
‘Strain, frustration’
Dear Editor:
RE: Speed cameras generate $1.18 million in ticket revenue, March 27.
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the recent trial of automated speed cameras in Centre Wellington and the surrounding areas.
Residents driving for decades without a single speeding ticket are now being penalized unknowingly, often multiple times, before receiving hundreds of dollars in tickets weeks later. These drivers are not maniacs or speed demons, they are everyday people driving according to the area, road conditions, traffic and hour of the day.
Driving within 5km/h of the speed limit is considered reasonable in Ontario; it is common driving practice. So those driving a reasonable 55km/h in a 50km/h road who enter the short sections of 40km/h zones without temporarily adjusting their speed are hit with a $103 ticket ($5 per km over plus a $20 victim component fee and $8.25 license plate search fee).
Unlike traditional law enforcement officers, who are trained to use discretion based on real-time conditions and other situational factors, these cameras issue tickets regardless of context, creating a rigid and overly punishing system under the guise of safety.
The speed cameras are frustratingly small and not as visible as you would expect if the desired result was to warn people to slow down. The signs indicating usage are lost amongst the barrage of other signs along the routes. Drivers receive notices well after the fact, often accumulating multiple tickets before realizing they were speeding. This lack of immediate feedback eliminates the opportunity for real-time behavioral correction, which is essential for effective speed enforcement. If the goal is truly safety, then a greater emphasis should be placed on visibility and public awareness encouraging drivers to slow down proactively rather than penalizing them after the fact.
Awareness of the cameras has caused drivers to either avoid those areas entirely, pushing traffic into residential areas and off of the main traffic routes, or they aggressively monitor their speedometers rather than pay attention to the traffic, people and conditions around them. These consequences reduce safety instead of improving it.
Currently 10 more camera locations have been proposed this year across our small community to be installed as early as this September. Specifically if you travel between Ponsonby and Elora Public School you could pass as many as three speed cameras on your route.
There are alternatives to these cameras for improving safety, such as the use of rumble strips, middle barriers, flashing lights, and speed radar signs. Without proper evaluation of the current seven-camera trial, and an increase of 10 more proposed, this initiative will continue to create financial strain and frustration within our community.
I urge all community members to email local councilors to oppose the proposed expansion of these cameras.
Jen Moore,
Centre Wellington
‘Hocus-pocus’
Dear Editor:
RE: Speed cameras generate $1.18 million in ticket revenue, March 27.
This speed camera program seems a lot like Highway 407, where the money collected doesn’t go to the taxpayers for infrastructure rebuilds, but into private pockets. Shame.
And it’s quite some profit: $1.18 million. That’s a cash cow and a golden goose rolled into one. The fact that a large percentage goes not to the county but to private wallets is abysmal. This is predatory capitalism at its worst.
Also, many people were forced to pay to protect their credit rating even though the tickets contained errors. I paid a 407 ETR bill even though I hadn’t been on the 407 in months.
Changes to previous incarnations of photo radar were scrapped and seen as problematic.
Surely at that time when trust in others, and particularly in government, is statistically low, we don’t need this lack of transparency. There is no reason for this not to be completely exposed – after all the contractual arrangement has to exist. It should be public fare. So why the hocus-pocus?
We need bridges, roads and school repairs. This is no time for this.
Who is behind the decision making to construct a profit mechanism for private pockets? Some people are getting wealthy on the backs of the poor taxpayer. I can’t believe that anyone would advance such an initiative.
In a civilized state we don’t need this Big-Brother faction. It should never have been allowed without transparency. It’s too bloody dangerous from too many angles.
We know licence plate recognition software and even many cruisers are equipped with it.
Facial recognition software is also available and when a deal like this lacks transparency, one has to wonder how many layers there are in the lack of transparency. What is behind it all?
There is no excuse for driving fast in a school zone – when school is on. But why do the cameras work after school hours? And why not demarcate school zones or problematic areas with flashing lights?
I do feel for young parents in this day and age with everything moving fast. This is another wrinkle in the manufacture of tension and another instigator for mental health blowouts. This is the last thing we need!
David Courtney,
Belwood
‘Increase cameras’
Dear Editor:
RE: Speed cameras generate $1.18 million in ticket revenue, March 27.
In a perfect world we would police ourselves and all abide by each and every law. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world and many people blithely ignore the traffic laws, in particular speed limits.
That leaves us with three options:
a) let people drive at whatever speed they like;
b) hire numerous police officers to patrol the roads and highways with radar guns – a very expensive option; or
c) install speed cameras.
I suspect that option C is the best option and thank goodness it is achieving at least two of its goals:
– speeding drivers are being issued with tickets and fines so hopefully they will slow down; and
– it not only isn’t costing the taxpayer but is also providing funds that can be used for other municipal and county programs.
I would recommend that the county increase the number of cameras throughout the area.
Ian Hornsby,
Elora
Safety plans
Dear Editor:
RE: Speed cameras generate $1.18 million in ticket revenue, March 27.
If you want cars to drive slower (and we do), design the roads for the speeds you want.
I assume that the money earned from the speed cameras will go directly into re-engineering the roads so that they are designed for the speeds we want. I am looking forward to seeing what changes occur this spring on the sections of roads that have and will have cameras.
I also assume that the County of Wellington has a plan in making these “community safety zones” safer with the money they have gathered.
John Scott,
Elora
Only one candidate?
Dear Editor:
Being old and near sighted, perhaps its just me? The only campaign signs I’m seeing in Welling-Halton Hills North are for Michael Chong. Nothing for the Liberals, Green, NDP, etc.
Did I just miss them, or has the riding been conceded to Mr. Chong? Given the ridings overwhelming preference for voting Conservative, perhaps throwing in the towel is a realistic strategy, saving time, money, effort.
However, it feels like another nail in democracy’s coffin!
Ken Lancaster,
Rockwood
‘Critical’ choice
Dear Editor:
The upcoming election may be the most important one in our lifetimes.
One person that isn’t demonstrating a grasp of the gravity of the situation is Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he continues to repeat rhetorical catch phrases that oversimplify complex issues. Maybe he doesn’t understand, maybe he has so embedded himself into the social media landscape that anything more genuine has become impossible, maybe he needs to placate the pro-Trump contingent now occupying a significant position within the Conservative Party, or maybe he just doesn’t think Canadians are capable of understanding.
It will be a sad day for Canada, with so much at stake, if Poilievre is rewarded for his empty rhetoric that only serves to reinforce polarization and further erode democracy. We are witnessing what is playing out under Trump with this version of politics and we do not want that for Canada.
There are many who vote Conservative in our riding but I hope that before they vote solely on party lines, they think carefully about the choice they are making. Poilievre is not a “traditional” Conservative like Perrin Beatty who served our riding for almost 20 years.
Ontario Premier and PC Party Leader Doug Ford, for good reason, has refused to endorse Poilievre and, in fact, has expressed continued support for Mark Carney’s efforts in dealing with the U.S. On the other hand, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, a supporter of Poilievre, sees Poilievre as being “in sync” with Trump.
It is unfortunate that Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong, who is respected in our community, remains willing to support Poilievre. He may be relying on the Conservative “brand” to win in this riding but the Conservative Party is not what it was.
The decision of who is best equipped to lead Canada during these extraordinary times is clear. It isn’t Poilievre, a career politician since the age of 25.
Carney has years of leadership experience in providing guidance through economic crises and has repeatedly been endorsed by Conservatives.
When you vote, please vote for what Canada needs right now. Your choice has never been more critical.
Julie Galloway,
Elora
‘Not Canadian way’
Dear Editor:
A new Canadian Prime Minister is a big deal, especially when an election will be held in a matter of weeks. Mark Carney is new and shiny for many voters. As all leaders, he has his strengths and weaknesses. He has served as governor of the Bank of Canada and governor of the Bank of England. Impressive credentials! As well he advised the former liberal prime minister on economic policies. Not so impressive!
He has never run for political office, and is not fluent in French, which until the last few months would have been unacceptable for any Canadian Liberal prime minister. It seems U.S. President Donald Trump has changed our core beliefs and values as well.
Trump’s election and his threats to our country, though real, have been used as an excuse by the federal Liberals to walk away from their failed policies of the last nine years and usher in new ones. Late in the game, the “new” Liberal Party wants to forge a different path for Canada. Really?
My head is spinning. I am reminded of what we were taught in school every day and especially during exam time. We were not to cheat! It seems as though the Liberals under Carney are copying what the Conservatives under Leader Pierre Poilievre have been advocating for years.
I see my young adult grandchildren working hard every day to create their own unique futures. Poilievre believes in hard work as a proud politician, family man and leader of the federal Conservatives. He has identified policies which will improve living standards for everyone such as removing interprovincial trade barriers, axing the carbon tax, and decreasing building costs so those who wish to own a home are able to do so.
Carney agrees with Poilievre because most of what the Conservatives have been fighting for have now become Liberal policies. Poilievre has done the hard work, but not Carney, not yet. Let him serve as leader of the opposition for the next five years and then run again.
You do not get to show up and overnight and become prime minister of Canada. That may be the Liberal way, but it is not the Canadian way.
Janet Calderwood,
Rockwood
‘No boundaries’
Dear Editor:
Donald Trump has announced that he plans on putting tariffs on the entire world.
I suggest the entire world gets together and form our own coalition and put tariffs on everything the U.S. sells to the entire world. This man has no boundaries at all.
I pity the U.S. right now.”
Wes Whitford,
Palmerston