Put the Brakes on Red Light Cameras

It ticks me off to witness some moron running a red light, especially when there is no police officer there to ticket them.

photo by katmere

I breathe a sigh of relief when that violation results in no accident and no loss of life. Nevertheless, I oppose the use of red light cameras.

I’m not the only one. Here in Florida, protesters have been busy the past couple of weeks trying to shut down the cameras. Some carried signs at intersections, many spread the word on the Internet.











Maybe they caught the attention of their elected officials, as the House Appropriations Committee voted this week to send a bill advocating the banning of red light cameras, HB 4087, to the full House. Though many trumpeted the victory through their Tweets, this was just one battle in what may be a difficult war to win.

Proponents of the cameras argue that they make us safer and point to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. They conveniently ignore other studies that show otherwise. In fact, researchers at the University of South Florida say their studies indicate the cameras actually increase crashes.

It’s also important to follow the money trail. Ask who is supporting this issue and do they benefit financially. Auto insurers support red light cameras. No surprise. Increased citations result in increased premiums.

The fines from violations result in revenue for the municipalities, the states, and the camera companies. More violations means more revenue generated. Shortening the yellow light time can increase violations. That could never happen, right? Wrong. It can and it has. Several cities have been caught in this dangerous act.

If people were serious about decreasing violations, they would increase amber time. Studies show that adding just one second can reduce violations by 60 percent or more.

Then there is the issue of constitutionality. Our country guarantees us basic rights, including due process. That means you are presumed innocent, you have the right to a trial and the right to confront you accuser. With red light cameras you are guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent. Good luck with that. Even if someone else is driving your car, you are still guilty. How are you going to confront your accuser? There is no witness, just a photograph.

I just love it when someone argues that if you obey the law, you’ll have no problem. Here all along I have been led to believe that our Constitution is our law.

photo by brewbooks

I would be remiss not to mention how Orwellian the red light cameras are. I bring up the Big Brother connection last because I didn’t want to paint this as a government conspiracy. Still, if the government wins the argument that this is Constitutional, it opens the door wider for more cameras and more invasion of our privacy. It strengthens the government’s argument that to keep us safe it needs to be able to monitor our actions at all times.

Is this yet another government over-reach? It sounds to me like they're using a million-dollar bandage without attending to the wound.

Will Trump Turn Presidential Race into Reality Show?

Donald Trump is joining the list of wealthy celebrities who desire occupancy in the Oval Office. The thought of having the star of the reality show “The Apprentice” running the nation is frightening to some, but let’s face it, this group of aspiring presidential candidates resembles a reality show.

Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore

Let’s scrap the ridiculous current method we use to choose a president, put all the candidates together on a reality show and let them get voted off one by one. The survivor becomes president. We could call it “America’s Got No Presidential Talent.”

This might actually get the American public involved, since they’ve demonstrated much more interest in casting votes for reality shows than in participating in the presidential election process. 

Trump brings instant credibility to this novel approach. His show, “The Apprentice,” has been on the air for eleven seasons. That’s as long as “Happy Days” survived, its demise accelerated by Fonsie’s ill-fated jumping of the shark. 

Donald Trump is the shark in this group of presidential candidates. He has a history of devouring his enemies. When you hear him speak, you get the feeling he would go on a feeding frenzy around his opponents.

Trump has already figured out the political strategy of counting on people's short term memories. In 2008, Bush was his choice for worst president ever. Now he says Obama has replaced Jimmy Carter for that dishonor.

Maybe if we put all the presidential contenders on an island or in a house, surrounded by television cameras, people might realize they don’t have to wait for a president to provide change. They have the power as voters to create change if they can just find a candidate in whom they believe.

Trump and Sarah Palin would likely be the most entertaining of “America’s Got No Presidential Talent,” but they’d have a strong supporting cast including Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Haley Barbour, Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty.

Okay, the group does have its weak spots. Romney is a bore, but he does make up for it with his good looks, which is important in television. Plus, the name Mitt conjures up a great reality television name from the past- Puck from “The Real World.” Maybe there is a mystique about being named after sporting equipment.

Tim Pawlenty may not be Mr. Excitement, but he does have the cool nickname, T-Paw. Cool nicknames can take you a long way when you have nothing else going for you, just ask Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known to fans of “The Surreal Life” as Vanilla Ice.

Courtesy of DonkeyHotey/Greg Skidmore

Newt (yet another great reality TV name!) would be the Russell Hantz of the show. Hantz was the “Survivor: Samoa” star who earned a reputation for being evil. Even Hantz may never have stooped as low as Gingrich is claimed to have done by discussing divorce with his wife in a hospital room where she was recovering from cancer

Maybe we could catch lightning in a bottle and have a Flavor Flave- Brigitte Nielson type fling between Michelle Bachman and Haley Barbour. Nothing is unbelievable in reality television.

Courtesy of DonkeyHotey/Bruce Tuten

Sarah Palin might be the Schatar “Hottie” Sapphira, of our show. “Flavor of Love” viewers remember Hottie for trying to cook a raw chicken in the microwave. Of course, if Palin did that, she would likely “refudiate” it.

Talk show host Herman Cain can be the Tanisha Thomas (“Bad Girls Club 2” and “Celebrity Fit Club”) of our show- loud and intimidating. Mike Huckabee would be the Tammy Faye Bakker (“The Surreal Life”) of the group, providing his religious inspiration to the others.

Ron Paul would be the guy who is mocked and picked on. His opponents would all claim he had crazy ideas, only to realize after the end of the show that he was the best informed of the bunch, much like in the 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate debates.

 Donald Trump fits right in with this group. Why shouldn’t he run for president? Comedian Pat Paulsen did. Six times! He had great campaign slogans like, “I’ve upped my standards. Now up yours,” and, “If elected, I will win!”

The difference is that people didn’t take Paulsen’s presidential aspirations seriously. Trump is being taken seriously. With a persona eerily similar to that of WWE bully Vince McMahon, Trump has managed the unthinkable. He has stolen the media spotlight from Charlie Sheen!

People are obviously more interested in being entertained than in questioning why their president is ignoring the Constitution. They have already turned their attention away from our attack on Libya and are focused on “Dancing With the Stars.” It is all just a big joke. Don’t laugh, America, because the joke is on you.

Tedd Webb Questions America's Support of Patriot Act

Tedd Webb unleashes a red, white and blue assault on America's political leaders in the second part of my two-part interview with the veteran broadcaster.

Tedd, who is heard on 970 WFLA in Tampa, Florida, tells me why he left the sports world for the political arena, claims the Democrats and Republicans are providing very little difference in results, explains why neither party will seriously tackle illegal immigration, and calls for a third and fourth party with credible leaders to step forward.

Tedd echoes many of the viewpoints expressed on this blog in past weeks, charging that President Obama plays for the same team as George W. Bush, warns of the dangers of allowing our leaders to ignore America's system of checks and balances, and questions how a true American can support the unpatriotic Patriot Act.


My thanks to Tedd for taking time to share his views on this edition of Blucher Uncaged!

Tedd Webb Explains Effect of Internet on Radio Industry

Internet is killing the radio star, but Tedd Webb marches on. The veteran broadcaster has survived nearly fifty years in the industry.

From his beginnings as a teenage disc jockey, through his many years as a sportscaster and into his present gig as a news/political talk show host, Webb has seen many changes in radio.

photo courtesy of Tedd Webb

One thing that hasn’t changed is Tedd, who remains an iconic figure in Tampa Bay. He has defied the odds in the nomadic world of radio by working for 970 WFLA since 1983! I had the pleasure of working with and learning quite a bit from Tedd during my three years with WFLA in the early '90s.

Tedd was kind enough to join me for the following podcast to discuss the changes he has seen in the radio industry and how the rise of the Internet has accelerated those changes.

Check back for part two of my interview with Tedd, in which we tackle many of the subjects that have been discussed on this blog. It’s a no punches pulled, no holds barred conversation, and Tedd Webb isn’t one to sit on the fence with his opinions.

Where's the Beef With This War?

I have been floored by the lack of American protests regarding President Obama ordering us into a third war. Other than a few extremely clever videos

and some amusing satirical cartoons that have appeared on the Internet,

most Americans have expressed little outrage. Am I not doing an effective job as a blogger?

Bloggers can, and have, made a difference, as Dan Rather, Trent Lott, George Allen, and Jeff Gannon have all discovered.

Audience size obviously plays a big part. A blogger can increase his or her audience by getting their URL into Facebook and other social network sites, promoting their posts on Twitter, and linking to other blogs. It takes much work.

Maybe I’m spoiled. As a broadcaster, I often had a ready-made audience. When I did play-by-play for the Brockton Rox, an independent baseball team in Massachusetts, I also had the added thrill of getting immediate reactions. From my perch in the broadcast booth at lovely Campanelli Stadium, I could look down upon the crowd and see many people listening to my broadcast on their radios. I would say something on the air and actually watch people respond. They were able to see the game unfolding right before them, but many still wanted to hear what I was saying about it. It was a huge compliment. I was blown away.

Joined in the broadcast booth at Campanelli Stadium by Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell

With this blog, I am still working to obtain an audience and to establish a voice. If it causes one person to question his or her own beliefs, whether or not it changes them, I’ll feel as if I have made a difference. Maybe blogging will open the door to a new or bigger audience. Since I feel the two-party system is failing us and I most closely identify my political beliefs with those of the Libertarian Party, maybe I will wind up focusing on getting their message heard. I am also anxious to experiment with podcasts given my success in radio. The Internet has opened so many possibilities.

For now, my podium is this blog, and if it resonates with someone and they respond by protesting a war, I will likely have the same feeling I did when I stated something to my radio listeners in Brockton and a dozen fans turned in their seats, looked up at the broadcast booth, and gave me a smile and a thumbs up!