The following Letter to the Editor was sent to the Johnson City Press on November 8, 2008.
Dear Editor:
It seems as though Johnson City will have red light cameras before long. Your Saturday, November 8th story gave some information that causes me to question not only the legality, but also the conservatism of any of the members of the Johnson City Commission.
Your story states that “cameras would only take photos and/or video of vehicle license plates, not the occupants of the vehicle.” If this is the case, then there is no proof of the identity of the person driving the vehicle. I also believe that it is next to impossible to convict vehicles of crimes. I question how these tickets can stand up in court since we are “innocent until proven guilty.” The problem is they do stand up in court. If one looks, he or she can also find license plate covers and sprays that make it next to impossible for the cameras to identify plates. That is just some information for readers.
My big problem is how anyone who claims to be conservative and stand for republicanism can turn his or her back on the idea of innocent until proven guilty. If anyone votes for the cameras, they are voting against “innocent until proven guilty.” Remember, anyone who supports this is nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing.