NAACP will fight red light cameras

Jessica Brown has the story here

Updated: Here is Chris Smitherman's statement, emailed out today:

NAACP Membership voted last night, Thursday, December 27, 2007, to oppose the City Council's decision to install cameras at intersections.

City Council is attempting to increase revenue by photographing cars and mailing tickets to car owners. The Cincinnati NAACP will collaborate with other organizations to collect the signatures needed for a charter amendment.

The organizations involved will need to collect less than 9,000 valid signatures to get this issue on the November 2008 ballot. The Cincinnati Branch is confident that we will reach the threshold needed to place the issue on the ballot. In light of this information, the Cincinnati Branch of the NAACP encourages Council not to begin the purchase of equipment knowing that the public is engaging in the democratic process to put "Red Light Cameras" on the ballot for a yes or no vote.

These cameras represent the governments continued desire to have "Big Brother" watching citizens every move. City Council is attempting to balance the city budget with revenue from the "Red Light Cameras." However, it is yet another invasion of our civil rights and civil liberties.

Smitherman stated, " The Cincinnati NAACP Branch is not driven by political parties. The local branch is no longer a 'whipping boy' for any political party. We simply evaluate public policy and ask the question, 'What is in the best interest of the African-American community?'"