That's the issue

Tom Damico seems to have an issue with state Rep. Robert Schenck and me over the legality of red light cameras. Let me one more time try to show Mr. Damico and others what our objections are.

I agree with Mr. Damico that violators who run red lights and turn right on red without stopping should be ticketed. Mr. Damico states in his letter, "If you don't violate the law, it's not an issue." Well, that is the issue. You see, these devices ticket the car not the driver. So if you can prove you were not driving the vehicle that made the infraction, it doesn't matter, because you, the car owner, are issued the summons.

The statute you mention in your letter, 316.075, clearly states that these are moving violations. A moving violation must be issued to a driver not the vehicle's owner. These devices can't identify the driver, and that is my issue.

Communities that use these devices don't care if they step on your rights. All they see are dollar signs. The Dade County judge who ruled them illegal and Rep. Schenck both see these devices for what they are, and I hope others, including Mr. Damico, might reconsider there objections after reading this.

We're on the same side when it comes to road safety. I live around the corner from that intersection where you were almost T-boned by the school bus running the light. However, a cop issuing a summons to that driver, not the school district that owns the bus, is the right way to go.

James T. Woods

Brooksville