BARRINGTON - State Senator Dan Duffy (R-Barrington) said Saturday he's preparing to introduce legislation this week that would push for reimbursement of red light camera tickets. The US Attorney's office is launching a federal investigation of financial connections between Chicago insiders and red light camera lobbyists. Duffy says the $300 million obtained through "illegally-installed" cameras should be reimbursed to ticketed drivers.
Redflex Holdings Ltd., the red light camera Australian parent company contracted with Chicago, revealed recently that an internal investigation uncovered evidence that its 10 year old Chicago program appears to have been connected to a $2 million bribery scheme involving a past Chicago city official.
Other red light camera companies' tactics have been questioned for years. Senator Duffy tried to ban red light cameras in 2010, but his legislation was shut down by political insiders.
Then as early as February 2009, Illinois Review ran the following story on the RedSpeed camera company and their lobbyists setting up a lucrative contract in suburban Schaumburg, which has since been eliminated. The company's business was pushed by influential state lobbyists who contributed thousands to lawmakers' campaign coffers:
TRAFFIC CAM FIRM'S POLITICAL INVESTMENTS REAP HUGE RETURNS - February, 2009
Illinois Review doesn't provide investment counsel, but this one may be a no-brainer. If you're looking for a place to put your last few precious investment dollars, you may consider Lombard-based Red Speed Illinois. Red Speed is a company that provides those pesky tell-all cameras attached to stoplights, and issues data to ticket intersection law violators. Check out Red Speed's investment shrewdness in one northwest suburban intersection alone.
At Streets of Woodfield's busy intersection of Woodfield and Meachem, Red Speed was paid by the city of Schaumburg a startup fee of $127,000 to install a right turn lane camera, just before last year's busy Christmas shopping season.
During those weeks Red Speed's camera was activated, Schaumburg reported 10,000 $100 tickets issued, as reported by the Daily Herald. $30 of each of those fines went straight back to Red Speed, totalling $300,000. The rest of the $1,000,000 went to the city of Schaumburg. Red Speed's take on that one intersection totalled $427,000 before public outcry shut down the camera's right turn surveillance last week.
Red Speed's fiscal shrewdness is evident when you check the State Board of Elections' campaign disclosures for 2008. Red Speed gave $400 to Schaumburg's State Rep. Paul Froehlich and $1000 to Schaumburg's State Senator John Millner. Froehlich and Millner received just two of RedSpeed's 65 or more political contributions to Illinois lawmakers since 2006, totaling $35,125. No contributions to local Schaumburg officials is noted on the Election Board disclosures.
Red Speed also knows how to pick influential Capitol dealmakers. The Secretary of State's lobbyist list shows Red Speed has contracted with Alfred Ronan LTD, whose associate lobbyist is former Elk Grove Township-based former State Senator Cheryl Axley.
RedSpeed invested $35,125 in campaign donations and got a return of $427,000 on one intersection alone. You can bet RedSpeed cameras are coming to your town, if not there already. Their website shows cameras being installed in Berwyn, Westmont, Melrose Park and Warrenville.
Thus, Red Speed may be one of the few money makers in this current economic downturn...just be sure to stop and double check before you progress.
