Catch 22 -- multiplied by nearly 200

Clearly, the cameras are putting hard numbers to what we all have

known for a long time is a serious problem.

In doing the math, it seems that the city of Costa Mesa will be

netting about $168,000 as its share of the fines from these camera

citations. I seem to recall in a previous article that the city

splits its portion with the camera company, with the city getting

about one-third of the revenues.

It seems to me that the city of Costa Mesa would have done well to

use the half-million dollars in ticket revenue that it could get from

those same 4,000 tickets to employ more police and put them on the

streets.

BURT HERMEY

Costa Mesa

* EDITOR’S NOTE: When Costa Mesa adopted the red-light camera, it

agreed to give all the city’s profits to local driver’s education

programs.

Red-light cameras at intersections? Yes, way. Bring ‘em on. More,

more!

Heck, I almost bought the farm not too long ago while waiting my

turn to drive through the intersection of Fairview Road and Baker

Street.

Picture this: I’m the first car in the outside lane of southbound

Fairview Road, waiting for a green light. To my left is a sport

utility vehicle. We get the green, but a little voice whispers,

“Don’t start up yet. The SUV isn’t moving. You can’t see what’s

coming.” Sure enough, a few seconds later, some idiot traveling west

on Baker Street, speeds through the intersection. That close call was

a real cage-rattler.

Picture this: I’m the first car in the outside lane of southbound

Fairview, (deja vu?) at the northbound onramp to the San Diego

Freeway. We get the green, but other cars trying to get on the

freeway just keep coming and coming and coming. Blows my mind.

Picture this: I’ve seen Costa Mesa’s finest -- sitting in their

police vehicles -- totally ignore a red-light runner and go on their

merry way, as the scofflaw wipes a bead of sweat off his or her brow.

I’ve been watching -- Costa Mesa drivers hesitate when the light

turns green; they wait for the inevitable red-light runner. They know

better.

FLO MARTIN

Costa Mesa

I believe that the installation of cameras to catch drivers

running red lights is a waste of resources. What happened to good old

human judgment?

We now let the computers in the Bowl Championship Series decide

what football team is No. 1, and look at what happened. The team,

USC, ranked by humans as No. 1 is not in the championship game. Let

the police do their job.

Also, why does the city only receive a small percentage of the

fine revenues? The city could make better use of the funds than the

county and state.

BILL LUND

Costa Mesa

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Costa Mesa’s contract with Nestor Systems Inc.,

calls for the private company to keep a certain percentage of the

revenues in exchange for free installation and maintenance of the

cameras.