Oak Ridge Mayor may be facing Recall

[analog_kidd]

Resident wants to recall Oak Ridge mayor - Oak Ridge, TN - The Oak Ridger

I hope it gets some traction. He is very anti 2nd Ammendment, voted to opt-out of Park Carry. If we could replace him and the police chief, this town might become bearable again.

[macville]

Someone brought up a very good point in the comments. The Red light/speed cameras take a lot of money out of our local (Oak Ridge/Knoxville) economy. Why? Because 50% of any fine from the camera goes to the camera company. That is several millions of dollars each year. I don't know about you, but an extra 2-4 million in our local economy is a VERY good thing.

Matthew

[BrasilNuts]

I'll gladly sign it and I hope it is public record... Beehan is an arrogant ass.

[Guest Phantom6]

I'll gladly sign it and I hope it is public record... Beehan is an arrogant ass.

+1 on that. He cares not one wit for the will of the people who elected him as he has ended up 180 degrees in opposition to the will of the majority of the people in the city on a variety of issues. The red light cameras and the "opting out" of the state law allowing HCP holders to carry in city parks are just the latest two of many. Beehan has no business conducting the business of the people of Oak Ridge. I talked with Alex on Tuesday regarding this matter of a recall petition and we will have the petitions in place in the shop for signature as soon as he gets them back from the state. I want to be the first one to sign the petition and just as John Hancock did with the Declaration of Independence, I will sign it boldly as I don't want Mr. Beehan to have any doubts as to who is out for his head.

Edited September 18, 2009 by Phantom6

[analog_kidd]

Let us know when you get the petition in your shop.

[Guest failuredrill]

I say we recall all of the city council and start fresh...then we fire the chief, who cant control his own kid much less the thugs in OR. I'll sign the petition with haste

[Guest failuredrill]

Someone brought up a very good point in the comments. The Red light/speed cameras take a lot of money out of our local (Oak Ridge/Knoxville) economy. Why? Because 50% of any fine from the camera goes to the camera company. That is several millions of dollars each year. I don't know about you, but an extra 2-4 million in our local economy is a VERY good thing.

Matthew

I never realized how true this was about the cameras. The 2-4 mil people pay to the camera company is not making its way into the businesses of OR and I know many people that refuse to come, much less shop in OR; Beehan may well sink this leaky ship of a city we call home!

[Guest grimel]

Let us know when you get the petition in your shop.

If I don't get at least an email the minute the petition arrives in his shop, I may have to break out the rubber hose.

[Guest Phantom6]

Don't worry all. I will post a notice here when the petitions are in the shop ready to be signed.

[Guest mosinon]

Someone brought up a very good point in the comments. The Red light/speed cameras take a lot of money out of our local (Oak Ridge/Knoxville) economy. Why? Because 50% of any fine from the camera goes to the camera company. That is several millions of dollars each year. I don't know about you, but an extra 2-4 million in our local economy is a VERY good thing.

Matthew

I think that is specious.

I hate the cams as much as the next guy but they are only a loss if the cameras cost more than you bring in.

Maybe a speed cam can "write" 100 or 1000 cites a day. A LEO can write maybe 50?

The LEO at the intersection will be better for public safety but the camera is a better revenue generator.

[macville]

I think that is specious.

I hate the cams as much as the next guy but they are only a loss if the cameras cost more than you bring in.

Maybe a speed cam can "write" 100 or 1000 cites a day. A LEO can write maybe 50?

The LEO at the intersection will be better for public safety but the camera is a better revenue generator.

Wow, you used a word I actually did not know and had to look up. My point was that by having the traffic cameras, money that normally wouldn't be going out of the community is because half the fine you would pay on one of those camera tickets goes to a company out of state. Yes, the camera will bring in more money than an LEO writing tickets. However, it also takes money away from local businesses and whatnot because if they hadn't gotten the ticket (and probably 95% of the people caught wouldn't have gotten a ticket if it had been in person instead of a camera) they would have probably spent the money locally.

I hate that it's actually a revenue generator but we are lied to that it's for "public safety." If it actually did some good, you know, changed behavior, then there might be a reason for it. But I still see people run the lights every time I'm at a camera light...

Matthew

[BrasilNuts]

"It's all about the money boys."

I noticed that below the article in the comment section someone said that the speed camera in front of the High School and the Civic Center was necessary to slow traffic down for the saftey of the children. I have to admit the traffic is slower, but the children still have to walk out into traffic. Just a thought, but wouldn't a bridge have worked better? Maybe the council would have went for it if we charged the kids a toll... say $1 each way?

New York Ave / ORTPK and Robertsville / Illinois... I mean really are these the most dangerous intersections in OR?

If they wanted to get people to obey the traffic laws in OR all they would need to do is put up big signs at all the roads entering OR that read:

Oak Ridge City Traffic Fines

Stop Sign $500

Speeding $750

Red Light $1000

School Zone $1500

I'd sure slow down.

Edited September 20, 2009 by BrasilNuts

[Guest grimel]

I think that is specious.

I hate the cams as much as the next guy but they are only a loss if the cameras cost more than you bring in.

Maybe a speed cam can "write" 100 or 1000 cites a day. A LEO can write maybe 50?

The LEO at the intersection will be better for public safety but the camera is a better revenue generator.

Umm, ANY amount send to the speed cam company takes money from the local economy. For the $50 fine, $25 leaves O.R. and goes to BFE. That is money taken from the economy. Pull a few million out and jobs WILL go away. They may "only" be jobs at Wal-Mark, Kroger, and Food City, but, they are jobs.

[Guest mosinon]

My point was that by having the traffic cameras, money that normally wouldn't be going out of the community is because half the fine you would pay on one of those camera tickets goes to a company out of state. Yes, the camera will bring in more money than an LEO writing tickets. However, it also takes money away from local businesses and whatnot because if they hadn't gotten the ticket (and probably 95% of the people caught wouldn't have gotten a ticket if it had been in person instead of a camera) they would have probably spent the money locally.

Matthew

I get it now. You're absolutely correct. While it is a revenue generator from the perspective of the police dept and city the net effect is to move money from the locality to elsewhere. I like the logic, it has a certain persuasiveness to it. IT would fail miserably in Florida where they target all the traffic infractions at the the tourists but you are absolutely right here in Tennessee. At least as far as I can tell.

[Guest grimel]

I get it now. You're absolutely correct. While it is a revenue generator from the perspective of the police dept and city the net effect is to move money from the locality to elsewhere. I like the logic, it has a certain persuasiveness to it.

Not to mention that at $50 and it's a "non moving violation" (explain that one!) it sure isn't designed to "change behavior" and "make O.R. safer".

As for tourists, when the off-roaders start getting tickets due to their trailers at traffic lights it could get interesting.

[Guest mosinon]

As for tourists, when the off-roaders start getting tickets due to their trailers at traffic lights it could get interesting.

When I lived in Florida many years ago getting pulled over was hard with a FL license plate. Getting a ticket was harder. If you had out of state plates it was pretty easy.

I suppose if Oak Ridge was really serious the city could go after commuters or something.

[macville]

I believe there was an article in yesterday's KNS (it might have been an option piece) that stated the first $9000 in fines collected each month was split 50/50 and then after that it was something like 80% to the camera company. If that's true, that really makes me mad. I find absurd that a private business can get a single penny of any fine in the first place, but 80% is just plain wrong.

Matthew

[analog_kidd]

Well here is an interesting turn of events. Wonder if this is for real or if he is just blowing smoke?

Moseley pulls away from recall effort leadership; cites need to 'protect' family - Oak Ridge, TN - The Oak Ridger

Moseley pulls away from recall effort leadership; cites need to 'protect' family

By John Huotari | john.huotari@oakridger.com

The Oak Ridger

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. —

Alex Moseley, the leader of a new effort to recall Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, said today that he will step down from his leadership role in the recall campaign, citing the need to protect his family by moving out of Oak Ridge.

"My family has already been moved to a safe location outside the city, and I will follow as soon as our current home sells," said Moseley, a former candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives.

More on this breaking news story in Wednesday morning's print edition of The Oak Ridger.

[Guest FroggyOne2]

Interesting to say the least..

[macville]

Does anyone find anything wrong about this:

Beehan is serving his third term on the Oak Ridge City Council and his second as mayor, and he was the top vote-getter in the June 2 municipal election.

The MAYOR is also serving on the City Council with voting power????

Talk about not right!

Matthew

[analog_kidd]

Does anyone find anything wrong about this:

The MAYOR is also serving on the City Council with voting power????

Talk about not right!

Matthew

That's how we do it here in Oak Ridge. We elect the city council, and then they decide from amongst themselves who should be mayor and vice mayor. I hate it!

[GKar]

Same process in Bristol. And the "mayorship" has been passed around like a...well, you fill in the blank...amongst the habitual politicians for what seems like eons. We did manage once to recall (kick to the curb) one of the gang just a few years back...and coincidentally, the city charter was amended to remove that ability this year at behest of the gang because the previous episode was "so disruptive".