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Weird Debate / Situation in Cincinnati - mount187 - 08-01-2012 01:48 PM
Situation:
On I-75, heading south-bound, there has been a speed trap set up by the village of Arlington Heights for years and years. Most people know it's there, and avoid speeding in that area, but they still make several stops a day in that area, and never let anyone go. They're doing nothing but enforcing the law, they just do it very strictly.
Why it's in the news:
Two of the clerks working for Arlington Heights were caught stealing money from the traffic tickets that were being written. Any tickets that people paid in cash were being erased from the system and pocketed by the two women. Interestingly enough, they claim neither knew the other was stealing. They allegedly stole $260k over the last three years.
The debate:
Not only are people mad that the two women were stealing money, people are slowly coming to the realization that the Arlington Heights police force is basically writing as many traffic tickets as possible, to fund their jobs, the jobs of the people in the municipal buildings, their community events, etc. There are only 900 people in the village, and most of them are benefiting in some way from the officers writing more tickets. People are so mad that their asking the Ohio Attorney’s General Office to call for the village to be disbanded and swallowed up by a neighboring town (Reading).
The debate for me: is this a valid thing for the people of Cincinnati to request? The police aren't doing anything but enforcing the law. The fact that people keep speeding there is just providing their village with more money. It's not like they're making up charges, or stopping people illegally to get more money, so if people wanted to, they could cut down on their income by not speeding.
The other thing that I find interesting: if you boil it down, people are mad that a government agency is enforcing the law to take money from one group of people to sustain the livelihoods of the people that live in that village. However, people will continue to vote to raise taxes so a government agency (the IRS) can take money from one group of people (the rich) to sustain the livelihoods of other people (the unemployed). Funny how quickly people change their tunes when they're on the wrong side of the taking/receiving money. At least the people speeding have the option to not have their money taken from them (stop speeding).
RE: Weird Debate / Situation in Cincinnati - Skating Tripods - 08-01-2012 02:06 PM
Side note, don't people who live in a location classified as a "village" get a tax break?
The police are not responsible for people stealing money until they're caught. Odds are, the mayor of Arlington Heights kept looking back through the books and not being able to figure out where the money was going. So, he continued to mandate that the speed trap be set up and that it keep generating revenue.
There are two places like that in Cleveland. Newburgh Heights, which is nestled between west Cleveland and East Cleveland, that tickets a lot of manufacturing workers and people passing through because the town's main street connects I-77 and Rte 176, which connects I-90 and I-480. They constantly have people pulled over. Another area is Linndale, which has about a 1/4 mile stretch of I-71 leaving downtown. They are rolling in the money, despite having a population of 178 people. It's 64 acres big.
Everybody knows what these areas are like unless they're not from here. So, like you said, Mount, just don't speed through there or avoid it altogether. If you are stupid enough to speed through there, you deserve a ticket.
There's no personal responsibility anymore, from those who got speeding tickets to those who were pocketing money.
As far as disbanding the village, I don't see it ever happening. I can't envision a scenario where there is legal precedent to do that based on the actions of two rogue local government clerks.
RE: Weird Debate / Situation in Cincinnati - louiemdj - 08-01-2012 02:13 PM
I'm going to be in Ohio soon, good to know what to avoid.
RE: Weird Debate / Situation in Cincinnati - mount187 - 08-01-2012 02:16 PM
(08-01-2012 02:06 PM)Skating Tripods Wrote: As far as disbanding the village, I don't see it ever happening. I can't envision a scenario where there is legal precedent to do that based on the actions of two rogue local government clerks.
The people making the argument for disbanding the village are saying the village only exists anymore to employ people that work for the village (the mayor, the police, the clerks, etc). Basically, the village could be swallowed up by Reading, use their social services, and be more efficient. The people working for Arlington Heights want to stay as a separate village, so they can continue to work there and do things the way they want. They just happen to be funding their way of life off of people speeding on I75.
RE: Weird Debate / Situation in Cincinnati - Skating Tripods - 08-01-2012 02:39 PM
(08-01-2012 02:13 PM)louiemdj Wrote: I'm going to be in Ohio soon, good to know what to avoid.
Avoid everything. This place sucks.
RE: Weird Debate / Situation in Cincinnati - Skating Tripods - 08-01-2012 02:41 PM
(08-01-2012 02:16 PM)mount187 Wrote: The people making the argument for disbanding the village are saying the village only exists anymore to employ people that work for the village (the mayor, the police, the clerks, etc). Basically, the village could be swallowed up by Reading, use their social services, and be more efficient. The people working for Arlington Heights want to stay as a separate village, so they can continue to work there and do things the way they want. They just happen to be funding their way of life off of people speeding on I75.
Ironically, Newburgh Hts, who I mentioned in my previous post is 100% broke, despite the revenue from writing tickets. There's another nearby place called Cuyahoga Hts. that could probably do what they're attempting to do with Reading/Arlington Hts.
Seems like a pain in the ass either way. I don't think anybody outside Reading or Arlington Heights should have any say in the matter. I don't even think it should be an issue that crosses Kasich's desk.
RE: Weird Debate / Situation in Cincinnati - louiemdj - 08-01-2012 03:25 PM
(08-01-2012 02:39 PM)Skating Tripods Wrote:(08-01-2012 02:13 PM)louiemdj Wrote: I'm going to be in Ohio soon, good to know what to avoid.
Avoid everything. This place sucks.
Trust me, I wouldn't ever come to Ohio if I didn't have too.
RE: Weird Debate / Situation in Cincinnati - knuckleballah22 - 08-06-2012 12:41 PM
why do u think lebron wanted out of ohio? lol