Cap fine at $10 if it's not about money

There is a lot of discussion about red-light cameras. Some say it's for safety, others say it's not about the money.

Most of the villages say it's for safety, and not about the money. State Senator Dan Duffy, of Lake Barrington, has introduced legislation to ban cameras. John Millner, a Carol Stream Republican and former suburban police chief, says he wants a fair system in place. He wants people to know they won't get ripped off.

The police give tickets to people that do stop, but not behind the line. Some might argue that putting the lines so far back from the intersection is entrapment.

We have lobbyists, and we have elected officials accepting money from the red-light camera companies, none of this is good. The bottom line is the camera tickets do put people on notice that rolling through a right turn on red is not safe or acceptable.

The real issue is the dollar amount of the ticket.

The solution is legislation that makes $10 the maximum amount any Illinois jurisdiction can charge for a right turn a red light ticket. The people on the side of cameras for safety still have their cameras, and the people that say it not about the revenue can prove it.

A $100 reminder is too much for people who can least afford in these economic times. Therefore, Senator Duffy, please initiate statewide legislation that puts a ceiling on right turn on red tickets, and let's put this behind us.

Douglas Keefe

Gurnee