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Chattanooga Adds Two Cameras to Monitor Motorists - Watch your speed on Barton Avenue and South Crest Road in the
coming weeks. The city is expanding its speed camera program onto those thoroughfares. Just like the speed cameras installed
last year at the S curves on Hixson Pike, these devices will snap photos of speeding motorists, who will receive a citation in
the mail, said John Van Winkle, the city’s traffic engineer. The fine is $50.
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Michigan: Police Chiefs Admit Traffic Enforcement is for Revenue - Municipalities near Detroit, Michigan boost
ticketing efforts to cover dwindling tax revenue. Dwindling property tax revenue has forced local governments in Michigan to
look to motorists to refill their municipal budgets, according to a Detroit News analysis. In 2002, the city of Detroit issued
a total of 126,007 traffic tickets. Last year, that figure grew to 245,249 -- a 94 percent jump. The percentage increase was
even greater in small towns like Plymouth which saw the number of tickets skyrocket from 440 to 2,584 -- up 487 percent -- over
the same period.
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New York: County Admits Cameras Are For Revenue - Suffolk County, New York report only mentions revenue as the reason
to install red light cameras. Strapped for cash, Suffolk County, New York admits it wants to install red light cameras to
generate revenue. In a four-hundred-page review of the county's financial situation released earlier this month, officials
mentioned only one purpose for the automated traffic enforcement devices.
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Radar Detector Built to not Cry Wolf as it Filters Fake Signals - Escort's new Passport 9500ix, a radar detector
that's built to learn from its mistakes and to never cry wolf. The device utilizes an internal GPS antenna and logs radar
frequencies detected in different areas. An auto-learn feature cross-references locations with signal frequencies and blocks out
signals it encounters that are not speed traps.
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Our Gadget of the Week: Radar Love - Speeding tickets are no fun. Not only can they cost you money and add points to
your driving record, they're also sobering, making you confront what might have resulted from your error in judgment. Radar
detectors, like Escort's new Passport 9500ix, remind you not only to get your pedal off the metal when the police are near, but
also to practice safer driving generally.
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Escort Passport 9500ix Radar Detector Weeds Out False Alarms: Tech Test - The Promise: "No false alarms."
That's the Escort 9500ix's central claim: This machine not only detects four bands of radar as well as speed-trap and red-light
cameras, it can, with the help of an internal GPS antenna, sort out which signals are worth slowing down for and which aren't
worth bothering you about. Over time, the machine "learns," which means if you're used to driving the same routes
again and again, it will become a quiet and unobtrusive machine, alerting you only when there's a real speed trap.
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Traffic Cameras Coming to a Road Near You? - Hoping for smoother traffic on the area’s busiest thoroughfares, the
Virginia Department of Transportation is proposing to install more traffic-monitoring cameras in the Charlottesville region.
If installed, the cameras would be the first of their type on the U.S. 29 corridor. Mounted on tall poles at traffic signals,
they would be able to monitor real-time traffic flow, congestion and response to crashes.
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Innocent Florida, Louisiana Motorists Receive Bogus Photo Tickets - White man sent photo ticket for offense committed
by a black man in Louisiana while great grandmother in Florida receives bogus ticket from Georgia. Recent incidents in Georgia
and Louisiana call into question the common assertion of photo enforcement advocates that the camera never lies. Officials in
charge of red light camera and speed camera programs claim it is "rare" for erroneous tickets to be issued because a
human police officer diligently verifies each and every citation for accuracy before it is issued.
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Connecticut: New Tool to Catch Speeders - Connecticut State Police now have a new weapon in the fight against
speeders. The force now has 89 new TruSpeed laser speed guns. This is the latest speed measurement technology.
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Tennessee Appeals Court Embraces Red Light Cameras - Tennessee Court of Appeals issues ruling designed to encourage
the use of red light cameras. The Tennessee Court of Appeals issued a ruling yesterday promoting the use of red light cameras
throughout the state. A three-judge panel rejected a constitutional challenge to city of Knoxville's automated ticketing program
filed by photo ticket recipient Ronald G. Brown. Brown argued the case on his own behalf after his Chevy had been photographed
on September 18, 2006 at the intersection of Kingston Pike and Alcoa Highway. The city alleged the vehicle entered the
intersection a split-second after the light turned red, and so it mailed a bill for $50. Brown told the court that because he
had no choice but to pay the ticket and thereby admit guilt, or, if he was not driving, to inform on someone else who was, the
system itself violated the due process and equal protection clauses of the state and federal constitutions.
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Tennessee Appeals Court Embraces Red Light Cameras - Tennessee Court of Appeals issues ruling designed to encourage
the use of red light cameras. The Tennessee Court of Appeals issued a ruling yesterday promoting the use of red light cameras
throughout the state. A three-judge panel rejected a constitutional challenge to city of Knoxville's automated ticketing program
filed by photo ticket recipient Ronald G. Brown. Brown argued the case on his own behalf after his Chevy had been photographed
on September 18, 2006 at the intersection of Kingston Pike and Alcoa Highway. The city alleged the vehicle entered the
intersection a split-second after the light turned red, and so it mailed a bill for $50. Brown told the court that because he
had no choice but to pay the ticket and thereby admit guilt, or, if he was not driving, to inform on someone else who was, the
system itself violated the due process and equal protection clauses of the state and federal constitutions.
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10 Ways to Avoid a Speeding Ticket - If it's OK legally, get a radar detector. Yes, they're expensive (good ones,
anyhow). But a one-time hit of, say, $300 for a decent radar detector is cheaper than even a single big speeding ticket and the
higher insurance costs that will come with it. Radar detectors are legal in most states and well worth the investment to avoid a
speeding ticket.
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Australian Company to Issue Arizona Speeding Tickets - Arizona to use 200 fixed and mobile speed camera units to raise
$165 million in revenue. The Arizona Department of Public Safety announced yesterday that it would pay an Australian company
$28.75 for every ticket it is able to issue on state highways. By September 26, Melbourne-based ticket vendor Redflex will
activate what will soon become the largest speed camera operation in the United States. Governor Janet Napolitano (D)
commissioned the program to generate $165 million in revenue from the $165 citations. Redflex hopes this bottom line inspires
other states to follow.
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Scottsdale Traffic Cams to Start Citing for Left Turns - Scottsdale will begin using its red light cameras to ticket
drivers who turn left against a red arrow next month. The tickets will start on Aug. 1 for drivers who ignore the signals. It
will be the first time the city issued tickets for left-turn violations in the 11 years Scottsdale has had the cameras.
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UK: Speed Camera Operator Rigged the System - Speed camera operator tagged innocent motorists so that he would be the
top ticket issuer in Lancashire, England. A UK speed camera operator, desperate to keep his position as the top ticket issuer,
manipulated evidence to obtain more convictions, according to a report by a government watchdog agency. The UK Independent
Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) announced yesterday that the civilian employee of the Lancashire Constabulary was fired at
the conclusion of an inquiry that opened in October 2007.
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Escort Announces a New Radar Detector with GPS Intelligence and Safety Camera Database - Further expanding
its technological leadership in the radar and laser detector industry, Escort Inc. announced today the next generation of its
GPS-powered speed and location intelligent radar and laser detectors, the all-new PASSPORT 9500ix.
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Louisiana Legislature Passes Red Light Camera Bill - Louisiana State Legislature adopts a bill expanding speed cameras
in the guise of a bill that limits them. The Louisiana House of Representatives yesterday gave final approval to a bill that
would dramatically expand the use of red light cameras and speed cameras, but that appeared to be a limitation on their use.
Senator Derrick Shepherd (D-Marrero) introduced the measure which simply forbids the application of drivers' license points to
red light camera and speed camera tickets. It passed by a vote of 92-5 in the state House and 26-10 in the state Senate.
Shepherd explained in a Senate hearing on his measure that his bill was no limitation on any city, because none impose license
points.
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California Appeals Court Defends Red Light Cameras - California Court of Appeals ruling defended red light camera
programs against a number of legal challenges. The Fourth Appellate District of the California Court of Appeal on Friday issued
a ruling designed to save the state's red light camera programs from a series of legal challenges. Five separate cases filed
between 2001 and 2005 in San Diego, San Francisco and West Hollywood were combined in the decision. Each case offered a number
of legal arguments centered on contractual arrangements and were designed to undermine those cities' lucrative red light camera
programs. The appellate court refused to overturn lower court cases that had upheld the photo tickets.
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Rhode Island: ACLU Report Shows Red Light Camera Flaws - ACLU of Rhode Island report shows the city of Providence
failed to demonstrate any benefit from its red light camera program. A report released yesterday by the Rhode Island chapter of
the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued that the state's only red light camera operation has been a complete failure.
In 2005, supportive lawmakers narrowly passed a law authorizing photo ticketing after agreeing to include a sunset provision
that would invalidate the law in July 2008. With the deadline looming, supporters are scrambling to save the program. On
Tuesday, the state Senate Judiciary Committee voted to make the photo ticketing authorization permanent. The full state House
voted 35 to 23 to approve a similar measure on May 8. The ACLU's report is designed to give lawmakers a reason to re-think this
course of action.
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New York: Lobbyist Sparks U-Turns on Cameras - Lobbyist convinces assembly red light camera foe to embrace red light
cameras. Negative publicity then forces that lawmaker to drop his embrace. One of the most powerful New York state lawmakers has
reversed himself twice on the question of red light cameras. State Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman David Gantt
(D-Rochester), a long-time foe of red light cameras, last month changed his tune and introduced AB10948, legislation that would
allow any county in the state to operate red light cameras. Currently, their use is only permitted in New York City.
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6 Cities That Were Caught Shortening Yellow Light Times For Profit - Some local governments have ignored the safety
benefit of increasing the yellow light time and decided to install red-light cameras, shorten the yellow light duration, and
collect the profits instead. Chattanooga, TN, Dallas, TX, Springfield, MO, Lubbock, TX, Nashville, TN and Union City, CA, have
been caught with short yellow light times over the past few years.
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Missouri: House Committee Votes to Expand Traffic Cameras - Missouri House Transportation Committee adopts legislation
encouraging cities to install red light cameras. The Missouri House Transportation Committee voted last week to encourage
municipalities to install red light cameras. Existing state laws do not authorize the use of automated ticketing machines, but,
beginning with Arnold in 2005, several cities have gambled that such a bill would be forthcoming. State Representative Kenny
Jones (R-California) obliged by introducing a bill on behalf of the photo ticketing industry that granting that authority.
According to state Attorney General Jay Nixon, without authorization these tickets would not hold up in court.
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Louisiana Lawmakers Vote to Expand Traffic Camera Use - Louisiana Senate committee adopts legislation giving
municipalities the green light to use speed cameras and red light cameras. A Louisiana state Senate committee voted last
Thursday to give the green light to municipalities eager to expand the use of red light cameras and speed cameras throughout the
state. The Senate Local and Municipal Affairs panel approved a measure introduced by state Senator Troy Hebert (D-Jeanerette)
that would grant specific, state-level authorization for the use of cameras to ticket motorists.
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Colorado: Freeway Photo Radar Approved - Colorado approves freeway speed cameras. Creates possibity of ticket for
failing to move over for photo radar van. The Colorado state legislature gave its final approval last week to legislation
allowing the use of speed cameras in highway work zones. The move was part of a series of bills designed to raise $18.1 million
annually for the state budget through increased traffic fine amounts and expanded ticketing operations. The latest measure was
approved by a 61-2 margin in the state House and 22-12 in the state Senate. Governor Bill Ritter (D) has indicated his intention
to sign the bill into law next week.
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Stock Pressure Drives Red Light Camera Placement - Nestor Inc places red light cameras in locations
designed to shore up falling stock price. Pressure from Wall Street is driving a vendor to position red light cameras at
intersections that will help drive up its stock price. Nestor Inc. faces Nasdaq stock exchange delisting, a humiliating process
that began nearly one year ago when the Rhode Island based company's stock fell under the minimum level of $1 per share. In San
Bernardino, California City Attorney James F. Penman was led last week to issue a memo to the city manager warning that red
light cameras were not being installed at intersections based on their accident rate.
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Texas: 260 Bogus Red Light Camera Tickets Tossed - Corpus Christi, Texas forced to cancel 260 red
light camera tickets issued to motorists making a safe and legal right hand turn. About 260 motorists wrongly accused of
"red light running" in Corpus Christi, Texas will have their citations canceled. After receiving numerous complaints
from innocent drivers, the Gulf Coast city was forced to admit that drivers who had safely stopped should not have been ticketed
by the machine located at the intersection of Cimarron and Yorktown.
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Revenue Concerns Derail Maryland, Washington Photo Ticketing Expansion - Concerns over the
disposition of profits have thwarted efforts to expand photo ticketing in Washington state and Maryland. In Maryland, lawmakers
deadlocked over whether localities or the state should pocket the millions in revenue generated by tickets that some wanted
boosted from $40 to $75. In Washington state, the fear of a voter initiative has frozen the interest of many cities in
installing new red light camera systems.
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UK: Top Speed Camera Trap Caught Tricking Motorists at Night - The most profitable UK speed camera
issued $26 million in tickets at night when a speed limit change warning sign was completely unlit. The UK's most profitable
speed camera that has been sending £60 (US $120) tickets to vehicle owners at the rate of 2000 per day may now be forced
to issue refunds. The device, located on the southbound M11 at Woodford, Essex is situated at the point where the speed limit
suddenly drops from 70 MPH to 50 MPH. Last month motorist Simon Grills forced the Crown Prosecution Service to drop his speed
camera ticket after he proved the signs warning of the speed change were effectively invisible at night. Grills produced
evidence showing the lights meant to illuminate the signs had been burned out since November 18, 2005.
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Missouri: Jail Time Possible for Red Light Ticket Recipients - Proposed ordinance would jail
motorists in Saint Louis, Missouri for failure to pay red light camera tickets. This means motorists who go on vacation or have
a ticket that is lost in the mail could find themselves subject to serious consequences. The penalty imposed by the proposed
ordinance brings the potential fine for non-payment up to $500 and imprisonment for up to ninety days.
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It Pays to Avoid a Speeding Ticket - Or Fight One - The best advice: don't speed. But if you get
nailed, fight it - because a $50 speeding ticket can cost you thousands once your insurer gets wind of it. True, a few more
bucks won't change your life, but the fine is usually the least of your worries. Even one speeding ticket can begin to turn your
name to mud in your insurer's eyes. More than one can cost you thousands of dollars in higher premiums.
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Maryland General Assembly Adopts Statewide Speed Cameras - Maryland looks to reap millions by
approving speed cameras on freeways and side streets. The Maryland state House on Thursday voted 90-45 to approve a measure
authorizing speed cameras on freeways and secondary roads throughout the state. The vote followed the state Senate adoption of
a similar measure by a 26-21 margin earlier in the week. The measures were sponsored by Governor Martin O'Malley (D) who sees
photo enforcement as a key to boosting budget revenue.
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Connecticut: Thousands Face Bogus Speeding Tickets - More than 83,000 motorists could face bogus
speeding convictions if Connecticut approves photo enforcement program. Earlier this month, Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell (R)
announced as part of her state budget submission that she intended to generate millions in new revenue with a freeway speed
camera program. As the Hartford Courant pointed out, this puts more than 83,000 motorists in the state at risk because their
license plate numbers are shared by drivers with a different type of license plate.
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Camera Maker Admits Ticketing is Addictive - Cities get addicted to red light camera and speed
camera revenue according to the CEO of Affiliated Computer Services. A top vendor of speed camera and red light camera services
told investors that his company represents a great investment opportunity because the cities who use his product cannot resist
the steady revenue stream it creates.
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Connecticut: Rell Wants Cameras to Focus on Speeders - Traffic cameras along Interstate 95 are nothing new, but
if Gov. M. Jodi Rell has her way, a different set of cameras will be installed along highways to photograph and ticket
anyone who is breaking the speed limit.
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Houston, Texas Banks on Short Yellows - Red light cameras in the Houston, Texas area are earning
millions of dollars in extra revenue by trapping motorists with short yellow signals. KPRC-TV timed the yellow duration at a
number of high-speed intersections and found them to be far below the level recommended in Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT) guidelines. At the intersection of FM 1960 and West Townsend in Humble, for example, the posted speed is 50 MPH which
suggests that the yellow should last five seconds. Motorists, however, only get 3.6 seconds of warning before the red light
camera begins issuing tickets.
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Rome, Georgia Red Light Cameras Increase Wrecks, Profit - The number of accidents increased at the
Rome, Georgia intersection where a red light camera was installed, but profits have continued to increase. The total number of
collisions at Hicks Drive and Turner McCall Boulevard jumped 24 percent between 2005 and 2007 while total profit increased 19
percent.
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New Mexico Senate Strikes Speed Camera Profit - The New Mexico Senate launched a direct attack on
Albuquerque's speed camera and red light camera program this week. The chamber voted 35-1 to approve a measure that cuts all
automated ticket fines in the city to $75 and mandates that the profit be distributed to the state courts. Until recently,
Albuquerque's automated ticket fines reached as high as $400 each which helped generate more than $11.7 million in revenue.
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Connecticut: Governor Pushing for Freeway Speed Cameras - Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell (R) will
push for the installation of freeway speed cameras as part of her budget submission to the legislature Wednesday. The move,
combined with a request for one hundred additional state troopers over the next five years, is designed to bolster the number
of traffic citations and generate millions in new revenue. Rell previewed her plan to the Hartford Courant newspaper yesterday.
Rell follows the lead of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano (D) who announced in her January budget submission that a new
statewide freeway speed camera program would generate $165 million in revenue.
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Radar Detectors Give Speed Freaks a Rush - Radar detectors, once thought of as relics, are back on
the radar. As people endure longer commutes and growing traffic jams, they are increasingly tempted to hit the gas pedal
harder. Police are fighting back with a web of electronic surveillance, from laser and radar speed traps to automated cameras
that spot speeders and issue tickets by mail. To improve their odds, committed speed demons (and scofflaws) are resorting to a
new generation of high-end radar-detection devices. The new models, which detect a wide range of radar bands and lasers, are
touted as having better range and more sensitivity than their predecessors while generating fewer false alarms.
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The Most Expensive States for Speeding Tickets 2007 - According to stats from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the I-95 corridor between the southeast and New England includes five of the 10 U.S.
states carrying the highest fines for speeding - Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland and New Hampshire. All hit up
speeders for a maximum of $500 or more for a first offense. Judges in Carolina and Georgia, not to mention 16 other states,
have the discretion to add jail time.
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Volunteer Radar Gunslingers Nail Speeders - Speeders beware. Your neighbors might have you on their
radar. That's the message police departments across the country are trying to send by loaning residents radar guns and turning
them into neighborhood speed watchers. Volunteers can't ticket the drivers they catch breaking the speed limit, but their
reports can result in warning letters being sent by police, depending on how fast the drivers were going.
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Banned by the Police, Laser Gun that led to Unfair Speeding Fines - Laser guns that may have helped
to wrongly convict thousands of motorists have been shelved by a police force. The move could call into question their use to
trap speeding drivers right across the country amid fears that they give false readings.
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Georgia Speed Trap Brings Huge Profit - Pendergrass, Georgia collects $1136 in ticket revenue for
every resident. Northeast Georgia's number one speed trap for the past three years in a row is continuing to generate record
profits from traffic fines. Last year, the Pendergrass Police Department collected $558,020 in fines with $312,636 in expenses
leaving the department with a $245,384 net profit for the year.
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Expand protest of suburban speed traps - Motorists should thank a group of community activists and
ministers for killing at least one speed trap in Metro Detroit. Redford Township in western Wayne County had come up with a
scheme to bolster the community's treasury by paying police officers bonuses for writing extra traffic tickets.
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8 top traffic-ticket myths - Much of what you've heard isn't true. But this is: If an officer asks if
you know why you were pulled over, the answer is a very polite 'no.'
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Virginia County Judge Declares New Driver Penalties Unconstitutional - A Henrico County judge
declared the state's new abusive driver fees unconstitutional Thursday. With his order, Yeatts instructed Henrico General
District Court clerks not to collect civil remedial fees that can reach $1,000 or more for certain driving offenses. The ruling
is binding only in Henrico County but is being immediately appealed to Circuit Court and could eventually reach the Virginia
Supreme Court.
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The Taxman Hits, in the Guise of a Traffic Cop - SHORT of cash and long of arm, the State of Virginia
recently unveiled the nation's first $1,050 speeding ticket. You have to go 20 miles an hour over the speed limit to get that
one; but under a new set of rules there are now a whole host of violations considered "reckless driving" that subject
errant Virginia drivers to fines of $1,050 to $3,000 - plus court costs, if you fight and lose. The money will be spent on
maintaining roads and bridges, safety improvements and closing a $500 million gap that emerged in last year's transportation
budget.
All over the country, supporting safety improvements on the wages of reckless driving has become a
tradition. But in the relations between government and its citizens, the four-digit traffic ticket also seems to signal a leap
in the use of fines and fees - and just about any other form of enhanced governmental income production - to avoid the dreaded
thing itself, a tax increase.
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Virginia to issue traffic fines as high as $3,000 - Virginia is for lovers, or so the state slogan
has declared since 1969. Starting Sunday [July 1, 2007], Virginia also will be the home of the $3,000 traffic ticket. The new
civil charges will range from $750 to $3,000 and be added to existing fines and court costs. The civil penalty for going 20 mph
over the speed limit will be $1,050, plus $61 in court costs and a fine that is typically about $200.
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Ohio: Highway Robbery - The booming business behind tristate speed traps - and which roads bank among
the worst offenders... Speeding tickets. They're inevitable - if you spend just part of your workday on the road - and sometimes
undeserved. While there are absolutely no legitimate excuses for truly speeding, there's often no legitimate excuse for speed
traps. On the Ohio side, especially, tiny municipalities can be found bolstering revenue by setting ticket quotas and prowling
the pieces of interstate and other roadways that thread through their borders. Ohio, in fact, ranks No. 1 in the nation for
issuing speeding tickets.
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Georgia: Speeding May Break You - On the lookout for Georgia's worst speed traps? Here's something a
radar detector won't tell you - the price of a speeding ticket in South Georgia can vary by as much as $850, depending on where
you happen to get caught. Georgia's motorists also pay some of the highest speeding tickets in the country. Georgia is one of
only five states allowing fines up to $1,000. By contrast, 33 states charge motorists $250 or less.
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Oklahoma: New Law Eliminates Speed Trap Restrictions - Several speed traps are back. State lawmakers
have repealed legislation that designated five Oklahoma communities as speed traps. Police in these areas are once again allowed
to issue tickets on highways that run through their city limits.
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Texas DOT Shuts Down Photo Radar Operations - The Texas Department of Transportation has ordered
cities using unauthorized speed cameras to cease ticketing operations. Rhome Mayor Mark Lorance confirmed to the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram newspaper that the city had received the department's order. Earlier this month, the state House of
Representatives unanimously voted to ban speed cameras in the state.
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Ohio: Petition to Stop Speed Trap - Middlefield, Ohio residents will vote on whether to overturn an
ordinance establishing the village as a speed trap. Ohio law allows small towns to establish mayor's courts instead of using
county courthouses. The practice is meant to allow the towns to keep the significant revenue generated from motorists. The
practice, however, has come under fire because it encourages speed traps. One of the most vocal critics is the Ohio Supreme
Court's chief justice.
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Florida: Cops Set Up Christmas Speed Trap - An Orange, County Florida cop disguised himself as an
elf to issue between $10,000 and $50,000 in speeding tickets in less than three hours.
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New Device To Target Chicago Speeders - The new tool in the department for traffic enforcement is a
speed gun that uses laser technology instead of radar to catch people speeding. After using the gun three days in one district,
traffic officers gave 469 tickets to speeders.
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Minnesota: Police Chief Wants Speed Traps to Fund Overtime - The police chief of Goodview, Minnesota
suggests speed traps are the best way to fund overtime for his officers.
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New Tool to Ticket People Who Are Not Speeding - The most popular, and controversial, laser speeding
ticket gun has added a tailgating ticket feature.
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Florida: Homeless Speed Trap Is Back - Police in Ocala, Florida have brought back the practice of
dressing up like the homeless in order to generate significant traffic ticket revenue.
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Top Georgia Speed Trap Collects $1000 per Resident - Police departments in small northeast Georgia
cities are using speeding tickets to generate up to $1000 per resident in annual revenue.
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New Photo Radar in Scottsdale - If you drive on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard near 77th Street,
you'd better watch your speed.
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CHP officers armed with lidar devices - Drivers who like to get on the gas pedal should beware.
Officers of the California Highway Patrol in Santa Cruz County have a new tool to help them more accurately catch speeding
motorists than radar. The hand-held device known as lidar, short for Light Detection and Ranging uses a light beam and creates
a smaller range of field for officers to zoom in on cars than radar systems that emit radio waves.
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Oklahoma Fights Speed Trap Towns - The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety takes action to shut
down small towns that issue speeding tickets to shore up municipal budgets.
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Oklahoma: Speed Trap Police Department Shut Down - The speed trap town of Shamrock, Oklahoma will
lose its police department because its officers are not properly certified.
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Tennessee: Speed Trap Mayor Suspended - The speed trap mayor of Coopertown, Tennessee has been
suspended after more than a dozen witnesses documented his misconduct in court hearings.
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Tennessee: Speed Trap Fine Refunds Possible - Coopertown, Tennessee may be forced to refund
illegally issued speed trap tickets.
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Arizona: Freeway Radar Set to Expand - Prescott Valley, Arizona moves to adopt freeway speed camera
ordinance to share in the $19 million generated in Scottsdale.
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South Carolina Grand Jury Indicts Speed Trap Town - The municipal judge and police chief in McBee,
South Carolina indicted on charges of using speed traps and car seizures to raise money for the city.
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Speeders Armed With High-Tech Gear Joust With Cops - The public obviously is well served when
police suppress reckless and dangerous drivers. Still, many of the nation's speed limits can be raised safely, in light of
advancements in cars and improvements in road construction. And let's face it: Speed limits have been set low in many
locales for no reason other than nabbing lots of drivers who pay fines and provide local government with extra revenue.
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Man to take photo radar fight to Supreme Court - A Scottsdale [Arizona] man is taking his fight
against a photo radar ticket to the United States Supreme Court.
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Top Ten US Speed Trap Cities - The
National Motorists Association issued a warning to holiday weekend
travelers urging them to avoid or use caution when driving through the ten cities most notorious for speed traps.
"Nothing can ruin a vacation more quickly than an undeserved speeding ticket," explained Eric Skrum, the group's
communications director.
The top-ten list of speed trap cities was created with data from the
SpeedTrap Exchange, a site that identifies locations that combine
arbitrarily low speed limits with heavy traffic enforcement designed to raise revenue. The top-ten cities are as follows:
- Detroit, Michigan suburbs
- Washington, D.C.
- Orlando, Florida
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Houston, Texas
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Austin, Texas
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Fresno, California
Illinois: Freeway Speeding Cameras Activated - Marked white photo radar vans are ticketing motorists
on the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago, Illinois. Illinois State Police officers will sit inside the vans belonging to
Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) while the machine generates tickets. Illinois will pay the company $2950 per month per
van as well as a $15 bonus for every ticket the company is able to generate. The program represents the only statewide use
of freeway speed cameras in the United States. Currently, only two cities -- Scottsdale, Arizona and Washington, DC --
operate photo radar on freeways. Illinois stands to make far more as the state's maximum fine is five times greater than
Scottsdale's.
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Scottsdale, Arizona Making Millions with Photo Radar - Freeway speed camera revenue in Scottsdale,
Arizona grows to nearly $3 million with no signs of slowing. Photo radar units on the Loop 101 freeway in Scottsdale,
Arizona have generated more than $2,894,766 in revenue since the set of six speed cameras were activated on February 22.
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Ohio: Speed Trap Village Runs Illegal Court - The mayor of Brice, Ohio has canceled mayor's court
hearings until further notice after lawmakers insisted that the village was in violation of a 2003 statute designed to
prevent speed traps. In Ohio, 333 towns use mayor's courts to process traffic tickets and minor infractions with the mayor
able both to decide guilt or innocence in individual cases and to decide how to spend the fine money that is collected.
Ohio's top ten most successful mayors together brought in $2.3 million for their budget in 2004 with this system. Louisiana
is the only other state to use mayor's courts.
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Lawrenceville, Georgia Taxes with Tickets - Traffic tickets account for more of Lawrenceville,
Georgia's annual revenue than property taxes. The Gwinnett County city of more than 26,000 residents has used police power
to enrich city coffers in this way since at least 2000.
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South Carolina: Unmarked, Junk Pickup Used in Speed Trap - Charleston County, South Carolina
sheriffs are using a beat up pickup truck to sneak up on surprised motorists and issue speeding tickets. Police seized the
V-6 powered domestic long-bed truck in a drug raid. They then equipped it with blue police lights and tinted windows, making
it very hard to identify as a legitimate police vehicle.
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Panel rejects allowing radar detectors in Virginia - A legislative committee today [1/26/2006]
rejected a bill that would have ended Virginia's distinction as the only state that bans radar detectors.
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Virginia Mulls Repeal of Radar Detector Ban - Virginia Delegate Joe T. May, (R-Leesburg) is working
to repeal the state's law making it a crime to possess a radar detector in an automobile. Earlier this month [1/2006] May
introduced HB 1120 which would eliminate the $96 ticket police currently issue to those caught with the device - whether it
was in use or not. "Is your objective to keep people in the speed limit, or is your objective to issue citations?"
May asked in the Winchester Star newspaper. He explained the ban provides a "rude welcome" to visitors from the
forty-nine states that have no such law and are among its most frequent recipients.
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Arizona Gives Final Approval to Freeway Photo Radar - Scottsdale, Arizona begins installation of its
lucrative new freeway speed camera system. Early estimates suggested the city could issue between 1500 and 2500 tickets
every day, generating $235,000 in daily revenue.
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Coburg, Oregon Speed Trap Returns - The city of Coburg, Oregon, population 969, will take in
$630,000 in speeding ticket revenue. Despite efforts by the Oregon legislature to shut down speed trap operations, the city
of Coburg is on track to collect 37 percent of its annual revenue from speeding tickets.
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Florida: Inaccurate Lidar Tickets Discovered - Florida Highway Patrol officers have been issuing
inaccurate laser speed gun tickets on the Midpoint Memorial Bridge toll plaza between Coral Ridge and Fort Meyers. After
hearing a complaint, WBBH-TV double-checked a day's worth of tickets issued at the same location and discovered a number of
tickets were based upon the wrong speed limit.
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Speed trap or safety measure? Summersville, W. Va., police wrote 10,000 tickets in 2004 - It's the
kind of sign that invites a double take. Or leads drivers to point with one hand and poke their passengers with the other
one. It's the kind of sign that makes you want to slam on the brakes. "Summersville, The World's Largest SPEED TRAP 4
MILES AHEAD."
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Wisconsin: Police Hassle Speed Trap Samaritan - Police in Madison, Wisconsin threatened jail time to
a good samaritan who warned fellow motorists of an upcoming speed trap.
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Petition May Stop Scottsdale Photo Radar - Scottsdale, Arizona's plan to raise $22 million in
revenue through the use of speed cameras on the Loop 101 freeway could be stopped by a vote of the public. Local activist
Michael Merrill is attempting to gather 3,384 signatures in the city of 200,000 within the next two weeks to qualify for a
referendum on the March 14 election ballot. More than 500 signatures have been collected so far.
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CHP Expands Use Of Radar To Catch Speeders - California Highway Patrol officers have been using
radar guns to clock vehicle speeds on stretches of Interstates 5 and 15 for years, but now they will start using them on all
other local freeways.
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The Number One Speed Trap in Georgia - The town of Pendergrass takes in more cash from speeding
tickets than any other city in Georgia. Last year, the town of 480 residents generated $490,574 in traffic citation revenue,
with the net profit amounting to one-half of the town's entire budget and seven times the revenue generated from property
tax receipts.
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Expert spills some secrets on beating a ticket - Beating a traffic ticket in California's Superior
Courts means preparing a case, knowing the law and asking the right questions, according to an attorney who's written two
books on the subject.
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Appeals Court Overturns Pennsylvania Radar Gag Order - Philadelphia papers can once again report on
the Pennsylvania State Police radar cover-up. The 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reversed an order that was designed to
prevent public disclosure of damaging information regarding the faulty Genesis brand radar speed detecting unit used by the
Pennsylvania State Police as well as many other forces around the country.
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Don't jettison photo radar just because it's not a cash cow - The Arizona Legislature has attached
some stringent requirements to photo radar, including the need to photograph not only the vehicle license plate, but also
the driver's face and the actual violation. Some states have less stringent requirements, which means more citations and
fines, but Arizona's requirements are appropriate in terms of proving a violation actually occurred and that the driver -
rather than the vehicle's registered owner - is held responsible. The fact that photo safety programs aren't at least
breaking even for the East Valley cities that have them is probably disappointing to both foes who'd assumed it was a cash
cow and to taxpayers who don't mind seeing speeders and red-light runners smacked in the pocketbook.
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Photo radar, red-light camera cash eludes East Valley cities - The concept seems like a gold mine
for police departments: Cameras catching speeders and red-light runners, so officers don't have to. But in reality, photo
safety programs lose money. At least for Arizona cities. Everybody else involved does just fine. The state cashes in.
Private vendors and process servers cash in. And insurance companies and defensive driving schools cash in. But the six
photo safety programs in the East Valley and Phoenix drained city coffers of nearly $1 million combined in fiscal 2004-05.
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Harrington police: Speeders beware; State Farm grant buys laser - The business of
speed enforcement just got a whole lot better in Harrington, Delaware. Thanks to a $4,000 grant from State
Farm Insurance, the Harrington Police Department has purchased the latest in what civilians call radar guns
and police know as Lidar - an infrared laser device.
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Massachusetts: Town Cops Warn Motorists of State Speed Trap - Motorists in Nahant,
Massachusetts are the beneficiaries of a territorial dispute between the town's police force and state
troopers. The town police are flashing lights on their cruisers to warn of a radar speed trap operated by
the state police on the Nahant Causeway.
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Utah Cops Set Up Radar Speed Trap at Church - Provo, Utah Mayor Lewis Billings has
instructed city police not to set up speed traps on private property without the consent of the owner. His
directive came after complaints about a police sting operation being run out of a church.
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Encinitas eyes photo radar to nab speeders - The city of Encinitas, California
which uses cameras to catch red-light runners, is considering similar technology to nab speeders.
"Photo radar enforcement," as the technology is called, weds speed-sensing radar to cameras.
Only one California city, San Jose, is known to use the system. Like red-light cameras, which the city uses
at its busiest intersection on El Camino Real at Encinitas Boulevard, an automated, anti-speeding system
would be cheaper to employ than a sheriff's deputy.
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Freeway photo radar ban squeaks through House - The Arizona state House of
Representatives barely approved a bill Monday that would limit any possible use of photo radar on freeways
to a one year pilot program on Loop 101 through Scottsdale.
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CHP Turning To Lasers Not Radar To Snare Speeders - The Solano area California
Highway Patrol announced Thursday that effective April 8 LIDAR will be used for speed enforcement on all
freeways, highways, and county roads that are currently surveyed for the use of traffic radar.
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Illinois Speed Cameras to Take License on 2nd Offense - Beginning in July the State
of Illinois will use speed cameras in areas designated as "work zones" on major freeways. Anyone
caught by the devices will be mailed a $375 ticket for the first offense, but a second ticket will cost
$1000 and comes with a 90-day license suspension. Drivers will also face higher insurance premiums as the
first offense remains on the record for 4-5 years, but a second offense remains for a minimum of 7 years.
This represents the harshest penalty structure yet for a city using photo enforcement.
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Oklahoma Cities May Get Caught in Their Own Speed Traps - New legislation approved
by the legislature last year allows the department to investigate communities that gain 50 percent or more
of their operating revenue from writing tickets on state highways or interstates. Towns also are looked at
if a disproportionate number of tickets come from the highways. The state can legally prevent towns from
enforcing traffic laws on the highways if they are seen as abusing the right.
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Laser-Equipped Detectors Zero In On Speeders - New Detectors Work Better Than Radar
- State police in Massachusetts and New Hampshire are using laser-equipped detectors to zero in on
speeders.
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AAA Questions D.C.'s Photo Radar - AAA Mid-Atlantic became concerned about the
cameras after it learned about a letter that Washington, D.C. Mayor Tony Williams sent to Council Chair
Linda Cropp in December asking the council to continue the city's automated traffic enforcement program.
The letter reportedly never mentioned safety but did say there was an "urgent need" to continue
the program to collect revenue for the District.
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Drivers push for hearings on cameras - The region's largest advocacy group for
motorists is urging the Washington D.C. Council to hold oversight hearings on the city's use of red-light
and speed camera technology, citing a recent plea by Mayor Anthony A. Williams to keep the program so the
city can continue to collect revenue.
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Rocky hoping photo radar gets green light - Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's
push to regain the ability for cities to install PhotoCop-like traffic enforcement will hit the City
Council tonight. Soon the push will reach the Utah Legislature.
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Radar flap hurts police reputation - The effectiveness of our justice system relies
on a presumption of fairness, whether the infraction being prosecuted is a felony, a misdemeanor or a
summary offense. So when a common law-enforcement tool is suspected of returning unreliable results, a
quick remedy to the situation should be called for. The Pennsylvania State Police, however, didn't see it
that way when it turned out that a particular brand of radar speed-measuring device was known to
malfunction frequently. The Associated Press reports that state police rejected a free fix offered by the
radar gun's manufacturer because they were afraid that motorists would challenge their tickets if word of
the recall got out.
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Photo radar on Frank Lloyd Wright leads tickets - A relatively new photo radar
installation in north Scottsdale, AZ, has become the top source of speeding tickets - surpassing even a
fleet of four vans that operates 20 hours a day, six days a week.
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New photo radar begins - Another new photo radar device will start clicking shots
of scofflaws Monday morning when Scottsdale, Arizona turns on the latest red-light and speed camera at Shea
Boulevard and Scottsdale Road.
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Judge voids speed trap's traffic tickets - Columbus, Ohio, judge has dismissed
pending traffic tickets issued by a defunct village known for being a speed trap. The decision affects
about 2,000 motorists.
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The Road Tech™ 75 was developed for Harley-Davidson by Escort, the leader in
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Harley-Davidson Dealer.
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Slow Down: That Golfer May Be a Traffic Cop says the Wall Street Journal.
"...policemen are starting to don an array of disguises in order to track speeding drivers without
attracting attention. Since November, officers in Wilmington, N.C., have dressed up as golfers looking for
their ball at the edge of a golf course and disguised themselves as construction workers fixing street
lights. Outfitted with radar guns, they radio ahead to a partner dressed in a normal police uniform, who
then tickets the offending drivers. Officers there have adopted the look of a homeless person, wearing a
bandana, old Army jacket, and jeans with the knees cut out, a beat-up duffle bag at their side."
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