This report was originally published by Lily Dane at TheDailySheeple.com
Mats Järlström noticed a flaw in the mathematical formula used to regulate the timing of traffic lights.
His interest was sparked back in 2013, after his wife received a red light camera ticket after driving through the intersection of Allen Boulevard and Lombard Avenue in Beaverton, Oregon. Mats explored how yellow lights are timed. He began writing and speaking publicly about how red light cameras misuse the standard mathematical formula for timing traffic lights, which leads to unsafe driving conditions and unfair tickets when drivers slow down to turn.
People wanted to hear Mats’s ideas. Local news outlets covered his story, and he shared his research at a national conference of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Mats observed a problem – one that was costing drivers a bundle (his wife was fined $260 for her ticket) and set out to fix it.
Trying to improve driving conditions – while saving drivers money – is something most reasonable people would find honorable.
People, excepting the “authorities” in Oregon – who did not appreciate Mats’s ideas at all.
The problem of traffic light cameras being flawed (in favor of the State, of course) is not new. According to DrivingLaws.org: “In some cases, it has been discovered that municipalities have deliberately shortened the duration of yellow lights in order to increase the odds of running the light (and ratcheting up the town’s traffic enforcement revenue).”
Back in 2014, a local news article referred to Beaverton as “TicketTown”, calling police in the area “ticket-writing royalty, the kings and queens of pulling drivers over in the area”.
Red light cameras are often installed under the guise of reducing accidents, but they have actually turned into quite the cash cow not only for cities, but for the corporations that supply the cameras. As Jeff Zurschmeide explained in Red-Light Cameras Are Producing Profits More Than Protecting Drivers:
One proven way to reduce accidents and improve red-light compliance is to actuate the yellow light sooner and leave it on a little longer. Drivers have more time to notice and react to the yellow light, and most will stop for it. This is not news. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has been recommending this technique for decades.
However, if you’re thinking that cities with red-light camera contracts have followed the DOT’s guidelines to reduce accidents and increase compliance, think again. The contracts in place with red-light camera providers often specify maximum yellow light times, and impose financial penalties if the city lengthens the yellow period.
In fact, a 2001 report issued by the Office of the Majority Leader in the United States House of Representatives showed that the typical yellow light time had been reduced by about 25 percent compared to the times prevailing in the mid-1970s.
Naturally, someone had to try to silence Mats and stop him from exposing and interfering with the city’s revenue-generating racket.
Because no good deed goes unpunished, Mats was fined $500 for the unlicensed practice of engineering. If he continued to “critique” traffic lights, he could face thousands of dollars in fines and up to one year in jail for the unlicensed practice of engineering.
Mats has filed a lawsuit against the board, with the help of the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm that “litigates to limit the size and scope of government power and to ensure that all Americans have the right to control their own destinies as free and responsible members of society.”
The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the state’s requirement that citizens must obtain an engineering license in order to publicly debate anything involving “engineering.”
His story has gotten quite a bit of coverage, including this local news feature:
Sam Gedge, an attorney at the Institute for Justice, said of the case:
“Criticizing the government’s engineering isn’t a crime; it’s a constitutional right. Under the First Amendment, you don’t need to be a licensed lawyer to write an article critical of a Supreme Court decision, you don’t need to be a licensed landscape architect to create a gardening blog, and you don’t need to be a licensed engineer to talk about traffic lights. Whether or not you use math, criticizing the government is a core constitutional right that cannot be hampered by onerous licensing requirements.”
Mats added,
“People should be free to debate any topic, including technical topics like math and traffic lights. But I was fined simply for speaking out and was told that I can’t truthfully call myself an engineer. The board has not only silenced me, it has silenced many other people who want to talk about technical issues.”
If you are aware of how pervasive the police state is – how deeply entrenched it is, even at local levels – then this story may not surprise you very much.
And, you may not be surprised to hear that states don’t want anyone interfering with one of their prime revenue-collecting schemes.
But Mats’s case adds to a growing body of evidence that government’s attempts to suppress free speech (and silence those who attempt to expose corruption) are growing dangerously out of control by the day.
Lily Dane is a staff writer for The Daily Sheeple. Wake The Flock Up – Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter
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WTF? This is Twilight Zone shit. Not sure I am not already in the Matrix. Why do we stand for this kind of shit? Now you cannot converse with certain people of certain professions without a license? This is insane.
I have said many time amerikans are too stupid to do math.
How many times must you be told its for your own good and safety. Well then Mr. Gandhi, the beatings will continue till your morale improves.
PO’d Patriot, that was some nice sarcasm, LOL!
Now that’s the Murica that I loves. Come getcha some
BADGES are REDCOATS.. SAME SYSTEM>same profiteers behind it all.
Sure, in 1775 redcoats locked up the thief, rapist and murderer.
SO WHAT! LOOK at what else was done. AT least our forefathers could SEE THROUGH IT!
Courts and CORPS ARE the SAME as before! nothing new under the sun!
BADGES are REDCOATS!
Haha yep,
For those who don’t know–there is also another added revenue for the State by using red light cameras and speed zone cameras.
It turns out the state doesn’t actually OWN the cameras. They take bids from companies who get large kickbacks and a % of all the fines they generate from photo-enforced tickets.
One guy in Jersey sued the company Redflix, because he proved that their speed cameras were taking random photos and sending drivers tickets that they didn’t deserve–but drivers can’t prove their innocence and usually pay the fine to keep their registration from being revoked.
The level of this scam runs deeper than short yellows–it includes blatant fraud/extortion.
A fine here and a fine there really adds up. Not surprised many are profiting from the red light spy net scam.
It’s been shown time and again that red light cameras actually INCREASE traffic accidents.
I got a ticket at a yellow light so now I slam on the brakes when the light turns yellow and feel sorry for person behind me.
97% of all inventions were made by white men
calculus physics chemistry biology were invented by white men
There are whites in Japan and China?
“calculus physics chemistry biology” are not inventions. They are part of natural science that existed long before humans arrived on the scene. White men had nothing to do with it.
A lot of Cities have been sued and have had to return a lot of fine money back to those who got tickets. Its all a scam. Until someone catches on the yellow caution lights are a fraction of time, of what they should be, and Boom Red comes on and tickets the masses. A city near me removed all red light cameras cause they got sued and lost.. Its a friggin scam. Only one stop light at all with in about 15 miles of me in any direction. And they are not Red Light camera stop lights. Its nice living in the country way out in the boonies, on a dead end private road where there is No traffic but a few people that live in the area and we hang out at each other houses and drink beer and what ever.
Gonetoolong. I would’ve told them what to do with their fine and gag order. Don’t need any stinkin license to talk to anyone.
In many generations from now, when archaeologists are putting back together our civilization to show on future episodes on the History channel, they won’t be able to distinguish stories from CNN and MSNBC from http://www.theonion.com or news stories such as this one, from comedy sketches from Saturday Night Live.
If I can’t even tell the difference now, I don’t give future humanity a shot at it sometime in the distant future.
Since many things now do not make any sense from a self-preservation stand point (some of these people would literally refuse to shoot someone that is about to kill them). Scientists would not be able to figure why the hell our civilization acted the way it did in various situations.
No wonder cops are targeted and ambushed at every corner….
Sue the bastards and name the officials in the suit, individually. Make the mfkrs pay !!! 🙂
So much for freedom of speech in Liberal land. It was all about the money.
Yes, slaves need to shut up and take it.
Gandhi, nice sarcasm. I don’t ‘bend over’ for anyone or anything.
I agree. But I don’t think liberals are the only ones interested in money or suppressing free speech.
The fine outrageous. So you bust a tire on a pot hole that shouldn’t be there, too bad for you. Its all about money for them.
Politics has been the same for thousands of years– you have the parasites that want to live on the work output of others, and you have people that actually produce something useful (a product or service). Don’t want to give up some of your hard-earned property to the parasites?– No problem, they will simply pass a law forcing you to do it.
I just turned 60, and as I get older, I am leaning farther towards the political system of anarchy as an ideal. We really don’t NEED government for ANYTHING, and politicians are the chief cause of 90%+ of our problems. If we can’t have extremely limited government, then no government at all is preferable.
Ken in Las Vegas, welcome. I just turned 60 myself in March and I totally agree with your post. There is nothing this government does that has any legitimate basis to it whatsoever. There’s already some laws I don’t go along with. Any law saying I have to give up any of the fruits of my labor to a parasite will also be ignored on my part.
I’ll send you some Geritol. LOL.
Po’d Patriot, up yours, LOL! Would be nice to turn young again but it won’t happen. No one can ever have it to do over again.
Not so sure I’d want to do it over again anyway. I could probably use that Geritol myself. I turn 59 in a couple of months.
I am 52 and came to the exact same conclusion years ago…
I’m 59!
Im right behind ya and feel the same way,,,
The government is a bunch of thugs who are there to line their pockets and pad their bank accounts. They are useless eaters. Look at how much (millions) richer just the last ten presidents were after leaving office.
“Serving their country” is a disguise for serving themselves. And Trump is no different.
Just so Ken. 58 here
Anyone who lives in nature knows we live in anarchy anyway. All else is delusion, designed to enslave.
Good article, and very disturbing. If I was that guy, I wouldn’t have paid the fine and ignored any gag order. At least he’s willing to stand up and fight for himself, I’ll give him that. The red-light cameras are all about $$$$$$, NOT public safety. Law enforcement doesn’t give a damn about ‘public safety’, let alone even the public. The federal and state supreme courts many times have ruled that protecting citizens is not cops’ job. THEY ARE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. THEY DON’T SERVE THE PUBLIC AT ALL. THEY HAVE NO OBLIGATIONS TO THE PUBLIC. THEY’RE JUST REVENUE COLLECTORS FOR WHOEVER WRITES THEIR PAYCHECKS. Red-light cameras are just a scam. Always have been and always will be. I hope the guy wins. I wish him the best.
If “traffic enforcement” is about public safety, why do cops get pissed when people flash their headlamps to warn others of speed traps?
Wait till they pass a law that its mandatory to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. Oh, forgot, they already have in some states. And nobody complains, because 99% of the morons ride around on their bicycles with helmets,
like brainwashed robots…..I’ve been riding bicycles for over 50 years without a helmet. In fact, I ride my Harley around without a helmet. Is it smart to do so? Maybe; maybe not…but I’m not infringing on anyones rights or safety, so WTF business is it of govt to mandate these things.? We must stand up by the millions and say NO to totalitarianism, in all its forms.
J, good points. In my city there’s a local ordinanace requiring wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle. But my city also have SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT on certain things. There are ‘minority people’ who ride bikes all the time without a helmet, without any reflectors, without even a headlamp, and never get stopped just because they are ‘minority people’. But be WHITE and ride a bike under those same conditions, you WILL be stopped and given a citation. Just another example of ‘minority people’ being given special treatment under the law.
It’s all about easy $. Revenue generation, not for your safety. If you’re white and ride a fancy bike chances you have money and will pay the fine because it’s not worth your time contesting it. If you’re black or brown you’re probably riding a stolen bike, won’t pay the fine, won’t show up in court for the outstanding unpaid fine, and the cops and courts don’t want to hassle with it.
BlackMoe, that situation exists in my city. It’s the black civil rights crap.
Every attempt to curb the red light camera abuse goes nowhere. Everything about America is a ripoff. Even nature gets ripped off.
…wait until self-driving cars come along that will not violate these rigged cameras…and people begin developing technology that times and records green-yellow-red-light movement in defense of the driver. Data showing the lights are rigged would quickly shut down any trial or court appearance as they would not want others to come up with the same idea. These fascist’s revenue will drop considerably and they will be unable to pay for all that expensive, installed equipment…(which will be one of the first things torn down in riots or civil unrest)…but they will still be locked into the contracts Ha!
RJ O’Guillory
RJO, good points. I’ll bet a lot of those cameras will get shot. If someone is a good enough shot, a well-placed .22LR round through the lens will take care of it.
Damn Braveheart, you are that old! That’s approaching crickity. lol. I’ve seen you mention your age a few times, time flies.
Off topic, and must be seen.
https://www.infowars.com/ex-banker-claims-he-was-invited-to-take-part-in-child-sacrifice-rituals/
These are the people that run our country. THIS IS A REALLY GOOD REASON TO PREP AND PREPARE FOR SURVIVAL. Listen to what this ex banker is telling the public as to how the elite thinks of us. I told you all about what going on. Only non humans, ” reptilians” would see us like this. Useless eaters, parasites. Very interesting isn’t.
HCKS
To live in a land of milk and honey, someone has to engage in the practice of raising cattle and keeping bees, (just be sure to have all permits and fees in order).
it is illegal for taxpayers to exercise free speech if it affects the taxpayer money flowing into unfunded salary and pension funds of unaccountable public employee labor unions .
My question now is Doctors.
How many patients are on MEDS they do not need to be ON ????
AND!!!!
???? HOW MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE OPERATED ON WHO DO NOT NEED A OPERATION ????????????????????
Law enforcement are just glorified tax collectors.
Duh!
Aljamo, I can only WISH to be young again. It sucks to get old.
Avoid driving there Oregon and Okelehoma as much as possible
I wish the police in my city would do something about the people running red lights and speeding. My youngest son used to gripe at me for looking both ways before I went after the light turned green. He learned the hard way after being hit by a car that did not stop for the red light. Now he looks before he proceeds on the green light. There is one traffic light I noticed does not even stay green long enough for you to drive through the intersection to the other side, even if you’re the only vehicle. I really don’t think my city even cares if they make any money on tickets, they get all their revenue from supposed drug forfeiture money. Yes, our freedom of speech is slowly eroding away.
We had ticketing cameras in many intersections in Orange County, CA. The systems were proven to be flawed and they were removed. That’s the way it should be everywhere.
If everyone wants a good laugh, go to Ready Nutrition and check out the article, “What The IRS Plans To Do In The Case Of A Nuclear War Will Leave You In Stitches”. It’s funny, but not funny.
I’ve driven through that intersection
I’m quite the traveler(EMI school). If you get
a ticket for that you light really have to
be stupid.
The most dangerous part of that town
is the stupid train. Nobody rides
it and you can’t hear it coming.
Yes indeed so! Jun 29, 2016 Concentration Camps are Here!
US Concentration Camps are here! — Don’t be ashamed of you must plea out so you can STAND again and tear down these walls of treason.
https://youtu.be/mX9dl8FpacY
Even ultra totalitarian governments use some ostensible excuse to justify their misuse of power. The USSR used to put political decenter’s in the psycho hospital because anyone disagreeing with communism must be crazy. Here we have a requirement of an engineers license. Neither have the moral courage to state what is really occurring, “Shut up and do as your told”.
Why am I not a leftist? This story tells it all
Leftist NY power couple fight to keep poor black children out of THEIR kids’ school
This is so utterly typical of all the leftists I know: Just think the limousine liberals in Hollywierd. Has even one of them put up even ONE illegal immigrant for just ONE night in just ONE room of their zillion room mansions? Of course not. See Dr. Arthur Brooks’, out of Univ. of Syracuse, book Who Really Cares for more details on this issue.
—————————————————————
Samantha Bee’s Husband Fights To Keep Poor, Black Kids Out Of His Children’s School
Jones is not only a former “correspondent” for the left-wing Daily Show, he is also husband to Samantha Bee, one of the leftist leaders of the so-called Resistance Movement against President Trump. Oh, and Jones doesn’t want the city of New York to move his children’s school to a location that would make it more accessible to poor, black kids.
Both Samantha Bee and Jason Jones are wealthy and very white. According to the Civil Rights Project, New York is not the Liberal Utopia it is advertised to be, at least if you are not white and wealthy. Just like when Democrats ran the South, Democrat-run New York has managed to create the most racially-segregated schools in the country: New York has the most segregated schools in the country: in 2009, black and Latino students in the state had the highest concentration in intensely-segregated public schools (less than 10% white enrollment), the lowest exposure to white students, and the most uneven distribution with white students across schools.
Heavily impacting these state rankings is New York City, home to the largest and one of the most segregated public school systems in the nation. Slate reports that one of the reasons for this is that in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the most left-wing part of this left-wing state, there is never-ending resistance — if you’ll pardon the use of that word — to opening up predominantly-white schools to under-privileged, minority students. In other words: these rich, white left-wingers want their schools to remain rich and white.
The current Upper West Side focus is on P.S. 452, which, according to Slate, “has a lopsided enrollment, with a population that’s three-quarters white and Asian, with only 13% of kids qualifying for free lunch, in a district that’s 43% white and Asian and 48% low-income.” This public school is already over-crowded and a proposal has been made to move it just 16 blocks away. There is just one problem.
At this location, the school, which is currently one of the best public schools in the city, would be near a number of large housing projects. The move, then, could result in the end of the segregation many of these parents so desire. A lot more poor, black students might start attending. Samantha Bee’s husband is not only fighting this move, the former correspondent is — get this — urging parents who agree with him not to talk to the media…. Even though it is the only hope many have, what we have here is even more proof that the Left does not want to educate poor, black kids. Think about it: 1) These limousine liberals refuse to integrate these kids into their public schools. 2) These terrible people also do not want to give these kids vouchers to go to a private school.
And it is all about power.
Keep ’em poor. Keep ’em angry. Keep ’em in despair. And most importantly… Keep ’em voting for the very same Democrats who keep ’em down.
P.S. Think about how selfish you have to be to fight against giving poor kids a shot at the Golden Ticket to an education. Now think about how selfish you have to be to oppose such a thing when you can afford to send your own kids to private schools. These progressive millionaires not only want free education, they want to deprive others, children no less, of the same.
http://www.dailywire.com/news/15927/samantha-bees-husband-fights-keep-poor-black-kids-john-nolte?utm_source=dwemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=050217-news&utm_campaign=position1#exit-modal
BY:
JOHN NOLTE
MAY 1, 2017
I would describe those two as fake, fraudulent, psychopathic fuks. Beware of individuals who present themselves as pillars of the community or wildly successful.
Green light means go. Yellow light means go faster. For those that drive in Springfield, MO
many of the intersection cameras are disabled. Some may not be. Couldn’t tell you which
are and which are not.
Here’s how you beat the system on redlight and speeding cameras. Go down to the license branch and fill out the change of address form. Use a PO Box (get one if you don’t have one) as your mailing address. This is what will show on your license. If they ask, just tell the clerk you own rental property and you don’t want tenants to have access to where you live. Now bear in mind you must also give a residence address (where you live) for the data base. But that address could be a relative, child, old address where you used to live, etc…or even the address of a hotel or out-house will do. LOL…Then when you get these revenue generator citations, by law you MUST be served. When the process server sees the PO box, they usually just throw it out. If the server goes to your listed address, you don’t live there, so they can’t serve you. In Arizona, if they don’t serve you within 120 days, the citation is dismissed by law. These process servers get paid by how many they actually serve, not how many they tried to serve, or an hourly wage. If they go to an address and you don’t live there, they just move on to the next citation. They don’t have the time or resources to hunt you down. I got (9) photo-radar tickets last year, and all dismissed….because I was not served. It’s called beating them at their own game.!!!!!
Some States (like GA) will no longer allow anything on your driver’s license but a physical address. Just renewed last week and they made me change mine from a P.O. Box only, to an address. IDK about the other 56 States (thank you BHO) 🙂
<bb
The scam insurance companies are involved in this too. Get a ticket or two and your rates go up. Insurance companies moniter credit scores like a hawk just waiting for an excuse to raise rates. Insurance companies are part of the spy net.
So in Cobb County Atlanta GA there was intersection that had a high number of claims being filed. So a couple of adjusters went out with an investigator former cop and checked it out. Ha, they yellow lights timing had been reduced. The locals wanted to rake up cash so folks would stop on yellow. This resulted in vehicle accidents! Anyway the insurance company took it to court and won. There is supposed to be a specified time allotted (codified) for yellow lights.
The fusion centers aka public safety departments, that also monitors cell phone texts,(story for another article) search tax payers just because they are stopped at a traffic light. Certainly being stopped at a red light is not reasonable suspicion?
This is a violation of 4th amendment rights. Everyday thousands of Americans are being searched while conducting common everyday legal activities, geez.
Sore subject with me!
I guess the people of Oregon are stupid they don’t like any rights 1st or 4th???
If he is not getting paid as an engineer, then he is not practicing engineering.
Just anticipate the light is gonna turn yellow and slow down prepare to stop. Problem is people are in a hurry to go nowhere. When I back up the truck into a business off the street people drive around me on my blind side and I cant see them. I’m not gonna get hurt but they will. They need to make a law that if a truck has 4 ways on and it in a backing manouvre it’s illegal to pass just like the school bus if the red lights are flashing. I’ve never had a problem with the camera lights down city. Slow the fuck down and put the phone down. Was heading to a stop and a guy slammed on his brakes and skidded 20ft just missing the guy in front of him rush hour traffic. 2mins later he’s back on the phone texting. Near miss didn’t stop this guys texting. I drive the right way so I don’t fear tickets.
As a P.E. in GA, my understanding of Practicing w/o a License revolves around a client (even with no $ exchanged) for whom you the unLicensed perform Engineering Services that the Board has determined (backed by the Legislation) requires one.
Mr Jarlstrom apparently has a Degree in electronics or electrical engineering. Registration (and the attendant qualification testing) with the State is usually only necessary if you are in a business that deals with public projects or directly serves the public.
Most engineers have what is called an “Industry Exemption” because they work for a Company or Corp. Some principal engineer in the Corp usually has the License.
Mr Jarlstrom’s offense appears to be providing suggestions on the training and certification of Traffic Engineers to the Board in Oregon.
It seems completely nuts that they would accuse him of practicing without a License. Who is the client in this situation ? How was the public put in any danger by his work or his questions ?
Maybe we don’t have all the info, but this seems completely baseless.
However, the question the TV reporter asked “Does the State own the word ‘Engineer’?” Even though I am Libertarian, I think Govt certification of the basic professions that could have a large impact on Life and Property is reasonable.
Do I think beauty operators, cosmeticians, barbers, etc. etc etc need to be licensed by the State ?
Naaah, that’s just Revenooin’
<bb
This is too stupid to be stupid. Oregon is dominated by liberal Democrats and pretty much has one party rule. This kind of ruling isn’t surprising coming from mentally deficient liberals and their nanny state mentality.
Does the State own the word, “gynecologist”?
__
Probably not.
But they probably do on the word “Pussy”