Our post about Governor John Hickenlooper vetoing a bill pertaining to the elimination of red-light cameras and photo-radar citations attracted plenty of comments.
But none was as long and passionate as the one below.
The author sent an e-mail with the all-caps subject line "DO NOT PAY" and described in detail how he has successfully followed his own advice.
He's identified by a pseudonym of his choosing, for obvious reasons.
Here's what he had to say.
Warren Listi writes:
I'm very frustrated why the media does not clearly, directly mention in ALL articles about this issue that no one has to ever pay these "tickets."Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
The unconstitutionality should always be clearly laid out for the reader.
The secret to making this program go away is if everyone just stopped paying the city.
They will not properly and legally serve anyone. Ever!!!!! It's logistically cost-prohibitive, if not even physically impossible.
This citizenry behaves like sheep. Whipping out the checkbook immediately after opening the letter — thinking that it will show up on their credit report or MVR one day.
Stop, stop, stop.
And the media needs to do a better job of criticizing and clearly explaining the ways in which those letters in the mail ARE NOT an actual citation, summons, infraction, etc.
They are nothing. Zip.
I got about eight of them last November after they set up a van on 17th near City Park.
Didn't pay one of them.
Gone. Went away. Nothing.
If the city had any intent of serving somebody, it would have been me.
Think about it: One process server or uniformed officer could have handed me papers amounting to an approx. $1,000 gain for the City of Denver.
Did they take the time to take down this 'whale'??
Nope.
When the sheep stop paying the city, every red light and photo radar van will disappear overnight.
Gone. Done.
And no thanks to our punk governor, masquerading as a beer-brewing, affable geologist and Everyday Joe.
Just a whore politician in love with our cash.
And the gorgeous irony of me taking the time to rant?
This issue doesn't even affect me anymore.
Because i'll never pay them.
It's just horribly frustrating to see the city doing what they do, and the woefully ignorant citizens letting them get away with it.
Please convince your colleagues at other media outlets to do their fucking jobs better. It wouldn't be hard to spell this out more regularly and clearly....
I believe i read somewhere that the city issues 700-800 of these "violations" every day. So logically, that implies that the city somehow has the ability to serve all violators, in person, when the time comes due.
Hilarious.