More Editorial

• Commentary: New Mexico Tech's plans have some Socorro residents up in arms
• Trib takes: Feb. 20
• Bouquets & brickbats: Feb. 20

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation
• Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

Nobody has ever called Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez a flip-flopper. But then, he never ran for U.S. Senate, either.

Chavez isn't one to waffle. He has a reputation for holding fast to his positions - sometimes even in spite of contradictory evidence, compelling counterarguments or popular opposition.

Take, for example, his stand - until now - on the city's multiplying traffic cameras, which have been dishing out tickets left and right to motorists caught running red lights, speeding or making illegal turns through intersections equipped with them.

To say folks have been complaining about them would be putting it mildly. But Chavez has been unmoved, insisting the cameras are saving lives at high-risk intersections and slowing people down.

Of course, they have also generated millions in fines in a single year, and an internal audit found the cameras produced a $5.8 million surplus for the city. Not bad for crime-busting - and Big Brother cameras don't draw a salary or earn any costly fringe benefits. Accountants have a couple of names for such accomplishments: "windfall" and "gravy."

When people found out the cameras were raking in millions in revenues for the city, they charged the traffic cams had little to do with reasonable traffic enforcement and everything to do with being a growing new revenue stream for city coffers. Still unmoved, the mayor insisted most of the money was paying for the system or its expansion, and motorists caught on camera violating traffic rules were lawbreakers who should be charged and fined.

However, when state officials said New Mexico had a right to a portion of the city traffic cam ticket fines, Chavez threatened to shut down the cams rather than share with Santa Fe.

Finally, it appears political winds ultimately may doom the dreaded traffic cams, which suddenly have Chavez wondering about their effectiveness.

Only a month after Chavez announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, an Albuquerque Republican, the mayor announced he had decided to take a good, long, hard look at the traffic cameras' effectiveness at reducing traffic accidents.

On Monday, Chavez said he would appoint a task force to study the program to determine whether there's a reduction in traffic crashes at traffic cam intersections. The nine-member group is to collect data at intersections, gather public opinion and examine fines, as well as how revenues could be better spent. And - holy flip-flopper! - Chavez charged the task force with making its report by January.

It could be the mayor has finally seen the light - so to speak. Or it could be that running for the Senate has made him a whole lot more agreeable to the notion most motorists can also cast votes.

Now motorists can wonder: When the redoubtable Chavez flips, will he flop?