It's all about the revenue. If there were even a SMIDGEN of safety in
there, they would be in favor of suspending the driver's licenses of
chronic red light runners. But NO, we can't take people's licesnes
away! If they can't drive to work, they can't keep our coffers full
with traffic fines!!

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/632378,CST-NWS-redlight02.article

Red-light runners may lose licenses
FINES RAISED | Daley wants city to have power to suspend licenses of
chronic offenders

November 2, 2007
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter fspielman@suntimes.com

Chicago motorists caught on camera running red lights may face even
higher fines -- $100 or more -- to ease the pressure to raise property
taxes.

But that extra $10 or so pales in comparison to the penalty Mayor
Daley has in mind: suspending driver's licenses.

At Wednesday's City Council meeting, Daley introduced a sweeping
"organization and management" ordinance tied to his 2008 budget that,
among other things, would empower the city to suspend the driver's
licenses of motorists with five or more red-light camera violations.

Last year, the General Assembly gave cities the right to suspend
licenses for red-light running. Daley is simply moving to take
advantage of the power, said Wendy Abrams, a spokeswoman for the
city's Budget and Management Office.

"Its intended purpose is to punish the most egregious red-light
offenders -- those who have demonstrated a pattern of behavior that is
dangerous to both motorists and pedestrians," Abrams said.

Chicago aldermen have suggested raising the $90 ticket to $100 or more
to roll back Daley's proposed $108 million property tax increase.

But they were divided on the idea of suspending driver's licenses --
particularly when 39 CTA bus routes are on the chopping block.

"Some people may have no choice but to drive. In the environment we're
in right now, it doesn't make sense to suspend someone's license. For
what? So they can't get to work to make money and pay their tickets?

[...]