A cell phone ban? What's Rapid City going to ban next, left turns?
Oops. Too late.

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The headline in today's Rapid City Journal talks about how the City Council was asked to be nanny to everyone using cell phones in cars:
Alderman Bob Hurlbut questioned how far an ordinance could go.

“Are we going to say cell phone use is illegal? Is it going to be cell phone possession? We can put in any number of distracting factors and try to outlaw them, but the bottom line is, there will be distracted drivers whether we have this ordinance or not,” he said.

City attorney Jason Green isn’t sure the city has the authority to adopt an ordinance banning drivers from using cell phones.

“It seems to me there’s a potential for enforcement difficulties with an ordinance like this. I think that’s why you’ve seen state legislatures struggle with this issue also,” he said.
(Read that here.) But at the same time they reject that as problematic to enforce, another article talks about how the public is coming uncorked over people turning left. As if that isn't equally problematic to enforce.
After getting calls from people upset about getting a ticket, Johnson said he wants the council to reconsider its decision.

“I think it’s a hindrance to traffic and the way we move traffic. There have been a lot of tickets written there, and I think it’s an important part of our transportation system,” he said. “I regret having voted for this. I guess I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have."
Read that here. (BTW, Great quote for a mayoral candidate - "I guess I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have.")

It's a problem that a lot of elected officials have - they listen to those interested in propagating the bureaucracy, as opposed to the people.

Comments

Anonymous said…
It's time for you to come out in support of medical marijuana, Pat. It's the only way for you to avoid being horribly and embarrassingly inconsistent on this nanny state stuff that's got your panties all up in a bunch.

Sorry for the off topic post. Hope it doesn't get axed...
9:39 AM
Anonymous said…
So, let's get this straight. If a person admits to having followed staff's recommendation, but then regret the decision because of the results, they are criticized? If a person doesn't follow staff recommendation, they are micromanaging? Would this all be a moot point if Tom Johnson were, instead, Sam Kooiker?
3:30 PM
Anonymous said…
Tom Johnson had no trouble opposing staff recomendations when he lobblied for a 150 thousand dollar, full blown traffic light, on Cathedral drive. ohhhhh I remember, that was election time, just like it is now, nice flip flop Tom. I bet the only reason Johnson voted for this is because he wasnt planning on running for mayor at the time.
9:15 PM
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