Nassau's camera bill stuck in neutral

ALBANY -- A bill that would double the number of Nassau County intersections with red-light cameras is stuck in neutral in the State Assembly, after cruising through the Senate.

And its chances are uncertain. The reason: philosophical opposition to the automatic cameras and concerns about the county's focus on the revenue the devices might generate, according to the sponsor of the measure.

"I'm frustrated, but that's not to say we won't be able to do this," said Assemb. Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove).

The Nassau County Legislature voted in early March to seek state approval to double the number of red-light cameras from 50 to 100. One day later, the measure sailed through the Senate without opposition.

Since then, County Executive Edward Mangano has proposed a budget filled with dramatic cuts -- and banking somewhat on revenue from tickets triggered by more automatic cameras at intersections.

Mangano, forced to submit a new budget after a state control board took over the county's finances, has said youth service programs could be slashed without the camera revenue.

Lavine said the emphasis on money -- rather than safety -- hasn't helped him persuade his Assembly colleagues to support the bill.

"These are supposed to be used as lifesavers, property savers," Lavine said. "The county executive is advancing a strategy that holds [youth services] . . . hostage and then turns them into lobbyists. The method he's using is working against what I am trying to do . . . "

The program netted the county $10.3 million last year and could raise as much as $47 million this year as cameras are phased in, the Mangano administration recently told Newsday. In New York State, running a red line comes with a $50 fine.

But the focus isn't primarily on revenue, Mangano spokesman Brian Nevin said. That the revenue would help preserve youth programs is an "added benefit."

"The intent of expanding the red-light camera program is to improve public safety," Nevin wrote in an email. "Safety statistics clearly indicate that red-light cameras help reduce accidents."

Assembly Transportation Committee chairman David Gantt (D-Rochester) has long opposed such measures, citing privacy concerns. Residents and advocacy groups, such as AAA, have questioned whether the program was aimed at protecting public safety or raising revenue.

Also, the dean of the Nassau Assembly delegation, Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead), recently wrote to Mangano, listing 12 locations she wants removed from the list of potential intersections for cameras, citing a potentially unfair impact on minority neighborhoods.

Nevin said that camera locations "have not been set in stone." He said if the $1.1 million in proposed cuts to the county Youth Board are broken down by legislative districts, there is less than $25,000 worth of difference between reductions to Democrat and Republican areas.