L.A. City News Update for September 30, 2010 : AUDIO - Whitman, Allred & L.A. City Controller and Chief Beck on RED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM (Audio of FULL Press Conference)

# RED LIGHT CAMS: As city is about to discuss renewal of severely flawed program, controller puts out negatives, 1st. (We fixed it, renewed!) less than a minute ago

# CHIEF BECK ON RED LIGHT CAMERAS: "To find the right company to operate the cameras..." (Sounds like program will continue w new company.) 16 minutes ago

# CONTROLLER'S TELL: "As we move ahead w this program." Is audit on Red Light Cameras a move to preempt what will come out in public hearings? 24 minutes ago

# WAY TO GO, PETER!: Peter Tilden on 790-KABC made Zine promise he'd sneak in word, "boondoggle," @ today's press event. He agreed, and did! 58 minutes ago

# LA CITY NEWS: New net resource with news updates as they break, blog posts & streaming audio of local press & meetings. (Little local radio) about an hour ago

# A HISTORIC DAY IN L.A. HISTORY: As the team Greuel/Zine kick-off campaign for Mayor/Controller respectively @ today's Red Light Press Event. about an hour ago

# BREAKING: CITY CONTROLLER RELEASES AUDIT OF CITY’S PHOTO RED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM. (AUDIO OF PRESS CONFERENCE) - http://ow.ly/2MD7P about an hour ago

# "The base funding that has to take place in California is for law enforcement." - Meg Whitman at today's press conference. (9/30/10) about 2 hours ago

# "She doesn't HAVE to." Gloria Allred to reporter question if Nikki would take lie detector test as Meg agreed to.(Correct answer is, "yes.") about 2 hours ago

# L.A. Councilman Dennis Zine says City budget is balanced and will be reviewed in October. Sounds pessimistic that economy has recovered. about 2 hours ago

# "Sacramento...they rip EVERYONE off, including municipalities." - L.A. CIty Councilman Dennis Zine on 790-KABC radio w Peter Tilden (5a-9a) about 2 hours ago

# SEND THE CAMERAS OVER!: I was treated like trash and not appreciated every day of my corporate career. Had to work at home & weekends. about 2 hours ago

# LA CITY ONION NEWS: Child Services to investigate MEG WHITMAN for allowing her kid to be driven by someone without a valid driver's license. about 2 hours ago

# LAFD operating @ full capacity: Villaraigosa suspends cost-cutting measure limiting # of available trucks & ambulances. http://ow.ly/2MBqE about 3 hours ago

# MUST HAVE BEEN L.A. VOTERS: In Daily News poll asking the question "Will we ever find life on another planet?" 65% of readers said ... YES! about 3 hours ago

# GLORIA ALLRED may have just done more damage to reputation & safety of non-documented workers in U.S. than anything she alleges Whitman of. about 3 hours

ago

# REPORTERS SCRUTINIZE ALLRED. DON'T SEEM TO BUY IT: Gloria Allred frustrated as reporters hammer her. Says,"One more question," for 1st time. about 5 hours ago

# STRONG STATEMENT: Meg Whitman announces at press conference she's willing to take lie detector test to prove she had no knowledge of letter. about 5 hours ago

# I think tides have turned on Gloria Allred after this latest gross stunt. Don't think she'll be nearly as celebrated as in the past, again. about 5 hours ago

# MEG WHITMAN getting more bang for her non-buck in this press conference than the $100 mil plus, already spent. Jerry needs to cut the feed! about 6 hours ago

# MEG WITMAN turning negative smear into a positive as she uses platform to address illegal immigration issue. Will win many undecideds over. about 6 hours ago

# MEG WHITMAN seeming very authoritative, credible & coming off well in current press conference on Nikki. Will HELP her with many undecideds. about 6 hours ago

# GLORIA ALLRED: Destroying her credibility and reputation over the Nikki/Whitman issue. Didn't come off too well this morning on talk radio. about 7 hours ago

# Does Nikki & Gloria Allred know what "treated me like I wasn't even human," means? This whole thing stinks like Gloria's bad perfume. about 8 hours ago

# After one year absence, L.A. City Council voted to resume meetings in Van Nuys on 1st Friday, but cut from every month to every OTHER month. about 16 hours ago

# What makes L.A. City Council President (presiding entire time city headed into buzzsaw due to his policy) let him think he should be mayor? about 16 hours ago

# "Boo hoo. I lied to my employer upon hiring & when the truth was revealed, she got angry. Isn't that terrible? She should have promoted me!" about 16 hours ago

# BREAKING ONION NEWS: Gloria Allred one cosmetic surgery away from being, one too many, if it isn't too late, already. The NEW Joan Rivers? about 17 hours ago

# POLITICS: After providing false documents & fake SS card to employment agency, maid is fired after admitting crime to boss, then complains. about 17 hours ago

# CRYSTAL BALL?: State legislators won't be able to agree on budget, over politics, so projects will just stop when contractors don't get paid. about 17 hours ago

# After re-starting, but reducing number of council meetings held in Valley from 12 to 6 per year, Garcetti calls it an increase from 0 to 6. about 17 hours ago

# L.A. City News 11 O'Clock News Update for Wednesday, September 29, 2010 (See Whitman's Maid's Documents HERE) http://ow.ly/19dRf1 about 18 hours ago

# WHAT A HERO: "I know there are a lot of other 'Megs,' so I am speaking out for all the other Nikki's." (Does anyone w brains buy that b.s.?) about 18 hours ago

# L.A City News Channel: Breaking news tweets as they come across wire, blog posts & streaming audio/video on L.A. City. http://LACItyNews.com about 19 hours ago

4PM - BREAKING: L.A. City Controller Releases Audit of City's Red Light Camera (HEAR CONTROLLER'S PRESS CONFERENCE AUDIO, HERE.)

From: LAPD BLOG:

CITY CONTROLLER RELEASES AUDIT OF CITY’S PHOTO RED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM

Cameras Meant to Reduce Accidents Have Not Been Placed at Most Dangerous Intersections

September 29, 2010 – City Controller Wendy Greuel was joined by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and City Councilmember Dennis Zine to release an audit of the effectiveness of the City’s Photo Red Light Program (PRLP). The City currently has 32 cameras installed at intersections throughout Los Angeles, which as intended to reduce traffic accidents by catching drivers who break the law running red lights.

However, the audit found the red light cameras have not been installed at the City’s most dangerous 32 intersections. There were numerous reasons for this, including placing at least one red light camera in each of the Council Districts, weak infrastructure at some locations and not wanted to conduct the additional analyses required for State controlled-intersections.

“If public safety is the number one priority of the Photo Red Light Program then the most dangerous intersections should be selected, period,” said City Controller Greuel. “Regardless of the reasons, the cameras are only effective if they are placed at the most dangerous intersections. If we don’t use them effectively we are putting Angelenos lives in danger.”

While there have been no fatalities at monitored intersections since the current contract was implemented in 2006, the audit found the PRLP cannot document conclusively an increase in public safety and a more comprehensive approach to evaluating the PRLP is needed. There was only a reduction in traffic accidents at 50% of the intersections with red light cameras for the six months after a camera was installed when compared with the six months before it was installed.

“I believe any program that can prevent accidents and prevent even one fatality from occurring is worthwhile,” Controller Greuel said. “However, we must be transparent about the cost to the City during these dire economic times.”

In addition the City has expended $2.6 million to operate the red light camera program over the past two years. However, having these cameras allows police officers to help fight crime in other parts of the City. If the cameras were not installed it would require more than 100 motor officers with salaries in excess of $10 million dollars to monitor the 32 PRLP intersections.

September 30, 2010