Welcome To Speed Trap, Oklahoma
A Bubbaworld Editorial Opinion
Under Roan's trickery, such investigations may now only be requested by: the district attorney of the county where the alleged speed trap is located, by resolution of at least two commissioners of the county in which the alleged speed trap is located, by the state legislator of the district in which the alleged speed trap is located, by the State Auditor and Inspector or by the Attorney General of Oklahoma.
Previously the DPS was required to conduct investigations of alleged speed traps and to revoke ticket writing authority of those cities and towns found to be operating a speed trap. Under Roan's version, the DPS now "may", rather than "shall" conduct such investigations and if so forward the results the investigation to the Attorney General for a determination as to whether the town is operating a speed trap. Under Roan's 'Let's Have a Speed Trap' bill, the Attorney General is not bound by law to do anything other than go through the motions of considering the DPS investigation report.
Prior to Roan's trickery, five Oklahoma towns had been deemed speed traps and were prohibited from writing traffic tickets. Thanks to Roan's "woolly booger" those proven speed trap towns instantly regained ticket writing authority and are free to generate as much revenue as they can via traffic tickets and DPS can do nothing about it; provided the towns run their speed traps on non-interstate highways.
These towns are Big Cabin, Caney, Moffett, Shamrock, and Stringtown. They were found to have operated blatant speed traps, deriving the majority of their operating revenues from traffic tickets. For example the town of Moffett derived 78 percent of its operating budget in 2003 from traffic tickets. In 2004 it was worse, as 84 percent of Moffet's operating budget came from traffic tickets.
So what would motivate Rep. Roan to legitimize speed trap towns? The short and simple answer is MONEY. Lots of money.
Two of Oklahoma's speed trap towns, Caney and Stringtown, are within Roan's district and once deprived of their ticket writing authority the towns are facing bankruptcy. Many of the small Oklahoma towns through which US and major state highways pass exist only by being speed traps. The towns are not able to sustain themselves unless they are writing tickets, lots of tickets, most of which are probably legitimate and justified and some of which are not, but all of which are required keep the town afloat.
