DC's Stupid Camera Tricks

It's a truism that when it comes to actual municipal governance, Washington, D.C. rarely rises to the level of Third World kleptocracies. It is simply one of the worst-run cities in the country.

Via The Washington Times–an eminently enjoyable publication that strains credibility by dubbing itself "America's newspaper" while Web pages load–comes the tale of how D.C. has brokered the worst kind of deal as it expands its odious program of ticket-issuing traffic-surveillance cameras:

The District's latest traffic-camera contract runs counter to federal guidelines and expert recommendations that warn against paying contractors based on the number of citations they issue because such pay plans erode public support for the automated programs.

"Where a private contractor is responsible for the processing of citations, compensation to private vendors based on the number of citations issued should be avoided," the Federal Highway Administration said in a report on red-light cameras last month.

"Compensation should be provided solely on the value of the equipment or the services provided," the federal report states.

The District recently extended its red-light and speed camera contract with ACS State & Local Solutions to include a new compensation plan for the vendor. The new contract provides a $651,735 monthly fee and an extra $23,000 for each group of 2,500 tickets the vendor issues over a threshold of 53,750.

Previously, the city had paid ACS a fixed monthly fee of $759,992.

According to the agreement, city officials are projecting the number of citations issued in the District could increase to as many as 130,750 per month. Under that scenario, ACS would receive $1.3 million a month, according to the contract.

Whole story here.