Voter Philliness

OK,..I know when Mayor Street made the infamous "brothers and sisters running the city" speech, we were all in trouble, but who knew the "brother" he meant was "Big Brother!"

Dancin' like its 1984,....

City voters approve anticrime cameras
By Robert Moran
Inquirer Staff Writer

Faced with a menacing rise in gun violence, Philadelphia voters overwhelmingly consented yesterday to the use of public video surveillance cameras to deter criminals.

The nonbinding ballot question, which led in late unofficial returns by a 4-1 ratio, was being used by city leaders to gauge whether residents were comfortable with the idea of a network of electronic eyes monitoring public activity.

Video cameras are used in cities such as Chicago and Baltimore. Officials in those cities say that, as a result, crime has been reduced. Cameras also are used on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Thousands of business and residential security cameras exist around the city.

Still, the idea of government-run cameras in neighborhoods, at a time of mounting reports of surveillance of citizens by the federal government, has some wondering whether the added security is worth the intrusion.

The ACLU has raised concerns, and Democratic leaders of the Ninth Ward, which represents Chestnut Hill, urged a no vote on the ballot question.


Contact staff writer Robert Moran at 215-854-5983 or bmoran@phillynews.com.

The TrekMedic fumes:

First,...I still don't see why the MSM and their Demo-Socialist partners continue to demonize an inanimate object like a gun! For God's sake, videotape these knuckle draggers skipping school, dealing dope or otherwise being a drag on our society, instead!

Second,...The ACLU is weighing in on this....I smell a combo anti-ACLU/DoubleStandarDradnatSelbuoD post coming!