Red light cameras were subject to a lot of negative press when they first started appearing in towns and cities across the country, citing drivers for traffic violations out of the blue.

To this day, the question of their fairness to drivers is a contentious one. Impersonal and without discretion, a growing number of people have accused city and county government officials of putting them up simply to balance the budget.

In Pennsylvania, Governor Ed Rendell is making no bones about his intention to fill state budget gaps. The nearly $500 million-a-year he had hoped to receive from tolls on Interstate 80 disappeared in a puff of smoke when the federal government rejected the plan.

A new plan put forth by the governor involves the installation of cameras on Pennsylvania highways that would scan the license plates of cars that pass, checking them against a database to determine whether or not the owner has valid auto insurance.

Those found without valid insurance would be assessed a fine.

As for those red light cameras, the Pennsylvania Senate has already approved a bill allowing Pittsburgh, Scranton and a number of smaller cities to post an unlimited number of red-light cameras for the purpose of law enforcement.

However, while they were okay with auto-ticketing at stop lights, state senators have proven hesitant to commit to Rendell's plan for insurance checks. As Senator John Gordner asked, where does the auto-enforcement stop? How far will Pennsylvania and other states be willing to take citizen surveillance?

Many, even those in the insurance industry, have pointed out that such a plan might not work as smoothly as Rendell seems to hope it will. Variations in signature on certain insurance forms could keep the cameras from accurately locating individuals within the system.

Changes to one's insurance provider or a plan cancellation could also cause individuals to be wrongly fined.

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