On August 3rd, 2026, the Torrance Traffic Commission held another meeting on automated ticketing scheme, specifically to discuss and decide whether to recommend automated parking enforcement cameras for the city of Torrance.
A large number of residents attending the meeting:
Staff had to set up more chairs, as more residents poured into the West Annex Commission room. At one point, it was standing room only. Lots of people were really incensed about this topic.
I would imagine every person in the room opposed this terrible scheme.
Here are some highlight comments from the Traffic commission meeting on Augusts 3rd:
Tom (or Ted) has been on the other side of every issue I contest before the city council. He's unabashedly liberal, to the point that he didn't want "One Nation Under God" displayed in the city council chambers.
He readily--and light-heartedly--admitted that he didn't agree with me on anything ...
EXCEPT shutting down these Orwellian cameras!
The discussion among the traffic commissioners was telling, too.
The state of California has authorized an automated parking ticket enforcement scheme, but the law expired without any reauthorization:
One of the commisisoners reminded the public that there is already a third-party vendor enforcing parking issues, so why bring in cameras?
Ultimately, the Torrance Traffic Commission staff recommended that the commission NOT recommend automated cameras for parking enforcement!
And all of this begs the question:
If the Traffic Commission staff has investigated all the potential costs and benefits to the automated ticketing schemes, why waste the traffic commission's time?
I asked as much during my comments:
The work is not done, however.
This commission meeting determined that the city should not pursue automated camera enforcement for parking violations.
As for speeding and running red lights, the Traffic Commission will probably hold separate hearings on those issues. This is all a waste of time. The commission should be focusing on high-impact intersections, increasing speed limits where there is hardly any traffic, and bringing in more traffic lights for busier intersections.
At least residents can rest asssured that the city commissions (and the city coucnil?) are listening to the public and backing away from these abusive, unconstitutional automated camera schemes!
As for the latest traffic commission meeting, what was particularly interesting was the widespread agreement on opposition, from the most left-wing activists in the city, like Ted or Tom the atheist (I call him Larry David, since he looks like the comedian main character from "Curb Your Enthusiasm," to people like me, who have been speaking up for the conservative side of every issue that comes before the city council.
I spoke with a few residents after the meeting, and they appreciated my remarks. One of them admitted that she had not been paying attention to city politics all that much, but then she learned about bad proposals like the automated cameras, and she knew that she needed to get involved.
There are lots of issues that divide residents in Torrance, but pretty much everyone is united against automated ticketing schemes. Let's hope that the city focuses on positive issues that will generate more consensus among residents, like:
1. hiring more police officerss
2. reducing the cost of business
3. repealing the utility users tax (since the city wants to get as much of the sales tax revenue before LA County takes it and wastes our money on its own failed pet projects
4. Cleaning up and fixing the roads
Please contact the Torrance City Council, and tell them to "Get Back to Business" and "Get Back to Basics" and fix real problems in the city:
