Despite how much I despise DC’s traffic cameras that appear to be on every block of every street in every corridor of the city, I question the motives behind H.R.5525 – Stop DC CAMERA Act introduced by Republican Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. I doubt that it’s because he or any of his constituents have amassed as many tickets as any DC resident, myself included. Or transitioned from 35 miles per hour, to 30, to 25 in virtually one block with all speeds “Photo Enforced.” It’s a blatant attempt to break DC financially and politically.
My disdain for traffic cameras goes back to a post I wrote December 14th titled ” How Many Speeding Cameras Does it Take.” Then I railed against a stretch of South Dakota Avenue that seemed to have a camera on every block. Although the DDOT site only lists 315 Red Light, Speed, Stop, Truck Restriction cameras, it does not include another 200-500 bus lane and school bus cameras totaling close to 600-800 cameras. However, having a Pennsylvania Republican Congressman introduce legislation to remove the cameras in the name of the “Autonomy Act” is highly suspicious. HR 5525 also seeks to abolish signs prohibiting right turns on red lights. Again, there are so many streets that now bear No Turn on Red signs since the initial law was passed in 1979, allowing right turn on red that its ridiculous anyway. But again, why is this of interest to a Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania? Control!
The District of Columbia was established under Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the U.S. Constitution. as such it is a Federal District. It gives Congress ultimate authority over DC. It’s countered by The Home Rule Act of 1973 which allows DC to elect a mayor, have a city council, and pass local laws. Imposing its will, and Constitutional right, to review and overturn DC laws isn’t lost on its residents. Let’s start with the financial impact.
Trump-backed spending measures forced the city to cut roughly $1 billion from its budget. This was achieved by blocking DC from spending its own locally raised revenue. This resulted in hiring freezes, service cuts, and the threat of layoffs. At the same time, Elon Musk’s DOGE assault on the federal workforce took away a substantial piece of the District’s tax base, with tens of thousands of jobs lost. Revenue generated from traffic cameras has generated as much as $267 Million. Although that’s only about 1% of DC’s overall budget, any loss of revenue will have to be made up in other areas. If not in property or income taxes, then in heftier traffic fines which are already outrageous.
The politics are equally as obvious under the Trump administration. Although Trump did not change the underlying political structure, his administration, complicit with a Republican Congress, has pushed more aggressively for bigger federal control. It has become obvious that this administration has tried to impose its will over the city. The clashes between Trump and Mayor Muriel Bowser took on both racial and misogynistic overtones in Trump’s return to office. It’s also debatable whether the battles with Trump and the DC City Council influenced her decision to not to run for re-election.
Trump has repeatedly described Washington, DC in stark and often disparaging terms—calling it a city of “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor” and claiming it has been “overtaken by violent gangs.” He has questioned the accuracy of the city’s crime data, downplayed certain offenses, and promoted aggressive federal intervention, framing the nation’s capitol as a place in crisis rather than a functioning local government. Sounding very much like a slave master trying to justify his actions.
Nonetheless, as a native Washingtonian, we will not be broken financially or politically. Though a lot of people are confused with our Federal District status and Nation’s’ Capitol moniker, none of it is lost on district residents. No, we are not a state. But if we were, our population (670,000) would be larger than Vermont (650,000), Wyoming (580,000), and right behind Alaska (730,000). Our $20–21 billion budget would dwarf Vermont ($8–9 billion) and Delaware ($6–7 billion), eclipse both Wyoming ($10–12 billion) and Rhode Island ($13–14 billion), and be right in line with Hawaii ($18–20 billion) and New Mexico ($20–22 billion).
But when it comes to gross domestic product (GDP), revenue generated by the Federal government, law firms, consulting, lobbying, universities and hospitals, tourism, restaurants, and local businesses, the District has the highest of any state! According to Brilliant Maps, “Washington DC with a population of 702,250 people and total GDP $185 billion (higher than 15 other states) has by far the highest nominal GDP per capita of any state or district in the United States at $263,220 in 2024.”
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Featured image/photo by Yiyang on Unsplash.