Tribune Editorial: Suburban speed cameras? Don’t replicate Chicago’s mistakes.
A speed camera monitors traffic on West Jackson Boulevard in Columbus Park on Dec. 30, 2024, in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Tribune Editorial - April 7, 2025
Want speed cameras proliferating on your suburban roads?
Chicago-style speed cameras could be coming to a suburb near you thanks to a bill that’s still alive ahead of the April 11 third-reading deadline in Springfield. Today, cameras are allowed only in municipalities with populations over 1 million — which, in Illinois, means Chicago. If this new bill advances, it would authorize home-rule municipalities with populations over 35,000 in counties with more than 3 million people to install speed cameras.
Translation: Speed cameras could be coming to suburban Cook County, the only place in the state with municipalities that fit these requirements.
Red-light cameras are already a reality of life in some parts of the suburbs. From south suburban Homewood to northwest suburban Rolling Meadows, more towns are raising money from these cameras, plaguing drivers just trying to get to work, run errands or shuttle kids to activities.
Des Plaines operates red-light cameras at the busy intersection of Golf and Rand roads that issued 7,885 tickets last year, totaling $320,000.
Other suburbs leverage red-light cameras, too, including Hoffman Estates, also in the northwest suburbs.
Red-light cameras in west suburban Oakbrook Terrace were steeped in corruption, as former Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Anthony “Tony” Ragucci pleaded guilty in 2022 to his part in a kickback scheme involving the village’s red-light camera system.
Ragucci was just one of the elected officials caught up in corruption involving SafeSpeed LLC, which operated cameras in many suburbs. Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, a Chicago Democrat, pleaded guilty in 2020 to accepting bribes to protect SafeSpeed’s interests in Springfield. Former state Rep. John O’Sullivan pleaded guilty in 2021 to accepting bribes to further SafeSpeed’s interests in Oak Lawn. The Tribune reported new information in February on Chicago Democrat and state Sen. Emil Jones III’s alleged role in the SafeSpeed scandal.
In short, the Chicago area has a history of red-light camera corruption.
That’s not to say all traffic camera programs are corrupt, but they certainly lend themselves to abuse. The public would benefit from far greater oversight of these expanding programs, given the history of widespread problems, not least of which is that partnering with for-profit camera companies can incentivize ticket volume over fairness or safety.
Our distrust of traffic cameras stems from this very problem, and past precedent makes us wary of expanding these programs. We’re also hesitant to support ideas that add yet another cost to everyday life.
We understand the impulse toward safety. Distracted, careless or intoxicated drivers have caused the deaths of many innocent passengers and pedestrians in the suburbs and beyond; reminders of these incidents can be found in the flowers, ribbons and other mementos meant to commemorate loved ones killed in these tragedies. Driving by these spots is a daily reminder of our responsibility to one another when we use the roads.
And yet the idea of the proliferation of speed cameras throughout the greater Chicago area makes us queasy, especially as we consider the failures of the city’s own speed camera program, including disproportional ticketing in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.
As we’ve said before, we support drivers keeping to the speed limit and being mindful of others who share our roadways. But too often, we’ve seen that cameras are not about safety — they’re about money.
Before state lawmakers rush to replicate Chicago’s broken model, they should ask: Do we want real safety — or just a new stream of fines? We fear that emphasis is more squarely focused on the latter, and we encourage our Springfield officials to reject this legislation without the concurrent establishment of better oversight.
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Jim Stinson: "With Thomas Homan, Americans can expect stronger borders and a clear plan to address illegal immigration."
"With Thomas Homan, Americans can expect stronger borders and a clear plan to address illegal immigration," said Stinson, Chairman. "Unlike Kamala Harris, infamous for her weak handling of illegal migration, Homan knows what it takes to keep America's borders safe. His background as acting ICE Director shows he's ready to take real action, not just make promises. Thomas Homan is the perfect pick for border czar, bringing unmatched experience and a proven tough approach to securing our nation."
On November 10, President-elect Donald Trump announced that Tom Homan would oversee border security and enforcement. According to a report from NPR on November 11, this role does not require Senate confirmation. Trump said in the announcement, "Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. There is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders."
Homan's background includes serving as a police officer and an agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He has worked under six presidents and was the executive associate director of enforcement removal operations for ICE during Obama's administration. NPR reports that he was involved in creating the family separation policy under Trump's first term.
Capitol News Illinois recently reported that a significant portion of Illinois' 2026 budget is allocated to supporting newly arrived migrants. This comes amid warnings from the Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget about an impending $3 billion shortfall in fiscal year 2026. Representative Fred Crespo opposed the spending bill for the 2026 budget due to these financial concerns.
On November 18, ABC reported that Homan told Donald Trump Jr., during an appearance on Trump Jr.'s podcast, that there would be significant border action described as "shock and awe" starting on the first day of President-elect Trump's second term. "I'm excited. We're already working on these plans," said Homan during the podcast.
Stinson reiterated his support for Homan's appointment, stating that with his strong background as acting ICE Director, Homan offers Americans a clear and tough approach to border security. This stance contrasts sharply with Vice President Kamala Harris’s handling of illegal immigration issues, according to Stinson's statement to North Cook News on November 21.
Stinson: "Governor J.B. Pritzker has misled Illinoisans, claiming a balanced budget while leaving the state with mounting deficits"
James Stinson, Committeeman of the Republicans of Maine Township, reacted to the projected deficits for the 2026 fiscal year. He said, "Illinoisans deserve leaders who solve problems, not hide behind financial tricks that only make things worse."
"Governor J.B. Pritzker has misled Illinoisans, claiming a balanced budget while leaving the state with mounting deficits," said Stinson. "Instead of real fiscal reform, he relied on temporary COVID bailout funds, now exhausted. His promises of property tax relief through a millionaire surcharge were empty, as the deficits make such relief unlikely. Illinoisans deserve leaders who solve problems, not hide behind financial tricks that only make things worse."
In June, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a $53.1 billion spending plan for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. According to Capitol News Illinois, this budget is considered the largest in state history. When he signed the budget, Pritzker described it as a "demonstration of ‘fiscal responsibility." He noted that $198 million would be added to the state’s rainy-day fund, bringing it to a record $2.2 billion. The budget will also make full payments into the state’s pension system and includes a tax credit for low-income families and higher wages for individuals who work with disabled people.
Capitol News Illinois reported that the tax credit for families will cost the state $50 million. The spending plan also allocates $811 million for healthcare, shelter, and other services for recently arrived migrants. It took legislators multiple attempts to pass the revenue bill, with warnings of an impending fiscal cliff from Representative Fred Crespo, a Democrat from Hoffman Estates; Crespo ultimately voted against the bill.
The administration denies issues related to population decline in Illinois. Despite data indicating otherwise, Deputy Governor Andy Manar said during a panel discussion with the Better Government Association that "there has never been more people living in the state of Illinois than there is today." According to an Oct. 19 report from The Center Square, Manar emphasized that Illinois is gaining population based on corrections from the Census Bureau's Post Enumeration Survey.
Stinson was first elected as Chairman of the Republicans of Maine Township in 2022. According to their website, he is focused on boosting Republican voter turnout, growing party membership, and communicating party positions on issues important to Maine Township voters.