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Trainman, I admit I got a little bit carried away. Hurtt's brand of nanny-statism is still unwelcome, and he is still going to have to address his personnel shortage before trying to put cameras everywhere. At least with the red light cameras, as I understand them (I have never been snared by one) single photographs are taken under more-or-less narrow circumstances (when the system is tripped by a motorist blitzing through when it is unlawful for him to do so). What comes to mind with Hurtt's proposal is a UK/London-style surveillance system (24/7 police CCTV monitoring and recording of public and private space). If it comes to that, then the thugs, gangbangers, jihadis, etc, have already won. So much for our freedoms.

Mr Hurtt definitely needs to rethink how HPD will deal with the recent surge in crime. London-style surveillance state tactics might only help after the dirty deeds are done, (that is, if they can find officers willing/able to follow up on what the cameras capture). It sounds as if he needs to solve his staffing shortage before thinking about putting cameras in everyone's carports, foyers, bathrooms and bedrooms. (I also have to wonder if Mr Hurtt himself is causing &/or aggravating the manpower problem.)

If he refuses to reconsider this and many of his other ill-conceived policies, then all of you Texans need to send him back to Arizona, soon. (Not that it matters, but I happen to agree with Charles' apparently facetious suggestion of "native-Texans only".)

onerifle wrote:If I wanted to live in a socialist state I'd move to New York...

In defense of my state of birth, they do not thumbprint people for their driver licenses in NYS. And having observed the state of Texas off and on for over a year, I have learned, experienced and seen other things that evince that the great state of Texas is sometimes capable of slouching in a "socialist" direction. Examples:

1. the proposition of building state-wide toll roads (already tried and done in NY; please do not do this)
2. a surprising, and disturbing, reverence for public education, equal or surpassing that in NY
3. Travis County existing as a giant, mid-state 24/7 speed trap (in fairness, the county sherriff & city/town law enforcement agencies are probably more responsible for this situation than the state government)
4. Heavy state involvement in the taxation and regulation of alcoholic beverages (just like most other states in the country), as well as a well-intentioned-but-ill-consequenced effort to stamp out underage drinking
5. The billboards exhorting motorists to report smoking vehicles (vaguely reminiscent of communist East Germany, where up to 1 in 4 citizens were involved in spying on their neighbors on behalf of the State)
6. Elected officials like Rod Ellis & Ronnie Earle (a Chuck Schumer wannabe, and a stand-in for Eliot Spitzer)

Just to be clear, NYS does most if not all of this, and more, and worse. You have it pretty good in Texas; please do not let anybody (transplants or otherwise) mess it up!