Mayor Michael Bloomberg blamed state Senate Republicans for blocking a proposal to place speed cameras on city streets. Credit: Getty Images
Mayor Michael Bloomberg blasted state lawmakers Wednesday for blocking a proposal to place speed-tracking cameras on city streets, blaming them for the future deaths of children killed by speeding cars.
The next time a child dies from being struck by a speeding car, “why don’t you pick up the phone and call your state senator and ask why they allowed that child to be killed,” he said at a news conference, according to The New York Times.
The mayor even said his office would provide the contact information for three senators: Republican majority leader Dean Skelos and Brooklyn’s Simcha Felder and Martin Golden.
“Maybe you want to give those phone numbers to the parents of the child when a child is killed,” he said. “It would be useful so that the parents can know exactly who’s to blame.”
Speed cameras were included in a budget package in the State Assembly, but it recently became apparent that they are not included in the budget that is expected to be approved this week.
Felder said the mayor’s comments were “inflammatory, reckless and out of touch, as usual,” the Times reports. Golden said Wednesday other cities that use speed cameras have found them to be “unreliable.”
