December 2, 2025 • 3 mins
Jon Liedtke joins The Gene Valaitis Show on Niagara’s 610CKTB to discuss the ongoing debate about speed cameras in Ontario and whether they are truly about road safety or merely a revenue generating tool.
Many residents and even politicians, have long viewed them as a the latter and simply a cash grab. This perspective has been reinforced by the recent focus on “lost revenues” -millions of dollars that have disappeared from municipal coffers – rather than any measurable decline in road safety concerns since the cameras’ status changed. Conversely, some who support the cameras argue that objecting to them is essentially arguing for the right to break the law without consequence.
Adding a layer of unintended political irony to the conversation is the Ford government’s recent track record on signage and decals. The speed camera issue is now part of a “three-run streak” of high-profile “flubs” involving materials that were either too big, didn’t stick, or didn’t reflect properly. This includes the gas-pump anti-carbon tax stickers which couldn’t stick, license plates that couldn’t be read at night by police (or anyone), and the current problem with speed camera signs being too large for some municipalities’ existing street poles, prompting the provincial government to pay – at our collective expense – to replace the poles.
This series of public failures related to basic administrative materials has resulted in “bad optics” for the government. The irony is particularly sharp given the Premier’s background as a former CEO of a labels company. While these mistakes may not reflect poorly on the overall governance, they certainly hurt the public image of a “competent businessman,” as he is seen to be failing in a realm where he should be a “master of the universe”.
Many residents and even politicians, have long viewed them as a the latter and simply a cash grab. This perspective has been reinforced by the recent focus on “lost revenues” -millions of dollars that have disappeared from municipal coffers – rather than any measurable decline in road safety concerns since the cameras’ status changed. Conversely, some who support the cameras argue that objecting to them is essentially arguing for the right to break the law without consequence.
Adding a layer of unintended political irony to the conversation is the Ford government’s recent track record on signage and decals. The speed camera issue is now part of a “three-run streak” of high-profile “flubs” involving materials that were either too big, didn’t stick, or didn’t reflect properly. This includes the gas-pump anti-carbon tax stickers which couldn’t stick, license plates that couldn’t be read at night by police (or anyone), and the current problem with speed camera signs being too large for some municipalities’ existing street poles, prompting the provincial government to pay – at our collective expense – to replace the poles.
This series of public failures related to basic administrative materials has resulted in “bad optics” for the government. The irony is particularly sharp given the Premier’s background as a former CEO of a labels company. While these mistakes may not reflect poorly on the overall governance, they certainly hurt the public image of a “competent businessman,” as he is seen to be failing in a realm where he should be a “master of the universe”.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Every Tuesday morning, our regular contributor John Lidkey is here.
He's rough, he's tough, he's gruff. Yeah, I like him
when you don't. It's just like that, Good morning John.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Good morning Geene. I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I just want to change the subject for a second.
Dave Trafford and I kind of touched on this a
little bit. I was never in fate of the speed cameras.
I said it was a revenue graba. I agreed with
Ford many people, including the mayor of Saint Catharines. We
both respectfully disagree on this. But they're coming up with
the big signs and from the people who brought you
the stickers that didn't stick, now we have signs that
(00:32):
are too big for polls.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, you know this is crazy. We've got the Michael
Angelo of adhesives here at the Helm, and unfortunately Ontario
is now a place where stickers and signs seem to
go to die. Obviously, though it's ironic that the Premier
now has a three run streak when it comes to
flubs on stickers, signage and displays, generally considering his past
life as the CEO of Deco Labels and whatnot, But
(00:58):
you know, it's let's push pass, just the ironic and
the funny nature of it. It doesn't mean that the
premier is bad at the job or the governments and shambles,
of course, but it is bad optics. And the one
thing that he would expect, though, is that he would
be really good and master of the universe in this realm.
I mean, if a doctor became a premier and botched
the healthcare system, we'd all be outraged. But when the
(01:19):
label king can't seem to get a sticker to stick
or a license plate to reflect properly, it just seems
to hurt the competent businessman brand that was wrapped up
in him. And again, I don't think it's reflective on
the government. It's just unfortunate optics.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah. So were you in favor of speed cameras or
like me? Yeah, you thought you were. See, I thought
that was the cash grap Oh.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
You know, I don't care. Sure, let them be a
cash grab. I mean, listen, I'll all to be honest.
All that I hear when people complain about them, and
I mean this entirely personally directed at Eugene is I
want to break the law and I don't think that
I should face repercussion for it if I can get
away with it, And you know, heck yeah, I mean,
if that's the argument, that's the argument. I can honestly
appreciate the big brother monitoring aspect. And do we need
(02:04):
to have all these cameras at all the time. And
there are arguments that if we do just look at
this as a cash grab and revenue generating tool, what
other ways would the government look to do the similar
thing with other aspects of system delivery or delivery of
services in our local jurisdictions. So I can see both angles,
but this is not one that really affected me much.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, you know, since they've been gone, I haven't heard
anybody say, oh, our roads are so unsafe. The only
thing I've been hearing are politicians going on about we
lost revenues, We lost revenues and all along. I said
it was all about revenues, not road safety. And I
haven't heard anybody talking about road safety. It's all our revenues,
like thirteen million dollars here in Horror area alone. What
(02:48):
are we going to do without all this money? That
sounds like a cash grab to me.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You know, my father used to always say whenever there
were debates about well, he still continues to say this
whenever there's road debates and safety debates about putting up
stop signs or new calming measures. What is the justification
for this? Has there been accidents here before? Has someone
been hit by a car at this intersection before? And
if not, then why is this conversation being prompted right now?
(03:14):
If we have a track record of seventy five plus
years of nothing major happening here, then is this just
unnecessary bureaucracy?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Yeah, it could be, John, I don't know. I don't know.
That's that's the question, and it's up in the air
until the signs and the speed bumps arrive. I guess
there you go, John, Always great to talk to you
on Tuesday morning. Thank you so much, love your perspectives.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
R thank you, Jane.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Okay, there he goes, John Litkey. We have them on
every Tuesday morning.
Every Tuesday morning, our regular contributor John Lidkey is here.
He's rough, he's tough, he's gruff. Yeah, I like him
when you don't. It's just like that, Good morning John.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Good morning Geene. I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I just want to change the subject for a second.
Dave Trafford and I kind of touched on this a
little bit. I was never in fate of the speed cameras.
I said it was a revenue graba. I agreed with
Ford many people, including the mayor of Saint Catharines. We
both respectfully disagree on this. But they're coming up with
the big signs and from the people who brought you
the stickers that didn't stick, now we have signs that
(00:32):
are too big for polls.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, you know this is crazy. We've got the Michael
Angelo of adhesives here at the Helm, and unfortunately Ontario
is now a place where stickers and signs seem to
go to die. Obviously, though it's ironic that the Premier
now has a three run streak when it comes to
flubs on stickers, signage and displays, generally considering his past
life as the CEO of Deco Labels and whatnot, But
(00:58):
you know, it's let's push pass, just the ironic and
the funny nature of it. It doesn't mean that the
premier is bad at the job or the governments and shambles,
of course, but it is bad optics. And the one
thing that he would expect, though, is that he would
be really good and master of the universe in this realm.
I mean, if a doctor became a premier and botched
the healthcare system, we'd all be outraged. But when the
(01:19):
label king can't seem to get a sticker to stick
or a license plate to reflect properly, it just seems
to hurt the competent businessman brand that was wrapped up
in him. And again, I don't think it's reflective on
the government. It's just unfortunate optics.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah. So were you in favor of speed cameras or
like me? Yeah, you thought you were. See, I thought
that was the cash grap Oh.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
You know, I don't care. Sure, let them be a
cash grab. I mean, listen, I'll all to be honest.
All that I hear when people complain about them, and
I mean this entirely personally directed at Eugene is I
want to break the law and I don't think that
I should face repercussion for it if I can get
away with it, And you know, heck yeah, I mean,
if that's the argument, that's the argument. I can honestly
appreciate the big brother monitoring aspect. And do we need
(02:04):
to have all these cameras at all the time. And
there are arguments that if we do just look at
this as a cash grab and revenue generating tool, what
other ways would the government look to do the similar
thing with other aspects of system delivery or delivery of
services in our local jurisdictions. So I can see both angles,
but this is not one that really affected me much.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, you know, since they've been gone, I haven't heard
anybody say, oh, our roads are so unsafe. The only
thing I've been hearing are politicians going on about we
lost revenues, We lost revenues and all along. I said
it was all about revenues, not road safety. And I
haven't heard anybody talking about road safety. It's all our revenues,
like thirteen million dollars here in Horror area alone. What
(02:48):
are we going to do without all this money? That
sounds like a cash grab to me.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You know, my father used to always say whenever there
were debates about well, he still continues to say this
whenever there's road debates and safety debates about putting up
stop signs or new calming measures. What is the justification
for this? Has there been accidents here before? Has someone
been hit by a car at this intersection before? And
if not, then why is this conversation being prompted right now?
(03:14):
If we have a track record of seventy five plus
years of nothing major happening here, then is this just
unnecessary bureaucracy?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Yeah, it could be, John, I don't know. I don't know.
That's that's the question, and it's up in the air
until the signs and the speed bumps arrive. I guess
there you go, John, Always great to talk to you
on Tuesday morning. Thank you so much, love your perspectives.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
R thank you, Jane.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Okay, there he goes, John Litkey. We have them on
every Tuesday morning.
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