This morning’s Washington Post ran an article on Senate approval of a bill that would permit local governments to reinstitute enforcement of red-light running laws with photo monitoring. “Photo red” had been used by a number of localities (including Arlington) under a pilot program for several years, but was allowed to lapse despite its demonstrated safety benefits. The article contained a quotation from me speculating on why, in this election year, the General Assembly had a newfound enthusiasm for bills regulating “photo red,” booster seats, and cell phone use by teenagers:

“I think they are recognizing that all their ideological talk about the ‘nanny state’ not only isn’t working, but it is also portraying them as callous and indifferent to measures that protect our families and kids.”

Well, at least one reader of the Post came to a different conclusion. This morning I received the following email from a purported constituent:

DEAR BOB “BIG BROTHER/NANNY STATE” BRINKSMANSHIP,

RE: DOUBLE-SECRET CAMERAS HIDDEN IN TRAFFIC LIGHTS THROUGHOUT NORTHERN VIRGINIA

YOU, SIR, ARE DUMB AS DOGDOODY AND A BLITHERING IDIOT TO APPROVE SUCH A MEASURE. DON’T YOU HAVE ANY REGARD FOR THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY OF VIRGINIA’S CITIZENS? ARE WE TO CONTINUE TO SUFFER FURTHER AND FURTHER ENCROACHMENTS ON OUR LIBERTIES BY “NANNY STATE” PROTAGONIST SOCIALISTS LIKE YOU? WHAT’S YOUR NEXT PROPOSAL, DELEGATE DUMB-AS-DOGDOODY BRINK – – TO INSTALL CAMERAS IN OUR HOMES TO MAKE SURE WE ALL EAT THE PROPER FOODS? YOU ARE A TYPICAL DEMOCRAT ADVOCATE OF BIG BROTHER-TYPE SOCIALIST AND NANNY STATE INFRINGEMENT ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. IT’S IDIOTS LIKE YOU WHO ARE SCREWING UP OUR BELOVED STATE. WHY DON’T YOU JUST EMIGRATE TO FRANCE (OR SAN FRANCISCO), WHERE YOU’LL FIND MORE INDIVIDUALS WHO SHARE YOUR COMMUNISTIC VALUES. I’LL BE HAPPY TO PAY YOUR WAY, YOU SCOUNDREL ! ! !