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Corrupt Government Title: City sues man seeking stop signs on busy street A California man with two young children who walk to their local school and must cross a busy street has petitioned his local government for a lower speed limit and some stop signs, and for his trouble has been sued not once, but twice, by his city. Doug Burr has been a leader among the dozens of individuals in the Windemere Development in San Ramon who support the speed limit-stop sign proposal. But he's being sued as an individual by city officials who are seeking a court-ordered determination it has no responsibility to respond to his requests, plus the costs of the lawsuits and "other and further relief as the court deems just and proper." A statement on the citizen group's website, Stop Signs in Windemere, expresses the belief of the residents that the roads "were badly designed with poor visibility at many uncontrolled intersections used by children to walk to schools and parks. The goal of the initiatives is to correct these problems. We believe the city is trying to prevent us from ever putting these initiatives on the ballot." WND Exclusive YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK City sues man seeking stop signs on busy street 'I told them I'd pay for them' Posted: November 8, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com One of the parks in San Ramon, Calif., where residents are seeking lower speed limits and stop signs to make it safer for their children to walk to schools and parks A California man with two young children who walk to their local school and must cross a busy street has petitioned his local government for a lower speed limit and some stop signs, and for his trouble has been sued not once, but twice, by his city. Doug Burr has been a leader among the dozens of individuals in the Windemere Development in San Ramon who support the speed limit-stop sign proposal. But he's being sued as an individual by city officials who are seeking a court-ordered determination it has no responsibility to respond to his requests, plus the costs of the lawsuits and "other and further relief as the court deems just and proper." A statement on the citizen group's website, Stop Signs in Windemere, expresses the belief of the residents that the roads "were badly designed with poor visibility at many uncontrolled intersections used by children to walk to schools and parks. The goal of the initiatives is to correct these problems. We believe the city is trying to prevent us from ever putting these initiatives on the ballot." (Story continues below) Burr, in an interview with WND, discounted some of the city objections, such as that the speed limit initiative covers more than the state-allowed one subject because it addresses speed limits on two streets. "In another similar resolution to remove traffic barriers, the initiative says three streets, and it passed," Burr told WND. He said he's never been able to pin down a valid reason for the city's high level of opposition to having voters review the existing procedures. "You know, I'm trying to figure it out. They basically don't want to be told what to do," he said. The subdivision was built with many uncontrolled intersections, even though the subdivision was built "for people to walk in. Kids walk to parks and schools," he said. But he said another similar street in San Ramon has not only a lower speed limit, but additional stop signs and lights. "They just don't want to do it for us." "I told them I'd pay for the stop signs," he said. City attorney Byron Athan said he made the determination that the initiatives were illegal, and therefore having the city go to court to gain a judicial determination is the correct route for the city to take. "I think it is illegal," he said. "The law is very clear, that speed limits can be set only by a certain procedure," he said. "Any speed reduction [has to be] supported by an engineering or traffic survey." He said there's no point in having the city go through the procedure of having voters decide the issue "and find out that this is illegal." And he told WND San Ramon never has had a child hit going to and from school, "never even hit on the streets." Burr said his next move is to respond formally to the two city lawsuits that name him, individually, as a defendant. And he'll keep collecting signatures for the initiatives, even though the safety effort has become costly for him personally. He said the speed limit along the route in question is 30 miles per hour right now, and the city is proposing to move that to 40 mph, even though the residents want it lowered. The 11 stop signs are proposed at various intersections around the subdivision through which young children travel en route to schools or parks, he said
Poster Comment: Maybe it isn't still we the people. What are citizens to do to combat this kind of crap? So now if you petition the government for redress of grievances you get sued. What a load of crap.
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