The state has sent a crystal clear –and ice cold — message to citizens who dare to disagree with a state traffic engineer about a traffic light. If you make a good case using quality data and analysis to refute the state, a bureaucrat will have the backing of the agency that licenses engineers to go after you. Result? The state will use its considerable power to shine its microscope on you, your group, and the data you submit. Just ask North Raleigh resident David Cox what happens when you question the state. While the licensing board has dismissed state traffic engineer Kevin Lacy’s charge that Cox was — shudders! — practicing engineering without a license, it has ruled Lacy did the right thing by turning in the citizen to the regulatory police.
Give me a break.
