Did American Traffic Solutions a speed camera manufacturer, provide Louisiana with misleading results from two survey's?

In a special election yesterday, a Southern Louisiana city of 22,000 overwhelmingly rejected photo enforcement. Asked, "Shall Ordinance No. 873, M-C Series adopting automated speed enforcement for the City of Sulphur, Louisiana, be repealed?" eighty-six percent of voters said "Yes." After results are certified on April 13, the Australian speed camera vendor Redflex Traffic Systems will be sent packing. Sulphur's ballot box totals contrast sharply with public opinion survey results published by traffic camera vendor American Traffic Solutions (ATS).

A review of ATS contracting arrangements with municipalities showed that ATS-sponsored polling is regularly offered as part of a suite of marketing services intended to promote the sale of automated ticketing machines. In a March 17 press release, for example, ATS insisted that camera opponents were the minority. "A recent survey shows two-thirds of Missourians support police photo traffic enforcement using red-light cameras -- but that many of those supportive Missourians mistakenly assume the technology is not favored by most of their neighbors," the ATS release stated. "By a remarkable 66 percent to 30 percent margin, voters supported red light cameras."

Link: http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/27/2738.asp