At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange is trying to beat traffic cam-hating Michigan Rep. Kerry Bentivolio to the punch. In a letter today to Bentivolio, Orange tells the Republican congressman that the District can restrict its traffic cameras just fine on its own, thanks.

Orange plans to introduce a bill later this month that would set up a two-year moratorium on new cameras. Orange’s bill would also mandate signs warning about the cameras, and require any post-moratorium cameras to be justified on safety grounds.

Orange claims that he’s been working on the legislation for a while. But the letter, at least, looks like an effort to preempt congressional intervention from Bentivolio. Orange reminds Bentivolio that a D.C. Council moratorium would be subject to congressional review. “I trust that you would agree that this would be the appropriate time for you to weigh in,” Orange writes to the Santa Claus impersonator turned congressman.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery