That's talking about red lights not stop signs, maybe I should be more clear. My point is that the rule allows me to either go mid-cycle when the cross traffic

That's talking about red lights not stop signs, maybe I should be more clear. My point is that the rule allows me to either go mid-cycle when the cross traffic is clear or at least jump the gun a bit and start moving during the all-red phase. Either way it's safer for me since I'm not having to start with a bunch of cars that can accelerate faster than me in a space where "unexpected" movements are common.