🚀 go-pugleaf

    [Note: I posted this earlier, but it hasn't shown up yet on our own
    servers.  Apologies if you've aready seen it.]

    Those are my sentiments, too.  Forgive the length of my follow-up,
    but I feel that it's a good idea to be clear about a complaint.

    Let me say from the outset, that I'm not whining, either.  I haven't
    had a ticket in years (A+ safety rating on my insurance at State
    Farm), and seldom get them.  I've also seen the "asshole" drivers
    who're menaces to public safety, and who need the brakes applied.
    Nevertheless, Dave has a valid point:  The fact that the penalty
    imposed for this type of infraction also raises revenue for
    government agencies provides a corrupting incentive to write more
    tickets, thus diverting the attention of police agencies away from
    the issue of public safety.

    The situation becomes even worse when these agencies come to
    realize, as they so quickly do, that we Americans accept (ie. don't
    organize for political reform against) these measures, despite our
    historical sensitivity to taxation issues.  And the reason it works
    is apparant in the followups to this article: We feel it's ok to tax
    "bad" people, or "bad" things ("sin" taxes).  The per capita income
    tax, which required a constitutional ammendment to become legal, was
    sold to the public in just this way, as a "soak the rich" scheme.
    While it's true that we need to raise revenue, there are more
    legitimate means to do so.  If we do it under the guise of public
    safety, or even of taking money from "bad" people, we're just lying
    to ourselves.

    Fines are also unequal punishment, because they hurt poor people
    more.  Unlike other crimes, where the impoverished accused has some
    semblance of protection (public defender's office), most available
    means for dealing with an infraction also cost money.  If you know
    enough about our legal system, you can take your ticket to traffic
    court and sometimes prevail (I've never lost one that I've fought)--
    but if you don't, lawyers are expensive.  In some states, the courts
    will accept community service in lieu of a fine, but the guilty must
    still pay some portion of it for bonding and insurance, and the
    conviction on their record will probably increase the cost of their
    auto insurance.  For the occasional offender (and who among even the
    most careful of us doesn't make an occasional mistake?) of means,
    traffic school (in those states that provide for it) is a viable
    alternative; in California, at least, it has become so costly (full
    amount of fine + court fee for school + increased amount that the
    schools may charge) that many cannot afford it.  (You may retort at
    this point that driving is a privilage, as most states still
    maintain.  Unfortunately, so is economic survival.  Some areas [such
    as Los Angeles] have totally inadequate public transportation;
    employers don't want to hire you if they discover you depend on the
    busses to commute to work.)

    On the other side of this picture are the habitual offenders who
    laugh and joke about getting enough tickets to "paper a wall"--
    obviously, what devastates some people barely affects others at all.
    And it's these people who are most likely to get into the
    "accidents" that kill themselves and others.

    We need to enforce our vehicle codes.  However, we need some means
    to do it that 1) gets the message across to =everyone=, 2) is more
    equitable, and 3) doesn't displace the focus of police and
    government agencies from public safety to revenue raising.


In article <36156045.4916@teleport.com>,
David Zeit <davezeit@teleport.com> wrote:

>x-no-archive:  yes
>
>The Hitman.....is he the lowest form of life? He claims it's
>all business, nothing personal. He waits silently for his   
>mark. The Hitman loves shadows and embraces stealth and     
>darkness. He is a master at hiding right out in the open.   
>                                                            
>The Hitman's target comes into his sight and it causes his  
>heart to beat faster as the adrenalin races through his     
>veins. He cares not that he will be taking food off some    
>family's table even if they just committed an unintentional 
>harmless mistake or not. He gives no warning and shows no   
>mercy.The Hitman's job is to seek out his prey, under       
>contract, and then, without emotion.........................
>destroy lives. Then, like the dirty dog he is, he  
>marks his territory by crawling off his motorcycle and he
>writes another ticket. The Hitman is a motorcycle cop.      
>                                                            
>And when his days on earth are through there are none who   
>mourn his passing, but thousands who celebrate that death has
>given The Hitman HIS citation and now it is The Hitmans turn
>to "go to court". What mercy can HE expect? And justice is  
>finally served.                                             
>
>
>All Rights Reserved David Zeit Copyright 1998

-- 
jhurwit@netcom.com                                       Jeffrey Hurwit
         "Sometimes, I just can't help myself!"  --Babs Bunny