Revenue enhancement officers

jimpeel

jimpeel

Well-Known Member
The new way to finance the budgets of cities and states is through "traffic enforcement".

SOURCE

Balancing Budgets on Drivers' Backs

By William Lajeunesse

Published April 19, 2011 | FoxNews.com

Cities and states across the country are broke. But instead of raising taxes, lawmakers are raising traffic fines.

"This business of using fines and traffic fees as revenue sources is just flat wrong," said Lew Uhler with the National Tax Limitation Committee. "This is simply a tax by another name."

Nowhere is that more obvious than Los Angeles, where the city collects more then $1.8 million a year at a single intersection in the San Fernando Valley from drivers running a red light. Cost per ticket is $476.

"It's almost $500 and I have three kids right now," said Jesus Altamirano, standing outside a Los Angeles municipal courtroom where he is fighting a red light violation. "It's just hard the way they want to get you with these tickets."

But it's not just California. In a memo obtained by the Boston Herald, local police chief Ken Coye instructs his officers in the suburb of Malden to write at least one traffic or parking ticket per shift.

"We need to increase enforcement in areas that create revenue," says the Coye memo. "Write ‘ONE TAG A DAY.’"

Lawmakers around the country seem to listening.

* Parking in a fire lane in Pensacola, Fla., will cost you $100, up from $10.

* Georgia recently added a $200 surcharge for anyone driving more than 85 miles per hour.

* Colorado increased fines for speeding from $50 to $135.

* Portland, Ore., increased fines for parking in a handicapped spot from $190 to $450.

* Parking fines in Boston doubled to $40.

* Speeding in Florida just 10 miles over the legal limit will cost you $196, up from $154.

"We cannot afford to pay tickets, especially when we don't feel guilty for what we are being fined for," said Luis Rivera, a California contractor. Rivera was slapped with a $276 fine for not closing the tailgate on his pickup truck.

California's State Senate President Darrell Steinberg admitted lawmakers raised traffic fines to raise revenue - not for traffic safety or to change driver behavior. It's "one of the patches that we've relied on to avoid deeper cuts" to state programs, he said.

But closing a $28 billion dollar deficit isn't easy. Consider these Golden State fines:

* Driving one to 15 miles over speed limit is $215. Compare that to $50 in Idaho and Washington State.

* Run a stop sign: $236

* No seat belt: $148. In Louisiana, the same infraction is $25.

* Broken headlight: $100

* Park in a disabled spot: $1,043. A second offense is $2,000.

* Pass a school bus with flashing red lights in San Francisco: $754

"We ought not go to bankruptcy court as a result of simple infractions of driving laws," complained Uhler, who believes collections go down when fines get too high because motorists simply can't pay or refuse to because "punishment doesn't fit the crime."

Petros Abraham agrees. He got cited at 2 a.m. one night for making a right hand turn at a red light when he failed to stop for the required 3 seconds.

"I don't think it is fair," said Abraham. "They're just dumping all of their problems back onto the people, back onto the taxpayer."
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Tell me about it. I got my first (non-seatbelt) ticket in several years recently. It was for a nanny-state violation (DOT). The fine was $35. The additional $115. "court cost" was legislated by the state.
 
shit i got popped 20 years ago for 48 in a 25. it was a freeway service drive where anyone would reasonably expect the limit to be around 45. i was actually a bit aggressive with the officer. but he understood. it was complete bullshit. fundraiser for hamtramck, the polish ghetto surrounded by the city of detroit. my lawyer said about seven words to the city attorney and it was 'pay the fine and it gets erased.' um, gee, really, this about SAFETY? the only thing in danger were the pants sgt. chub chub looked like he was gonna strain to failure.
 
The last time I got a ticket, it cost me $75,000.
I don't care to talk about the details, but I was guilty.
 
yeah, 3rd time.
First of the 3 times I lost everything mentioned before.

The third time I lost it all, I nearly lost my life too.
Been a changed man for over a decade now.
 
well at least you learned from it dude.

strangely enough, despite being a commie fag libertine, i've never been arrested or really gotten busted for anything other than a minor traffic infraction. (though, at the same time, it's kinda cool that gonz's logic still makes me a "fucking criminal." kinda feel like a badass. watch out, bitches!)
 
2minkey said:
well at least you learned from it dude.
Click to expand...

yeah, it'd be kinda hard not to learn, when you're stuck with a certain
level of pain every day to remind ya.:tardbang:

even with all said and done though, I'm better off now, and in a better
shape than I imagined I'd be early on.
I'm content with the situation, but it's been a ride.
 
3rd time dui

oh good heavens no!

so as a result of this self-inflicted misfortune
you are now a ward of the state?

America what a country!

How can I get that hookup?

Without destroying my body of course...

I still need that...

I really like having all the appendages
still attached and working...
 
be declared mentally incapable of holding a job.
A good quack will do.
Happens all the time.

Of coarse I'd rather be physically cripple compared to being declared mentally incompetent.
Whole different set of side effects.
 
2minkey said:
(though, at the same time, it's kinda cool that gonz's logic still makes me a "fucking criminal." kinda feel like a badass. watch out, bitches!)
Click to expand...

Say what? Nanny state pussy laws aren't criminal. Speed limits are nothing but a suggestion. Seat belt (or helmet) laws? How long do I go on about the consitutionality about that?

When you join my little bro (he's sitting on his 3rd strike right now), I'll see your criminality.
 
I wonder if he changed his name to Lynsey Lohan, or Charlie Sheen, if he get a lighter sentence.
Nah, I guess he'd have to have plastic surgery too.
 
Gonz said:
Say what? Nanny state pussy laws aren't criminal. Speed limits are nothing but a suggestion. Seat belt (or helmet) laws? How long do I go on about the consitutionality about that?
Click to expand...

yep years ago there were open borders too.

sorry about your brother. if you don't mind me asking... how did he get to where he is?
 
A speedfreak with issues. He's never been jailed on dope charged (I don't think) but everything revolves around that
 
Dang it Cato.

On the road I've only had minor moving violations, mostly driving without my license in my possession at the time and 3-4 speeding tickets. And for being a cop magnet I've done well not get any strikes, just a little county time.
 
I'm badder than bad!

now I feel bad that I was never bad
(at least I was bright enough not to get caught)
mebbe I should gun down a schoolyard to feel better
 
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