Posted on 02/21/2006 7:31:59 AM PST by getsoutalive
New laws allow some states to tax drivers annually -- even if they live in another state -- simply because they received a speeding ticket. One Connecticut motorist, who asked that his name not be used, discovered this after driving in October in Niagara Falls, New York. Despite being caught in what he considered a brazen speed trap -- the speed limit was 45 MPH where he was caught, but 55 MPH at the same location in the opposite direction -- he accepted the $155 fine for driving 72 MPH thinking by paying the matter would be settled.
Last week, however, the state of New York notified him that it now considers him an "at risk" driver and therefore he must either pay the state an annual $100 tax or a lump sum of $300.
(Excerpt) Read more at thenewspaper.com ...
Insanity.
Does anyone know the Bill number for this bill?
I heart NY.
I agree with you that this whole thing is nuts. It has nothing to do with safety. They have the Yellow sighs on the side of the road that say "Speed Zone Ahead" when coming into a reduced speed area. Ought to change that to "Revenue Enhancement Zone Ahead". It's all about the M O N E Y . I get speeding tickets in NY on an almost annual basis. I have stopped caring and don't even respond to police when they ask stupid questions like "don you know why I pulled you over" because the answer is the state needs (wants) the money. I sit silent with License, Registration, and Insurance Card in hand.
It is SB 30. It is buried somewhere in this mess called the State Budget.
http://leg2.state.va.us/WebData/06amend30.nsf/SFC%20List?OpenForm&Start=100&Seq=1
How long before they decide that all Texas drivers are "at risk" and implement a preemptive tax?
...at risk of getting screwed by the bureaucrats in NY.I suspect the commerce clause might get a real day in court.
Unfortunately - I couldn't fight it. I would have had to take a day or two off work and driven several hundred miles to go back to Ohio to appear in court - it was far cheaper to just pay the stupid ticket.
I wasn't the only one - the Ohio State troopers only did this for a week or two, but they nailed hundreds of Michigan drivers.
You don't ever want to get a speeding ticket in Canada. I was ticketed for speeding in Northern Ontario. Of course I was in the middle of a pack of 15 cars all going the exact same speed. I was the only one with Michigan plates, so I was the one pulled over and ticketed. I think I was doing the equivalent of 10 miles over the limit. The fine was almost $400! And unfortunately Ontario has a reciprocal agreement with Michigan - if I hadn't paid that ticket, I would have had my MI license suspended.
The Canadian cop told me I could go to court to fight it. I told him, "Yeah - I'm going to take two days off work, drive 600 miles to go to court when I'm sure the judge is your brother-in-law. The cop just walked away. I hollered back at him, "I notice you didn't deny that the judge is your brother-in-law!". He STILL didn't deny it - which leads me to believe he probably was!
Where in Ohio was that? If it was Cleveland, you're lucky they didn't pull a gun.
Will you people kindly refrain from giving the Massachusetts Great and General Court (the legislature) any new ideas for taxes, thank you?
It was somewhere on I-75 in the middle of the state, actually in the middle of nowhere.
I stand corrected! You are so right! Sorry -- Lost my head there for a minute! LOL! The old NAG HAG Hitlery Rotten is a carpetbagger!! (But, she never runs from a chance to tax anything, anywhere, anytime!)
HAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAH.
That's the best picture I've seen in a while.
Perhaps you just need to obey the law?
That can not be Constitutional.
That is not the point.
Of course it is.. if you are a good driver you don't pay the tax. Don't speed. Don't drive drunk.
It's really very very simple.
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