Posted on 06/14/2006 3:15:49 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
D.C. Council members have long distributed to family and friends special license plates that have accrued more than $20,000 in city parking fines, which the plate owners likely will not have to pay.
Since the early 1970s, council members and the mayor have bestowed the license plates -- which feature low numbers -- as political prizes. The 13 council members have exempted themselves from parking restrictions and fines since 2001.
When lawmakers leave office, the plates they have distributed are supposed to be returned to the city to be reassigned to new officials. However, the tickets owed on those plates often go unpaid, The Washington Times has found.
In addition, when new owners receive the low-numbered plates, previous tickets can transfer with them and may not show up in city records when the holders register their vehicles.
For example, Johnny Gaither, a neighborhood services coordinator, said he registered his car's low-numbered license plate last month. But city records show the plate had outstanding tickets from 2001 and 2002, long before it was given to him by council member Vincent C. Gray, Ward 7 Democrat.
Mr. Gaither said the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) did not notify him of the tickets when he registered the plate, adding that he did not know about the tickets until The Times contacted him yesterday.
He informed the DMV yesterday that the tickets are not his. The agency confirmed that he did not own the plate when the tickets were issued and told him the violations would be expunged.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Would somebody be so kind as to ping DC Chapter members to this story? Thanks.
One of the smaller corruptions in this Third World Country called "D.C.", I'm sure.
Business as usual in the would-be 51st state.
i'm guessing the kennedy clan would pass out pink plates if senators had this perk
The Kennedy clan do not need a license plate. "I'm on my way to a vote..hic."
Feh!
FMCDH(BITS)
DMV spokeswoman Janis Hazel said "No tickets are 'forgiven.' If they were assigned to the incorrect resident, then we do the computer fix to reassign them to the correct person."
SURE you do. Now that the Times has busted your asses NOT doing that.
Over here! ;-)
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