Posted on 09/09/2007 11:37:38 AM PDT by dennisw
The success of an Athens law that impounds vehicles driven by unlicensed motorists is encouraging Decatur Mayor Don Kyle to support an even stricter ordinance.
The Athens ordinance took effect Aug. 10 and snaked 299 vehicles off the street in less than four weeks. Police averaged nearly 18 vehicles per day.
To retrieve vehicles, owners must pay fines, towing fees, a $25 administrative fee and show proof of liability insurance. Only a licensed driver can get the vehicle out of impound.
Since the law took effect, one Athens towing company employee said the rate of car accidents has decreased dramatically, but towing services are busy with impoundments.
That success is encouraging Kyle, who hopes to present his tougher ordinance to the City Council this fall.
“In Decatur, we want people driving who are eligible to drive and who are insured to protect other drivers if they make a mistake,” he said. “This is a doable goal.”
While the city has not released a draft of the proposed ordinance, Kyle said it will likely include provisions for towing the vehicles of unlicensed and uninsured drivers.
He also said his version will have more aggressive fees than the one in Athens — though the fees are yet to be agreed upon.
A final departure from the Athens ordinance concerns what to do with motorists whose vehicles are impounded. In Athens, the police offer the subject a ride home, but Kyle said Decatur police will not be required to do the same.
“We may offer to call someone, but we’re not going to run a taxi service,” he said. “And we’re not going to occupy a police officer’s time waiting with them.”
Controversy
Despite the successful numbers in Athens’ ordinance, critics maintain the new law unfairly targets illegal immigrants, who do not have the ability to obtain a driver license or insurance.
According to one Athens towing company employee, a majority of the vehicles impounded since the new law took effect do belong to illegal immigrants.
Kyle commented on the controversy in an interview with The Daily in July, saying his intent is not to target any particular group other than unlicensed, uninsured drivers. He said he felt it was his duty as mayor to enforce the laws already on the books.
“If we stop people that either don’t have a license or can’t prove they have insurance, they’re in violation of the law,” he said. “If we let them get back in that car and drive off, we’re aiding and abetting their violation.”
Logistics
Concerns over the proposed ordinance involve the logistics of impounding the high volume of vehicles anticipated if the ordinance is approved.
Already this year, Decatur police have issued more than 2,100 citations to drivers without a license or proof of insurance or both.
Over the past three years, the Decatur Police Department issued an average of 10 citations a day for the violations.
That volume could create a strain for local towing companies, said Mike Turner, owner of McBride Wrecker Service in Decatur.
Most cannot handle more than 30 to 50 cars at a time, he said.
If owners do not pick up their cars quickly enough, it could create a problem.
“None of us have huge lots, so it’s going to put a strain on everyone’s storage facilities, but mostly I feel it’s a positive,” Turner said.
Other concerns involve what the standard towing and storage fees will be. Kyle said the fee amounts will not be written into the ordinance, but he would like the towing companies to agree on a uniform rate.
Towing company owners say that could be costly for them, especially if they are forced to deal with many vehicles that are never claimed. Just to declare the vehicle abandoned costs at least $100 in filing fees, said Susie Fisher, owner of B&W Wrecker Service in Decatur, but some vehicles are worth only about $50 when sold for junk.
“We lose money on these junk cars,” she said. “There’s a lot of different things that go into it, and I don’t think it should be up to the mayor what I charge.”
This is definitely NOT Decatur, GA.
Hmmm.. a law being enforced that has positive results for the community... how long before a judge puts a stop to this?
Interesting.
I'm sorry "critics" but I'm sure they can get licenses and insurance....................in their own fricking countries.
Let's see, how many laws are being broken here already, without even considering traffic violations or DUI? They illegally snuck into the country, they are driving without a license and without insurance. And critics have a problem with stopping this?
I’ve wondered how juch the “uninsured motorist” portion of our policy premiums have increased because of all these uninsured illegals?
You are right!!! This is Decatur Alabama. I asked that the title be changed
Right —— this is Decatur Alabama
“logistics of impounding the high volume of vehicles anticipated if the ordinance is approved”
This is a dynamic situation. There won’t be high volume for long. You’ll see more illegals car pooling / jitney cabs. You’ll see more illegals on bicycles. You’ll see more illegals re-locating to places such as Illinois where the mood of most people is to not hassle illegals who are working.
I personally, would be happy to trade Georgia our welfare parasites for hard-working illegals.
Illegal Alien Insurance Questionaire
1. Value of vehicle when stolden _ _ _ _ _
2. Current value _ _ _
3. Color of vehicle,
Front
Rear
Door left
Door right
4. Capacity of front seat _ _
5. Capacity of rear seat _ _
6. Capacity of trunk/storage space _ _ _
7. # of accidents previous week _ _
8. # of accidents current week _ _
9. Total # of accidents on this VIN#_ _ _
10. # of times VIN# has been altered _ _
Lines 11-99,List names of other persons authorized to drive this vehicle.
100. List age of youngest driver _
Invaders are starting to realize that they can flout the law by hollering racism. No surprise they’re doing this whenever possible. Enforcing any law at their expense, is racist.
You know, when I was a teen, not long ago, there was a house in our neighborhood where we could all go and party all night long. The owner was a fool in her 30’s, divorced and stupid, and she let anyone come over, anyone at all, any time. I don’t know what happened finally, maybe they carted her away, but for a year or so her place was the Party House.
It became a bad part of town all by itself. All kinds of freaks disturbing the peace, racing their cars, having fights in the street, breaking things, puking and relieving themselves in the yard.
She let it go on. She opened the door and offered hospitality to all. Soon only the worst arrived.
Our country is becoming the party house of the world.
Critics = Klooless A$$wipes, enemies of the nation, or both.
I personally, would be happy to trade Georgia our welfare parasites for hard-working illegals.
I live in Illinois and am here to tell you that we already have enough of each.
bttt
Well, they could be, if they stayed in the car.
“We lose money on these junk cars,” she said. “There’s a lot of different things that go into it...
“Since the law took effect, one Athens towing company employee said the rate of car accidents has decreased dramatically”
The fewer DUI’s and deaths from same works for me!
Immigration Counters (Real-Time Data Resource Center)
The High Cost of Cheap Labor - Illegal Immigration and the Federal Budget (2004 Study)
The Unpleasant FACTS ARE
>>Both studies found that immigrants used government services at a greater rate than native-born residents did. The New Jersey study found, for instance, that the typical immigrant family received about $4,044 annually in government services, about 11 percent higher than the average native-born family. At the same time, immigrant households paid about 8 percent less in taxes. The net result was that “the average native household generated an annual fiscal surplus of $232” to government, while “the typical foreign household was a net burden of $1,484.” The gap was even wider in California, where immigrant households produced a net deficit of $3,463 each, because so much of that state’s recent immigration had been in the form of low-wage, low-skill workers.
Though the study did not distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants, it did break down foreign-born households by the regions of the world from which they had come. In both states, the study found the steepest deficit in Latin American households, which in New Jersey consumed 26 percent more in government expenditures than the average native-born family, but paid 38 percent less in taxes. By contrast, immigrant households in New Jersey that hailed from Europe or Canada actually consumed, on average, less in government services than the typical native-born family, and paid nearly as much in taxes.<<
Source: http://www.city-journal.org/html/eon2007-08-29sm.html
I figured out an easy way to settle this once and for all. One simple question on every tax form sent in on April 15th. Just like the contributions for elections, etc.
Would you like to contribute $2000 to pay for illegals?
How many people do you think would check that box? Keep a running count of the answer and base whether we keep them or deport them on the count.
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