California governor pitches amnesty on traffic debt for poor

KRON ^ | May 23, 2015 | Joelle Burnette

[Political Junkie Too]

It’s hard to argue that a $200 fine to a poor person is the same as a $200 fine to a millionaire.

So you're saying that the fine is a disincentive to neither: the poor person will ignore it and the rich person won't notice it?

you can fine the rich person $10,000 if you want, but I suspect that no fine will make the poor person change their behavior. You can't pay what you don't have, except your own time.

-PJ

[wjr123]

How about doing the correct thing for a change? Fund the courts out of general tax revenue and adjust the fines downward for all. Make fines increase with each infraction within a given period of time.

No shows at court get county farm time and repeat scofflaws get serious jail time.

OBTW, the cameras — speed and red light — should be illegal as they track machines and not individuals. Everywhere this has been seriously tested in court this argument wins.

Frankly, if it were up to me, I would drop all fines and jail time. The replacement would be lashes in public. Quick, remembered and, once done, completely over.

[kearnyirish2]

Northern NJ was also overrun with Hispanics and Asians; the former were notorious for disregarding every law on the books. I don’t know what happened, but lately a lot of them are riding bikes; every morning it is like a scene from Red China as the “New Americans” adjust to the lowered standards of living of the “New Normal”. Someone probably got the word out to them that they wouldn’t be harassed if they’d keep a low profile; we’ve had a de facto amnesty here for decades...