NYT - A Billionaire and a Nurse Shouldn’t Pay the Same Fine for Speeding

[ShootSpeeders]

We also need to suspend drivers licenses for traffic offenders. That hurts every offender, rich and poor

Opinion | A Billionaire and a Nurse Shouldn’t Pay the Same Fine for Speeding

marh 15 2018 For people living on the economic margins, even minor offenses can impose crushing financial obligations, trapping them in a cycle of debt and incarceration for nonpayment. In Ferguson, Mo., for example, a single $151 parking violation sent a black woman struggling with homelessness into a seven-year odyssey of court appearances, arrest warrants and jail time connected to her inability to pay.

Across America, one-size-fits-all fines are the norm, which I demonstrate in an article for the University of Chicago Law Review. Where judges do have wiggle room to choose the size of a fine, mandatory minimums and maximums often tie their hands. Some states even prohibit consideration of a person’s income. And when courts are allowed to take finances into account, they frequently fail to do so.

Other places have saner methods. Finland and Argentina, for example, have tailored fines to income for almost 100 years. The most common model, the “day fine,” scales sanctions to a person’s daily wage. A small offense like littering might cost a fraction of a day’s pay. A serious crime might swallow a month’s paycheck. Everyone pays the same proportion of their income.

 

[frigidweirdo]

We also need to suspend drivers licenses for traffic offenders. That hurts every offender, rich and poor

Opinion | A Billionaire and a Nurse Shouldn’t Pay the Same Fine for Speeding

marh 15 2018 For people living on the economic margins, even minor offenses can impose crushing financial obligations, trapping them in a cycle of debt and incarceration for nonpayment. In Ferguson, Mo., for example, a single $151 parking violation sent a black woman struggling with homelessness into a seven-year odyssey of court appearances, arrest warrants and jail time connected to her inability to pay.

Across America, one-size-fits-all fines are the norm, which I demonstrate in an article for the University of Chicago Law Review. Where judges do have wiggle room to choose the size of a fine, mandatory minimums and maximums often tie their hands. Some states even prohibit consideration of a person’s income. And when courts are allowed to take finances into account, they frequently fail to do so.

Other places have saner methods. Finland and Argentina, for example, have tailored fines to income for almost 100 years. The most common model, the “day fine,” scales sanctions to a person’s daily wage. A small offense like littering might cost a fraction of a day’s pay. A serious crime might swallow a month’s paycheck. Everyone pays the same proportion of their income.

Some places have a percentage of wage fine.

 

[Anathema]

So, because I happen to make $80K+ a year and get my first moving violation ever, I shoild pay a higher fine than the lazy waste if flesh and oxygen who is,gettig a ticket, simply because he only makes $25K a year?

You'll never get me to agree with that idea.

 

[ShootSpeeders]

So, because I happen to make $80K+ a year and get my first moving violation ever, I shoild pay a higher fine than the lazy waste if flesh and oxygen who is,gettig a ticket, simply because he only makes $25K a year?

You'll never get me to agree with that idea.

Of course you can't understand the logic behind this. No one expects you to. You're a liberal.

 

[DGS49]

There is a national problem with "debtor's prison" policies at many local and county governments. Small fines unpaid, penalties followed by incarcerations, jobs lost due to related absences...it's a national disgrace.

But fines tied to "ability to pay," is socialist bullshit. Don't do the crime...you get the idea.

 

[JoeMoma]

What is a $100 or even a $1000 fine to a billionaire?

 

[Anathema]

Of course you can't understand the logic behind this. No one expects you to. You're a liberal.

I' about as far from being Liberal as one can get. I'm a Conservitive Authoritarian.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

It's part of the equality under the law nonsense that the left wants to do away with.

 

[ShootSpeeders]

What is a $100 or even a $1000 fine to a billionaire?

That's why the penalty should also include license suspension and/or jail time.

 

[toobfreak]

We also need to suspend drivers licenses for traffic offenders. That hurts every offender, rich and poor

Opinion | A Billionaire and a Nurse Shouldn’t Pay the Same Fine for Speeding

marh 15 2018 For people living on the economic margins, even minor offenses can impose crushing financial obligations, trapping them in a cycle of debt and incarceration for nonpayment. In Ferguson, Mo., for example, a single $151 parking violation sent a black woman struggling with homelessness into a seven-year odyssey of court appearances, arrest warrants and jail time connected to her inability to pay.

Across America, one-size-fits-all fines are the norm, which I demonstrate in an article for the University of Chicago Law Review. Where judges do have wiggle room to choose the size of a fine, mandatory minimums and maximums often tie their hands. Some states even prohibit consideration of a person’s income. And when courts are allowed to take finances into account, they frequently fail to do so.

Other places have saner methods. Finland and Argentina, for example, have tailored fines to income for almost 100 years. The most common model, the “day fine,” scales sanctions to a person’s daily wage. A small offense like littering might cost a fraction of a day’s pay. A serious crime might swallow a month’s paycheck. Everyone pays the same proportion of their income.

Then we need to charge billionaires more for food, water, light and electricity, and gasoline as well. And the cars the gas goes into. We need to charge billionaires more for housing, that way there will be absolutely no advantage to working hard, getting ahead and being financially successful, then the socialist agenda will be complete, all will be equal and no one will bother creating a company much less inventing anything or hiring employees and we can all be wards of the State.

 

[JoeMoma]

We also need to suspend drivers licenses for traffic offenders. That hurts every offender, rich and poor

Opinion | A Billionaire and a Nurse Shouldn’t Pay the Same Fine for Speeding

marh 15 2018 For people living on the economic margins, even minor offenses can impose crushing financial obligations, trapping them in a cycle of debt and incarceration for nonpayment. In Ferguson, Mo., for example, a single $151 parking violation sent a black woman struggling with homelessness into a seven-year odyssey of court appearances, arrest warrants and jail time connected to her inability to pay.

Across America, one-size-fits-all fines are the norm, which I demonstrate in an article for the University of Chicago Law Review. Where judges do have wiggle room to choose the size of a fine, mandatory minimums and maximums often tie their hands. Some states even prohibit consideration of a person’s income. And when courts are allowed to take finances into account, they frequently fail to do so.

Other places have saner methods. Finland and Argentina, for example, have tailored fines to income for almost 100 years. The most common model, the “day fine,” scales sanctions to a person’s daily wage. A small offense like littering might cost a fraction of a day’s pay. A serious crime might swallow a month’s paycheck. Everyone pays the same proportion of their income.

Then we need to charge billionaires more for food, water, light and electricity, and gasoline as well. And the cars the gas goes into. We need to charge billionaires more for housing, that way there will be absolutely no advantage to working hard, getting ahead and being financially successful, then the socialist agenda will be complete, all will be equal and no one will bother creating a company much less inventing anything or hiring employees and we can all be wards of the State.

Those other things are not Punishment for a crime. If it doesn't hurt, then it's not a punishment.

 

[toobfreak]

We also need to suspend drivers licenses for traffic offenders. That hurts every offender, rich and poor

Opinion | A Billionaire and a Nurse Shouldn’t Pay the Same Fine for Speeding

marh 15 2018 For people living on the economic margins, even minor offenses can impose crushing financial obligations, trapping them in a cycle of debt and incarceration for nonpayment. In Ferguson, Mo., for example, a single $151 parking violation sent a black woman struggling with homelessness into a seven-year odyssey of court appearances, arrest warrants and jail time connected to her inability to pay.

Across America, one-size-fits-all fines are the norm, which I demonstrate in an article for the University of Chicago Law Review. Where judges do have wiggle room to choose the size of a fine, mandatory minimums and maximums often tie their hands. Some states even prohibit consideration of a person’s income. And when courts are allowed to take finances into account, they frequently fail to do so.

Other places have saner methods. Finland and Argentina, for example, have tailored fines to income for almost 100 years. The most common model, the “day fine,” scales sanctions to a person’s daily wage. A small offense like littering might cost a fraction of a day’s pay. A serious crime might swallow a month’s paycheck. Everyone pays the same proportion of their income.

Then we need to charge billionaires more for food, water, light and electricity, and gasoline as well. And the cars the gas goes into. We need to charge billionaires more for housing, that way there will be absolutely no advantage to working hard, getting ahead and being financially successful, then the socialist agenda will be complete, all will be equal and no one will bother creating a company much less inventing anything or hiring employees and we can all be wards of the State.

Those other things are not Punishment for a crime. If it doesn't hurt, then it's not a punishment.

I'm sorry, I thought just being rich was a crime. If their being rich so they can afford more shouldn't apply to a speeding ticket, why should anything else? The government can't even get writing UNIFORM codes of law right, now you want them to try to punish people on a sliding scale.

 

[JoeMoma]

We also need to suspend drivers licenses for traffic offenders. That hurts every offender, rich and poor

Opinion | A Billionaire and a Nurse Shouldn’t Pay the Same Fine for Speeding

marh 15 2018 For people living on the economic margins, even minor offenses can impose crushing financial obligations, trapping them in a cycle of debt and incarceration for nonpayment. In Ferguson, Mo., for example, a single $151 parking violation sent a black woman struggling with homelessness into a seven-year odyssey of court appearances, arrest warrants and jail time connected to her inability to pay.

Across America, one-size-fits-all fines are the norm, which I demonstrate in an article for the University of Chicago Law Review. Where judges do have wiggle room to choose the size of a fine, mandatory minimums and maximums often tie their hands. Some states even prohibit consideration of a person’s income. And when courts are allowed to take finances into account, they frequently fail to do so.

Other places have saner methods. Finland and Argentina, for example, have tailored fines to income for almost 100 years. The most common model, the “day fine,” scales sanctions to a person’s daily wage. A small offense like littering might cost a fraction of a day’s pay. A serious crime might swallow a month’s paycheck. Everyone pays the same proportion of their income.

Then we need to charge billionaires more for food, water, light and electricity, and gasoline as well. And the cars the gas goes into. We need to charge billionaires more for housing, that way there will be absolutely no advantage to working hard, getting ahead and being financially successful, then the socialist agenda will be complete, all will be equal and no one will bother creating a company much less inventing anything or hiring employees and we can all be wards of the State.

Those other things are not Punishment for a crime. If it doesn't hurt, then it's not a punishment.

I'm sorry, I thought just being rich was a crime. If their being rich so they can afford more shouldn't apply to a speeding ticket, why should anything else? The government can't even get writing UNIFORM codes of law right, now you want them to try to punish people on a sliding scale.

Let's just say I see the logic in it when it comes to fines. If you don't see the logic...then you don't see it. I agree with you that the government probably can't get it right, so ultimately it may not be a wise thing to do.

 

[TNHarley]

Fines based on "wages" seems unconstitutional.
Its institutional discrimination. I am sure nobody remembers when that was actually BAD though :/
Fucking statists.

 

[longknife]

We also need to suspend drivers licenses for traffic offenders. That hurts every offender, rich and poor

Opinion | A Billionaire and a Nurse Shouldn’t Pay the Same Fine for Speeding

marh 15 2018 For people living on the economic margins, even minor offenses can impose crushing financial obligations, trapping them in a cycle of debt and incarceration for nonpayment. In Ferguson, Mo., for example, a single $151 parking violation sent a black woman struggling with homelessness into a seven-year odyssey of court appearances, arrest warrants and jail time connected to her inability to pay.

Across America, one-size-fits-all fines are the norm, which I demonstrate in an article for the University of Chicago Law Review. Where judges do have wiggle room to choose the size of a fine, mandatory minimums and maximums often tie their hands. Some states even prohibit consideration of a person’s income. And when courts are allowed to take finances into account, they frequently fail to do so.

Other places have saner methods. Finland and Argentina, for example, have tailored fines to income for almost 100 years. The most common model, the “day fine,” scales sanctions to a person’s daily wage. A small offense like littering might cost a fraction of a day’s pay. A serious crime might swallow a month’s paycheck. Everyone pays the same proportion of their income.

One of the basic tenants of our justice system is that it is supposed to be impartial and equal for all.

We know it isn't but, in this case, fines are supposed to be fixed and apply to all equally.

Commit the crime - pay the fine! Period.

 

[JoeMoma]

We also need to suspend drivers licenses for traffic offenders. That hurts every offender, rich and poor

Opinion | A Billionaire and a Nurse Shouldn’t Pay the Same Fine for Speeding

marh 15 2018 For people living on the economic margins, even minor offenses can impose crushing financial obligations, trapping them in a cycle of debt and incarceration for nonpayment. In Ferguson, Mo., for example, a single $151 parking violation sent a black woman struggling with homelessness into a seven-year odyssey of court appearances, arrest warrants and jail time connected to her inability to pay.

Across America, one-size-fits-all fines are the norm, which I demonstrate in an article for the University of Chicago Law Review. Where judges do have wiggle room to choose the size of a fine, mandatory minimums and maximums often tie their hands. Some states even prohibit consideration of a person’s income. And when courts are allowed to take finances into account, they frequently fail to do so.

Other places have saner methods. Finland and Argentina, for example, have tailored fines to income for almost 100 years. The most common model, the “day fine,” scales sanctions to a person’s daily wage. A small offense like littering might cost a fraction of a day’s pay. A serious crime might swallow a month’s paycheck. Everyone pays the same proportion of their income.

One of the basic tenants of our justice system is that it is supposed to be impartial and equal for all.

We know it isn't but, in this case, fines are supposed to be fixed and apply to all equally.

Commit the crime - pay the fine! Period.

If a fine were the only consequence for illegal parking, then the billionaire could park where he wants with impunity. He is simply paying the government $500 a day to get his special parking......he can afford it. Plus, the fine keeps others out of the places he likes to park.

 

[TheParser]

If people want to discriminate against rich people, then -- in all fairness -- let's discriminate against the less intelligent.

*****

When it comes time to vote, a person with a PhD. should have 5 votes.
A person with a BA should have 4 votes.
A person with a high school diploma should have 3 votes.
A person who attended only grammar school should have 2 votes.
A person who reads the New York Times should have 1 vote.

 

[Toro]

They do this is Finland.

 

[ShootSpeeders]

Then we need to charge billionaires more for food, water, light and electricity, and gasoline as well. And the cars the gas goes into. We need to charge billionaires more for housing, that way there will be absolutely no advantage to working hard, getting ahead and being financially successful, then the socialist agenda will be complete, all will be equal and no one will bother creating a company much less inventing anything or hiring employees and we can all be wards of the State.

WTF are you talking about??? The board is talking about punishment for crimes!! THINK

 

[ShootSpeeders]

Fines based on "wages" seems unconstitutional.
Its institutional discrimination. I am sure nobody remembers when that was actually BAD though :/
Fucking statists.

Unconstitutional?? HAHAHA. Show us where the constitution says so!!