A huge issue for me, partly because I've been on the wrong end of it. It might not seem like that big a deal, but the government shoving people into poverty for being broke and not paying a fine for a busted tail light or late registration is one of the clearest examples of elites declaring virtual war on the rest of us, especially the poor.
In California, there have been 661,000 such suspensions.
I've been willing to cut LEOs a break on some of these issues, as they do not write these laws. In fact, when I was in this situation, the police let me off the hook at least twice. But, sadly (according to the radio) they officially oppose this legislation.
Across the country, rising court fines, fees and penalties for minor offenses have proved especially burdensome to the poor and working poor, who can end up losing their driver’s licenses , jobs and freedom – sometimes going to jail – simply because they could not pay a traffic fine or failed to appear for a court hearing. A New Jersey study found that 42 percent of people whose driver’s licenses were suspended lost their jobs as a result of the suspension.
According to a report issued last year by the U.S. Federal Reserve, 46 percent of Americans don’t have $400 to pay for an emergency expense and would have to sell something or borrow money to cover the cost. Traffic tickets often cost hundreds of dollars and can exceed $400, depending on the offense.
“We have to quit punishing people simply for being poor, and unfortunately, that’s what our justice system often does with high fines and fees for minor traffic offenses,” Hertzberg said.
