Even in light of all those millions in stimulus monies that have now been distributed to the states and state legislatures in order to fund local and municipal budgets, and with also the ever increasing amounts of fines and penalties that are now leveraged against American citizens nationwide in monies collected for routine traffic violations (and I’m not speaking about the out of control fines and punishments on those low level misdemeanor DUIs that have been a gravy train for the states also), here’s a new one.
It appears the greed of our governmental officials and creative ways in which to assess and facilitate homelessness in the taxpaying citizens who are now losing their homes right and left knows no bounds.
Many states are now also inflicting "service charge" fees for the collection of those sums. Benefitting with the fines themselves isn’t enough, now in order to "process" that revenue the states are adding another "double jeopardy" to broken headlight and speeding tickets.
Unbelieveable.
And the states also wonder why the state citizens are also getting increasingly dissatisfied with their local governments at this point, who are also behind this new health care reform most of all in order to continue collecting all those local taxes which have now progressively been collected to fund their programs, and thus then illegally transferring such authority to the federal government so they can add another source of unaccountable revenue in the process?
Then plead poverty for the local services and functions for which they are legally responsible, while doling out the freebies to their corporate campaign donors in private state grant monies and no-bid contracts?
Extortion in the name of civic responsibility and public safety is now creating the many who are now on the welfare rolls, has that not yet occurred to these state and local governments?
The ones who complain about those costs also, yet continue in total oblivion as to the impact that charging fines and fees that have no rational basis, or even letting the punishment fit the crime has turned our streets and neighborhoods into no more than police states and our police nothing more than revenue collectors, by and large.
Isn’t that what property taxes were intended for, in order to fund the local police and fire departments, and in the past points simply awarded against drivers licenses for moving violations, and proof of compliance with safety requirements? If public safety is the goal, isn’t that the proper and legal redress for these low level crimes which are taking our police force now off the streets in order to combat the true threats to the public safety, theft and bodily harm?
What is there to "processing" a check or cash payment, and if they are passing on bank service charge fees to the public, then maybe the state ought to switch to another bank since I am sure that most banks would actively compete for the business and waive those fees and costs for any general fund or municipal accounts.
I mean they still give free checking and waive ATM fees and costs, and even VISA and Mastercard processing fees for retailers that have large enough accounts, and it would appear in most states their accounts would beat even Wal-Mart’s. If not, then why not simply pass a law "regulating" the banking industry and make passing off and charging for simple keystrokes with computer banking at legislated levels illegal and "usurous" since the bank is also double collecting with the charging of interest on those credit card transactions, and also now fees in order to simply use their plastic? And rental fees for the machines?
And the banks were bankrupt? Gee, back in the old days they used to give free glasses with every checking account, and primarily loaned sums for new home purchases at guaranteed fixed interest rates, or even afforded assumption of existing loans by new purchasers if the purchaser qualified at the existing interest rate. Now, the junk fees and costs that these banks are charging are not simply usurous, they are outrageous.
Like if at all such ridiculous and illegal sums are levied, fees less than 10% of the cost and price of the ticket, or $2.50 (the average fee for a VISA charge), whichever is less is the going rate. A $10.00 service charge on a busted tailight or the even better one "failure to have an inspection" seems a little over the top and also "double jeopardy" at its core. Not to mention on a cash transaction for the payment of the fine, nothing more than actual theft since just what "service" is there involved? A run to the local bank at the rate of say, $300.00 or more per mile?
If the repair is made, then those fees, costs and fines should be waived in any event and insofar as those inspections, well unless and until they are ordered for foreigners also in this country then it would appear we are giving "privileges and immunities" now to non-Americans over those of the lawful citizens.
And thus, unconstitutional also at its core. If a car is involved in an accident that for some reason was not mechanically sound to be driven, then that should be a matter for a jury to decide in a civil trial, and an accident is an accident and repair of the property of the one so damaged or injured is letting the punishment fit the crime and also making repair and remuneration to that victim. If loss of life is involved, then that person is charged with negligent homicide, after all, and this also a matter for a jury to weigh.
Not for the government to so order, and the punishment then increased accordingly for any damage done as a part of the punitive damage phase.
It appears again to be babysitting the public, and unfortunately measures such is these demonstrate that the level of citizen satisfaction with not simply federal, but the state governments, is increasing in leaps and bounds.
And in this economy, sometimes those repairs also have to wait until after the rent is paid, or the adjustable or interest only usurous mortage is paid, and the grocery bill, electric bill (now increased with those unconstitutional U.N., British world banker and government initiated Cap & Trade taxes), and gasoline bills (with those increased "double" state and federal taxes) are paid.
Since unlike Washington and the states, citizens can’t simply print more money, and do understand that those new upgraded "science and technology" computers are important for those police cruisers, courts, and legislators desks, but some of us are driving 14 year old cars that were recently damaged by the hurricanes that the insurance companies refused to cover, or pay the costs of repair since we’re over our credit limits due to this banker initiated piss poor economy for the "new and improved" science based technology bells and whistles which have made automobiles insurance rates now so high "progressively" in order to cover all those new gadgets installed in those vehicles in the event of an accident or burglary.
Or live in borders states that due to this also world government agenda and the still open borders now eight long years after 9/11 have placed us in high risk categories for auto thefts and burglaries, and simply cannot afford even basic liability coverage anymore. Or lost our homes because of it, and the lack of banking regulations over those British banks and mortgage loans that were written in the past decade, some of which based on the Euro and not even U.S. dollar that were written in the West and Southwest.
Was there any votes taken on these new "taxes," or the amounts of those fines? Since, after all, it is the "governed" that are providing them – yet were never consulted for these new "property thefts."
Oh, I forgot. They’ve also got that covered.
A great many states have also instituted not only "service charges" but also charges for "payment agreements" in order to pay those "service charges" and fines and fees.
Which just goes to show those fines and fees are over the top for the average American that such new taxation as payment plans then were also instituted in order to spread out those fines since these are civil, not criminal matters, without any loss of property or injury and thus ‘victimless.’
Since the state is hardly a victim with no actual proveable "loss" except that the state revenue needs keep increasing in order to fund those NGOs and sovereign subjects profit margins at the public’s expense, in addition to the costs of their then services or products in many instances with respect to state created "foundations" and civic groups.
Although also progressively violent crimes and property thefts throughout the country have been steadily climbing with officers now so focused on muncipal budgets and low level crimes for revenue purposes, with the felony warrants and time lags for resposes on ‘crimes in progress" also increasing more and more. Expecially in metro areas.
What we’ve truly got going on here is efforts in order to insure job security, and a "job stimulus" so that the state and federal government legislative candidates can brag then about how many "new jobs" were created.
Of course, at taxpayer expense once again. Sort of a governmental pyramid scheme, as it were.
The more laws you make, the more officers you need to enforce them, the more government grows. Not what the founders surely had in mind whatsoever. And wonder if there were inspections of the horses, mules and wagons in those days to make sure they were in tip top shape.
Or if galloping your horse through town was a fineable offense? I saw some horses scooting pretty quickly through Dodge City on Gunsmoke as I recall.
I can imagine what those founders would say about the new "Click It or Ticket Campaign" and wonder just how much that "campaign," from the federal employees that created it, to the state and municipal law enforcement officers carrying it out now (some with binoculars in parts of the country) cost the taxpaying public for their own eventual abuse and harassment? I mean, there are laws with respect to car sets now for children, so if some adult loses their lives or is significantly injured, don’t you think that "lesson" and experience would be enough, or that if someone then should die then that was also a matter of their adult lack of poor decision making.
And many have been trapped in automobiles which caught fire due to those seat belt laws now throughout the country. But those figures and tales are not included when measures such as some of these now out of control misdemeanor and petty "crimes" are hatched in the backrooms, and appears these legislators have simply too much time on their hands, although most even state legislative sessions are getting longer and longer and most costly for the citizens due to just such need for job security.
Even Congress was intended not to be a "full time job" or in session throughout the entire year. But was to meet when there was a dire emergency or need that required legislative action. At this point, a decade could be spent reviewing some of those 1,000 page bills and "cleaning up" or rescinding most of those that have now also created even more problems and costs to the public due to their unconstitutional focuses. Even though the public is paying for each legislative staff member for their teams of lawyers and advisors – and now even public relations and marketing directors.
With all those added payment arrangements now, pretty generous of them and judicious…wouldn’t you agree?