DC giving 50 percent discount on traffic tickets to bad drivers, so long as they're poor

[Anonymous]

Does it hurt less if you get run over by a driver who is poor?

https://51st.news/discounted-speeding-tickets-dc-pilot-program/

[Anonymous]

Only people who get food stamps can qualify. There's about 140,000 people who get them in DC.

[Anonymous]

So stupid!!! I hate this city for things like this. How about you just not break the law!!!!

[Anonymous]

I applaud this heartily. Fines are regressive taxes - they are practically nothing for the wealthy but can become a spiraling burden for the poor.

Regressive taxes are bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I applaud this heartily. Fines are regressive taxes - they are practically nothing for the wealthy but can become a spiraling burden for the poor.

Regressive taxes are bad.

EXACTLY! This is not a hard concept people.

[Anonymous]

It's the opposite of fines based on income the other way. Do you support that? So that's it's not regressive and actually punitive?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/06/finnish-businessman-hit-with-121000-speeding-fine

[Anonymous]

I support this.

[Anonymous]

Let me guess, another Charles Allen special?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I applaud this heartily. Fines are regressive taxes - they are practically nothing for the wealthy but can become a spiraling burden for the poor.

Regressive taxes are bad.

Traffic tickets are not taxes. They are penalties for doing something illegal.

[Anonymous]

Better to triple the fines for the wealthy.

[Anonymous]

talk about mixed messages. i guess the city doesn't care that much about traffic safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better to triple the fines for the wealthy.

Wealthy people are a lot less likely to drive, since they can afford to live near everywhere they need to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I applaud this heartily. Fines are regressive taxes - they are practically nothing for the wealthy but can become a spiraling burden for the poor.

Regressive taxes are bad.

Traffic tickets are not taxes. They are penalties for doing something illegal.

And they disproportionally hurt the poor more than the rich. A rich person is just going to pay the $50 ticket and not blink and eye if the parking spot is closer. It's just the cost of doing business and not a penalty.

[Anonymous]

It's a demonstration and it's worth evaluating. If it gets people to actually pay the ticket and not get more (it can only be used for one ticket per person) it could be worthwhile. I would just like any permanent version to require people provide proof of current registration and insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I applaud this heartily. Fines are regressive taxes - they are practically nothing for the wealthy but can become a spiraling burden for the poor.

Regressive taxes are bad.

EXACTLY! This is not a hard concept people.

If you don't want a ticket for driving dangerously, you could just not drive dangerously.