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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my family's income is well over twice what it would take to get food stamps, so it makes sense that we would pay twice as much for tickets.

If I was ever to become impoverished, and had to budget as hard as people on food stamps do, I'm pretty sure that the $100 once in a while we spend on tickets would be pretty close to most of my family's unobligated spending money for the month. So, I don't begrudge the decrease.

Congratulations. You must feel very good about yourself.

Government fines and punishments should be the same for everyone.

I don’t know why you fail to understand that a $100 punishment is equivalent to a $1000 punishment for someone who makes 10 times more. The point is to feel the weight of the punishment. Someone who is making a million is not going to feel punished with a $100 the same way that someone making $30,000 a year. It’s like saying everyone gets 10 years in prison no matter the crime.

I don't know why you don't understand that a government punishment should be the same for everyone.

I do, which is why I applaud this. Punish people equally. A poor person is going to feel a $100 a lot worse than you will. So punishment achieved. You will pay it and not think anything about it. Do you always make circular arguments by simply repeating the same?

You don't seem to know what the word "equally" means.

Equal justice under the law is an important core concept and not something we should be throwing away.

Please enlighten us then. You think that a $100 ticket punishes a man making 30K a year equally as it does a man making 800K?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They need their driving licenses revoked ASAP

Sure, same goes for you too right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my family's income is well over twice what it would take to get food stamps, so it makes sense that we would pay twice as much for tickets.

If I was ever to become impoverished, and had to budget as hard as people on food stamps do, I'm pretty sure that the $100 once in a while we spend on tickets would be pretty close to most of my family's unobligated spending money for the month. So, I don't begrudge the decrease.

Congratulations. You must feel very good about yourself.

Government fines and punishments should be the same for everyone.

I don’t know why you fail to understand that a $100 punishment is equivalent to a $1000 punishment for someone who makes 10 times more. The point is to feel the weight of the punishment. Someone who is making a million is not going to feel punished with a $100 the same way that someone making $30,000 a year. It’s like saying everyone gets 10 years in prison no matter the crime.

I don't know why you don't understand that a government punishment should be the same for everyone.

I do, which is why I applaud this. Punish people equally. A poor person is going to feel a $100 a lot worse than you will. So punishment achieved. You will pay it and not think anything about it. Do you always make circular arguments by simply repeating the same?

You don't seem to know what the word "equally" means.

Equal justice under the law is an important core concept and not something we should be throwing away.

Please enlighten us then. You think that a $100 ticket punishes a man making 30K a year equally as it does a man making 800K?

This isn't a difficult concept. Same crime equals same fine. For everybody.


You are demanding equity not equality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my family's income is well over twice what it would take to get food stamps, so it makes sense that we would pay twice as much for tickets.

If I was ever to become impoverished, and had to budget as hard as people on food stamps do, I'm pretty sure that the $100 once in a while we spend on tickets would be pretty close to most of my family's unobligated spending money for the month. So, I don't begrudge the decrease.

Congratulations. You must feel very good about yourself.

Government fines and punishments should be the same for everyone.

I don’t know why you fail to understand that a $100 punishment is equivalent to a $1000 punishment for someone who makes 10 times more. The point is to feel the weight of the punishment. Someone who is making a million is not going to feel punished with a $100 the same way that someone making $30,000 a year. It’s like saying everyone gets 10 years in prison no matter the crime.

I don't know why you don't understand that a government punishment should be the same for everyone.

I do, which is why I applaud this. Punish people equally. A poor person is going to feel a $100 a lot worse than you will. So punishment achieved. You will pay it and not think anything about it. Do you always make circular arguments by simply repeating the same?

You don't seem to know what the word "equally" means.

Equal justice under the law is an important core concept and not something we should be throwing away.

Please enlighten us then. You think that a $100 ticket punishes a man making 30K a year equally as it does a man making 800K?

This isn't a difficult concept. Same crime equals same fine. For everybody.


You are demanding equity not equality.

Apparently it IS a very difficult concept since you don't get it at all. If the point is punishment, then it should be felt the same way by everyone.

[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.

+1

Why have more severe punishments for poor people?

OP is an elitist dickhead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my family's income is well over twice what it would take to get food stamps, so it makes sense that we would pay twice as much for tickets.

If I was ever to become impoverished, and had to budget as hard as people on food stamps do, I'm pretty sure that the $100 once in a while we spend on tickets would be pretty close to most of my family's unobligated spending money for the month. So, I don't begrudge the decrease.

Congratulations. You must feel very good about yourself.

Government fines and punishments should be the same for everyone.

I don’t know why you fail to understand that a $100 punishment is equivalent to a $1000 punishment for someone who makes 10 times more. The point is to feel the weight of the punishment. Someone who is making a million is not going to feel punished with a $100 the same way that someone making $30,000 a year. It’s like saying everyone gets 10 years in prison no matter the crime.

I don't know why you don't understand that a government punishment should be the same for everyone.

I do, which is why I applaud this. Punish people equally. A poor person is going to feel a $100 a lot worse than you will. So punishment achieved. You will pay it and not think anything about it. Do you always make circular arguments by simply repeating the same?

You don't seem to know what the word "equally" means.

Equal justice under the law is an important core concept and not something we should be throwing away.

Please enlighten us then. You think that a $100 ticket punishes a man making 30K a year equally as it does a man making 800K?

This isn't a difficult concept. Same crime equals same fine. For everybody.


You are demanding equity not equality.

Apparently it IS a very difficult concept since you don't get it at all. If the point is punishment, then it should be felt the same way by everyone.

Of course, you have no earthly idea how getting a ticket *feels* to different people, let alone how to equalize those feelings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To recap:

14 year old driving an ATV down the middle of the street? No ticket.

Scooter blows stop sign at 40mph? No ticket.

Bicyclist, with children on back, no helmets, plows through intersection despite not having right of way? No ticket.

Poor driver, doing 60mph in a 25mph? 50 percent off their ticket.

Nonpoor driver failing to sit at a stop sign at an empty intersection for a full three sections, with bumper hanging over crosswalk? $100 ticket, doubled if not paid in 30 days.

Yes, this all sounds very fair now.

Traffic enforcement in DC has become highly politicized. It would be better for everyone if we just let cops do it.

[Anonymous]

When I was in high school many years ago, I worked for a top defense attorney in our city. Everyday, he would park his car in front of his office during the no parking period. He would get a ticket or two everyday. Everyone in the office would get on him about it. He would always say, "Tickets and taxes are for the poor".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my family's income is well over twice what it would take to get food stamps, so it makes sense that we would pay twice as much for tickets.

If I was ever to become impoverished, and had to budget as hard as people on food stamps do, I'm pretty sure that the $100 once in a while we spend on tickets would be pretty close to most of my family's unobligated spending money for the month. So, I don't begrudge the decrease.

Congratulations. You must feel very good about yourself.

Government fines and punishments should be the same for everyone.

I don’t know why you fail to understand that a $100 punishment is equivalent to a $1000 punishment for someone who makes 10 times more. The point is to feel the weight of the punishment. Someone who is making a million is not going to feel punished with a $100 the same way that someone making $30,000 a year. It’s like saying everyone gets 10 years in prison no matter the crime.

I don't know why you don't understand that a government punishment should be the same for everyone.

I do, which is why I applaud this. Punish people equally. A poor person is going to feel a $100 a lot worse than you will. So punishment achieved. You will pay it and not think anything about it. Do you always make circular arguments by simply repeating the same?

You don't seem to know what the word "equally" means.

Equal justice under the law is an important core concept and not something we should be throwing away.

Please enlighten us then. You think that a $100 ticket punishes a man making 30K a year equally as it does a man making 800K?

This isn't a difficult concept. Same crime equals same fine. For everybody.


You are demanding equity not equality.

Apparently it IS a very difficult concept since you don't get it at all. If the point is punishment, then it should be felt the same way by everyone.

Of course, you have no earthly idea how getting a ticket *feels* to different people, let alone how to equalize those feelings.

of course I do. And I'm not even particularity smart. I know because I used to be very poor and now I'm not.

But that's one of the weakest responses I've seen on DCUM. I always find that when posters start personalizing things to me, it's because they have nothing intelligent to say to support the point they are trying to make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was in high school many years ago, I worked for a top defense attorney in our city. Everyday, he would park his car in front of his office during the no parking period. He would get a ticket or two everyday. Everyone in the office would get on him about it. He would always say, "Tickets and taxes are for the poor".

He gets it. And I'm sure the rest of the people who are arguing against this do as well. But they find that being poor is a moral failing and we should punish them for that alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To recap:

14 year old driving an ATV down the middle of the street? No ticket.

Scooter blows stop sign at 40mph? No ticket.

Bicyclist, with children on back, no helmets, plows through intersection despite not having right of way? No ticket.

Poor driver, doing 60mph in a 25mph? 50 percent off their ticket.

Nonpoor driver failing to sit at a stop sign at an empty intersection for a full three sections, with bumper hanging over crosswalk? $100 ticket, doubled if not paid in 30 days.

Yes, this all sounds very fair now.

Traffic enforcement in DC has become highly politicized. It would be better for everyone if we just let cops do it.

Charles Allen says human enforcement is racist so we can't do that, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my family's income is well over twice what it would take to get food stamps, so it makes sense that we would pay twice as much for tickets.

If I was ever to become impoverished, and had to budget as hard as people on food stamps do, I'm pretty sure that the $100 once in a while we spend on tickets would be pretty close to most of my family's unobligated spending money for the month. So, I don't begrudge the decrease.

Congratulations. You must feel very good about yourself.

Government fines and punishments should be the same for everyone.

I don’t know why you fail to understand that a $100 punishment is equivalent to a $1000 punishment for someone who makes 10 times more. The point is to feel the weight of the punishment. Someone who is making a million is not going to feel punished with a $100 the same way that someone making $30,000 a year. It’s like saying everyone gets 10 years in prison no matter the crime.

I don't know why you don't understand that a government punishment should be the same for everyone.

I do, which is why I applaud this. Punish people equally. A poor person is going to feel a $100 a lot worse than you will. So punishment achieved. You will pay it and not think anything about it. Do you always make circular arguments by simply repeating the same?

You don't seem to know what the word "equally" means.

Equal justice under the law is an important core concept and not something we should be throwing away.

Please enlighten us then. You think that a $100 ticket punishes a man making 30K a year equally as it does a man making 800K?

This isn't a difficult concept. Same crime equals same fine. For everybody.


You are demanding equity not equality.

Apparently it IS a very difficult concept since you don't get it at all. If the point is punishment, then it should be felt the same way by everyone.

Of course, you have no earthly idea how getting a ticket *feels* to different people, let alone how to equalize those feelings.

of course I do. And I'm not even particularity smart. I know because I used to be very poor and now I'm not.

But that's one of the weakest responses I've seen on DCUM. I always find that when posters start personalizing things to me, it's because they have nothing intelligent to say to support the point they are trying to make.

Ok, then, explain to us how you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my family's income is well over twice what it would take to get food stamps, so it makes sense that we would pay twice as much for tickets.

If I was ever to become impoverished, and had to budget as hard as people on food stamps do, I'm pretty sure that the $100 once in a while we spend on tickets would be pretty close to most of my family's unobligated spending money for the month. So, I don't begrudge the decrease.

Congratulations. You must feel very good about yourself.

Government fines and punishments should be the same for everyone.

I don’t know why you fail to understand that a $100 punishment is equivalent to a $1000 punishment for someone who makes 10 times more. The point is to feel the weight of the punishment. Someone who is making a million is not going to feel punished with a $100 the same way that someone making $30,000 a year. It’s like saying everyone gets 10 years in prison no matter the crime.

I don't know why you don't understand that a government punishment should be the same for everyone.

I do, which is why I applaud this. Punish people equally. A poor person is going to feel a $100 a lot worse than you will. So punishment achieved. You will pay it and not think anything about it. Do you always make circular arguments by simply repeating the same?

You don't seem to know what the word "equally" means.

Equal justice under the law is an important core concept and not something we should be throwing away.

Please enlighten us then. You think that a $100 ticket punishes a man making 30K a year equally as it does a man making 800K?

This isn't a difficult concept. Same crime equals same fine. For everybody.


You are demanding equity not equality.

Apparently it IS a very difficult concept since you don't get it at all. If the point is punishment, then it should be felt the same way by everyone.

Of course, you have no earthly idea how getting a ticket *feels* to different people, let alone how to equalize those feelings.

of course I do. And I'm not even particularity smart. I know because I used to be very poor and now I'm not.

But that's one of the weakest responses I've seen on DCUM. I always find that when posters start personalizing things to me, it's because they have nothing intelligent to say to support the point they are trying to make.

Ok, then, explain to us how you know.

I already did. Are you capable of reading? I used to be very poor. Getting a $100 ticket would mean that two or more of my bills aren't getting paid that month. That would mean I don't eat or buy the bare necessities. A $100 for someone who makes a half a million or more is a drop in the bucket. They don't even blink and eye. So tell me who is feeling the punishment and who isn't? Both committed the same offense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my family's income is well over twice what it would take to get food stamps, so it makes sense that we would pay twice as much for tickets.

If I was ever to become impoverished, and had to budget as hard as people on food stamps do, I'm pretty sure that the $100 once in a while we spend on tickets would be pretty close to most of my family's unobligated spending money for the month. So, I don't begrudge the decrease.

Congratulations. You must feel very good about yourself.

Government fines and punishments should be the same for everyone.

I don’t know why you fail to understand that a $100 punishment is equivalent to a $1000 punishment for someone who makes 10 times more. The point is to feel the weight of the punishment. Someone who is making a million is not going to feel punished with a $100 the same way that someone making $30,000 a year. It’s like saying everyone gets 10 years in prison no matter the crime.

I don't know why you don't understand that a government punishment should be the same for everyone.

I do, which is why I applaud this. Punish people equally. A poor person is going to feel a $100 a lot worse than you will. So punishment achieved. You will pay it and not think anything about it. Do you always make circular arguments by simply repeating the same?

You don't seem to know what the word "equally" means.

Equal justice under the law is an important core concept and not something we should be throwing away.

Please enlighten us then. You think that a $100 ticket punishes a man making 30K a year equally as it does a man making 800K?

This isn't a difficult concept. Same crime equals same fine. For everybody.


You are demanding equity not equality.

Apparently it IS a very difficult concept since you don't get it at all. If the point is punishment, then it should be felt the same way by everyone.

Of course, you have no earthly idea how getting a ticket *feels* to different people, let alone how to equalize those feelings.

of course I do. And I'm not even particularity smart. I know because I used to be very poor and now I'm not.

But that's one of the weakest responses I've seen on DCUM. I always find that when posters start personalizing things to me, it's because they have nothing intelligent to say to support the point they are trying to make.

Ok, then, explain to us how you know.

I already did. Are you capable of reading? I used to be very poor. Getting a $100 ticket would mean that two or more of my bills aren't getting paid that month. That would mean I don't eat or buy the bare necessities. A $100 for someone who makes a half a million or more is a drop in the bucket. They don't even blink and eye. So tell me who is feeling the punishment and who isn't? Both committed the same offense.

Ok, so you don't actually know. All you have is 1. a personal anecdote and 2. A presumption about how rich people might react to getting a ticket that's not based on anything except what you think might be true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my family's income is well over twice what it would take to get food stamps, so it makes sense that we would pay twice as much for tickets.

If I was ever to become impoverished, and had to budget as hard as people on food stamps do, I'm pretty sure that the $100 once in a while we spend on tickets would be pretty close to most of my family's unobligated spending money for the month. So, I don't begrudge the decrease.

Congratulations. You must feel very good about yourself.

Government fines and punishments should be the same for everyone.

I don’t know why you fail to understand that a $100 punishment is equivalent to a $1000 punishment for someone who makes 10 times more. The point is to feel the weight of the punishment. Someone who is making a million is not going to feel punished with a $100 the same way that someone making $30,000 a year. It’s like saying everyone gets 10 years in prison no matter the crime.

I don't know why you don't understand that a government punishment should be the same for everyone.

I do, which is why I applaud this. Punish people equally. A poor person is going to feel a $100 a lot worse than you will. So punishment achieved. You will pay it and not think anything about it. Do you always make circular arguments by simply repeating the same?

You don't seem to know what the word "equally" means.

Equal justice under the law is an important core concept and not something we should be throwing away.

Please enlighten us then. You think that a $100 ticket punishes a man making 30K a year equally as it does a man making 800K?

This isn't a difficult concept. Same crime equals same fine. For everybody.


You are demanding equity not equality.

Apparently it IS a very difficult concept since you don't get it at all. If the point is punishment, then it should be felt the same way by everyone.

Of course, you have no earthly idea how getting a ticket *feels* to different people, let alone how to equalize those feelings.

of course I do. And I'm not even particularity smart. I know because I used to be very poor and now I'm not.

But that's one of the weakest responses I've seen on DCUM. I always find that when posters start personalizing things to me, it's because they have nothing intelligent to say to support the point they are trying to make.

Ok, then, explain to us how you know.

I already did. Are you capable of reading? I used to be very poor. Getting a $100 ticket would mean that two or more of my bills aren't getting paid that month. That would mean I don't eat or buy the bare necessities. A $100 for someone who makes a half a million or more is a drop in the bucket. They don't even blink and eye. So tell me who is feeling the punishment and who isn't? Both committed the same offense.

Ok, so you don't actually know. All you have is 1. a personal anecdote and 2. A presumption about how rich people might react to getting a ticket that's not based on anything except what you think might be true.

If you are not intelligent enough or have critical reasoning skills to understand that a person who makes below poverty line is going to be disproportionately affected by the same fine as the one making 50 times more, then you're just a moron. My personal anecdote doesn't matter. There are studies and statistics that explain all of this. Go educate yourself.