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Two of My Least Favorite Things

Posted Jun 18th 2008 8:20PM by David Koller
Filed under: Young Turks

There are two things in the world I despise more than surcharges and speeding tickets. If you have increased costs to provide goods or services, raise your prices, don't surcharge me. And Police Departments, please spend more time fighting crime and ticketing reckless drivers rather than creating a wall of fear and antagonism between you and the masses of citizens by handing out ticky-tack speeding tickets in such an arbitrary manner.

So a story in USA Today has enraged me double. The City Council in an Atlanta suburb approved a surcharge on speeding tickets to cover the increased fuel costs incurred by the Police Department. Financial penalties attached to speeding tickets should have only one purpose - to create a financial disincentive for people to drive above the speed limit. They should not be used to generate municipal revenue. With this decision, the suburb of Holly Springs, GA admits that the tickets are used to cover costs.

In an interview, the Police Chief said he expects the fee increase to be dropped if gasoline falls below $3 per gallon. Notice to Chief Ken Ball - that may never happen again in our lifetimes. The "surcharge" is here to stay. One thing this tell me is that next time I take a vacation, in which I pay my surcharge to check my luggage at the airport, I won't be taking that vacation in Holly Springs, GA.

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