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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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Not much different than the Georgian speed traps of 50, 40, 30, 20, 10...years ago.
JefFlyingV at 9:44PM on Jun 18th 2008
2. Why can't speeding tickets a)discourage speeding and b)fund state and local government? Let the scofflaws pay the bills. Hit em' where it hurts - in the wallet. If you don't like it, slow down.
Dave at 11:10PM on Jun 18th 2008
3. Three lame blogs in the last what- 24 hours? Holy crap, can I have a job writing for you guys?
Robert at 11:23PM on Jun 18th 2008
4. Cenk, Cenk, Cenk,
I heard an interesting fellow on CNBC last week who predicted $20-a-barrel oil within the next 5 years. Simply put, as individuals and businesses reduce oil consumption and the "windfall" profits lead to new oil discoveries, the world will wind up swimming in oil.
As for speeding tickets, they don't deter speeding. I've known people who get a speeding ticket every few years, and they don't slow down. If people are going to speed, then why shouldn't police departments treat speeders as a source of revenue? It saves money for the taxpayers.
And there is a simply solution. Don't speed. If people think sin taxes are unfair, then don't drink, smoke, and gamble.
As for paying to check bags, I do agree that it's stupid, but then I have lifetime Gold status on American, so I don't pay to check my bags. My wife has Gold status, so she doesn't pay, either.
I get the feeling Cenk that you chose a carrier for any given trip based solely on the fare. That is dumb. Pick an airline and fly it regularly.
Kent at 10:13AM on Jun 20th 2008
5. Fines are designed to deter behaviors determined to be dangerous or against other low-level misdemeanor crimes. I guess you really don't deserve a ticket for blowing through a school zone at 70mph do you?
Unfortunately for you, felons seldom pay fines, even if ordered to by the court, so tickets just help fund the police when, say, you get car-jacked, mugged, shot or whatever.
Speed all you want, just be ready to cough up the bucks for your little pleasures. You think requiring insurance shouldn't be a ticketable offense either? Who needs a driver's license right? Just pay the fine, but when your new Benz is totaled by an illegal with none of the above, remember, he don't like no stinking fines either!
Dedmanrisn at 1:27AM on Jun 19th 2008
6. NY has had a sur-charge on traffic tickets for many a years to cover "administrative charges"
to make Patty happy
I will now part from subject posted for a political statement.
"terrorists fist jab" seems to be an almost popular saying as "Obama was/is a Muslim"
Obama new Web Site addresses Obama's religious in the "NEVER HAPPENED" sense. Never a Muslim, Never raised as a Muslim. Now Obama wants to keep any connection behind that "terrible religion" and himself.
"MUSLIM WOMEN" rejected at Obama rally" AP 6/18/08
Two Muslim women were refused seats directly behind Obama and the TV cameras at a Detroit Obama rally by members of the Obama staff. It just so happens they were wearing "hijabs, the traditional Muslim head scarfs" and were told because of the "sensitive political climate" they could not sit behind the podium.
Maybe we should boycot Dunkin Doughnuts? This headscarf the women were wearing just represented Muslims, not any radical group, and they cannot sit where they could be seen on National TV. Afraid of making a connection with Obama and Muslims. What does Obama's campaign have against Muslims? Is this not the same as selecting "Muslim" looking people at airport check points and subjecting them to a search because of the religious and ethnic background.
"Terrorist fist Jab" HMMMMMMMMMMMM
What cute saying can we attach to this little act put on by the Obama people? Did the big wigs in the Obama campaign, up to Obama, give instructions to it's staff to be careful as to whom you seat behind the Podium or did the Obama workers colectively have a dream about Obama's wanting people wearing Muslim hijabs to be kept out of seats behind the podium and in the TV's viewing area.
Come on Left Winghuts, come up with a cute saying on this so you can repeat it along with me repeating Obama is a Muslim and the others who keep repeating "terrorist fist jab"
Left wing nuts are not wrapped very tight. Figure it out.
Robert OKane at 2:49AM on Jun 19th 2008
7. A supporting word for our troops in Iraq
Another Marine had the charges dropped against him in the media so called Haditha massacre. That is a total of 7 marines who have been found not guilty or had charges dismissed to 7, with one marine left to be tried. The military Judge dismissed that charge because he found there were undue pressures on General Mattis to bring the charges against the marines.
Rep Murtha, and the rest of the "we hate american troops" pushed the "cold blooded marines" idea into the public eye and forced the trials of these marines.
Murtha and company applied "off with their heads" treatment to our own troops in uniform before knowing the full truth, while giving the benefit of the doubt to terror suspects at Gitmo.
MSNBC Ohangman Keith Olbermann, without knowing for a single moment what happened at Haditha,, said about the incident at Haditha, termed what happened as "willful targeted brutality".
The Nation magazine stated "members of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, perpetrated a massacre", before knowing the facts. Hang the Marines mentality.
Murtha, when questioned about the Haditha dismissals, runs for the elevator and refuses to comment.
Then we have to listen to the phoney Left Wingnuts trying to win votes with their fake concern over the welfare of people who have not even joined the military yet and the need for a new GI Bill for them.
Robert OKane at 3:13AM on Jun 19th 2008
8. Okane, please watch "Ghosts Of Abu Ghraib." I'd be interested in your response. I mean that. I'd like to know what you think about it.
Captain Negative at 4:12PM on Jun 19th 2008
9. Why bother to watch more leftist propaganda? Its the same as "Apocalypse Now', Full Metal Jacket and other films that have only entertainment value and distort how our soldiers prosecuted the war in Vietnam. "Hamburger Hill" and "We Were Soldiers come far closer to the actions of our military in Vietnam.
Its very odd that Iraqi insurgents and their lackies from other Muslim countries don't have prisons, they just hold their prisoners in a room until they cut off their heads or leave their bodies in the street, full of bullet holes.
That doesn't bother people like you CN, you identify with the terrorists and since you dislike the war, anything to make this country look bad gives you an erection, then you post drivel to let your comrades know that you are one of them.
There have been so many lies told about how mistreated these poor innocent bastards have been so mistreated at our hands that anymore when I hear a new one, it just goes into the BS round file. The Leftists in this country want nothing more to try and establish the Paradise promised by Marx and Lenin, but people are starting to wake up because when you spread too much BS, you kill the crop.
You should watch "Jarhead".Its another BS trash the military flick, but I think they had you in mind when they titled it. How much do you get paid to blog this slop all over? The damn topic was traffic tickets and you can't even stay on topic....get an f'n life.
Dedmanrisn at 9:03PM on Jun 19th 2008
10. I heard an interesting fellow on CNBC last week who predicted $20-a-barrel oil within the next 5 years. Simply put, as individuals and businesses reduce oil consumption and the "windfall" profits lead to new oil discoveries, the world will wind up swimming in oil.
----------------------------------
I've heard predictions that the world will end for the human race in 2012. I submit that that prediciton is more likely than $20 per barrel oil in five years.
The world is running out of "cheap," oil. It is almost just that simple. Even OPEC says they are rapidly running out of oil.
Show me a credible report which denies that PEAK OIL has not already been reached or will not soon be reached.
This affection that "consrvatives" have for the oil companies is mind-numbing. "Conservatives" have more compassion for the mega-corporations than for their families, freinds and neighbors.
Captain Negative at 3:37PM on Jun 20th 2008
11. Golly, deadguy, you write as though you have watched, "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib."
Have, you?
You wingnuts are IGNORANT. Worse. You are DELIBERATELY IGNORANT.
And deadguy, your "handle" is really obnoxious. I'm sure real christians are offended by it. The idea that you are representative of Jesus it REPUGNANT.
You're a blasphemer!
Captain Negative at 3:43PM on Jun 20th 2008