I brought this up in another post and I think it could make an interesting thread. Especially since we have many LEO's on the forum. We all enjoy riding our bikes but I think we are just riding one of many vehicles that are money-makers for state and local government. I don't mean to insult anyone in this thread but I have firm beliefs on the subject. All I ask is that you try to be honest about your answer whether you are a LEO or not. I am not only talking about speeding tickets, but also registrations, traffic, parking etc.

This was my post on the other thread:

Life is so complicated these days. Our government makes it purposely difficult to keep things straight in the hopes that everyone will eventually screw up and pay a penalty for it. It is all about the money. Anything you can do to avoid a penalty (which is just another form of taxation) you should do it.

We waste the recourses of our police department and State Troopers. They sit for hours on end, day after day, just to catch someone going 6 mph over the speed limit. There are real criminals out there getting away with every crime known to man, but making money is more important. Make no mistake about it, it has nothing to do with public safety. It is all about the money. If you don't believe me try a little experiment....Try to get a local or state government to agree that any funds that they take in for traffic violations will go to a charitable organization. The answer you get should convince you that I am right!

 

Traffictickets are not all about the money where I work. We get far more revenue from other places than traffic tickets.

 

Neither of the "Poll Choices" are entirely accurate in my opinion. Yes, speed limits are set for public safety. And yes, fines generate revenue for the jurisdiction issuing the ticket, but to say that they are strictly for one or the other isn't completely accurate.

My agency almost completely did away with the traffic division a few years ago. The municipal court has been hollerin ever since about the drop in revenue.

 

I'm not saying that there are not other areas that make even more money. That doesn't mean that the fines for speeding etc and not there solely to make money. Would you municipality give all the money they make on traffic fines to charity? [sm=confused06.gif]Hmmmm..I don't think so!

 

Good point! I added some options to the poll. What do you think?

 

I chose option #3

 

Probably always will be about money.
But dont speed...you dont pay
Dont park where you are not suppose to park.... you dont pay
This could go on forever....fines= money
So bottom line stay on one side of the line, no cash output but
cross the line, lots of cash output...
Try and think of it as a deterent.....

 

Well click on #3 and "submit vote". Does I have to learn you everythin??!!

 

Speeding tickets in Cleveland are ALL about revenue and it has been proven by the former Mayor admitting it right before she installed traffic enforcement cameras all over town to generate $2MM in lost revenue. The suburbs here are sweep dragnets where 3-4 cops sit and radar a 4 mile stretch of road and write $100 tickets all day. I have a 6 mile ride to work where 5 miles is down 1 straight state route. In the 5 miles the speed limit changes from a range of 20 to 40 mph 6 times in 5-15 mile increments and is not posted effectively. So you go from 20 to 35 to 25 to 40 and back to 25. My family alone has had $1,000 in speeding fines within 2 miles of our home in the past 10 years. It is not uncommon for me to ride through 3-4 radar traps in my 6 mile ride to work. Meanwhile there is acoke dealer who lives in a $700,000 house at the end of my street and nobody can seem to do anything about this guy at all. [:@]

 

I done already clicked on it once!