Virginia issues 6996 traffic tickets in 2 days - to raise $$

wwswimming

Banned
Jan 21, 2006
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http://www.businessinsider.com/virg...raise-revenue-for-the-state-government-2010-3

"Virginia Hands Out 6996 Traffic Tickets In One Weekend In An Effort To Raise Revenue For The State Government"

"In the old days, police officers wrote traffic tickers
primarily to keep people safe and to prevent citizens from breaking the traffic laws.

But in the new Amerika, all of that has changed. Now traffic tickets are primarily viewed as a revenue raising tool for state and local governments. For example, a federally funded ticketing blitz in the state of Virginia resulted in a total of 6996 traffic tickets being handed out this past weekend. This most recent ticketing blitz is part of a campaign code-named "Operation Air, Land & Speed". Last Saturday and Sunday state troopers were ordered to absolutely saturate Interstate 95 and Interstate 81 and to issue as many traffic tickets as humanly possible during those two days. Why? Well, it turns out that the state of Virginia has a 2.2 billion dollar budget deficit that they are trying to deal with, and so they need to find some quick sources of cash.

You see, state and local governments all over the nation are massively jacking up traffic fines and are starting to write a lot more tickets in an attempt to "enhance" their streams of revenue.

In other words, state and local governments across the U.S. are broke and so they need some suckers to prey on.

Not that it was ever a good idea to break the traffic laws. But now even a minor violation can put a massive hole in your wallet. For instance, driving as little as 15 miles an hour over the speed limit in Virginia can get you a reckless driving charge that can carry a fine of up to $2500."


TFA

Totally F'ing Amazing.

so they oppose Obamacare, but the cops are having sort of a ... bake sale to raise money ?
 
Dec 10, 2005
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It's how everyone raises money when they don't want to raise taxes - increase ticket costs, amount of tickets handed out, fees for various services....
 

Double Trouble

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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I have no problem with tickets for people speeding, but there's something very wrong about the state basically just organizing a big fund-raiser. Clearly it has nothing to do with safety, it's about making money, and that's just wrong....
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
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Guys, this has nothing to do with me being in VA for the past two years, but I think we all know that MOST traffic tickets are strictly for cash, and have nothing to do with safety. This is old news. Aside from it being suddenly made official public knowledge.

As for my town, its pretty damn obvious they care more about the money than safety. I havent been hit with a ticket yet, but thats mostly because I'm a goody two-shoes on the road and also have the good sense to be paranoid. I know darn well I can never get away with doing something wrong. On top of which I need the cheapest car insurance I can get. Piling up tickets might risk that.
 

MotF Bane

No Lifer
Dec 22, 2006
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I have no problem with tickets for people speeding, but there's something very wrong about the state basically just organizing a big fund-raiser. Clearly it has nothing to do with safety, it's about making money, and that's just wrong....

Doesn't fit.
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
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What citizens need to do is contest every one of them. Hell appeal them. Hell ask to be thrown in jail w 3 meals a day. Lets see how cheap that gets for this town.
 

PJABBER

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2001
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What citizens need to do is contest every one of them. Hell appeal them. Hell ask to be thrown in jail w 3 meals a day. Lets see how cheap that gets for this town.

How Cloward-Piven of you. :awe:
 

Bowfinger

Lifer
Nov 17, 2002
15,776
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What citizens need to do is contest every one of them. Hell appeal them. Hell ask to be thrown in jail w 3 meals a day. Lets see how cheap that gets for this town.
I don't know how it works in Virginia, but that won't help in Iowa. I had a friend who got charged with going 45 mph in a 45 mph zone (though the cop said it was a 35 mph zone). Coincidentally, his court date was today. He won, the judge agreed the cop was clearly wrong. It was a 45 mph zone. Ticket dismissed.

But my friend still had to pay $70 in court costs. He was dumbfounded. The judge said that's the law in Iowa.

That's government out of control, when you can be forced to pay for any random bogus charge in spite of being 100% innocent.
 

ericlp

Diamond Member
Dec 24, 2000
6,137
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It's the new Taxation. How are you liking it so far? Time to install 50 more speed cameras and run them all at 5MPH over ... BAM! Thanks for your support!
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
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That's crazy Bow. There is a reason I keep my cars plastered with FOP stickers. You're not throwing me in concentration camps for not supporting the Reich.
 

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
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What citizens need to do is contest every one of them. Hell appeal them. Hell ask to be thrown in jail w 3 meals a day. Lets see how cheap that gets for this town.
Where I live you have to pay for your stay in jail.
 

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
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Wasn't Virginia issuing jail time for speeding a few years ago?

No. What they did do is come up with some ridiculous fines for repeat offenders but that was repealed within 6 months after passage once it became clear that it was a severe threat to political futures.

The link below is to a WP story written when they attempted to do this.
Hefty Fees In Store for Misbehaving Va. Drivers
 
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zsdersw

Lifer
Oct 29, 2003
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I've always been an advocate of no speed limits or, short of that, variable speed limits that change depending on weather and traffic conditions. Some drivers shouldn't be driving at 5mph, much less anything faster.. and some drivers are safe and responsible at any speed. Arbitrarily setting a limit in any given area, or having zones where the speed limit drops from 55mph to 35mph, has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with raising money and "the man" holding you down.

I haven't gotten a speeding ticket in 10 years, and the one I got was the only one I've ever had, but I speed quite significantly and drive deliberately. I've never gotten into an accident, weather-related or otherwise, and have never put my car into a ditch. I know where cars near me are at all times and react quickly to changes. I enjoy driving, and driving fast. I will never obey an arbitrary speed limit, but I do have a keen eye for where cops sit and where speed traps are, in which case I only go 10mph over the limit. If they're going to give me a ticket for that.. on an almost deserted rural divided highway.. they're going to see me in court and I *will* get the ticket dropped.
 

Atreus21

Lifer
Aug 21, 2007
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$2500 for speeding?

I'd go to jail and be sodomized before they could con that out of me.
 

QuantumPion

Diamond Member
Jun 27, 2005
6,010
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I've always been an advocate of no speed limits or, short of that, variable speed limits that change depending on weather and traffic conditions. Some drivers shouldn't be driving at 5mph, much less anything faster.. and some drivers are safe and responsible at any speed. Arbitrarily setting a limit in any given area, or having zones where the speed limit drops from 55mph to 35mph, has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with raising money and "the man" holding you down.

I haven't gotten a speeding ticket in 10 years, and the one I got was the only one I've ever had, but I speed quite significantly and drive deliberately. I've never gotten into an accident, weather-related or otherwise, and have never put my car into a ditch. I know where cars near me are at all times and react quickly to changes. I enjoy driving, and driving fast. I will never obey an arbitrary speed limit, but I do have a keen eye for where cops sit and where speed traps are, in which case I only go 10mph over the limit. If they're going to give me a ticket for that.. on an almost deserted rural divided highway.. they're going to see me in court and I *will* get the ticket dropped.

In VA you WILL get a ticket for going 5 over on the highway (70 in a 65). And you will NOT win in court. VA is totally retarded regarding traffic laws/enforcement. I've gotten a ticket here for going 26 in a 25.
 

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
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In VA you WILL get a ticket for going 5 over on the highway (70 in a 65). And you will NOT win in court. VA is totally retarded regarding traffic laws/enforcement. I've gotten a ticket here for going 26 in a 25.

Yet I have been driving here since 1972, rarely do the speed limit, have gotten more than my fair share of tickets and only once could I honestly say I was not doing exactly what the cop said I was doing and in no case has it ever been for anything under 10 MPH over the speed limit. While I loathe PR stunts like the one they did last weekend Virginia is hardly alone in doing them. Maryland does them almost every 3 day weekend and does the rounds of "Nitwitness News" programs announcing them just like this thing Virginia did last weekend. Maryland was even sticking stickers on the sides of their State Trooper cars with a bumble bee with a radar gun much like WWII aircraft a few years back. Most states do them and publicize them all in the name of "safety".
 

heyheybooboo

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2007
6,278
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I love it when people who speed tell others not to speed and not whine about tickets, I really do.

LOL

I've got cruise control .... and know how to use it.

I also pay around $350/yr for auto insurance on 2 vehicles. I couldn't tell you the last time I got a speeding ticket - probably during Reagan's first term.

I did, however, get pulled over last week. I forgot to put my new registration sticker on my license plate.

The Trooper did it for me .... :D
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
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Most states do them and publicize them all in the name of "safety".
And yet funny how anything above operating costs remarkably doesn't find itself going toward additional safety expenses.