Arizona Welcomes in New Year With Bogus New Law
The 2009 New Year in Arizona welcomed in the new law that fines motorists $135 dollars plus court fees if their license plate frame obscures the word Arizona. What? It was proposed that this is a matter of public safety. Maybe. Clearly, driving without a seat belt is a bigger safety issue, yet, this new law’s fine is reported to be 5 times the penalty for not wearing a seat belt.
Here’s the real story. It’s all about the MONEY. Our laws are less and less about protecting citizens and ALL about raising revenue! Enough already! It is my opinion that these fines, penalties, and charges are completely out of control. They are the new taxation disguised as laws written to protect the citizenry. Give me a break.
Today, our managers were alerted by email that law enforcement was moving through the parking areas and issuing tickets on any vehicle that had a frame obstructing the state name. This is a large corporation with multiple parking garages and lots containing thousands of parked vehicles. I do not know how much money was taken in today, but I see this as further evidence that agencies once pledged to serve and protect are now nothing more than collectors for government programs.
More evidence is supported in the fine amounts themselves. Take a look at ANY example where government time, energy, resources, and manpower is dedicated and one will most often find obtrusive penalties. Much of these ordinances, laws, decrees have clearly limited individual liberty and sadly placed burdens on hard-working people.
Heard and read around the web:
This wouldn’t be necessary or an issue if it weren’t for the Department of Transportation trying to make money selling 60 different types of personalized plates covering every social concern (cancer, PETA, etc.) THEY created the problem law enforcement was complaining about
Like the photo radar, this is simply another way to ding AZ motorists for much needed cash to fill the gaping hole in the state’s finances
It is not our fault that Arizona has come up with so many different style plates the police can’t tell which state is written across the top
Happy New Year, Arizona.
January 7th, 2009 at 11:05 am
That is totally bogus! I think about it from the cop’s point of view, too. Jay would be furious if he had to enforce such a stupid law.
January 7th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Taxation without representation! I think the interest rate is down from the beginning of the fiscal year 7/1/08, and they probably originally budgeted the interest rate for programs at a much higher level and are trying to make up the difference with new tax laws.
January 7th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
UPDATE:: Ok, 35 tickets were issued, all for expired plates. Many more warnings were given to those with frames that were obstructing the state name. So, I can say that law enforcement was being quite reasonable. At this point, I’d have to say anyone that receives a ticket can not complain that they had not been warned. Still feel the fine doesn’t fit the crime!
January 8th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Copy Catters! =O
Texas instilled that law about 2 years ago! It figures!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
One particular year in my city, there was a blizzard of tickets being given out, for alot of silly reasons. These reasons were so silly, that they were making the papers, sometimes front page.
One woman was ticketed (for disturbing the peace) while talking to a neighbor in the hallway of their apartment building. A guy was ticketed for sitting on a milk crate. A pregnant woman was ticketed for sitting down on the steps leading down to the subway (she was tired and needed to rest).
People, and editorialists were accusing the police department of using tickets to raise revenue. A few anonymous police officers revealed to the newspapers that they were ordered to give out lots of tickets, that there was a quota. They were being threatened with their jobs and promotions if they didnt go out of their way to write up enough tickets. And that the pressure for all this was coming straight from the Mayor’s office to their superiors.
The bigwigs in the police department denied all of this and to prove it, they put out their ticket writing figures which showed that they in had written much less tickets than in previous years.
One or two newspapers that had decried the ridiculous ticket writing did a 180 and came to the defense of the police department, citing the low ticket writing figures.
About a year or two later, it was revealed that those figures the police department put out were completely phony. As it turned out, they had indeed written up many more tickets than in previous years. None of the newspapers that were taken in by the phony numbers showed any outrage at being mislead by the police and the Mayor’s office.
January 11th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
More evidence that tickets are written for the most ridicules reasons, Leo. Sometimes the reasons justifying the writing of them are just as asinine! Sad that the press has no interest in holding them accountable. Sometimes the fear of retribution is reality. And we’ve all seen what the powers that be can do to good people.
January 11th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
[...] Joe is also warning that tickets will be issued to any and all those, snowbirds included, wearing shirts where the team’s name is not clearly [...]
January 12th, 2009 at 6:58 am
I”m not surprised, but still amazed. Amazed that when governments (state, municipal, fed., etc) wage an abusive tax, that the population doesn’t collectively give that gov’t the finger. As tax revenues continue to diminish, there will be more of this overstepping of authority so that gov’ts can collect a dime. It will be ugly at some point.
January 13th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
What a CROCK!!! That is so blatant a money-making law, its as if they didn’t even TRY to cover it up. Oh no! The state name is covered! Now I will get in a wreck for sure! Sheesh. The way my car gets dirty, I would be getting fined once a week!