| Cash strapped cities and states across the nation | | | | hazardous duty. However, they can top out and |
| are using traffic citations as a way to ease some | | | | annually receive 90% of the salary they made |
| of their financial shortfalls. The price of a ticket, | | | | when they retired. This is going overboard. After |
| including simple fix-it tickets, have already | | | | a lifetime of service in the military, for example, |
| increased dramatically. | | | | the maximum retirement draw is 75% and on |
| In spite of being one of the highest tax states in | | | | average, a career soldier makes less than CA |
| the country, California wasted no time raising | | | | police or fire fighters. And chances of dying in the |
| fines. In addition, Governor Arnold | | | | line of duty are much higher in the armed |
| Schwarzenegger suggested using "speed | | | | services. |
| cameras" to tap motorists for an additional $400 | | | | This is just the tip of the iceberg. Almost all city, |
| million and applying that money to the state's | | | | county and state employees are slated to collect |
| enormous deficit. Various municipalities are already | | | | comfortably large checks for the rest of their |
| gouging their citizens by other means. Los Angeles | | | | lives. Unfortunately, that can't happen unless |
| has doubled its monthly take of traffic fine | | | | fewer dollars are spent in other areas or more is |
| revenue since late 2007 by increasing ticket | | | | collected via higher taxes, larger fines, or more |
| charges and installing red light cameras. San Jose | | | | costly regulations (i.e. new permits required or |
| is benefiting nicely from new "No right turn on | | | | higher vehicle registration fees). |
| red" signs installed at several freeway exit ramps. | | | | I'm not suggesting that pensions should be cut for |
| (Both cities claim the changes were not made for | | | | existing workers. They accepted jobs with the |
| financial reasons.) Oakland continues to install red | | | | understanding that they would be taken care of in |
| light cameras - they now have 11 - and starting in | | | | retirement. Reductions in other areas will likely |
| March, a violation will cost $380. Hayward recently | | | | need to occur. Lower wages and layoffs for non |
| added two more cameras and after a 30 day | | | | fire and police professions may be necessary. |
| grace period a ticket there will tap the offenders | | | | New employees will have to accept weaker |
| billfold to the tune of $420. | | | | benefit packages. These are difficult, but it's |
| Good old fashioned manual ticket writing also | | | | already a lot rougher than that for many people |
| appears to be on the rise. If California cities | | | | outside government. In spite of the massive |
| "strongly suggested" their officers write more | | | | layoffs occurring throughout California in the |
| tickets, who could blame them? Their backs are | | | | private sector, not a single state employee had |
| figuratively up against the wall: 1) Sales tax | | | | lost their job as of January 2010. |
| revenue normally shared with cities and counties | | | | Because our state and local officials got into office |
| has been reduced or eliminated, and 2) municipal | | | | by promising to spend more of the average |
| employees are often highly paid and receive huge | | | | person's money, cutting costs is generally not in |
| pensions. | | | | their nature and would upset their special interest |
| The first is out of the hands of the mayors and | | | | friends. In spite of tough times in the |
| city councils, the latter, however, was brought | | | | non-government sectors of the economy, they |
| about by their own actions. When times were | | | | need your money. Raising taxes is often politically |
| good, they were only too happy to promise | | | | unpopular, so expect to see other wallet draining |
| health benefits and pensions that go far beyond | | | | tactics. Traffic fines are a favorite because they |
| those in the private sector. Some are justified - | | | | generally draw little attention. It's no longer about |
| fire fighters and police officers put their lives on | | | | safety, just the money. |
| the line and deserve to be compensated for | | | | |