Here's what I want to say:
<span style='color:red'>UP YOURS!</span>
Here's what I'm working on instead...any feedback, ideas, complaints or otherwise are welcome...I'm not changing the world, but I do feel good when I write a letter
I've already read and revised it about 15 times and I'll do it another 15 before I mail it off; that's just how I roll LOL I'm out of here and will resume this task tomorrow...sorry to your eyeballs for all of the wording, but hey, at least I didn't color the words in pink
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<span style='color:darkblue'>I am writing to voice concerns over the implementation of Virginia Code § 46.2-206.1, or “Civil Remedial Fees†as addressed by the General Assembly in lieu of say, a tax, which is exactly what this “fee†really represents.
While I’m an advocate for placing a financial burden on those that do wrong while driving as punishment, I cannot believe that a whole lot of thought went in to what’s right for Virginia citizens; the prize was fast cash and a lot of it. You’ve compromised the safety of our Virginia roads and will surely place huge financial burdens on those you don’t expect to be affected by this new law.
This is about safety, correct? That’s what I’m reading in area newspaper articles and in quotes from those that drafted, backed and passed this law. This has quickly become the canned response to what Virginia lawmakers have done. Just for grins, let us look at what this citizen thinks would make our roads safer, shall we?
Let’s begin with stiffer sentencing for those that drink and drive. No, no, not Virginia’s “we’re tough on those that drink and drive†by setting up a random check point every other month. I mean, CRACK DOWN on those that are arrested for a DUI. How we even have as many habitual offenders with a DUI history on the books is pathetic. If Virginia would truly crack down on those arrested for DUI, put them in jail, take away their right to drive for a LONG time, heavy fines, I think repeating that same mistake over and over would not seem as appealing. Let me share with you what I see in my town of just over 10,000 citizens. Pick up the local paper and read the list of repeat DUI offenders, read their sentencing, and then read how much of that sentence/fine is reduced, giving what is basically just a slap on the wrist. For what? Not killing someone yet? I don’t understand how someone can even become a habitual offender on a valid Virginia driver’s license, yet it’s happening over and over and over again. Want to make Virginia roads safer? Start there.
Do you care about child passengers in vehicles? I would love to see a crack down on those that don’t even own car seats for their little ones. I’ve seen my fair share of small kids having free reign of the back seat while Mom and Dad barrel down the road without a care in the world. While most that I know came home in the laps of our parents, times have changed and for those that don’t have a say (our children), I’d like to see the State step up efforts to make certain every child is strapped in an approved car seat and that they’re in that seat correctly. It’s not just about the safety of adults with the constant seat belt reminders; children deserve to be safe as well.
If your concerns are truly safety-based, the State would opt to have stricter and more frequent testing through the DMV for our elderly drivers, ensuring that if they are licensed to drive here, they can actually handle all that goes with this privilege. They would also implement better means to teach our youth how to drive properly. Ask any teen that has participated in “driver’s education†and you’ll hear all of the funny stories and close calls, not much about what they truly learned. Some parents opt to put their teens in privately funded driving classes. Those that can’t afford that luxury are at the mercy of our already underpaid, overworked educators, most of which didn’t sign up to teach kids how to drive. How a physical education teacher becomes the person to teach teens to drive has always baffled me. Consider a “tiered†licensing program where our youth gradually earn a full license to drive after proving they’re trained and ready to hit the road; offer a limited license for the first 6 months with only daytime driving, or rules on how many passengers they are allowed to carry along.
Consider the same kind of licensing structure for new motorcycle riders. This would surely benefit our new riders and possibly spare so many families from tragedies that occur every day with our more inexperienced riders. Take some of our tax money and put it to good use, funding MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) courses for all new riders.
Institute more safety awareness classes and information for those operating cars, trucks and SUVs, conditioning them to become more aware of our motorcyclists on the road; far too many die at the fault of drivers not trained to notice those riding motorcycles and with the increase in the number of riders, it’s time Virginia works to improve overall awareness of these fellow travelers.
Take the cell phones out of drivers’ hands. I’ve witnessed far too many drivers not in control of their vehicles because of this pesky need to chat on a cell phone and drive. If you want to save a lot of trouble for Virginia drivers, get serious about this “hobby†and make stiff penalties for those that continue to do so. Work on better laws to prevent another death at the hands of someone that needed to text message their buddy or call their boyfriend while barreling down the interstate.
If you want to claim you’re trying to keep the streets safer and think taxing us to death will somehow make habitual offenders not get behind the wheel while drunk, you need to pull your head from the sand, stop having the more serious cases dismissed and fees waived, raise the fines and don’t think for a second that TAXING citizens for driving infractions will ever make the roads safer. Items I’ve just listed will aid in making our roads safer, not taxes. Judging from what I’ve read in response to this asinine law, many will now consider running from the police over the risk of having to pay these hefty taxes. If anything, you’ve just opened up a whole new realm of problems for our police force and it will ultimately lead to further danger for those driving the roads of Virginia. It’s all about safety, right?
The statute states the purpose of these fees is “to generate revenue from drivers whose proven dangerous driving behavior places significant financial burdens upon the Commonwealthâ€. So, it’s not really about safety at all. It is yet another tax, sugar coated to look like you actually care about getting offenders to obey the law and pay as they go if they’re caught; this will make our streets safer, right? You will find over time that you’re taxing the hell out of the elderly that live on a fixed income, our younger drivers (their parents thank you) and ruining the records of people that don’t generally get tickets, but get caught doing something wrong “just that one time†and are now left with a conviction on their record for years plus a yearly payment to the DMV. I’m not a habitual offender, yet just like every driver on the road, I can make a mistake. To have my record ruined for years to come and pay insane taxes to the State for a mistake is pure greed. Shame on the State for pulling this law over the eyes of your own citizens that not only fund plenty for the state already, but give you your damn jobs. I work for local government; I know whom I serve and it’s to the betterment of the citizens, not to fund pet projects. Shame on you for preaching that you want Virginia drivers to be safer, yet you do little to curb where the problems actually exist within our judicial system to deter repeat offenses. Step up judicial action against those that do commit crimes and work to keep them from doing it again by revoking their privileges as a licensed driver. Shame on our lawmakers for clearly stating the intent of this law, then telling the press “it’s about safetyâ€.
Taxing citizens for driving infractions on top of the court costs and fines already in place is ludicrous. Virginians have County stickers (tax), we are paying excessive fees for court costs when most don’t even go to court to fight the every day driving infraction; in my county, court costs are $52 (tax) and the fine I paid 2 years ago was just $21. Mind you, offenders aren’t tying up the court’s resources beyond having a clerk open an envelope to accept payment. We pay an additional $1 (tax) to the DMV just to renew our tags via snail mail or online, again not using any resources such as staff, computers, the DMV building or parking lot, yet we pay more to not inconvenience the State. I’m taxed to own a dog, I’m taxed should I want to put a fence in my yard or build a shed, not to mention the meals taxes, personal property taxes and real estate taxes that we all pay. That you’ve opted to ONLY target Virginians with this new law not only feels immoral, unethical and illegal, but it borders turning our police officers in to money-making machines and not the safety advocates and enforcers they have been trained to be. I would imagine that if I were heading up I-95 outside of Richmond, speeding, and a car with NY plates passes me, the Virginia State Police would pull me over because I’m worth more to the state of Virginia. The State would get a check from me for the next 3 years. I’m sure since lawmakers find it ethical to pass these abusive laws, they won’t think twice about putting quotas on our police, making certain that they are pulling over and ticketing a higher percentage of Virginians vs. out-of-state drivers to get more money. This isn’t about safety. This is about heavy taxation and misusing your own citizens, hiding what you’ve voted to do and calling it a “fee†because your political platform no doubt screams to your constituents “no increase in taxes for Virginiansâ€. To calm any backlash, lawmakers are hiding behind the idea that this is about safety, yet the statement of purpose clearly states otherwise.
Word is getting around and I can only hope that my fellow Virginians see just how much we’re being abused by our own government and I trust they’ll show their disdain at the polls come November and hopefully flood lawmakers with complaints such as mine. Thank you for making driving infractions that should always be safety issues for Virginia drivers and turning it in to a money-making venture. The safety of Virginia’s roads will be greatly compromised and our police force misused; its citizens reduced to nothing but another chance to earn a buck. Shame on Virginia lawmakers; may your own friends and family fall victim to this heinous law before mine do.</span>
NOW...UP YOURS!
Sorry, not appropriate behavior for a gal, I know...and not okay for here...I'm just irritated...
<span style='color:red'>UP YOURS!</span>
Here's what I'm working on instead...any feedback, ideas, complaints or otherwise are welcome...I'm not changing the world, but I do feel good when I write a letter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<span style='color:darkblue'>I am writing to voice concerns over the implementation of Virginia Code § 46.2-206.1, or “Civil Remedial Fees†as addressed by the General Assembly in lieu of say, a tax, which is exactly what this “fee†really represents.
While I’m an advocate for placing a financial burden on those that do wrong while driving as punishment, I cannot believe that a whole lot of thought went in to what’s right for Virginia citizens; the prize was fast cash and a lot of it. You’ve compromised the safety of our Virginia roads and will surely place huge financial burdens on those you don’t expect to be affected by this new law.
This is about safety, correct? That’s what I’m reading in area newspaper articles and in quotes from those that drafted, backed and passed this law. This has quickly become the canned response to what Virginia lawmakers have done. Just for grins, let us look at what this citizen thinks would make our roads safer, shall we?
Let’s begin with stiffer sentencing for those that drink and drive. No, no, not Virginia’s “we’re tough on those that drink and drive†by setting up a random check point every other month. I mean, CRACK DOWN on those that are arrested for a DUI. How we even have as many habitual offenders with a DUI history on the books is pathetic. If Virginia would truly crack down on those arrested for DUI, put them in jail, take away their right to drive for a LONG time, heavy fines, I think repeating that same mistake over and over would not seem as appealing. Let me share with you what I see in my town of just over 10,000 citizens. Pick up the local paper and read the list of repeat DUI offenders, read their sentencing, and then read how much of that sentence/fine is reduced, giving what is basically just a slap on the wrist. For what? Not killing someone yet? I don’t understand how someone can even become a habitual offender on a valid Virginia driver’s license, yet it’s happening over and over and over again. Want to make Virginia roads safer? Start there.
Do you care about child passengers in vehicles? I would love to see a crack down on those that don’t even own car seats for their little ones. I’ve seen my fair share of small kids having free reign of the back seat while Mom and Dad barrel down the road without a care in the world. While most that I know came home in the laps of our parents, times have changed and for those that don’t have a say (our children), I’d like to see the State step up efforts to make certain every child is strapped in an approved car seat and that they’re in that seat correctly. It’s not just about the safety of adults with the constant seat belt reminders; children deserve to be safe as well.
If your concerns are truly safety-based, the State would opt to have stricter and more frequent testing through the DMV for our elderly drivers, ensuring that if they are licensed to drive here, they can actually handle all that goes with this privilege. They would also implement better means to teach our youth how to drive properly. Ask any teen that has participated in “driver’s education†and you’ll hear all of the funny stories and close calls, not much about what they truly learned. Some parents opt to put their teens in privately funded driving classes. Those that can’t afford that luxury are at the mercy of our already underpaid, overworked educators, most of which didn’t sign up to teach kids how to drive. How a physical education teacher becomes the person to teach teens to drive has always baffled me. Consider a “tiered†licensing program where our youth gradually earn a full license to drive after proving they’re trained and ready to hit the road; offer a limited license for the first 6 months with only daytime driving, or rules on how many passengers they are allowed to carry along.
Consider the same kind of licensing structure for new motorcycle riders. This would surely benefit our new riders and possibly spare so many families from tragedies that occur every day with our more inexperienced riders. Take some of our tax money and put it to good use, funding MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) courses for all new riders.
Institute more safety awareness classes and information for those operating cars, trucks and SUVs, conditioning them to become more aware of our motorcyclists on the road; far too many die at the fault of drivers not trained to notice those riding motorcycles and with the increase in the number of riders, it’s time Virginia works to improve overall awareness of these fellow travelers.
Take the cell phones out of drivers’ hands. I’ve witnessed far too many drivers not in control of their vehicles because of this pesky need to chat on a cell phone and drive. If you want to save a lot of trouble for Virginia drivers, get serious about this “hobby†and make stiff penalties for those that continue to do so. Work on better laws to prevent another death at the hands of someone that needed to text message their buddy or call their boyfriend while barreling down the interstate.
If you want to claim you’re trying to keep the streets safer and think taxing us to death will somehow make habitual offenders not get behind the wheel while drunk, you need to pull your head from the sand, stop having the more serious cases dismissed and fees waived, raise the fines and don’t think for a second that TAXING citizens for driving infractions will ever make the roads safer. Items I’ve just listed will aid in making our roads safer, not taxes. Judging from what I’ve read in response to this asinine law, many will now consider running from the police over the risk of having to pay these hefty taxes. If anything, you’ve just opened up a whole new realm of problems for our police force and it will ultimately lead to further danger for those driving the roads of Virginia. It’s all about safety, right?
The statute states the purpose of these fees is “to generate revenue from drivers whose proven dangerous driving behavior places significant financial burdens upon the Commonwealthâ€. So, it’s not really about safety at all. It is yet another tax, sugar coated to look like you actually care about getting offenders to obey the law and pay as they go if they’re caught; this will make our streets safer, right? You will find over time that you’re taxing the hell out of the elderly that live on a fixed income, our younger drivers (their parents thank you) and ruining the records of people that don’t generally get tickets, but get caught doing something wrong “just that one time†and are now left with a conviction on their record for years plus a yearly payment to the DMV. I’m not a habitual offender, yet just like every driver on the road, I can make a mistake. To have my record ruined for years to come and pay insane taxes to the State for a mistake is pure greed. Shame on the State for pulling this law over the eyes of your own citizens that not only fund plenty for the state already, but give you your damn jobs. I work for local government; I know whom I serve and it’s to the betterment of the citizens, not to fund pet projects. Shame on you for preaching that you want Virginia drivers to be safer, yet you do little to curb where the problems actually exist within our judicial system to deter repeat offenses. Step up judicial action against those that do commit crimes and work to keep them from doing it again by revoking their privileges as a licensed driver. Shame on our lawmakers for clearly stating the intent of this law, then telling the press “it’s about safetyâ€.
Taxing citizens for driving infractions on top of the court costs and fines already in place is ludicrous. Virginians have County stickers (tax), we are paying excessive fees for court costs when most don’t even go to court to fight the every day driving infraction; in my county, court costs are $52 (tax) and the fine I paid 2 years ago was just $21. Mind you, offenders aren’t tying up the court’s resources beyond having a clerk open an envelope to accept payment. We pay an additional $1 (tax) to the DMV just to renew our tags via snail mail or online, again not using any resources such as staff, computers, the DMV building or parking lot, yet we pay more to not inconvenience the State. I’m taxed to own a dog, I’m taxed should I want to put a fence in my yard or build a shed, not to mention the meals taxes, personal property taxes and real estate taxes that we all pay. That you’ve opted to ONLY target Virginians with this new law not only feels immoral, unethical and illegal, but it borders turning our police officers in to money-making machines and not the safety advocates and enforcers they have been trained to be. I would imagine that if I were heading up I-95 outside of Richmond, speeding, and a car with NY plates passes me, the Virginia State Police would pull me over because I’m worth more to the state of Virginia. The State would get a check from me for the next 3 years. I’m sure since lawmakers find it ethical to pass these abusive laws, they won’t think twice about putting quotas on our police, making certain that they are pulling over and ticketing a higher percentage of Virginians vs. out-of-state drivers to get more money. This isn’t about safety. This is about heavy taxation and misusing your own citizens, hiding what you’ve voted to do and calling it a “fee†because your political platform no doubt screams to your constituents “no increase in taxes for Virginiansâ€. To calm any backlash, lawmakers are hiding behind the idea that this is about safety, yet the statement of purpose clearly states otherwise.
Word is getting around and I can only hope that my fellow Virginians see just how much we’re being abused by our own government and I trust they’ll show their disdain at the polls come November and hopefully flood lawmakers with complaints such as mine. Thank you for making driving infractions that should always be safety issues for Virginia drivers and turning it in to a money-making venture. The safety of Virginia’s roads will be greatly compromised and our police force misused; its citizens reduced to nothing but another chance to earn a buck. Shame on Virginia lawmakers; may your own friends and family fall victim to this heinous law before mine do.</span>
NOW...UP YOURS!
