Highway Robbery

I'm sure by now that many of you have heard about the ridiculous new "civil remedial fees" that Virginia residents have to submit to when driving in their own, home state.

Now, several supporters of these fees simply say, "Well, don't drive like an idiot."

I can't agree with them more. People who drive like idiots do cause a lot of accidents. People who drink and drive cause a lot of accidents. Yes, they should be punished.

But (and again, it's a big but...)

They just don't get it.

The government is creating legislation that is unfair in its scope and outrageous in its structure, not to mention the major question about its very constitutionality.

Here is the 8th amendment to our Constitution.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

But who is it, exactly, that determines what is excessive? Well, WE do... at least we, in theory, do so through our elected representatives.

"Basically, what we have here is a failure to communicate..." Our fine state legislators have somehow gotten it in their heads that we feel these fines are adequate and just.

Of course, let's not mention some of these fines, already extant in Virginia law:

Grand larceny - a FELONY. Has a fine of up to 2500. This, of course, can be waived, just like all other fines in the legal code. - I guess speeding is, oh, about equal to Grand larceny, eh?

Class 5 and 6 Felonies in Virginia carry a maximum fine of up to 2500, in fact... and 1 to 10 years in jail.

But every one of the fines can be waived arbitrarily by the judge.

NOT SO with these new "civil remediation fees".

And don't even get me started about that name... makes it sound like they are punishing children. How condescending must these legislators be to rule from on high and smack our wee hands for being bad. Bad driver! Bad bad driver! Here's a $3000 timeout for you.

I was at school and sent off a check for a ticket I received. Chesterfield County processed the check... but they sure didn't account for it in my DMV records. So I was riding around with a suspended license for 6 months, when I was tagged for it at a surprise check point one night.

Thank God this happened years ago, or I'd be kissing 750 bucks goodbye for no good reason.

Did I mention said fees can run up to $3000??

Did I mention that these fees ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BE WAIVED?

So you could, in theory, go commit grand larceny, be found guilty, get probabtion and no fine and walk.... but if you were driving on a suspended license (EVEN IF YOU WERE NEVER INFORMED IT WAS SUSPENDED), you would have to pay $750 PLUS court costs and fees?

But the REAL topper?

The BIG cherry on top?

The straw that really irks most of us
law-abiding Virginians, in fact?

IT ONLY APPLIES TO VIRGINIA RESIDENTS

So recklessly speed away, all you out-of-town visitors to our state. Drive drunk on our roads and you get a smack on the hand...

IF THEY EVEN PULL YOU.

Since we are now looking for highway revenue via these fees, who do YOU think will be pulled first? Do you really, REALLY think they'll stop some Jersey boy rolling by at 80mph on a 55mph highway, when he could nab one of us poor saps doing "only" 76 in a 55 zone? - and if you drive on I-95, you KNOW that traffic speed - which is the TRUE safe speed to drive - often runs in the 15-25 over the limit neighborhood...

Ummm... one lil other thing - That speeding 20 and over, which is NOT automatically reckless driving in Virginia, will get you smacked for $2250 my friend...

The 14th Amendment of the Constitution states:

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

And yet, here we are, Virginians... suffering from less than equal protection in our own freakin back yard??

Screw that.

Is THAT why we are a Commonwealth and NOT a state?