They did try this in the UK (still do I think). It was called means =
adjusted fines, and speeding was one of the things that was means =
tested. The problem is as with any system, there's always ways around =
it.
For example, a company director typically doesn't pay himself a great =
salary but does give himself a great bonus at the end of the year. Since =
he's not at the end of the year and his company isn't doing as well as =
last year, the court doesn't know what his income actually is, so they =
fine him on his actual salary which is prob. less that a chap on social =
security/benefit payments.
They could of course run through his bank statements and 'average' up =
his income over the last say two years but I suppose there's ways around =
that and think what it would cost the court in time. And I suppose the =
court can't access his off shore bank accounts in any case.
They also introduced something called the poll tax whilst I'm on the =
subject. The idea was simple.
If there were 10 people living in the house over a certain age, they =
should pay more than a house that only has one person living in it, =
since, in theory, they use 10 times more community services.
Except that the house with 10 people in is a small two bedroomed house =
and the house with one person in it happens to have 30 miles of land =
around it and room for a small private airfield.... That scheme didn't =
work either and got tossed out of the window. Wonder how much of my tax =
money went in into dreaming up that bright idea.


The rich get richer and the poor get trodden on.... by the rich.
And that's an very large boot from where I'm sittin...



-----Original Message-----
From: Herbert Graf [mailto:mailinglist@FARCITE.NET]
Sent: 05 June 2002 15:33
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: [OT]: $1-a-day wages


I agree, you should pay the same penalty. Now, is a $100 fine for =
someone
who makes $20000/year the same penalty as a $100 fine for someone making =
$1
million/year? Of course not, $100 could mean the difference between =
eating
and not eating for the person with the $20000/year salary, for the $1
million/year salary person they won't even notice the $100. I hope this =
sort
of penalty formula comes to North America, maybe the rich would start =
taking
laws more seriously if a speeding ticket cost them $130000. TTYL


> -----Original Message-----
> From: pic microcontroller discussion list
> [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Dale Botkin
> Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 20:52

> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: Re: [OT]: $1-a-day wages
>
>
> On Tue, 4 Jun 2002, Bob Blick wrote:
>
> > > I have to admit I don't follow the local police blotter reports =
from
> > > Finland, so I don't know what the average speeding ticket is
> there.  I do
> >
> > Hehe... It's based on your income. His ticket was over US $100K.
>
> That would piss me right off...  if I commit the same offense as Joe
> Schmoe a block away, I should expect to pay the same penalty.  Some =
brands
> of "social justice" don't make any sense to me...  one more reason I'm =
not
> looking to emigrate to some "worker's paradise".
>
> Dale
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us!
> email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body
>
>
>

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