Are fines too high, in many cases - yes. $475 in the case cited by the OP is too high. But, folks with tea party and conservatives pushing back on high taxes, where do you expect the money to come from?
You can expect higher fines. You can also expect rates for utilities supplied by government to go up big time as well. If your town or city provides water, sewer, garbage collection, or electricity those rates are just flat out going to increase. You can also expect roads in poorer condition, plowed and sanded less frequently, less police coverage, fewer fire men etc. Most taxes provide services. This money doesn’t just disappear into thin air, wages make up a large part of tax receipts. So, less taxes means less workers (as in jobs) and less services, and higher fees such as traffic fines. Its great to want lower taxes, but there is a consequence; just suck it up and get ready to pay higher fees and fines.