I hate to say that the police have become the new tax collector in many, if not most places. Almost 20 years ago a seat belt ticket in Seattle was over $350. I’m sure it much more now.
Basically fines are the new tax, with the police as the collectors, and the police wonder why nobody respects them anymore? Right before I left Seattle the police were screaming that they didn’t have a quota system. They were screaming this because an officer had been passed up for promotion because he didn’t write enough tickets. He was given two book of tickets and he hadn’t use them all up by the end of the month. He brought it up to the press and the screaming started.
But there was no quota, according to the police. So lets see, if I don’t write this many tickets I don’t get promoted and this isn’t a quota? Its not a quota because we’re not tell you, you have to write this many, but if you don’t you won’t get promoted, see no quota. Yea right