Replies

some was for administrative fees

The system is automated whether it's sending out the first notice or the 100th. There is no 'administration' taking place.

I'm not defending his actions but government is up to its old tricks here. They should be restricted to the words 'tax' and 'fine' when it comes to extorting cash. Fees, assessments, etc. are statist euphemisms and poor ones at that.

The system is automated whether it's sending out the first notice or the 100th. There is no 'administration' taking place.

"Administration" and "Court" fees are used extensively in VA, where (particularly in NoVA and the Hampton Roads area) there's a sizable population of drivers who hold security clearances. Ones that require, in the clearance process, acknowledgement and documentation of traffic fines above a certain dollar level.

So the "fee" portion is a way out of this. You aren't getting nailed for $150 dollars for driving on the shoulder - you're getting nailed for $25 and assessed a $125 processing "fee."

A big reason for this is enough people with clearances get pulled over (just because they're a larger portion of the population than elsewhere, not because there's a higher preponderance of traffic infractions amongst them) that if a lot of them chose to fight the ticket (going before a judge and stating that the fine was going to cost them their clearance and therefore their livelihood) they'd probably win and in the process (and even in losing) would drive the court-related costs to the locality/state up enough to generate a negative return.

As to the Dulles Toll Road, it's a massive scam at this point. Only a few years back most of the toll - which were priced to support maintenance on it - were $0.25, and $.50 at either end. Not. A. Big. Deal.

But then the powers that be decided to rapidly and outrageously jack up the tolls in order to support the construction of the Silver Line from West Falls Church to Dulles. Raising the tolls (and they're going to continue to go up) serves two purposes: One, it subsidizes and therefore masks the true costs associated with the Silver line. Second, it works as an experiment in social engineering - raising the tolls high enough is going to make taking the Silver Line competitive with driving. Essentially pushing people onto a transportation mechanism that is not the most cost-effective option, but which they have to pay a price premium (either by taking it, or by NOT taking it) for.