.08 down to .05

[lovbyts]

It's all about revenue and going after your average social drinker. It has nothing to do with stopping drunk drivers or they would just make the penalties harder on the drunk drivers and not allow repeat offenders without jail time.

In Wa state it doesnt matter how much you drink, even a sip or beer or wine if a cop can smell it on your breath it does not matter if you blow a .01 you will get a ticket for impaired driving.

[Lunk1]

It's all about revenue and going after your average social drinker. It has nothing to do with stopping drunk drivers or they would just make the penalties harder on the drunk drivers and not allow repeat offenders without jail time.

In Wa state it doesnt matter how much you drink, even a sip or beer or wine if a cop can smell it on your breath it does not matter if you blow a .01 you will get a ticket for impaired driving.

Curious as to why you and others (Jimmy mentioned it as well) fee that this will increase revenue somehow?

[chi]

Curious as to why you and others (Jimmy mentioned it as well) fee that this will increase revenue somehow?

Lunk townships and municipalities in the state where I live have special prosecuting attorneys for dui cases. What happens is drivers get charged with dui and then it gets plead down to reckless driving and heavy fines are imposed. I have talked to more then one police officer that has felt discouraged from writing up dui's because of the amount of time and effort it takes only for it to be thrown out in court in favor of a lesser charge and heavy fines. They are using this to drum up money for these towns and cities because they know the people have the means to pay.

[jimmyinkedup]

Lunk townships and municipalities in the state where I live have special prosecuting attorneys for dui cases. What happens is drivers get charged with dui and then it gets plead down to reckless driving and heavy fines are imposed. I have talked to more then one police officer that has felt discouraged from writing up dui's because of the amount of time and effort it takes only for it to be thrown out in court in favor of a lesser charge and heavy fines. They are using this to drum up money for these towns and cities because they know the people have the means to pay.

Take it a step farther. In my area many of the prisons are privatized. My friend is placement director at one (privatized) county prison. I will speak to him because I dont wanna spew off numbers I dont exactly recall but the % of the revenue generated from dui related offenses was ASTOUNDING when he told me what it was. The phone system at the prison he works at generates 1.8 million annually for the county. Thats just the phones, and just the counties cut. The prison is the counties single largest source of revenue if you factor in direct and indirect benefit. Its a disgrace - when crime profits the county - corruption is inevitable and thats when BS laws like this are even considered.

[Lunk1]

Take it a step farther. In my area many of the prisons are privatized. My friend is placement director at one (privatized) county prison. I will speak to him because I dont wanna spew off numbers I dont exactly recall but the % of the revenue generated from dui related offenses was ASTOUNDING when he told me what it was. The phone system at the prison he works at generates 1.8 million annually for the county. Thats just the phones, and just the counties cut. The prison is the counties single largest source of revenue if you factor in direct and indirect benefit. Its a disgrace - when crime profits the county - corruption is inevitable and thats when BS laws like this are even considered.

I would sure like to see the financials on those private prisons. I'm not sure how they do it. The prisons here are overcrowded and broke. Keep in mind as well that I am really looking at things on a more local level like local and county jails..not prison as most OWI/DWI offenders don't go to prison. They normally serve samll amounts of time in a county jail (here anyhow)

[jimmyinkedup]

I would sure like to see the financials on those private prisons. I'm not sure how they do it. The prisons here are overcrowded and broke. Keep in mind as well that I am really looking at things on a more local level like local and county jails..not prison as most OWI/DWI offenders don't go to prison. They normally serve samll amounts of time in a county jail (here anyhow)

Yeah I dont know how they do it but they make money man. Like I was sayig my firend Mike was telling me some stats before, it was astounding.

[Lunk1]

Yeah I dont know how they do it but they make money man. Like I was sayig my firend Mike was telling me some stats before, it was astounding.

I'm assuming the area you are talking about Jimmy is pretty heavily populated? I just don't see a private prison making money in rural or sparsley populated areas like throughout the Midwest.

By the way...31 miles Tues in 100 degree heat and a 20+mph headwind for half of the ride...good day
Hopefully 40 miles today...

[Lunk1]

Lunk townships and municipalities in the state where I live have special prosecuting attorneys for dui cases. What happens is drivers get charged with dui and then it gets plead down to reckless driving and heavy fines are imposed. I have talked to more then one police officer that has felt discouraged from writing up dui's because of the amount of time and effort it takes only for it to be thrown out in court in favor of a lesser charge and heavy fines. They are using this to drum up money for these towns and cities because they know the people have the means to pay.

I think if you weigh the cost of the OWI/DWI vs the revenue it's a losing venture everytime. Granted I am only speaking from the way I have witnessed it in one sate but, by the time you factor in every piece of the puzzle. The Officers time for example. The average time spent proccessing a drunk driver is 1-2 hours. Add to the the report writing, the court time, the jail expenses (most jails dont collect until someone is found guilty so proccessing is on the counties dime), dispatch call time, county prosecutur time, the courts time. It adds up in a hurry! All this for a few hundred dollars in fines?

Dont get me wrong..I in NO way condone or support drunk driving and I know from experience that I am impaired at .05 but I believe it is far to low of a legal limit and will take too much time and money away from LE that should be spent more effectively.

[chi]

Take it a step farther. In my area many of the prisons are privatized. My friend is placement director at one (privatized) county prison. I will speak to him because I dont wanna spew off numbers I dont exactly recall but the % of the revenue generated from dui related offenses was ASTOUNDING when he told me what it was. The phone system at the prison he works at generates 1.8 million annually for the county. Thats just the phones, and just the counties cut. The prison is the counties single largest source of revenue if you factor in direct and indirect benefit. Its a disgrace - when crime profits the county - corruption is inevitable and thats when BS laws like this are even considered.

wow that is insane!!! Makes you wonder what kind of kickbacks the politicians are getting from allowing them to do business in their state.

I think if you weigh the cost of the OWI/DWI vs the revenue it's a losing venture everytime. Granted I am only speaking from the way I have witnessed it in one sate but, by the time you factor in every piece of the puzzle. The Officers time for example. The average time spent proccessing a drunk driver is 1-2 hours. Add to the the report writing, the court time, the jail expenses (most jails dont collect until someone is found guilty so proccessing is on the counties dime), dispatch call time, county prosecutur time, the courts time. It adds up in a hurry! All this for a few hundred dollars in fines?

Dont get me wrong..I in NO way condone or support drunk driving and I know from experience that I am impaired at .05 but I believe it is far to low of a legal limit and will take too much time and money away from LE that should be spent more effectively.

Here the fines are in the thousands but I understand what you are getting at and it does not make sense. Especially treating something as means to make profit that can effect and destroy lives of dui victims because of their irresponsible actions.

[Lunk1]

wow that is insane!!! Makes you wonder what kind of kickbacks the politicians are getting from allowing them to do business in their state.



Here the fines are in the thousands but I understand what you are getting at and it does not make sense. Especially treating something as means to make profit that can effect and destroy lives of dui victims because of their irresponsible actions.

LMAO..I was with ya till I saw this There is no such thing as a DUI "victim" unless you are refering to someone who was victimized BY a drunk driver. DUI is still a crime if you are arrested for said crime you are not the victim.

I dont agree with a lower BAC but at the same time I have no love loss for a drunk driver!

[chi]

LMAO..I was with ya till I saw this There is no such thing as a DUI "victim" unless you are refering to someone who was victimized BY a drunk driver. DUI is still a crime if you are arrested for said crime you are not the victim.

I dont agree with a lower BAC but at the same time I have no love loss for a drunk driver!

oh my god of course I meant those impacted by a dui offender!!!! Though many dui offenders like to claim they are victims we are all in the end responsible for our own actions period. I detest and loathe people who constantly claim victim for their failures and shortcomings and to evade responsibility.

[Shol'va]

Lunk townships and municipalities in the state where I live have special prosecuting attorneys for dui cases. What happens is drivers get charged with dui and then it gets plead down to reckless driving and heavy fines are imposed. I have talked to more then one police officer that has felt discouraged from writing up dui's because of the amount of time and effort it takes only for it to be thrown out in court in favor of a lesser charge and heavy fines. They are using this to drum up money for these towns and cities because they know the people have the means to pay.

And if that isn't enough for these towns and cities, they go a step further by putting up all those red light cameras to automatically catch any and all red light runners thereby bringing in millions more in fines and fees. It's crazy. So the next time someone tells you they are in a certain tax bracket, remind them to add in all the taxes, service charges and fees all that year and add them to that tax bracket. We even have get this not a tax on rental movies and such but uhum rather what the cities like to refer to as a user fee to keep racking in the moolah. Food tax, gas tax, real estate tax, personal property tax and all the other sources of taxes including those 5.95 connection to the pay phone charges at our prisons. It would be interesting to know how much money is collected nationwide on our legal system. Court costs, attorney fees for representation, prison operating costs, pay phone fees, tickets money collected for all ticket on every infraction. It has to be way up in the billions yearly. Yes we have freedom here in America but at what cost? To borrow a line from Charlton Heston in the movie Planet of the Apes... Well watch the 8 second clip for yourself...

[chi]

And if that isn't enough for these towns and cities, they go a step further by putting up all those red light cameras to automatically catch any and all red light runners thereby bringing in millions more in fines and fees. It's crazy. So the next time someone tells you they are in a certain tax bracket, remind them to add in all the taxes, service charges and fees all that year and add them to that tax bracket. We even have get this not a tax on rental movies and such but uhum rather what the cities like to refer to as a user fee to keep racking in the moolah. Food tax, gas tax, real estate tax, personal property tax and all the other sources of taxes including those 5.95 connection to the pay phone charges at our prisons. It would be interesting to know how much money is collected nationwide on our legal system. Court costs, attorney fees for representation, prison operating costs, pay phone fees, tickets money collected for all ticket on every infraction. It has to be way up in the billions yearly. Yes we have freedom here in America but at what cost? To borrow a line from Charlton Heston in the movie Planet of the Apes... Well watch the 8 second clip for yourself...

Lmao good reference great movie and don't even get me started about this. I would like a forensic audit to be performed on my county and the city I live in, I want to see where are all these hundreds of millions of dollars are going to which are generated from taxes, fines, and penalties.