Miscellaneous

Could Happen

By Anne Skove, Esq.

It could be that municipalities raise funds by issuing traffic tickets. Indeed, many people suspect the inverse proportionality of traffic tickets to economy. One economist, himself a victim (?) of traffic ticketry, conducted a study.

Thomas A. Garrett did find a relationship between falling government revenue and an increase in ticketing. He guesses that there is pressure to write more tickets to increase funding.

He may be right. We have not conducted any such study. But we do have a few misgivings.

First, the idea of a covert government conspiracy is amusing, at best. Anyone who has ever worked with or for the government knows that due to size, regulations, rules, and human nature, a massive conspiracy is almost impossible.

Second, there are many other reasons that tickets could increase as the economy tanks. Motorists can't afford to fix cracked windshields, broken signal lights, and other required maintenance. Substance abuse could increase as people get more stressed out. Veterans who served in Iraq are suffering numerous mental health issues, among them driving problems due to PTSD. Fewer drivers have insurance. They may not renew license plate or drivers' licenses on time.

We're not saying municipalities would never stoop so low. We just hope they resist temptation.

See Study Finds Another Reason to Hate Recession: More Tickets, Todd C. Frankel, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (January 6, 2009).

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on January 09, 2009 (boomark / email).