California operates an outrageous system of extortion, masquerading as traffic fines, as a way to raise billions of dollars in revenue without making the highest-in-the-nation taxes even farther out of line with national norms. Not only have fines been drastically increased for trivial infractions like talking on a cell phone, shadowy “administrative costs” of hundreds of dollars have been tacked on for the privilege of paying up. That’s all hunky dory with the governor, who hates cars and enjoys a chauffeur courtesy of the Highway Patrol. But there is a problem: the fines (and “administrative costs”) are so outrageous that poor people can’t afford them. And the poor (and illegal immigrants) occupy sacred ground in Jerry Brown’s California. They should not be made to suffer. Only the middle class and affluent deserve to be agonized with coming up eight hundred bucks to pay off a traffic fine. You see where this is going, don’t you?...(Read Full Post)