Is The Texas Driver Responsibility Program Unfair?
Many feel the program is a catch - 22 that traps low-income people in debt with no way out. Now, things may finally be changing.
The Driver Responsibility Program is basically a series of extra fines tacked onto traffic violations that can be as high as $2,500. This money is used by Texas to help fund the state's emergency trauma care system to the tune of $144 million dollars annually according to the El Paso Herald-Post.
It's long been argued that fines, on top of fines in addition to more fines generated when drivers can't pay the initial fines creates a cycle of debt unfair to low-income drivers. A new plan though appears to fund the emergency programs without taxing people to the point that they lose their licenses or even wind up in jail for nonpayment.
Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, has a plan ... House Bill 1145 ... that places an extra $30 on traffic tickets and raises the fines for DWI's and unlicensed driver violations. Basically making everybody pay a little extra for violations instead of certain drivers getting certain tickets.
What do you think??