Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on July 17, 2007

Click here to view bill details.

This bill is the first Democrat-sponsored bill to repeal the disastrous Michigan Driver Responsibility Act, and the first such Senate bill. Transportation Committee Chair Jud Gilbert should waste no time in reporting this bill. Both parties share blame for this unfair law, and both should join in repealing it immediately. Unlike the Democratic House bills, this bill would repeal the convictions surtaxes and points tax completely, and I hope it means that the party of the Governor is at last willing to admit that these surtaxes are a worse problem than any budget situation the state finds itself in. With this bill, the legislature is admitting that the Driver Responsibility Act is dangerous and unjust. Unfortunately, the repeal bills (SB 638 and HB 4006) do nothing to address the problem of unpaid taxes, which must now be approaching a third of a billion dollars. The number of citizens (and their families) legally immobilized by suspended licenses under this law may be approaching 100,000. Certainly it is over 50,000 - the state has not revealed the numbers. These people will remain unproductive outlaws indefinitely unless the unpaid taxes under this law are forgiven. The state really has no choice in this matter. If the legislature feels that an amnesty is unfair to the people who have paid these taxes, a solution is available: just refund all these unjust taxes.

This illegal money grab should never see the light of day again. End it now. Refund the ill gotten booty. Lets see if anyone in the government has the guts to do what's right.

Mirs, 12/13/06 Bad Driver Act Lamented As 'Regressive Tax' It was all about generating revenues for state government, and, in the end, all it does is penalize those least able to pay. That was the message today from four different judges who came to testify before a House Transportation Subcommittee on the negative impact of the state's three-year-old Driver Responsibility Act, known as the "bad driver fees." For certain offenses, the state started assessing extra fines some three years ago — although many believe the fees moved through the Legislature as a way to generate more revenue for a sagging state budget than encourage responsible driving. Van Buren County Judge William BUHL argued that the Bad Driver Act is "a damaging tax" and that it has had little impact on improving driving, but rather penalizes those who are least able to pay. "This legislation isn't about highway safety," Buhl said in prepared testimony. "It's a sin tax, plain and simple. Look at the timing of this legislation. That pretty much tells the story. A fiscal analysis from June 2003 by the House Fiscal Agency estimated net revenues at $76,653,920. Included in that analysis was the estimate that the collection rate would be 60 percent. Collection costs were estimated at 12.3 percent." Buhl told the story of one resident who was working a low-paying job and was assessed a bad driver fee. Ultimately, she wound up bouncing a check for her rent and was at risk of losing her home because the state was going so hard after the $1,000 or more in fees she racked up. Karen DePRIEST, a single-mother from West Michigan, testified that she'd gotten a speeding ticket. At the time, her mother was helping her by handling bills. She thought her mother had paid the speeding ticket. Her mother thought she had. Several months later she was pulled over for driving on a suspended license for fees unpaid. "There is no leniency," a tearful DePriest testified. "They won't give me a payment plan. They won't reinstate my license." DePriest said she's secured a good-paying job in Grand Rapids as a kitchen and bath design consultant, but can't work because she doesn't have the money to pay down the bad driver fees which at one point had reached $6,000. In story after story, the panel heard of people who hadn't been repeated drunk-drivers, but had the misfortune of falling into the Driver Responsibility fee system. Complicating the matter is that many folks had moved, resulting in notices from the state going unanswered before licenses were summarily suspended. DePriest and others testified that, in the end, they wound up having to travel to one local office for the traffic fee, back to the Secretary of State's office and then sometimes on to the Department of Treasury. "That's not making us a very productive society when people have to take time off work to go to three places to pay off fees," noted Judge Michael GEROU, of the 35th District Court. On two occasions, Rep. Tom CASPERSON (R-Escanaba) apologized to those testifying. "I want to apologize to you," Casperson said. "The fee is bad enough, but for people to have to go through hoops . . . our government should be more responsive." Judge Buhl argued that the state is making criminals out of non-criminals. "This is a bill that gets short term revenues for long-term damages," said Buhl. "We're making poor people poorer." Judge Brian OAKLEY, from the 34th District Court, indicated that the Michigan District Judges Association opposed the package because it's a tax, not a fee. Oakley told the panel that those residents least able to pay the bad driver fee are the least able to avoid it. In other words, where he or a member of the panel may hire a lawyer to deal with a bad ticket or driving situation others who couldn't afford an attorney could get tangled up in the process. "The people out there who are getting hammered are folks that get five over," said Oakley. "They can't pay the $100 so they don't want to come to court." Not appearing in court just begins a spiral that the Driver Responsibility Act fees perpetuate. Rep. Tom PEARCE (R-Rockford), who chaired the House Transportation Subcommittee on Driver Responsibility, began today's hearing by noting that the state has collected $163.8 million in fees while it has assessed more than $387 million. - (That's 42.3 percent, not "60 percent.") At the end of the hearing, Pearce told those assembled that because of the end of the 93rd Legislature this week and the beginning in January of the 94th, it would be a while before the issue is addressed, but it's one he does want to see addressed. "With all the testimony we've heard, and all the issue we've heard from constituents all around the state, I do think this bill needs to be repealed," Pearce told MIRS following the hearing. "I'm waiting to make a final decision on what I might write as a bill until I hear from the Departments because they weren't able to testify today."

So much for the dems/socialists/libs "looking out for the workin man". The doctors and lawyers can afford this idiotic law. The poor working sap just gets caught up in the states web of never ending fees, fines, taxes, etc. End this stupid law NOW. We have enough laws and fines. What we need is a gourp in lansing that will do what is right for a change and quit spending every waking moment trying to fleece the tax payers.

Today (July 19, `07) the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates will hold a press release to try to defend that state's "abusive driver penalties." This event will probably not go well for him. These so-called "remedial fees" are Virginia's version of Michigan's Driver Responsibility Act, and were enacted only a few weeks ago. Unlike Michigan drivers, Virginia citizens wasted no time in attempting to overturn the blatant money-grubbing scheme. The Virginia law is being challenged by powerful lawyers on grounds of undue harshness and lack of relation of the "remedial fee" to any real remedy. An on-line petition, in which signatories promise never to vote for a supporter of the law, has attracted 130,000 electronic signatures so far, equal to 3 per cent of Virginia's voters. Each state that copies this bad idea seems to add a perverse detail of its own. In Michigan, it is a $1,000 fine for failure to have insurance. In Virginia, it is speeding fines that can reach $3,550 for only 20 mph over Virginia's frequently-underposted speed limits. But all states (NJ, TX, MI, VA) seem to love the $1,000 fines for operating while under license suspension, that generates the cycle of hopelessness that our judges see in court every day. Michigan legislators need to see what's happening in our district courts, and in Virginia. They need to repeal this law immediately, and then clean up after themselves by granting amnesty for unpaid ticket taxes.

And hopefully this is in response to the pending lawsuit in the supreme court by Henry Guikema. Court of appeals no. 264103 Docket No. 133761 But I still think gov. goober won't budge because she's stupid canadian white trash. Her and her ilk should be put in prison for passing this law. They're well behaved people, for murderers. Same goes for the legislators in the trash dump state of NJ where this all started. I can guess these people didn't like having to give bold faced lies on the evening news to Anne Schieber on how they passed this law to remove drunks from the road, and then say "oh, I'm sorry for my stupidity, I'll support a repeal." You SHIT HEADS were warned by judges and your own fellow lawmakers that this was a bad idea, and probably illegal, and the kinds of problems it would create. You didn't listen or care. Now it's off to prison for you for perjury(if this ever goes to trial) and false pretenses in creating a law that puts money into a fund for you to spend on personal bureaucratic gluttony. VA voters have more balls and intelligence apparently than the inept, out of touch peons of MI. Same is said for the national media for not covering this story or doing investigative reporting. Screw you CNN, 20/20, Dateline NBC, Associated Press. Continue on your fucking war and paris hilton reporting because that's all you're competent to do, the easy news no one gives a fleas tight ass about. You're too stupid to understand legal matter reports. You can go suck on a mummified Pharaohs testicle.

End this illegal money grab today.

I forgot about my birthday. I was pulled over for having my tabs 6 days out of date. I was arrested for not having my license 6 days out of date. Handcuffed. Stuck in a State police car, with said handcuffs painfully digging into my back and wrists for nearly an hour while I desperately tried to call friends for 'bail money' as I couldn't afford a night in jail; I was starting a new job the next day, after having no pay check for nearly a month. That money, a $160, then another hundred to Monroe. I had no idea that I had to pay this rapacious fee until I lost my license and wanted to get a replacement. That was when I found out my license was suspended. I had to pay this 'drivers responsibility fee' and the reinstatement fee. (about $165 plus the DRF of $150) Now, I get the SECOND payment notice in the mail for another $150, dated as being due yesterday. The best way to get people politically involved is to piss them off. Guess who is going after the politician who harbor this abomination in the fall? This is one pissed off voter... LJ-mynameisnotreal

Vote them out. That's the word from the furious mouths of VA voters as well. As their lawyers are vigourously drafting their own briefs to file in the court, they're also holding legislators accountable this fall. They have a list of people who voted for it and are going to have a field day seeing them lose their seats over this type of law. MI atty. Henry Guikema has his case now being reviewed in the supreme court, so it's only a matter of time before we get word of their decision. Attorneys in VA are working on ways to fight theirs in court too now since it seems unlikely that all their bad mouthing of legislators is getting them nowhere for a repeal. If they work together with our attorneys, maybe something can be worked out to put a bullet in the head of laws like this before they're ever spawned from the womb. I've read more articles on VAs new law than I care to. Considering MI has had this bullshit law for 3 years and no one made a peep until recently. Seems the media is falling over themselves because a petition with NO legal merit has been signed by 140,000+ and counting. But the word should be getting out soon about MIs lawsuit and why it was filed. At any rate, the best thing to do is NOT pay this fee if it is more than you can afford. Just take this suggestion; register your license plate under a relatives name who has a clean driving record. The cop running your plate, out of boredom, will never be the wiser.

posting on here and you broke the LAW, wow thats dangerous some of these fools will be asking for the death penalty for you. As a law breaker you'll also be told you are no longer a citizen and don't deserve a second chance.

Is there anything being done to overturn this back door tax? If so please inform me so I can participate.

Thank you Mr. Gleason for stepping up and attempting to help the victims of this so called 'law'...which is an absolute joke.

blow more smoke up my ash please this is bull nothing will happen with this but more drf

petition with NO legal merit has been signed by 140,000+ if this is true than y is this still a law.

no purpose. but it's still a law.

Because a petition just means that you want to attract attention to the fact you hate something, or make a statement. But it has no legal merit to change a law. All the people in VA are doing by signing and making light of their petition is marketing to the media. VA passed an "abusive driver fee" law similar to MI on July 1. And boy are the citizens there pissed off. And the news media is eating it up, regardless of the fact; and I made this fact known to the Washington Post, who published an article on our situation. That Michigan is in the process of actually FIGHTING our law in the Supreme court now, while VA is just showboating and blowing hot air without actually doing anything yet. And to get their law removed, they'll have to go through the same process as we are already involved in. Because their governor is just as stupid as gov. goober of MI and won't repeal it due to wanting to line their pockets with the money of the poor. But next week a judge in VA will hear the first case against a guy charged under this law and will decide if it's unconstitutional or not. And I highly suspect he will uphold their law and find the guy guilty and make him pay the "driver tax". Why? Because the attorneys there are only arguing 1 point, and it's a weak one that failed to pass muster in our appeals court as well. "Equal Protection clause" didn't fly. So now atty. Guikema replied in his brief that our law is also an unconstitutional TAX. And I hope it wins on that basis because goddamnit, that's what it IS. An OPPRESSIVE TAX that punishes NO ONE but the POOR!

look people, the fact of the matter is we have no control over what the government does. This is not a good thing. I wish i could say i was an innocent victim of this "fee" but the fact is that on january 24th of 2004 after breaking up with a girlfriend of four years I went out drinking. after being pulled over and passing and the roadside sobriety tests a block from my house after being followed for nearly three miles i was asked to take a pbt or roadside breath test. I asked the officer why after passing all his other tests and he Then said that my eyes were shaking during the test. I wasn't wasted I knew exactly what was going on, and in hindsight i should have refused the pbt, i would have been better to make the officer rely on his own judgement as to wether or not to arrest me rather than rely on this inadmissable evidence. I blew a .10 after he told me that he would let me go if i blew the legal limit or below. At witch point i said cool thats the legal limit right? to witch he replied yeah a few months back... as i was unaware that the new legal limit was .08.... damn.. so here i sit three years and some months later still without a license, am i mad? not really, yeah being able to drive is my one true passion, but i must admit after adjusting where I live to acomidate where i work i hasn't been all bad, i feel for those who get caught up in this system as i did but they have to realize that the cards are stacked against them from the beginning and that most people in politics only care about their families and your vote. they could care less what kind of financial hardships you are going through. the only hope here is that this law b found illegal somehow. you people have to stay informed about your canidates.. this comining from someone who at one time voted for jenn g as the lesser of two evils. I would love to get a check for two thousnd dollars back from the state but i wont hold my breath.. In the meantime i will ride a bike in the summer and walk in the winter. I figure i have saved at least two g-s in insurance, gas, and car payments. this has been a life altering experience for me and i will never again get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. so i guess it has done some good.

I strongly disagree that there is nothing we can do about our government we the people are the boss.The government wants to make us feel defeated but we aren't I say go to the ballot box and take advantage of our rights assemble people get petitions going to institute law changes there is so much we as American citizens and Michigan residents can do it's unreal.This country and states legal system is so crooked and corrupt it's unreal it needs a major overhaul but until we the people start uniting together for change it won't happen.Freedom is not myth of years past it's there waiting like a silent army all we have to do is unite and call it to active duty.The problem is people have to really want freedom or will continue to elude them if masses form and start demanding more personal freedoms and vote outside the two party system we will get change but it has to be a desire and belief deep with in a person and we stand firm on that belief and never waiver and never back down.

At .10 you weren't drunk. After following you for three miles? That's harrasment. After you passed all the dog and pony schit? You are the perfect example of the states web to get more good decent people under their control. It's All About THE MONEY! The money you saved on insurance went straight to queen jen. You sound like a beaten down subject. We need to inject some common sense back into the government.

That idiot Granholm should be held accountable for ruining this economy. Imposing these unconstiutional, taxes on the citizens should be ILLEGAL. Way to stick it to the working man Granholm, you truly are the shining example of idiocy in government. We, the citizens, owe it to ourselves and future generations to HOLD GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE! If we fail, then insane, idiots like mole faced Granholm will continue to ram these illegal scams down our throats. This is classic nazi gestapo tactics at work, you simply cannot live without a driver license. This is how they control you, by taking your driving "privilege" away with these stupid, ridiculous, excessive "fees". This is OUR government, they work for US. WE give them the power, and WE can take it away. We need to hold these people accountable, the legislators, the judges, and the idiots in the executive branch. And anyone who voted for that idiot, piece of human waste Granholm, owes EVERYONE an apology.

Especially one from Canada. She has ruined our state. We {you} got what we {you} voted for!!! Can you spell Re-call?

condoleeza rice for president, or ann coulter.

Thompson / Coulter

And it is all about CONTROL

I agree with you, they work for us but we continue to beg them to get their feet off our necks. My son was hit with these fees and the financial toll it has taken on our family is unbelievable. Jennifer Granholm knew what effect these fees would have on the people of Michigan; she just did not care; neither did our representatives from either party. They knew that once they passed this legislation there would be nothing the people could do to get rid of it; That is why they did it without our imput. There is no use in challenging it in court because the juges get their kick backs from this too. This is not a democracy, these people do whatever they want to us. If we elect a democrat or a republican in the next election, do you really think that they are going to stop robbing us by giving up this revenue source? The issue of these fees will not even come up during the general election. We need to find an effective way to fight back.

I am a single mother of two and despite working two jobs we still fall below the poverty level. I first heard of this law when I received a notice in the mail in 2003 after getting a "no proof" ticket. I assumed since the ticket was waived when I brought the proof of insurance to the courthouse that the fee would be waived as well. My license was suspended when I refused to pay the $300.I continued to drive my child to daycare and drive to work. Now the state is threatening to take the small amount of assistance ($2 hour toward childcare)and garnish my wages if I do not pay $220 monthly. If I can't afford daycare, I can't work and will have to rely on state funded programs even more. This law targets the poor. People who have the means to pay the fees are not the ones being hit with them.

In Nov. of 2005 I got a DUI. I admit that I had a few beers at the restaurant and I know I probably shouldn't have been driving. It was raining and when I turned the corner exiting the highway, my car slipped a little and I nearly hit a curb. It was cold out and I think the ice on the roads had a bit to do with it. $2000 for the lawyer. $2000 in fines in court. $1500 for the increase in insurance (I'm 32 and this was my very first ticket). Year 1, $1000 for a driver responsibility fee. Year 2, $1000 for a driver responsibility fee. I missed my July payment this year. We just don't have the money. Then in August, I receive a letter stating that I have until August 29th to resolve the payment missed or they will suspend my license. I had just deposited the check to pay the fine online via EFT yesterday. Then last night we log in to HIS bank account to pay a few bills. "I AM NOT ON THE ACCOUNT" only to find that they have frozen the account and placed a levy against the $370 in it. This morning we find three bounced checks and $75 in fines for those. Looks like we are headed straight down into a pit of financial trouble over this and we have no idea what to do. Can they freeze his account for my driver responsibility fee? Why didn't they send some type of notice that they were going to do this? If you know of any information that might help, please let us know.

CEO's, Insurance Execs, School Administrators making billions while the margin of people working through temp services at 9 bucks an hour with no afforadable benefits is exanding exponentially like CEO pay. Every law passed out of lansing just kills the working person. And the 4th branch of government "news media" is against us as well. When are people going to grow a back bone collectively and do something about this?

"And the 4th branch of government "news media" is against us as well." Most of them are owned lock stock and barrel by the libs/dems/socialists

I also got a fee for drunk driving.(No accident or injury) I did jail time, thousands in fines and costs and rehab.(All well deserved and served me well) I am now a Social Work Major at a university. I was told that I had to pay responsibility fee before I got my licence back. So I did not pay it as there is no way I could afford a vehicle right now. A few months ago I get a notice in the mail stating my accounts would be frozen and my wages garnished. I had to take out an extra loan to begin paying the fee. Otherwise the state said they would have frozen the federal loan and grant money in my account and garnished my $69.72 a week salary. I will never view this government the same again, and will be leaving Michigan after my degree is completed. Get out while you still have the resources to do so!

against us at least. Since they did publish a story with the information and contacts I gave them here in MI. They published a story on VA new driver fee law with commentary by MI Judge Buhl and Rep. Pierce on how OUR law and the one in NJ is a failure and so will theirs be. I hope Judge Buhl is enjoying his extra 15 min of fame that I gave him, since I saw his name in a later separate editorial for another news agency in addition to the earlier WA post one. Because it seems none of the big guns want to touch on MI issue because we haven't made such a big outcry like VA citizens have. Notice how CNN only VIDEO reported a story the AP did, on that obese VA woman who got a $1,050 reckless driving fine because she was speeding to the hospital claiming labor pains? I guess you can only get hardship cases on the news nowadays. Trust me, I tried all of them before submitting my story to the WA post. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/23/AR2007072301631.html Seems the legislature in VA is just as brain dead as they are here. At least they're fighting and hopefully a blow for justice will be served with all these pending lawsuits. The verdict of which WE might be able to use to have ours thrown out, since I doubt Henry Guikemas brief in the supreme court of MI will win.

bumped into a car. no one was home. drove away, and someone got my plate. get a call from the police and they end up sending me a drivers fee. 2-$1000 fees for 2 years. I was just in college and already 2 G's under. unfair and shitty

I hope you repeal your fees. VA's $3,000 fees have caused a great uproar in Virginia. They will be gone next election, along with a lot of VA legislators. Democratic VA Gov "Boss Hogg" Kaine won't call a special session to repeal now because he wants the voters to take their anger out on Republicans. This crazy abuse of drivers must be stopped nationwide. Steve Hollingsworth Virginia

Unfortunately it's too late I fear. Seems all these hopefull rounds of lawsuits are being shot down, and the one they thought would win was reversed by the circuit court. The ones who won't be voted out, RECALL them. No online petition will do what the real thing can. File the paperwork and collect official signatures to remove alBONE head and GOOBER kaine, along with GOOBER granholm. You know they're just grandstanding in VA saying if they keep their job they'll make sure it gets better. Ya, it'll get better when you're gone. You didn't do your job in the first place by doing research or investigating the impact of this law. They blew their chance to save their part of the world, micro brain heros.

my problems stated a copple years ago. I already had a few speeding tickets at this time but, I went out a got 3 more speeding tickets in one mounth 2 of them in the same day. I didn't heve enough money to pay the fines and leave state at tmy he same time so I left state and for 6 mounths i delivered pizza in V.A. on a suspension. I came back to pay my fines, and such. Meet up with some friends and went to the lodge in frankimuth to play pool. My friend got on it in the empty parking lot. so i droped the hamer grabed some e-break and took the corner in the back of the parking lot a 65 in full drift. my pool game was interupted by 6 cops and 8 managers including the owner. after being told thet i could have hit a kid (wandering though an empty parking lot at 11pm) I was booked at the sagnaw county jail. and i was the only one there for non-drug charges. The court fined me $130 and the state two b.s. fees for 500 and two more for 250 for having more than 7 points. after paying prior tickets and late fees i was over $3000 in at this time. I went to college in ohio and got a ticket there 3 points for 15 over and if you were wondering that counts here to. that put me over 12 pts for a two weeks then a prior ticket dropped off my reckord. 4 mounths after that to week period I was to go to a rexaminatoin about the pionts issue, but the notice never came in the mail. at this time i'm driving 17,000 miles a mounth delivering new bikes and quads anywhere east of the mississippi 1 mounth ago i found out that my drivers liscense has ben suspended for the past 5 mounths, when i lost my wallet and went to get a new id. and today i got wheeled for a loud exaust and got another driving on a suspended ticket. i'm not paying it cuz guess what it dobbels this time two $1000 fines. and i have to quit my job and what the hell kind of job can i get in b.f.e. that i dont have to drive to. anyways if anyone would like to know more abut my issues or tell me about theirs hit me up on myspace screanname almighty drift king home_skillit_g_u_not@yahoo.com by the way all this fast driving over the past 5 years and at least 200,000 miles, they fee me for driving unsafely and I have never ben in an accident at fult or not.

Hello, My name is Janet Miller and in 2004 I got arrested for a DUI, which I had paid my fines and court costs, but on top of that I got 1000.00 in drivers responsibility fees that at first I could not pay, I was a student in a medical administrative class and was not working, by time I started working at a job that I could afford the fees another 1000.00 was tacked on plus an additional 500.00 because I was unable to pay, i have a fairly good job now and have paid a few payments and now have the garnished from my check which I have no problem with, the problem I have now is I usually get rides back and forth to work, well one day last week my ride called and said she couldn't make it because her car broke down, we have a old car he that is insured and licensed, so i decided to drive it to work so I didn't miss a day but low and behold got pulled over on my way to work which is 4 miles one way, because my muffler was to loud. Needless to say I got a ticket for driving on a suspended license. So i will have to pay that ticket and the responsibilty fees that will come along with it, also I am still on probation and may be facing jail time just because I needed a way to work. I am trying my best to do whats right paying my bills and fees and still trying to keep my job, I am in such a spot that I don't know what to do or who to talk to I have a 7 year old daughhter, that is in soccer and Girl Scouts and I am also her Girl Scout leader, how is one to manage if I can't get my license back until my fees are paid and can't pay my fees if I can't make it to work unless I rely on other people. Like I said i have no problem paying the fees as it was I who made the mistake of drinking and driving but it will take me atleast another three years to pay off these fees at 100.00 a month that I am paying. If i knew anyone that had that kind of money I would have borrowed it along time ago to pay this off but I come from a family that struggels as it is and are in no position to help me out at this time. Please let me know who I am able to talk to about this situation, most everyone i know has had some sort of drivers responsibility fee against them since this law was passed. How does Michigan expect people to keep there jobs if they don't have licenses to get there. Thank You Janet Miller madchiller6972@yahoo.com

Liked your letter but did you have to attack people in Michigan? Do you know any of us? Peons we're not.

I was visiting my mother in grand rapids early 2005 and a lady tried to squeeze past me on sherman and fuller... tapped tha rear end of my mothers car we both got out inspected the cars no damage was done. the next day an officer came to my mothers house saying i hit and ran. we went downtown fixed everything 8months later i started getting fines and fees thru the mail saying i owe for no proof of insurance i paid on it but didnt pay the responsibility fee. they kept sending letters saying that my license would be suspended if i didnt pay. in 2006 i got in to a car accident and i got a ticket for suspended license and no proof of insurance with the grand total of my fee to be $1800. what should i do? tazz49507@yahoo.com

first off, f&*k the state of michigan, f&*k them dead in their ear! maybe then they will listen. This law has hurt more people than anyone will ever realize. I moved to arizona over 2 years ago. Relinquished my state citizenship by obtaining an Arizona state id, and yes i said state id, because michigan stole my driving privileges, flat out stole them, but on to my point. I am a resident of the state of arizona, registered to vote here, have an address and bills coming to my house in my name, so id say i have pretty much established residency here. But for some odd reason i am still required to pay a reinstatment fee to a state that i no longer live in, and that i will not be renewing my license in. My license is suspended currently in the state of michigan for failure to pay my driver responsibility fee. Mind you, i have never had a dui, possession of drugs, an accident, a speeding ticket, reckless driving, none of em. I got hit for a seatbelt ticket and no proof of insurance. i had insurance and showed proof to the court yet i still have to pay a d.r.f. regardless of the fact that i was not guilty. My license has been suspended for going on 3 years now, and will probably remain suspended for some time because i have refused and will continue to refuse to let this state rip me off. I am half tempted to come back to michigan and get residency back, and file for welfare. Once i get said welfare i will promptly move back to arizona and obtain student residency, which is effectively dual residency in both michigan and arizona. Then i just sit and collect all my michigan welfare checks and reside in the beautiful sunny state of arizona. Lets see how the lawmakers react when i send them an itemized breakdown of how much money i have bilked from them over the years in welfare. I bet their tunes would change when they see that just because they got greedy and wanted to flat out rip off the residents of the state of michigan, that a citizen figured out a way to get over on them and reap 40 or 50 thousand dollars in welfare, all because they wanted to steal 1000 dollars from me. i bet they would shove their heads up their own rose smelling asses. So i say once again, F&*K MICHIGAN, F&*K THEM IN THEIR DAMNED EAR!!!!