Michigan Votes Forum

 I simply was wondering is there anyway that I can help to stop this horrible drivers responsibility law. If I dont have the money to say pay for car insurance what makes one think that I can pay the 400 dollar fee if I cant pay that what makes one think that I can pay for the extra $125 they tac on when my license gets suspended, and then because of being a single mother with three young children and im in school as well when heven forbid I get pulled over go to jail pay upwards of $500 to get out than $1000 again to the state. This law is a horrible vicious cycle in this state of economy you would think that those in the position of government would realize they are just making it harder for me to get a job and chances are they wont see there money anyway I DONT HAVE IT!

Write a letter to your legislature but bottom line is you should have car insurance. Your license does not get suspended for failure to have insurance therefore you shouldn't have to pay the $125 reinstatement fee, and the responsibility fee for no insurance $150 a year for 2 years which you can set up payments on. I agree the law sucks but too often people want to shirk responsibility on the state when the bottom line is if you obey the law then these things will never happen. Driving is a privilege not a right.

 where does the word privelege come into a right that stems from paying for the roads that are driven on, paying the officers that patrol those roads, and having the land those roads were built on stolen from us in the first place?

licenses are what the left likes to call 'reasonable controls' on the right of driving down our roads, kind of like 'concealed weapon permits' are 'reasonable controls' on our gun rights.

no, driving is not listed in the united states constitution, but if it WERE a privelege, we could opt out of paying for the infrastructure that is driven on, and we can't.

That does not change the fact that it IS still a privilege. I know a lot of people myself who are in so deep with responsibility fees that they can't get out and it sucks, I agree, but until the law is lifted then we here in Michigan we have to deal with it. The bottom line is that if you don't break the law then you won't have a problem. Yes we do pay for the roads and the officers but that doens't mean that you can drive how you want and break any laws you want. If your responsibility fees are too much there is an alternative....file bankruptcy, then as soon as the points drop off and you pay your $125 reinstatement fee you will be good to go. As far as stolen land, as far as I can see that is your issue and not the issue at hand here.

 responsibility fees are just one part of the 'reasonable' controls on a right that we have yet to take control over. we keep forgetting that it was OUR taxes that built the roads, and the streets, and the cities that surround them. our money that pays the civil servants who enforce the laws.

it is OUR tax money that pays the people who write those laws. it's OUR vote that keeps them in office.

once again, if driving WERE a privelege, they wouldn't take such care in taking it away. they let people who SHOULDN'T drive keep their liscenses. this wouldn't happen if it WERE a privelege.  i think that we need to put an ENUMERATION of that right into our next constitution.

they only keep calling it a privelege so we won't fight so hard when they take the right away.

 by the way, you obviously haven't completed your homework assignment.

give up statism. it's not becoming to you. 

 First of all you obviously haven't read the fine print on these fees. No you cannot set up a payment arrangement on something if it is under $500.00! Wonderful you are in agreeance to the fact this law sucks, but the bottom line is most of us are not trying to be breaking the law citizens. However sometimes when you have a family and other things, you have to pick and choose what to pay for. Sometimes as horrible as it is insurance is not at the top of the list! Do you realize this law also applies to expired licenses. So they are saying over maybe someone forgeting to pay a $15.00 renwal fee, they get stuck with this fee. Crap!!!!!!! As far as its not the driving without insurance that causes you to get the reinstatenent fee, it is the fee that occured that caused people to get in that situation. Come on what ever happen to good old community service. Not charging people several different fees for the same damn offense!

 fees are just one way of getting REVENUE from people without using the TAX WORD. thay usually happen when some local politico has a PET PROJECT that needs funding that his voters won't approve taxes for. fees are administrative, and can be used for any purpose whatsoever. so, local governments love fees. the state loves fees as well. thinking that fees are punishments for wrongdoing. they haven't the guts or the voter support to make these wrongdoings CRIMES, so they leave them as "fee-ables".

then they work hard to make sure the maximum amount of people are made to PAY THOSE FEES, whether they deserve to or not.

that is the sad history. 

not only is it a shame it is the crime because for all of this pillaging of its people there should not be the financial cloud that hangs over the state but its just the lowlife government with thier snake belly tactics plus they are incapable of anything more intelligent

plumberboy:

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.

There must be a legally framed petition to get this issue on the ballot.  I have some time since I can't get a decent job now that my driver's license was suspended for non-payment of that, you guessed it, second year Driver Responsibility Fee that I didn't know about.  I'll contact these Reps about what is happening in committee, probably nothing; Michigan is in such dire need of money nobody wants to touch this gold mine we irresponsible drivers have created.  Imagine if nobody drove with suspended licenses or got DUI's we'd put the crooks out of business.  The real issue is that ALL of the people in Michigan should be taxed not just drivers.  Contact doro_thy@hotmail.com if instead of just bitching about this ya'll really want to do something.

 how about doing it the old fashioned way...

vote the bums out.

you know who they are... just don't vote for them, and encourage others to do the same.

Dude.... Seriosly?   Fighting for your rights is not shirking responsibility.  And for your information, in this country if you want to work driving is not only a right, it is a necessity.  Where would you work if you lost your license.  The whole point of drunk driving laws is to penalize and correct mistakes from drivers, not to put them in a hole they have no possibility of ever climbing out.

 The one... individuals like you with that attitude always live in a nice clean glass house.. trouble is they countinue to throw rocks.. Maybe its fear that the uncompassionate, finger pointing, self rightoues, sermon on the mound individuals like yourself  need to build a manual stairway through life and onto heaven....

Dont forget cheating on taxes, speeding everyday by even 1 mph, not making complete stops, going through so called Yellow lights, following to closely, being late on renewing your license, Failing to put the sticker on, failing to signal, and leaving the back end of the car blocking the sidewalk is BREAKING THE LAW!!  (add text messaging and phone use to this soon).

So how many of you people have broken these laws???  I know lets give the state another INCOME IDEA and tell them that they should  assess these people a fine  so the state budget can be balanced and look good doing it.  Then I am going to start a non profit organization called C.A.I.D  Citizens against irresponsible drivers and infuence policy making and use victim advocate funds to staff my help because YOU all are Dangerous Drivers.  Think how many lives will be saved by this program?  oh by the way maybe Homeland Security will want to get involved because Terrorists use cars and it would be a great way for them to Pull everybody over (slight fee) without cause in the name of freedom and protection.  See C.A.I.D. will keep you safe as officers are doing their job to keep dangerous drivers off the road. (they are not bounty hunters for cash.. how dare you think like that).  C.A.I.D will install a camera via saltellite on every corner so we can keep the streets safer and tap your phones to make sure your safe from terrorists.   Isnt it great to feel safe??We dont want to miss anybody especially the ones that think they can get away with it and nobody will notice...

we will also report offenders to credit reporting agencies so they can learn a valuable lesson. cough, cough- (businesses like car insurance, employment or any other service could use this to deem your clients "RISKY" and double up on fees)

But dont worry C.A.I.D. is your eye (spy) in the sky and we care about your community, environment and financial goals.

HOWS THAT!!!

Oh by the way,  EATING, SHITTING, DRIVING, BREATHING, DRINKING,AND GENERAL LIVING WOULD BE DEEMED A "PRIVILIGE" IN THIS STATE.

THANK YOU C.A.I.D FOR CLEARING THAT UP!!

 You are full of BuffaloCum!....................if the Florida license is legit in Florida, then Michigan MUST accept it as a valid license to drive!

  I really feel for you and if someone sends me the petition to sign i will hole heartedly! This law is unlawful ,unfair and is exactly like double jepardy. Paying twice or even three times for the same offense. How could something as rediculous as this bill get passed? I mean this is really a desperate act by michigan and I am really dissapointed in how bad things are getting this I feel is just the tip of the ice burge in the things they will do and succeed at doing if we continue to hand over our money , means to make it and our subordanants to these insane scams , and attacks on the poor working man tredding water. It will be a bright new day when this law is abbolished and there is some sort of an appology. I think we should demand a law that all new laws shall go to a ballet for the masses to vote on and none shall pass without our vote. It has already been said that our law makers don't work for us anymore. we are all on the sidelines. Soon they will pass a bill to back tax smokers for air pollution 5000.00 bucks and if they don't pay we'll garnish your wages or jail. think that sounds insane if you had points when the responsability law went into affect even if they were 1 1/2 years old you all of a sudden owed the goverment money. Somebody has to do something for our children to be safe from these people.

you obviously have no clue what our constitutional rights are, and are too close minded to fully understand what this law does to people. you shouldn't probably be driving due to the fact that you are fricken retarded. It is because of retarded ignorant people like you that elected stupid people like granholm or vote for stupid bills and laws that strip us of our basic american rights.. and you should be thrown off the top of the Mackinac Bridge.