Re:Things you're allowed to do (2020)
by mikojan on Saturday June 11, 2022 @03:06PM
(#31707231)
If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class
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Re:Things you're allowed to do (2020)
by MontyCarloHall on Saturday June 11, 2022 @03:36PM
(#31707528)
Which is why punitive fines ought to scale with income and/or wealth. Finland is famous for this; millionaires have incurred speeding fines in the six figures: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/03/finland...
Re:Things you're allowed to do (2020)
by ByteJockey on Saturday June 11, 2022 @05:13PM
(#31708472)
> Which is why punitive fines ought to scale with income and/or wealth
That really seems like it depends on what the damage a particular action causes.
Property destruction, for example, probably shouldn't scale. If I, accidentally, destroy your shoes, I need to buy you a new pair of shoes (and maybe a bit extra for your inconvenience). The goal is to make the victim whole again.
For things with the potential for loss of life, the goal is primarily deterrence, I think that's where things make more sense to start scaling.
That depends on what the cost is to operate legally. In the case of parking, you might find that eating the fines is less expensive than paying for parking; or that they are roughly equal, but the fines are more convenient or have other positive externalities that benefit you.