Re:New Mexico outlaws civil asset forfeiture
by thaumasiotes on Wednesday April 15, 2015 @08:41AM
(#9380540)
But I'm not trying to focus on the fact that they're raising revenue by calling their new taxes "traffic fines". That's true, and it's bad, but what's really "special" here is that they've legally enacted the holy grail, a tax on foreigners living abroad. Why would the town residents care even if this were actually called a tax? Conversely, why is the town supposed to be allowed to tax non-residents?
> why is the town supposed to be allowed to tax non-residents?
The argument would be the same for all speed trap/tax collection stations. It's not for revenue, it's for public safety. They would be irresponsible to not enforce speed limits.
In the case of the town in the article, it would be dangerous for drivers to not suddenly slow down from 65 mph to 55 mph for the 0.2 miles that the road passes through the town.
In general, it may help to keep in mind that you and I are nothing but resources for corporations, governments, law enforcement, spy agencies and other criminal organizations. The United States is a consumer paradise, in the same way that Argentina is a beef paradise. The land of the free range citizen.
Any restriction will be worked around.
In general, these rackets allow municipalities to avoid raising taxes, or even bothering to ask, and it allows politicians to crow about not raising taxes, yet still have the revenue that honestly and openly enacted taxes would bring.