Millionair Fined $217,000 For Speeding 25mph Over Limit

[matcom]

<snip>

HELSINKI (Reuters) - One of Finland's richest men has been fined a record 170,000 euros ($217,000) for speeding through the center of the capital, police said on Tuesday.

Jussi Salonoja, 27, heir to his family's sausage business, was caught driving 50 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone last Thursday, the police said.

Finnish traffic fines vary according to the offender's income and, according to tax office data, Salonoja's 2002 earnings were close to seven million euros.

The final penalty could still change when the case is eventually heard by a Helsinki court, as was the case with Nokia (news - web sites) executive Anssi Vanjoki, whose 116,000-euro speeding fine was slashed by 95 percent in 2002 due to a drop in income.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=573&e=4&u=/nm/20040210/od_nm/odd_finland_fine_dc

[GOPisEvil]

1. Fines according to income...interesting idea.

$217,000? Wow...:wow:

[Kellanved]

9. that's the case in most Europe

The fines are specified in day's rates.
However there is no duty to open one's income to the court, in that case the court has to estimate it.

[StClone]

2. Sausage Scion Served Sizable Speeding Sum

To bad it did occur in Socialist Sweden.

[mobuto]

3. No, it was in Fascist Finland

Ok, Finland hasn't been fascist since the War, and even then it wasn't really fascist, but I was trying to keep up your alliteration.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. Sausage Scion Salonoja Served Sizable Speeding Sum. Sorry.

[StClone]

8. Very Nice

Me like!

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. I've always thought that would be a good idea here

Because what does a millionaire care about a $300 speeding ticket? They can get one every day, and it will never touch them financially. So they have no incentive to follow the law.

(obviously, they'll be losing points, but you get my point)

For all crimes that are finable - whether littering, spitting, being obnoxiously loud, drunk and disorderly, etc. Part of the problem is that the rich can afford to pay the fines ad infinitum, so it's no deterrant.

But if Jenna Bush were tagged with, let's say, a $47,000 fine for drinking under age, or Tom Cruise got a $1.2 million fine for speeding, or Snoop Doggy Dog got a $875,000 fine for having his boom car too loud, then we'd be in a whole better world.

[rasputin1952]

6. Progressive fines...

just think about the screaming from the rich about that one! LOL

Maybe they should take the notion of that one guy talking about public flogging. Make over $150,000, 5 lashes + $37,000 fine and replacement of the flogging device.

Interesting thought.

O8)

[RobertSeattle]

5. Fair is not Equal

Or Fair does not mean equal.

The US military's UCMJ uses this very principal. Punishment's are often based on your pay scale. You get docked a month's pay, regardsless of you pay, for some offenses. So the Private's penalty might be $2000 and the General's penalty would be $8000.

(Of course if a General ever get's penalized his career is over anyway)

[SeveneightyWhoa]

10. SOCIALISTS!!

COMMIES!!! Damn them all to hell!!

</freeper>

This is a fantastic system. I wish Canada would adopt it.

[boneygrey]

11. Wow

$8,680.00 per mile over the speed limit. Damn.