People Ticketed Waiting For Energy Assistance

[proud2BlibKansan]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Hundreds of people lined up outside United Services Community Action Agency on Monday morning to apply for federal assistance with their energy bills only to receive traffic tickets that many can't afford.

Monday was the first day low-income families living in poverty can apply for federal funds to pay their energy bills. United Services officials said hundreds lined up to get their lights and gas turned back on.

Authorities said the lines became so chaotic that police were called to restore order. While they were there, the officers began writing traffic tickets.

Danyelle Judie can't believe an officer gave her a traffic ticket for an expired tag as she stood in line at the United Services office, near 63rd Street and Manchester Avenue.

"We were here getting assistance for our bills," Judie said. "My light bill is overdue. My gas is cut off. I lost my job in July and I have four kids as a single mama and I got a $40 ticket?"

more . . . http://www.kctv5.com/news/21501374/detail.html

[CBGLuthier]

1. Dear Poor People

Fuck You.

Your government.

[zbikerwy]

2. is mark funkhouser still mayor

if so then i understand, it's a crime he is able to still be called a Democrat, he should be called a convict, but them kansas city voted, and this is what they got
as they say, garbage in, garbage out.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Yes for 2 more years

And yes, he is a disaster.

[zbikerwy]

5. just explain to me

with everything you knew about this guy, how did he get elected, he couldn't,t have been the only choice, heck before i voted for this egg head i would vote republican.....

here is what wiki has on him
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Funkhouser

i normally don't advocate jumping ship on your party, but sometimes you haft to see more that blue or red, actually vote with a conscious

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. I don't get it either

I live in KS but I didn't support him. I would have voted for Al Brooks. He's a Democrat too and a good one.

My DFA group endorsed him but I voted against the endorsement.

Something about him rubbed me the wrong way. Turns out I was right.

[virgogal]

4. Anyone who can afford a car can afford an occasional ticket.

[marmar]

7. Maybe they got the car before their circumstances got bad?

That's a terribly narrow view.

[immoderate]

8. Yes, but not everyone who has a car can afford it.

--imm

[undeterred]

9. Depends.

A ticket in a small town is going to cost a lot less than a ticket in a big city. For someone who lost their job and can't even afford to pay the power bill, $40 is going to be pretty rough.

[Riley18]

10. That makes it better. Why didn't the unemployed, single mom realize that?

Just because she has a car does not make her able to afford a ticket. She probably had to choose between renewing the tag and feeding her kids. Next time she'll know better and renew the tag because the kids can always wait to eat.

[EndersDame]

14. I still use my first car . It is grey with a nice rust highlights

[LeftyMom]

22. Wow.

DU rules preclude me from further comment, as my opinion of that statement's reflection on your morals would follow, followed by a suggestion for a sexual activity that would probably defy most of our understanding of biology.

[Tigress DEM]

60. I'm so glad you "didn't say it" first. rofl. nt

[donheld]

65. In your dreams

[JVS]

11. Nice predatory policing there.

[Danger Mouse]

12. Ticketed?? Why weren't these people tased???

They were committing the crime of being poor.
Very serious offense. :eyes:

[vadawg]

13. expired tag says it all,,,

[marmar]

15. What does it say?

[vadawg]

16. it says she got a ticket for having an expired tag... not sure how people missed this one

people every day get tickets for expired tags. Or are people really wanting there to be special treatment for certain socioeconomic groups. Seems that is what people are already getting upset with, you know rich people not getting tickets etc...

[marmar]

17. It says to me I don't know why she couldn't renew her tags because I haven't walked in her shoes....

..... so I wouldn't presume to make assumptions.

[vadawg]

18. dosent matter why she couldnt renew it, the fact is that it was expired

and she got a ticket for it, it dosent matter what the reason was, if she has a good excuse she can tell the court,

[Orwellian_Ghost]

23. Special treatment for certain socioeconomic groups?

Like uh Wall St. bailouts you mean?

You mean like uh every fucking possible privilege known to humanity for the fucking wealthy?

Oh wait.

Gimme a fucking break.

[vadawg]

24. yup exactly, thats what im saying you get pissed at the wall st guys having different rules

yet its okay if people at the other end of the scale break the rules.. you get what im saying now,...

[Orwellian_Ghost]

26. Let me be clear

that yes the underprivileged deserve extra "privileges" like as in needing to survive. So fuck the law and do what's just.

There are no rules man. Don't you get that?

[vadawg]

28. yeah ok, then if you say there are no rules, then you cant complain when people get tickets

as the cops coudl pretty much do as they want without rules... and why do you complain about wall street if there should be no rules, cause surely if the poor have no rules then you cant expect anyone else to go by any rules...

[Orwellian_Ghost]

34. It's pretty clear

where you line up. Power and authority trump social justice in your world.

[vadawg]

37. lol im just not into the anarchy thing, it tends to not work well and fucks people over

i guess you feel that you can justify any crime if you are poor....

[Skittles]

39. that's true of all trolls

put those fucktards on IGNORE

[vadawg]

41. lol idiot...

[Raineyb]

32. Well here's yet another unsurprising exercise in asinine excuse making

Did it ever occur to you that if you can't say something that sounds like something a decent person would say that perhaps you should just stfu.

And no I don't think you're a decent person despite your all to predictable claims otherwise.

[Skittles]

40. why do they let these assholes stay on DU?

fuckers

[vadawg]

42. yeah because anyone who disagrees with you is automatically an asshole

well i guess im better than you as i at least am glad that you have a different view than me and can express it...

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. If I was too poor to pay my electric bill,

I know for damn sure I am not going to be getting my tags renewed on time.

[vadawg]

20. then if you use your vehicle dont be surprised if you get a ticket

its simple really kinda like dont drive without a licence or on a suspended licence, dont drive on expired tags...

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. The public transportation here is awful

Most of these people probably had no other way to get to this assistance center.

As I said in another response, I know what choice I would make.

[vadawg]

30. then you would make the decision to drive, and if you get a ticket then its your own fault

as you made the decision to drive with expired tags...

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. And I would be proud of myself for doing something to help my family

Life is all about choices.

[vadawg]

35. exactly, its about choices, you make a wrong choice you deal with it

thats the way life goes...

[dysfunctional press]

21. if you can't afford the plates, you shouldn't drive the car...

and if you do- you shouldn't be surprised when you get a ticket.

HOWEVER- i think that ALL fines/penalties should be indexed to income. the current system is way too regressive.

[LeftyMom]

25. The cops here LOVE writing tickets for expired tags at the aid offices.

Many of them, in addition to just plain being pricks, seem to have serious issues with poor people. I guess that's a common practice.

[vadawg]

27. yeah writing tickets for expired tags is common, so is giving tickets to speeding porsches

mercs and beamers, so are a million other things cops cite people for, or are you seriously saying that just because someone is poor they dont need to have tags on their vehicle....

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. I'm saying that these people should be able to get help without being targeted by cops

I find it shameful that the police would waste their time doing this.

[vadawg]

36. and all im saying is that if you drive with expired tags then expect to get a ticket

[LeftyMom]

38. I'm saying a cop who intentionally walks the parking lot of the welfare office looking for expired

tags is a gigantic asshole, and I hope he contracts a painful fungal rash in his pubic region.

[vadawg]

43. and im saying hes doing his job, same as the cop who sits at the blind corner radaring cars

or the cop who runs tags in a motel carpark...

[LeftyMom]

44. If you don't see the difference, there's no helping you.

[vadawg]

46. and as i stated before, people bitch all the time about selective law enforcement but it seems you

and others are okay with it if it suits your agenda/purpose. If this was the parking lot of a country club and vehicles were being towed you would be cheering.

[LeftyMom]

49. You know when you post about how people hate cops and how unfair that is?

The next time you do that, please reread this thread.

[vadawg]

52. why, because im saying that selective law enforcement is wrong

whereas you seem to feel that your cause etc etc should be policed differently. If i get your hatred from doing my job fairly across the board then so be it.. and honestly its only a minority who hate the cops and usually thats because they are criminals to begin with.

[The Midway Rebel]

45. It appears, in this case at least, you are simply cheering for the practice of...

kicking a man that is already down.

[Ignis]

50. Not much of a progressive value, is it?

Particularly when coupled with a heaping dose of "personal responsibility." :eyes:

And welcome to DU, Midway Rebel. :hi:

[Lars39]

47. More like shooting fish in a barrel.

And about as ethical, too.

[vadawg]

48. lol mayby more ethical than driving with expired tags..

[Lars39]

51. Yeah, you'd always choose the tags over groceries.

:eyes:

[vadawg]

53. nope, but then im not going to bitch about the ticket i get for knowingly driving with expired tags

if you do something that you know is wrong or illegal then you cant really complain when you get called in it...

[Lars39]

56. Tags and tickets are revenue-making....revenue that pays the cops salaries

to some extent. I'd call that a bit of a conflict of interest.

[vadawg]

57. okay you go to court and argue that one...

not sure what you are proposing happen, mayby give the power to ticket to all the neighbours, then everyone can just ticket everyone else, or do it all electronically.

on edit you do also realise that i dont get a commission on the tickets i write....

[Lars39]

58. I'm sure there are quotas that have to be met each month.

And you as a cop do benefit from the monies taken in.

[vadawg]

61. lol i have never had a quota to fill in my career, i also benefit from the taxes collected

so does the tax guys, i guess no one should ever work on collecting taxes again as the taxes obviously pay their wages.. remember you also benefit whether you like it or not, the drunk drivers get taken of the street, the unsafe vehicles get impounded and the speeders get tickets and warnings...

[Lars39]

63. Other states and municipalities run things differently.

[vadawg]

64. maybe so, still dosent mean that there is a better system for enforcing the laws of the state

or the municipality, still dosent change the fact that the laws are in place for a reason and the cops have to enforce them until they are changed..

[lildreamer316]

54. Jesus christ there are some really mean responses in this thread.

..and Jesus would have compassion; if you give a shit. I am not a Christian, but come ON. I thought we were supposed to be the party that gave a shit.

Apparently I was wrong.

Common damned sense would tell you that if someone is standing in line for energy assistance, they don't have the money to pay for whatever it is that is wrong with the car they may be driving. WTF; and DUH. Get a brain, morans. This is a new world; not the old "I only look out for myself" one. Common sense would also tell you that most people need a car to even function at a basic level in this society, and in a country where it is not a given that one can walk SAFELY with your children wherever you need to go. How much simpler could it be explained?

[vadawg]

55. i guess you are ok then with people not needing state inspections to make sure the brakes work

or other safety features work, what about the same people not having carseats for their kids, do we just let that slide. Once again just how far do you wnat this to go...

[The Midway Rebel]

59. How far do you want this to go?

Should we give these people drug tests to qualify for their state aid? Just curious.

[vadawg]

62. well would you want to support a habit to the detriment of the children

cause i see that every day, and if someone is spending the state aid on meth etc then yes i would not give them the money...