Just 2.6 percent of Massachusetts drivers have junior operator's licenses or learner's permits, but when state laws governing these drivers change on Saturday, nearly everyone will be affected. The list includes teen drivers, their friends, their families, anyone who pays car insurance, and anyone who's ever been touched by stories of teens killed in high-speed crashes. The changes are aimed at making teenage drivers take safety seriously by toughening the punishment for those who don't. Junior operators -- new drivers under age 18 -- who get a speeding ticket will have their licenses automatically suspended for 90 days. Almost all basic offenses will carry suspensions, as well as fines and fees of up to $1,000. full article

Essentially, a teenager, naturally unfamiliar with the roads around where they live, accidentally goes down a one way street the wrong way and gets hit by $1000 in fines? Or maybe they didn't notice a speed limit changed and WHAM your family's not making rent this month! The fines for a simple error are outrageous and fly in the tradition of treating minors as less responsible for law breaking. Now teenagers will face fines over an order of magnitude larger than adults charged with the same violation.

This kind of fine-base approach, as in the state's shining "universal" healthcare law that provides healthcare to everyone by fining uninsured people who don't purchase health insurance just makes Massachusetts that much less affordable. And the cost of living in Massachusetts is the reason so many people are leaving this so-called liberal state.

From a post by jeywolf in without_meds:

On my cigar walk this morning i realized two things. The first was that today is the last day of amnesty month at the library, I best be returning that last book today. I forgot the other thing I realized, but I have a feeling it was important.

I did notice that the trolls are out in reality, I saw a graffito of the URL to goatse along the bike trail up past Arlington Center.

I took purpleglitter's camera along with me on my walk this morning. This is what I saw:


( +28 )

I"m getting dental!!

Good news for me, but I'm still a bit dubious about the new Mandatory Health Insurance Bill. Everyone under 100% of the FPL (Federal Poverty Level) will get free health insurance. Everybody who makes above 300% of the FPL will be required to purchase healthcare outright

My chief concern is in the subsidies provided for those making 100% to 300% of the FPL (between $9,500 and $28,700 for individuals). Since people in that bracket are already hit hard by the high price of housing in Massachusetts and will now be required to buy the subsidies plans, the affordability of those subsidised plans is of great concern. Since the subsidies are not currently spelt out, it could be a nasty trap where one is slapped with heavy fines for not having enough money.

I would rather the subsidies have been spelt out before this point. I would also have preferred there to have been more discussion about this legislation before this point as well, as I tend to follow the news fairly closely and this is the first I've heard of the sweeping reforms just passed. Until the subsidies are spelt out, I'm going to reserve my judgement on the legislation.

A good summery of the bill can be found here

There needs to be some consistency needs to be built into the United States legal system.

If a 14 or 15 year old can be tried as an adult, then they should be consistently treated as an adult. They should be able to drive, vote, and buy cigarettes and alcohol. They should be able to make their own choices when it comes to psychiatric and medical care, just like an adult. They should be granted all the rights of adulthood, not just the penalties. Either that or don't try them as adults.

If a extremely poor person commits a petty crime and can't afford to pay the fine they go to jail, often for 10 to 30 days or more. They have done nothing worse than a person with the money that commits the same petty crime. The jail time is a much harsher punishment than someone who can pay the fine. And if the person paying the fine is rich, it isn't really much of a punishment at all. If the crime is concerning enough to throw the impoverished in jail, it should be concerning enough to throw anyone in jail. Do away with the fine, and make it a flat out jail sentence. Either that or weight the fine to the persons income and wealth.

If a person would not be considered mentally competent enough to be be responsible for their own actions and decisions in criminal matters, they should be able to choose what if any psychiatric care they want to receive. Forcing medication, elctroconvulsive therapy, residential programs, and other "treatments" on people who can make their own competent decisions is a travesty of civil liberties.

I could go on with examples like these for quite some time. The claim of consistency is often used to defend the American legal system, but that's absolutely not the case. It is so unfair and inconsistent it literally reeks. Change needs to be had.

I just bounced two checks and got charged $50 for the pleasure. I hate banks. Bank fees are just another way American society is set up to screw the poor. Now I'm screwed financially for next month, too. I got very angry when I heard this and kicked some snow. Kicking snow is a great way to release anger. It makes a big explosions but doesn't hurt anyone.