Car Tax Cut and Traffic Fines

The proposal by Gov. Pete Wilson to cut vehicle registration fees by 75% (May 14) is instantly appealing. However, the fees could be reduced by a lesser amount, to alleviate a hardship being imposed on everyone who pays a traffic fine.

At present, all traffic fines are increased 170% by a so-called penalty assessment. A fine of $200, for example, for running a traffic light, explodes to $540. A fine of $500 is blown up to $1,350. The money collected is used to support law enforcement training and educational activities. However, the class of persons who pay traffic fines is being unduly and unfairly burdened with this extra tax.

Why not retain a sufficient portion of the vehicle fees to cover such activities? And by doing so alleviate the hardship the penalty assessment imposes--as well as the cost of incarcerating persons who simply do not have the money to pay their fine plus the penalty assessment?

CARL L. CAIN

Los Angeles

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The car registration fee is one of the few fairly distributed taxes: It is based on the value of your property, and therefore, generally, the wealthy pay more tax than the poor. It is a tiny tax, anyway.

The tax goes to things that benefit society, things that Wilson, while supporting this cut, is speaking out of the other side of his mouth and saying he will increase funding for: schools. It also supports fire departments, police departments, county mental health and county clinics. These are things that benefit us all. Even if we don’t use mental services, or county clinics, it benefits us all that those who need them can get them.

TERRIE BRADY

Chatsworth