Gov. Brown now pardoning mass traffic tickets

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

After Oregon Governor Kate Brown released 1,000 criminals early during the pandemic and this month spared the penalty for 17 death row inmates, she goes the extra mile by sparing traffic tickets for many Oregonians.

KPTV reports, “Governor Kate Brown on Wednesday signed an order forgiving unpaid court fines and fees related to certain traffic violations that led to license suspensions.The Governor’s office said this removes the burdens associated with a state statute that disproportionately affected low-income Oregonians.In 2020, Governor Brown signed into law House Bill 4210 which prohibited license suspensions for nonpayment of traffic fines. However, it left existing nonpayment-related license suspensions in place. Governor Brown’s action Wednesday, forgave that debt blocking many people from being able to lawfully drive.”

It is important to note that Portland recently stopped enforcing many traffic laws in the name of equity and it has led to a spike in traffic deaths.   The 70% drop in tickets led to a 30-year high in accidents.

If paying the fine is difficult for some low income Oregonians then the State should address the problem by allowing extended payment plans or other alternatives.  Simply allowing wholesale pardoning of people who technically committed two crimes (traffic offense, failure to pay) is not a solution.

Furthermore, it skips the larger issue on weather current fines and fees increases are too high.  Some local governments like to use fines as revenue generators and this is wrong.   This is worth investigating, but won’t happen if liberals keep creating problems and then use a problem to fix the problem.

Governor Brown’s surprise mass traffic ticket pardons only adds to liberal pro-crime month.

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