Mueller Lake Park Outdoor Amphitheater
Vehemently Against DPS Surcharges
RECEIVED Thu., June 22, 2006
Dear Editor,
I recently became painfully aware of a new program instituted by the DPS: The "Conviction Surcharge/Driver Responsibility Program." Using this new authority, the DPS now slaps on an additional charge equal to the original fine, no matter which municipality issues the ticket. It gets worse. You also owe that amount for the next three years (convictions in the past 36 months). I was ticketed for no insurance by a small-town policeman. I was guilty, and I paid my fine ($260.00). About two months later, I received a "Conviction Surcharge Notice" from the DPS, stating that I now owe them an additional $260.00, and I have 30 days to pay up or else my license will be suspended. (The surcharge for no insurance is actually $100 per year more than it would be if I were cited for two separate moving violations which caused two separate accidents – go figure! To me, this reeks of revenue enhancement and even extortion, to use a harsher term. It violates the double jeopardy rule as violators are punished not just once, but three extra times. According to Texas insurance journals, only 1% of the revenue from this surcharge (potentially $250 million per year) actually goes to fund the "Driver Responsibility Program," 49.5% goes directly into the state’s General Revenue Fund, and the remainder goes to fund trauma centers and EMS. It seems that if DPS really wanted to reduce citations for no insurance, etc., they would use some of its revenue to publicize the programs existence and warn drivers of the exorbitant fines, like the well-known "Click It or Ticket" program.
Look up "surcharge" in the dictionary. Its primary definition is: "an overcharge, especially when unlawful. An additional or excessive burden, overload." Surcharges are unethical and immoral!
I recently became painfully aware of a new program instituted by the DPS: The "Conviction Surcharge/Driver Responsibility Program." Using this new authority, the DPS now slaps on an additional charge equal to the original fine, no matter which municipality issues the ticket. It gets worse. You also owe that amount for the next three years (convictions in the past 36 months). I was ticketed for no insurance by a small-town policeman. I was guilty, and I paid my fine ($260.00). About two months later, I received a "Conviction Surcharge Notice" from the DPS, stating that I now owe them an additional $260.00, and I have 30 days to pay up or else my license will be suspended. (The surcharge for no insurance is actually $100 per year more than it would be if I were cited for two separate moving violations which caused two separate accidents – go figure! To me, this reeks of revenue enhancement and even extortion, to use a harsher term. It violates the double jeopardy rule as violators are punished not just once, but three extra times. According to Texas insurance journals, only 1% of the revenue from this surcharge (potentially $250 million per year) actually goes to fund the "Driver Responsibility Program," 49.5% goes directly into the state’s General Revenue Fund, and the remainder goes to fund trauma centers and EMS. It seems that if DPS really wanted to reduce citations for no insurance, etc., they would use some of its revenue to publicize the programs existence and warn drivers of the exorbitant fines, like the well-known "Click It or Ticket" program.
Look up "surcharge" in the dictionary. Its primary definition is: "an overcharge, especially when unlawful. An additional or excessive burden, overload." Surcharges are unethical and immoral!
Alan Jeffreys
