Fining Kids (Mostly Parents): The Consequences of 'Feel Good' Laws

By Rep. Harriet Cady

While certain legislators pass seat belt laws and bike helmet laws, which are feel-good, sound-good legislation, they fail to tell their constituents that they are also passing a law that will have them fined and/or appear in courts to answer for violations that put them on the record as criminals.

The mandate of a $50 fine for not having your seat belt "snapped" and was defeated. A $35 fine every time your child below 16 doesn't have his/her bike helmet on, that's what stinks in my opinion. I agree that the public should wear seat belts, I also agree that children should wear bike helmets, but that's the person's/parents' responsibility, not government's!

With the legislation comes the need to police it, more police budget costs to make sure to catch the "bad" person and then of course the overtime for appearing in court to act as witnesses to the appealed crime. I wonder how many parents will thank the legislator who voted for a $35 fine every time their child is caught not wearing their bike helmet?

I wonder how many will thank the legislators who voted for policeman to be babysitters and thus raise the police budget costs?

I wonder how far the government will go in taking freedom of choice to wear a seat belt or helmet, what's next in loss of freedoms? Just remember every time we legislators vote, it ends up mostly costing the taxpayers, the few who voted personal responsibility are teaching citizens they have to be responsible and that government can't and shouldn't be their babysitters according to the constitution. Look at the vote and tell me if those legislators who voted for seat belts and bike helmets didn't add to the taxpayers costs once again. (In more ways than one --Editor).

Rep. Cady is a Republican representing Deerfield in the N.H. House.. Her comments follow a recent N.H. State Senate vote to in a sense "criminialize" the act of a person sixteen or under riding a bicycle under the age of 16 without a helmet, that is subject such a miscreant to a Violation and the fine noted above. A similar measure passed the House and the governor is on record of being enthusiastically in support.


Posted May 22, 2005

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