It never seems to fail but the people who try to do the right thing come up with the short end of the stick. There are some things in life that don’t ever change and that’s one of them. The average Joe doesn’t usually have much to protest with if he thinks he’s been wronged. Some issues can be fought in court if it’s a legal matter, but unless you have cash to spend that’s not always an option.
A 72-year-old Tignish man found that out when he decided he’d protest a fine he received under the Environmental Protection Act in 2008. After being told he could install his own home heating tank system and have it inspected by a government Home Heat Tank inspector he was slapped with a $200 fine, plus costs. A total of $220. A hefty bit of change for someone on a senior’s pension.
When he informed the Sheriff he would rather go to jail than pay the fine he was told that wasn’t an option. He had neglected to pay the fine or appear in court on an appointed date and that left just one course of action. Unless he pays the amount in full by a given date his driver’s license will be suspended. That didn’t make sense to a man who has spent his whole life working and paying taxes and being a good God-fearing, law abiding citizen. It just didn’t seem right.
It seems the law under the Highway Traffic Act that allows the department to collect delinquent fines goes way back to 1988. It was in the mid 90s that it started to be enforced, but not in any great numbers.
The new electronic age probably makes it much easier to track down those negligent of paying their fines since all data is now just a click away for anyone to find. According to a government spokesperson hundreds of dollars in unpaid fines are collected this way every year, because few people can go without their driver’s license.
It’s strange how the legal system works. If you have enough money you can get away with just about anything. At the very least you can drag it through the courts for years.
There are many Islanders who are questioning why a politician can plead guilty to a crime and walk away without even a fine. No fine, no jail time, no community service and no criminal record. The slate wiped clean without anyone ever suggesting anger management or counselling of any kind. Just nothing. There are few Islanders who get treated that way.
It’s hard to believe that assaulting someone is less of a crime than installing your home heating tank system. No one with a lick of common sense would improperly install their own oil tank system without ensuring they had it done properly. It’s also worthy to note that there are still many oil tank mishaps despite the new rules and regulations.
So I guess we should ask, are all Islanders treated equally or does your treatment depend on your station in life? Does the punishment fit the crime?
Next time you get a ticket of any kind and you don’t believe it’s right, take your protest to the judge. Maybe if the courts are backlogged with Islanders protesting ridiculous charges, lawmakers will be forced to look at those writing the rules and the tickets.