Poor people in this country get penalized for being poor on a regular basis Cities especially write it into their laws, from fining people for having "unsightly" vehicles parked on the street (even in front of their residences) to charging high base rates for water use -- an amount that has to be paid even if one doesn't use that much water.
But it's going beyond that; being poor is becoming a criminal matter in many ways.ake a fine for having a less-than-pristine trailer in front of your home; if you can't pay it in full, they fine you again. If you miss the deadline, they throw you in jail. When you're out of jail, they charge you for having been in jail, and now that you've lost your job they expect you to pay the fine plus interest plus jail costs. If you can't do it, they arrest you again, and charge you court costs.
But here's an article that says it better.
The situation itself is criminal, in the moral sense of the word. It's eating away at our prosperity from the foundation, the people who do the grunt work and who comprise a vast number of customers for products.
The Constitution provides a right to trial. The Supreme Court has ruled that no cost can be imposed on the exercise of a right. So at the very least, the court costs contributing to this cycle are unconstitutional, not just immoral.
More basically, this is serfdom, not freedom, and thus is entirely contrary to the spirit of America.
But it's going beyond that; being poor is becoming a criminal matter in many ways.ake a fine for having a less-than-pristine trailer in front of your home; if you can't pay it in full, they fine you again. If you miss the deadline, they throw you in jail. When you're out of jail, they charge you for having been in jail, and now that you've lost your job they expect you to pay the fine plus interest plus jail costs. If you can't do it, they arrest you again, and charge you court costs.
But here's an article that says it better.
The situation itself is criminal, in the moral sense of the word. It's eating away at our prosperity from the foundation, the people who do the grunt work and who comprise a vast number of customers for products.
The Constitution provides a right to trial. The Supreme Court has ruled that no cost can be imposed on the exercise of a right. So at the very least, the court costs contributing to this cycle are unconstitutional, not just immoral.
More basically, this is serfdom, not freedom, and thus is entirely contrary to the spirit of America.