Opinion
www.SanTanSun.com
June 7 – 20, 2014
Community Commentary
Letters to the editor
Procrastination can be costly for traffic offenders BY KEITH FRANKEL
Procrastination can have costly consequences for drivers who receive a traffic citation but want to keep insurance costs down and their driving record blemish-free. Keith Frankel. That’s Submitted photo because the opportunity to attend defensive driving school and avoid points against your driving record has rules and deadlines. One of the purposes of defensive driving school is to reduce court caseloads, which is why defendants must complete the course at least seven days before their scheduled court appearance. You may go to court or attend the school, but not both. Miss that deadline and you can request a continuance to attend driving school. But the court is not required to grant extra time, although most will give you up to 60 days to complete the instruction. However, if you ask for a court hearing on the violation you give up any option of attending a driving school. These rules and more may seem complicated, but the decision to attend defensive driving school can save hundreds of dollars in potential insurance premium increases over the years and points against a driving record that could possibly affect future employment. It also affects thousands of residents. Between 8,000 and 10,000 civil traffic violations are
processed through Maricopa County justice courts every month. Although most first-time civil traffic offenders are eligible for the driving school option, it doesn’t include everyone. Holders of commercial driver’s licenses cannot take advantage of this option. Nor can drivers who were involved in a serious injury or fatal accident. And if you are cited for more than one violation during a single stop, only one of those violations is eligible. Also, a driver may take advantage of the school option only if they have not had another violation for 24 months. The list of eligible traffic violations is long, but the simplest indication of eligibility is an * mark on the citation bond envelope. Whatever a driver decides, he or she should not ignore a citation. Those who do will have their license suspended, and a warrant could be issued for their arrest. The civil penalty for those who choose to attend driving school is $47, plus the cost of the class. A complete list of local traffic schools—including those that offer online instruction— is at www.azcourts.gov/drive/ ListofCertifiedSchools.asp. Keith Frankel is the Chandler San Marcos justice of the peace.
Preserve liberty for future generations Dear Editor, The current big news story in our state is about the abysmal treatment of our veterans in the VA health care system. Then, we read about the heavyhanded IRS treatment of our citizens, the EPA putting little fish ahead of water needed to grow crops and causing our electricity and gasoline bills to rise due to an apparent animosity toward energy production, and finally, the BLM using military force to tell states how to use land that should belong to the states to begin with. These are all federal government agencies regulated and controlled by the administrative branch of our government. Does it not seem apparent that the increase in the number, size, complexity and cost of all of these federal agencies has ballooned to such gigantic proportions that nobody is really in control? At least that is what we hear at all the congressional hearings, “I had no knowledge of that” or “I don’t remember anything about that” or “That wasn’t my department.” There is a way, however, that we, the people of the states, can impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office of federal government officials. That remedy is an Article V Convention of States. Some folks talk about a Convention of States like it’s some kind of conspiracy, but here’s the truth: A Convention of States is more legitimate and less conspiratorial than any other means of curbing Washington’s power.
Article V of the Constitution (the Supreme Law of the Land) explicitly describes a “convention for proposing amendments.” This isn’t a conspiracy. This isn’t secession or Snowden or “The X-Files.” This is a legitimate tool the founders gave the states for stopping an overreaching federal government. A short history lesson might clear things up. The founding fathers included a Convention of States in the Constitution for a specific purpose. George Mason realized the states had no way of proposing amendments. So, he suggested the states be allowed to call an amendments convention, and the motion was carried unanimously. That’s it. You can read it for yourself. The framers wanted the states to call a Convention of States when, like today, the federal government began getting out of control, overstepping its bounds and abusing its power. Toward that end, Citizens for Self-Governance has launched the Convention of States Project. Please get involved by visiting their website, www.conventionofstates.com. If you like what you see there, you can actively further the cause by emailing your state representative and your state senator and urging them to take action on this issue. This is definitely a volunteer and a nonpartisan effort. I believe this is the only way to preserve liberty for future generations. Please join us. Let’s give this country back to the people. E.L. Goheen
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