On Mon, 29 Jan 1996, Denise Thorpe wrote:
> Not having insurance doesn't necessarily make her more likely to be in
> accidents and hopefully your kids are covered by health insurance anyway.
Now, Denise. Even if your child is covered by health insurance, that does
not make it right for motorists to drive without insurance. These days,
many people can't afford health insurance, and if they can, it may not be
adequate for all contingencies.
> Don't assume she's evil. It's possible to be "financially responsible"
> without having insurance. The woman has agreed to pay. If she doesn't,
It's possible to be "financially responsible" without insurance, but only
if you have a million or so in liquid assets you're willing to give up in
the event of a serious accident.
> if you win, the DMV is exempt from paying the court costs. Most people in
> California can't afford justice at the hands of the DMV.
>
> But, if the DMV takes your license away for commiting a "civil" offense and
> then you're caught driving without a license, it's a criminal offense.
> Thus, you can spend time in jail without ever having gotten a trial for the
> original offense. The truth is that Americans _do_ have the same rights in
> a civil case as in a criminal case, but the DMV is not answerable to any
> other government institution so they get away with it.
>
> The question is, do you want to aid the CA DMV in their treatment of the
> rights of American citizens? Even the police in California don't report
> Years ago, when car registration was first suggested, the opponents said,
> "Registration today, confiscation tomorrow." This has now come to pass in
> California. If someone is driving without a license, the car they're
Easy, Denise, easy. The CA DMV may be evil incarnate, but if someone
*else* decides to opt for freedom and happiness by driving without
insurance, and seriously injures me or someone I love, then *I* may have
to bankrupt myself to pay for the accident. That's the epitome of
unfairness. If you can devise a way to prevent that, while scrupulously
being fair to everyone, at reasonable cost to the taxpayer, then I
will vote for you to lead the VT DMV.
You have let your anger at the DMV get the better of you, I think. I've
grown to enjoy your musings and mechanical advice, and don't want to read
that a California woman has barricaded herself in a mountain retreat, is
rumored to have several MG 1100's converted to armored personnel carriers,
and is surrounded by well-armed DMV agents who have orders to shoot at
anything that is octagonal.
Ray
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910
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