[MissoulaGov] Dave's proposal is to make it a criminal offense to refuse the test punishable with a $300 fine

[Jeremy Hood]

I am with you Nancy. I know people that do not want to drive but end up doing it any how. (they are not just people I know, every one on here knows someone) They often look for alternatives or even some times walk. 

Do I agree with taxing alcohol? Not sure on that... or anything else at the moment for funding. I view bars as a social place that also reduce waste of consuming alcohol greatly as benefits outside of my personal feelings about them. 

The belief that we are going to prevent someone from getting hammered and driving. People are going to get drunk - and I do not even agree with it being a crime to be drunk in public. It just seems like we are out to punish people for doing what we know they will be doing. Funding that punishment mentality will only create more need for enforcement for more funding creating an ugly circle logic. I mean who wants more police on foot? While I rarely drink I know people go to bars to relax and have a drink or just see friends, not be watched (well not by police). We have it pretty good in Missoula for the small amount of problems that occur regularly at the bar and street level as is so it is almost to say we would be punishing people for being fairly well behaved if we increase police foot traffic. 

About the ridiculous notion of people parting with their booze because of money consider this... known alcoholics with DUI's have been sentenced to have breathalysers installed on their vehicles. This costs roughly $3k and a few hundred a month (forget why). None of these people stop drinking. They either drive another vehicle or get someone else to blow in it or maybe device a way to fake it. You are at a losing battle. People in a position to be pulled over are not likely to be in a position to even consider their future. I have to then ask how would $300 prevent someone from drinking and driving especially when the person believes they are in a state to which will not warrant getting pulled over? I have no idea. Does anyone have a legitimate argument for that? 

I am very scared of cars in the hands of people not even intoxicated so I have a huge problem with them driving while intoxicated. To me really good public transit with social backing of it being shameful to drive drunk is the best way to evolve into a safer scenario for me and others. I would date this back to MIP's for people under age which only promotes the idea of hiding drinking and doing it to be plastered. Behaviour I assume would be better had the learned perception to be intoxicated in public, while being socially acceptable, be based on not being plastered in order to avoid embarrassing oneself. 

Realistic look at this... they are already drunk and on the road if they are getting pulled over for it. People believe it is safe for them to drive when it is not. There is no way to punish those about to drive without punishing all who are within sight. We have to work for something smarter, something ingrained in behaviour patterns. 

Lastly I do not appreciate the comments about Judge Louden. If you got a problem with voting habits then work to change them not try to circumvent them; use democracy voting potential instead of attempting to push something on people not interested. Further more a lot of the time Louden is dealing with petty crimes many of which are simply a waste of time to be punishing people for committing; so are people glad that someone excuses them, I bet so... 

Oh wait one last thing. Good luck convincing cops to want more recording of their interactions. I wish they had too, at least a tape recorder or something... Not everyone on duty is as coherent or accurate with their words as much as they should be so why would they want evidence of that? Police are still human until we invent robot ones! 



From: nancyjw1 at hotmail.com
To: ethelmacd at gmail.com
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:53:08 -0700
CC: missoulagov at cmslists.com
Subject: Re: [MissoulaGov] Dave's proposal is to make it a	criminal	offense	to refuse the test punishable with a $300 fine










Alternatives:  I suggest that we improve late night bus service.  ASUM Transportation has proven - with it's late night transit - that if people are given an alternative to driving late at night many will take it.  Currently most Missoulians do not have a viable alternative to driving.  I have heard that the taxi's have a long wait at 2:00 a.m.  
How do we pay for this service?  Tax alcohol and dedicate it to bus service and additional taxi service.  
Punishment is not always the most effective way to make change.  





 		 	   		  
Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469227/direct/01/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.cmslists.com/pipermail/missoulagov/attachments/20100220/2ba7a538/attachment.htm>