Across America, police are handing out 112,000
speeding tickets every day.
Yeah, that's a lot of tickets.
I'm like, where do they find the time to shoot people?
[laughter]
And those tickets aren't going away
any time soon because these fines
aren't just to punish you.
It turns out local governments need that money
to keep the lights on.
FEMALE REPORTER: Traffic stops aren't
always about safety or hunting contraband or crime.
Some cities use traffic stops to raise money.
The cities and counties that are
trying to use these schemes, trying to use these fines
and fees to balance their budget
are basically charging a back door tax to poor people.
MALE REPORTER: In the South, municipalities strapped
for cash have been targeting the most vulnerable
citizens, who are primarily Black
and living under the poverty line.
In Missouri, some of these municipalities
generate anywhere from 20% to 40% of their total revenue
by fining citizens.
That's right.
These cities are filling their budgets
on the backs of poor people.
Yeah, so the next time a cop asks,
do you know why I pulled you over?
You can be like, let me guess.
The mayor wants a standing desk?
[laughter]
[applause]
And getting fined is bad enough.
But then they tack on a bunch of extra fees.
Payment plan fees, collection fees.
One county even has a $51 processing fee.
So it costs you $51 to give me a $30 ticket.
How about you not giving me the ticket,
and you just saved yourself $21?
[laughter and applause]
And let's say-- and let's say you're like a lot of people
and don't have all this money just laying around.
Well, in 14 states, your ass might be going to jail.
Yeah, you heard me right.
14 states will send you to jail for being poor.
And if you want to know what states those are,
it's probably the ones you're thinking of.
And guess what?
You could come out of jail owing
even more because they actually charge you another fee
for going to jail.
Like, that's so messed up.
Wait a minute.
I'm in jail because I couldn't pay,
and now you're charging me more for being in jail?
You knew I couldn't pay.
That's why I was here in the first place.
What, do you think I hit the lottery while I was in jail?
But you know what?
It doesn't have to be this way.
A lot of other countries never fine
you more than you can afford.
They fine you based on your income.
This makes it more fair since billionaires
aren't paying the same fines as people
who work at the dollar store.
And if you're thinking, that must
lead to some expensive ass tickets, you'd be right.
A man in Finland got caught speeding,
and, boy, did he have to pay up.
Listen to this.
A Finnish millionaire got a $58,000 fine for going 64
miles per hour in a 50 zone.
Well, that seems kind of crazy here.
Over in Finland, speeding tickets
are based on your income.
The highest ticket so far was $103,000, a ticket
given to a Nokia executive who made roughly $14 million
that year.
I'll tell you what.
I tell you what.
We did that here, that would make
me start putting those quarters in the parking meter.
Look, if the ticket is meant to punish you, it should feel
like a punishment. $30 for a rich person
is not a punishment.
Rich people don't even know money goes that low.
If you ask Jeff Bezos for $30, he'll be like,
do I just rip a corner off for this $100 bill?
So long story short, stop using poor people as your little
take a penny jar, especially over small shit.
If anything, we should be doing the opposite.
I propose every highway should have a broke lane.
[laughter]
Do what you want.
Do what you want to do in the broke lane.
Busted tail light, expired registration,
dangling muffler.
Who cares?
You can haul ass in the broke lane
because you got to get from your second job
to your third job.
I don't care.
Do whatever it takes.
But if you get caught in the broke lane, talking about,
well, I'm trying to get to my squash game
at the country club, then the officer can say,
oh, I'm going to have to tase you.
[laughter and applause]
And the electricity has a $51 processing fee.