Click It or Ticket- Police Pork In Action

It’s that time of year when TXDOT rolls out the Click It or Ticket revenue/harrassment campaign. The ads are typical police state propaganda- The cops are watching you, they are coming to get you, change your behavior or the state will send the police to steal your money!

Texas drivers can thank the federal government when they get pulled over. Local law enforcement gets federal funds to pump out tickets, which fills up the coffers of local governments. It’s a win/win for government at all levels. The only losers are the hard working Texas drivers caught up in this ticket pork scam.

How does TXDOT sell this steaming pile to the public? By telling you how much they care. (At least it’s not “for the children”).

Click It or Ticket isn’t just about writing tickets—it’s about keeping Texans safe on the road. Federal and state officials set aside funds we put to work to alert the public about buckling up. One way to do that is to send more officers out to help remind motorists to buckle up. Websites like these, TV and radio ads plus news articles and shows also help remind motorists to make buckling up a habit, too.

Why should you? Buckling up is your best bet to prevent serious injury or death in a crash. Crashes where the victims aren’t wearing safety belts can be pretty bad. People who aren’t buckled up are often thrown out of their car or truck, and sometimes the vehicle rolls over them.

Crashes can be…”pretty bad”? That’s the justification?

You know what else is “pretty bad”? When some crazed LEO arrests a Texas driver for not wearing their seat belt. We set the stage for such malfeasance when we pump LEO full of “this will save lives” propaganda and then hand out federal dollars maximize the numbers of tickets written.

The recession makes this year’s campaign even crueler. Inevitably, some hard working Texans won’t be able afford their seat belt fine. Many will end up with a warrant. In a Mommy Dearest move our loving bureaucratic parents at TXDOT are going to arrest the very drivers they care so much about.