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“Let Them Eat Cake” part 2 – Denver Post editorial board wants you to shut up and take it on car tax, late fees

by The Peripatetic Pundit | 4:32 pm, July 20, 2009 | 3 Comments

“Sure, new late fees for auto registration are steep, but threats that result in extra security are out of line. Just pay your bill.”

 So sayeth the Denver Post, in an editorial published Saturday (July 18th).

Following on the heels of last Saturday’s suck-up to Governor Ritter’s “compromise” proposal,  the Denver Post editorial board has once again completely missed the mark.

The ONLY thing the editorial board got right is that threats to county clerks and staff are “not justifiable.”  As noted in a previous post, they’re not the ones to blame for the outrageously higher fees.

The Post’s editorial board otherwise got it dead wrong on both their analysis, and their exhortation.

The vehicle registration late fees are not only “disproportionately high”, as the Post recognizes, but in many cases aren’t justfied at all.  Despite this, they would have you shut up and pay it anyway:

If you pay your registration late, you ought to expect a penalty.

And you ought to pay it.

 WRONG.  Vehicle registration fees are NOT tied to mere ownership of a vehicle (automobile, motorcycle, or even a trailer); the fees are imposed for using public roads with said vehicle.  If you don’t use the vehicle on public roads, you don’t have to pay the fee.

This is in contrast to Ownership Taxes – that portion of your bill (see earlier post for a breakdown) that is charged for owning the vehicle, regardless of whether you drive it on public roads, store it, or have it in hundreds of pieces as you work on it in your own garage.

There’s a good reason that many counties had a practice of “never charging late fees in the past when they were optional.”  Since registration fees are tied to use of public roads, and because our legal system is based on a presumption of innocence, the burden of proof that a registrant is “late” was on the county, not the individual.  Those counties that DID charge a nominal ($10) “late fee” could at least somewhat justify it in terms of additional administrative costs – and for most people, not worth the effort to contest.

The so-called FASTER bill (the Rice/Ritter/Mullarkey car tax) changed the equation.  Not only are drivers hit with a much higher base rate to register a vehicle, they suffer insult added to injury with the excessively punitive late fees – which in many cases they shouldn’t have to pay in the first place!

After first (correctly) calling attention to this injustice, the Denver Post now conspires in plundering the people.  Run along, little peons – accept the unacceptable, be good little sheeple and do what you’re told, no matter how burdensome and unjustifiable.

The irony of the Denver Post editorial board advising Colorado citizens to accept outrageous, unjustifiable taxes (er, fees) on consecutive Saturdays exactly one and two weeks after we celebrated the 4th of July – our Declaration of Independence, based in no small part on a revolt against unjust, outrageous taxes (“imposing Taxes on us without our Consent”) is noteworthy.

Passively accepting these unjust fees and taxes, as the Denver Post would have us do, is not only wrong – it’s just plain un-American.

Are you American citizens, or sheep?

DON’T KNUCKLE UNDER!  REFUSE to pay this unfair tax (er, fee) – DEMAND an immediate and retroactive rollback whenever the legislature next convenes.  Contact Governor Ritter, the FASTER bill’s primary sponsor Joe Rice, and your state representatives (House and Senate) and demand action!

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Category: 2010, Colorado, Liberty, Sheeple, Small Government
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Comments

  1.   Rockthrower
      July 20th, 2009 @ 8:17 pm

    Hah! you’re right about the 4th of July reference, didn’t catch that myself.

    Maybe the added security should be wearing red coats?

  2.   The Outlander
      July 21st, 2009 @ 5:51 am

    The Denver Post supports higher taxes, regardless of what they are called. Period.

    Thank you for your time.

  3.   CapitalistBitch
      July 21st, 2009 @ 7:47 pm

    I vote we all show our displeasure by throwing our license plates in the Platte. kinda like, you know, tea in the harbor.

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