There have been reports of town’s using the police to increase revenue by stopping motorists for inconsequential transgressions and leaving behind hefty fines to fill municipal coffers. There’s a certain unfairness that people recognize in the practice, so perhaps targeting other segments of society might help make it more fair .
The following suggestions are all inspired by existing Oakland laws that are rarely enforced.
Big Money in Bicycles
3-14.2
No Borough resident shall ride or operate a bicycle within the Borough, without first obtaining a license…
3-14.4 Registration Tag.
a. Every person required, under the terms of this section, to obtain a license and registration tag shall, and annually thereafter, apply for and procure the same from the Police Department of the Borough.
b. The registration tag shall be fastened to the frame of the bicycle in a conspicuous place. Removal of the tag shall be grounds for revocation of the license.
This is an area where the town can really rake in some cash. Although there is no fee presently applied, it would be simple to institute a nominal charge for the bicycle license. The real money to be made will be from the criminals riding their outlaw bikes without the registration tag. The law does not apply to tricycles or those with training wheels, but that can be remedied.
Although riding a bicycle may be good for your health and good for the environment, it does not mean the town should not enforce the laws to its own benefit. Additional ordinances make these bikers ripe for the picking.
3-14.8 Safety Regulations.
a. Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred (500′) feet to the front, and with a lamp on the rear which shall emit a red light visible from a distance of at least five hundred (500′) feet to the rear, and with front and rear reflectors.
b. No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred (100′) feet, except that a bicycle shall not be equipped with, nor shall any person use upon a bicycle, any siren or whistle.
The fines are only $5.00, but this can easily be changed by amending the ordinance and adding a couple of zeros to that 5. Enforcing this ordinance alone should put Oakland back in the black in no time with a little rainy day fund on the side.
Raining Cats & Dogs
There’s plenty of pets in Oakland, and plenty of money to be made off them.
5-1.2 Licensing and Registration.
a. Required. Any person, firm or corporation who shall own, possess, keep, harbor or have in custody a dog of licensing age shall, in the month of January of each year, apply for and procure from the Borough Clerk, a license and official metal registration tag …
There’s no need for a big fee on the license, as standing online outside borough hall in January is already a burden, but there’s plenty of money to be made else where–the tags. Any dog not wearing a tag is money in the bank. The fines for this are not bad as already written:
5-1.4 Penalty.
Any person who violates any provision of subsections 5-1.2 and 5-1.3 of this section, or who fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of the statute referred to in this section, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding two hundred fifty ($250.00) dollars…
The same laws apply to cats, and cats are probably even a bigger money maker. Dogs have a history of being licensed, but cats have usually flown under the radar due to their sneaky, independent nature. If the police did a door to door search for undocumented cats, Oakland would probably be giving tax rebates. Illegal felines could be impounded in a local cat house, another money maker, until bailed out by offending owners.
No Laughing Matter
Readers might think these ideas are outrageous, maybe even funny, but they should be careful about laughing too loud about them–unless you want to add to the town’s coffers.
3-3.6 Prohibited Acts.
Singing, Laughter, Shouting. The making of loud and unnecessary noises, either by singing, boisterous laughter or shouting in such a manner and to such an extent as to disturb the peace and quiet of those within hearing distance.
So, you see, there’s plenty of ways a small town like Oakland can find extra cash to replace Verzion’s pocketing of more profits on the backs of taxpayers.