Here in Finland, many fines are “means-tested” i.e. based on one’s income.
For example, a person gets caught speeding 30 over the limit.
Person A has monthly income of 3000, the fine is 180.
Person B has monthly income of 50,000, the fine is 100,000.
The fine is intended to inflict the same amount of pain, regardless of one’s income. For a rich person, it makes sense to just hire a chauffeur for 35,000 a year and pay their 180 fine if they get a ticket.
That last line is somewhat the problem with this. Way too many loopholes around this, many rich people barely have income on paper but work around it in other ways
Here in Finland, many fines are “means-tested” i.e. based on one’s income.
For example, a person gets caught speeding 30 over the limit.
Person A has monthly income of 3000, the fine is 180.
Person B has monthly income of 50,000, the fine is 100,000.
The fine is intended to inflict the same amount of pain, regardless of one’s income. For a rich person, it makes sense to just hire a chauffeur for 35,000 a year and pay their 180 fine if they get a ticket.
That last line is somewhat the problem with this. Way too many loopholes around this, many rich people barely have income on paper but work around it in other ways