| Good Tuesday Morning to You! |
|
|
There are rules. And there are consequences. Usually.
Most rules are set in stone — or at least in written laws — but the consequences can and do vary. It is a little something called discretion. Some say it is ironically similar to a word called discrimination. Others say it is a necessary part of providing fair judgement. I am not fully convinced by either argument, but I am admittedly troubled about how discretion can allow one person to face the most serious of penalties and another to get totally off the hook.
If you are a regular reader of this column, you know I am a strong believer in personal responsibility. If you create trash, you dispose of it properly. If you borrow money, you pay it back. If you get caught speeding, you pay a fine.
Today, let’s address the last one. Say you are driving 66 mph on a 55 mph highway and a highway patrol officer turns on the flashing lights and pulls you over. You are hoping he will let you off with a warning. He is thinking about the full penalty. Maybe he will reduce it a bit? This certainly isn’t a negotiation game, as only one person is making the decision. As the speeder, you simply try to be courteous and realize you have to take what is coming.
But should an officer of the law have this discretion? Would it be easier — and fairer — if all speeders were written citations for the same predetermined amount based on the clocked speed? No exceptions? Think about it. Do you ever wonder if women are given warnings more than men? If elderly people are given breaks more than teenagers? Or if white people are let off more than Black people? Those are serious accusations to make, but this discretion allows the door of discrimination to crack open.
I asked several police officers how much discretion they have in writing traffic citations. The answer was consistent. “Complete.” With body cameras and a litigation-prone society, some officers may be more careful and consistent than in decades past, but the decision to write a ticket or give a warning is still theirs. Of course, there are opportunities in court to protest tickets, but, as most of us know, those can be timely, costly and mostly ineffective.
I suggested the “same fines for all” theory to a group the other day, and one legal scholar pointed out that doing so would simply move the officer’s discretion from deciding whether or not to write a ticket to deciding whether or not to pull a car over. The discretion would not go away, but only shift. Point taken. As such, I remain convinced that the best way to avoid a traffic citation is to simply not speed. Usually.
Have a thoughtful Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com |
|
|
| CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines | | | CITYVIEW announced its 2023 Best Of Des Moines readers' choices Jan. 31. You can find all the results from the poll in the February issue of CITYVIEW magazine!
Best Local Hipster Spot
1. The Bartender’s Handshake
2. The Winchester Public House
3. Up-Down Des Moines
SEE EVENT PHOTOS HERE... | | | Read More |
|
|
Your Clear Mortgage forecast
Another round of rain will affect areas mainly southwest of Des Moines today. Rain chances are slim the rest of the week as temperatures warm back up again into the mid-to-upper 80s.
For help with preapprovals or refinancing, get in touch with Carrie at carrie.mortgage. |
|
|
| Featured Home For Sale | | | |
$410,000
105 Braeburn Circle
Norwalk, IA 50211
Welcome to this beautiful two story nestled on quiet cul de sac, backing to trees in the heart of Norwalk. The home features 5 bedrooms and 3.5 bathroom with just over 2, 800 sq ft of total finish. The main level features an open layout with hardwood flooring, spacious kitchen and living room that leads onto a large deck overlooking your fenced in yard that backs to trees.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
|
|
Syphilis cases have been rising in the U.S. since COVID began, but they are completely out of control in Houston. All cases are up 57% there this decade to date, but, among women, they are up 128%, with congenital syphilis being a main cause of the increase in women.
A U.S. Geological Society study reported that 50% of U.S. drinking water is now contaminated, rural and city, public and private. The chief contaminants are PFAs, the so called "forever chemicals" that the USDA now says are far more dangerous than believed less than a year ago. They cause a slew of bad diseases.
Tuesday means gyros costs just $4.99 at Opa (2800 University, West Des Moines), 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a choice of lamb, chicken, steak or falafel. |
|
|
FROM KCCI: Des Moines police CARE unit responded to 1,500 mental health crises calls in first year
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Police Department's Crisis Advocacy Response Effort is one year old. Since it started, C.A.R.E has successfully responded to over 1,500 calls... READ MORE FROM KCCI
FROM WHO-TV: 2 treated for minor smoke inhalation in Grimes business fire
GRIMES, Iowa — Multiple metro fire departments were called out to a business in Grimes after a fire was reported Monday morning. The call about a warehouse fire at 1400 SE 11th Street came in at 8:51 a.m. according to Lt. Trevor Barber with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The Grimes Chamber of Commerce says that the location houses Performance Display and Millwork. ..READ MORE FROM WHO-TV
FROM WOI-DT Local 5: Nash Roe, teen baking sensation: Made in Iowa
Nash Roe, the teen baking sensation from Clive, said no matter where he goes, Iowa is home. ...READ MORE FROM WOI-DT Local 5 |
|
|
| Personalities | | | Ihde cherishes motorized memories
Cars have sentimental value.
By Rich Wicks
What’s in Allen Ihde’s garage in Bondurant? The simple answer is: cars that he finds meaningful.
“It’s not that I’m a crazy car guy, it’s just that these are cars I’ve grown up with over the years,” he says.
“I had a ’56 Chevy when I was 16 years old,” says Ihde as he takes a stroll down memory lane — and the garage.
He points out that the ’56 Chevy in his garage is not the actual car he had back then.
“It’s not quite what I had when I was 16, but I got close to it.”
Next, he points out his 1972 Monte Carlo.
“I bought that new in 1972. That was my first new car I ever owned. It’s only got like 65,000 miles on it.”
Read more in the June issue of Bondurant Living magazine. |
|
|
| Birthdays and Notables! | | | These celebrities were born on this date: Dick Button, James Brolin, Richard Branson, Margo Martindale, Ricky Skaggs, Nick Faldo, Elizabeth McGovern, John Hermann, Jack Irons, Vin Diesel, Penny Hardaway.
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
|
|
The answer to yesterday's riddle:
Why are writers always cold? THERE ARE SO MANY DRAFTS AROUND THEM! - Gail Tomlinson, Rex Post
Today's Riddle
What makes Civil Disobedience such a great work?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
|
|
| More email offerings | | | Enjoy the Daily Umbrella? Perhaps you would enjoy receiving emails of our other publications!
• CITYVIEW • Living Weekly newsletters: Johnston, Polk City and Adel • Lake Panorama Times • Events • CITYVIEW Business Journal,
See a full list of our offerings by clicking on SUBSCRIBE here. |
|
|
If you would like to advertise in this daily newsletter, please contact Jolene Goodman at jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com, or call 515-953-4822 ext. 319.
P.S. As a free newsletter, we rely on readers like you to grow our subscriber list. If you have a friend or coworker who you think would enjoy waking up to The Daily Umbrella each weekday morning, please share our newsletter sign-up page with them! Visit www.thedailyumbrella.com and click on the SUBSCRIBE link on the upper right-hand side! |
|
|
This email was sent to:
email@example.com
Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc.
8101 Birchwood Ct Suite D
Johnston, Iowa 50131
|
|
|
|
