Dominoes and Poverty

Our family has decided that moving is one of life’s worst experiences. A recent moving disaster in our family included lost keys and a ticket for parking the U-Haul illegally.

Of course keys can be replaced and tickets can be paid for, unless they can’t because there’s no money to cover those expenses. This story shared by A Roof Above in Charlotte explains why what we consider to be an inconvenience is a poor person’s personal doom loop.

Halston Fisher, a single dad living in North Carolina, got a speeding ticket in 2009. He was driving 58 mph in a 45 mph zone. The ticket was for $288.00. I could personally cover a $288 ticket and so could you – most likely – but it would take Mr. Fisher 12 years to get back on track because of that one ticket.

(Note: It’s true he was responsible for speeding. It’s also true that I am also guilty of speeding on occasion. And maybe you occasionally have a lead foot as well.)

Back to Mr. Fisher.

Because he couldn’t afford to pay the $288 . . .

• His driver’s license was suspended. And because his driver’s license was suspended . . .
• He lost his job which required driving. And because he lost his job and couldn’t find another job that didn’t require driving . . .
• His financial situation became more dire, especially as a single parent. And because he needed child care to look for a job, he drove the kids to child care without a license. And when he drove without a license . . .
• He was caught for driving without a license and given another ticket. (Note: The Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law School reports that three out of four people caught driving with a suspended license do not want to break the law, but they need to drive their kids to school, to the doctor, to work.) And because he continued to need to drive so that he could work . . .
• He got more tickets for driving without a license. And because he continued to drive in order to work . . .
• The amount of money owed because an impossible amount to pay off.

Finally – and God bless these people – Mr. Fisher received help from a pro bono legal services program which helped him pay off what he owed and get his license back. Again, all of this took 12 years. What would take most of us a few minutes took this man 12 years.

I share this because the North Carolina General Assembly (and perhaps your own state or regional legislature) is now considering bills that would end driver’s license suspensions for court debt. This would hold people accountable for traffic offenses but stop adding punishment for simply being poor.

North Carolinians – please contact your state legislator and ask them to vote for House Bill 888. (Yes I am being political.) Don’t know your state legislator? You can find them here.

Fighting poverty instead of the poor is what Jesus talked about. And we are called to follow Jesus.

Happy Monday.

Thank you Joe Hamby.