Municipal Violations: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) 

How does John Oliver's head not explode from frustration and anger as he researches these stories. I think I'd go postal!!

My aunt once told me when I was younger... "It costs money to be poor." I never really understood the gravity of that statement until I hit my 30's. The sad part is, not only was she correct, but it is getting progressively worse.

I'm reminded of a town in Florida that the state caught tampering with its traffic lights, dialing down the yellows so that drivers only had one second to get through them - generating a ton of money for the city, but making intersections suicidally unsafe. This is what happens when tickets become more important as revenue than as law enforcement tools.

The prison industrial complex is why I left policing and became a flooring installer. Better money and I ruined exactly nobody's day.

I plan to use "Buckle Yourself or go Fuckle Yourself" more often in my life.

Well if you can't pay the ticket at least you can get a quick Pay Day loan. Oh wait...

Isn't it interestin that whenever Jon Oliver asks "Could this be made any worse?" the anwser is "Yes, because now private companies have somehow managed to insert themselves into this state function." It's almost as if giving state functions into the hands of private companies is a BAD idea.

I'm impressed with how much this show has been able to address and achieve.

Being poor is expensive in America.

the story about the woman with the 41$ fine is just crazy. The people running those kind of companies should be erased from our planet.

Remember that fines are just a way of making crime legal for the rich. It's a pay to win system.

Fines are just a replacement for the taxes that the rich should be paying.

John Oliver is the greatest late night talk show host of all time

they take you to jail for unpaid parking tickets, yet debtors prisons were outlawed in the u.s. along time ago

Fun story about License Suspension. Around 7 years ago, i got a speeding ticket. My first one ever. I was told by the county court to pay a fine (300 bucks or around about that) and attend a traffic safety course (which they referred me to several online options). I paid the money and took the course at the top of the list, and emailed in my completion certificate to the email i was directed to. Around a year or so later, i am told by my insurance provider they are dropping my coverage because my license is suspended. No notification or warning from the state or county. I call in and they cite the fact i never completed the safety course was the reason, to which i rebut, "But i emailed it to you all a year ago, here is the proof in the form of screenshots of my sent box". They responded, "Oh, yes, so you did, our mistake". I asked if they could unsuspend my license now and they told me, "No, you still have to surrender your tags, and pay to have your license and registration reinstated." Thank you Cook County Florida for ramming the Green Weenie home once more.

John Oliver you are the best thing to happen to America. I'll keep watching what you do until my time is up.

I think in Finland that the ticket you get reflects your income, so a person making millions a year might get a speeding ticket of $10 000 while someone on minimum wage would get a $20-30 ticket.

John Oliver's valley girl accent is flawless.

yt keeps recommending john’s relevant more than ever videos. can’t wait to see what he puts out tonight.

It's exactly like debtors prison, they and their relatives had to pay for everything. Even being released carried a fee, and if you didn't had the money for that YOU WEREN'T RELEASED! If you hadn't worked enough or you're relatives could pay for your prison guard, food and lodgings it was added to a tab, if the tab wasn't squared up...YOU weren't released. ITS EXACTLY like a debtors prison.

it was never about reforming you or teaching you a lesson. it's only about MONEY.

America is buggy, broken, and generally unplayable. Plz patch.

Tax is based off of income so should fines, the rich can get away with so many crimes while the poor go to jail and end up paying more than the rich do.

As a social worker in the United States, it’s crazy how many people struggle to get by everyday. I truly hope we can work together to help each other all around the world, to actually enjoy the life we get.

In sweden, amount you must pay, for example burning a red light, is based on your income

If people cant afford to pay a ticket on time, then why the fuck would you make it harder and harder for them to pay it back?

As one of the 12yr old lobbyists in Nevada who successfully decriminalized traffic tickets, I can say that this episode is positively amazing

Thank you John for bringing to light all of this bullsh** that happens in America.

I think you are adressing a symptom of another problem. How can people who work not afford a 25$ fine? I think the whole income/cost of life balance is not right in the us.

The US Constitution bans cruel and unusual punishment. This huge overinflation of fines for petty crimes is both.

2:33 travelling a week back in time gives you an additional week. Losing a week would be going forward in time. *flies away

Wow a self proclaimed Greatest Country in the World

Sure this sounds awful, but how else will we pay for all those tax breaks for the rich?

John has an amazing singing voice. He needs to do that more often. Who's with me?

Look at the “policy agenda” of a municipal association, and it’s basically a plea not to pass any law that might cut the city’s revenue.

Wait, public drinking is illegal in the US?

it's funny how not getting your ferret vaccinated is illegal, but with your kids it's totally ok.

I do believe that in Finland, speeding tickets are calculated based on your income. So, if you live on minimum wage, your ticket is probably just a few dollars (but would be still painful for them, however not life-shattering).... while the rich (like what happened to hockey star Teemu Selanne in 2000) ended up with a $39,000 fine. It makes it just as painful for everyone ;)

“Shut down the fuck barrel, please.” That guy who said please at the end was priceless. He had to mind his manners in case mom or grandma is watching.

Thank you for speaking about justice Mr Oliver! I am truly a fan!

I've watched my roommate get thrown around the fuck-barrel for years. A fine of a couple thousand dollars has been compounded into several thousand, payments which he can't afford to make on welfare have kept him hungry and broke, and just a month or two ago they were just like "Meh, your not paying this off fast enough, reset the whole thing, and 1000s of dollars on his payment have been completely erased. He's 29, and his future is gravely fucked because of the fuck-barrel.

in Australia, I got a fine, I went to court and I told them "I can't pay..." you know what they done? they took off 20% of the fine and told me to do community service or else I will serve jail time for contempt of court. You know what I done, I ran through those hours like they were nothing, I worked from the time the place opened until the place closed, I made sure that I paid every hour back that I owed because in the end I feel that this can also reduce crime! community engagement and inclusion along with social aspects with people that just want to do their "time" and move on. I didn't even cost the government money, I actually saved them money by doing it at a rate that is less than minimum wage, but I didn't care, I enjoyed myself I had fun and I sure had nothing but a smile because I was given a change to be debt free without putting myself into hardship, it's not slave work because I could have called in sick any of the days and they would have understood.

This is the best episode of John Oliver show. Fines destroyed my life. And sent me to jail

In Orange County Florida I was out in jail for 12 hour for the DMV getting one letter on my car registration, wrong. They even knew it was a mess up and still put me in jail because they were on a "No Tolerance Week" and needed the "Revenue Stream" to find next season. Luckily I had local family and friend to help, as there was someone in there for 5 months, at that point, for the same violation but was from PR and could not recall or reach anyone. The system is not Justice is Just for the Rich.

"Thats the most self-defeating idea since gay conversion camp" *Side eyes Mike Pence*

Just start calling it debtors prison. Keep telling friends and family what it really is to the point where more and more people start to realize that things like debtors prison and slavery still exist in the US but in a much more sneaky and disgusting way.

John Oliver, who can take a serious social issue and make the presentation of it entertaining and compelling at the same time.

This show makes me so happy I live in Canada.

"Camp Straight Arrow" 😂😂😂😂

I'm an alligator meth dealer and I find this video offensive.

I got an underage drinking ticket when I was 17 and because I was literally still a kid living at my parents house and going to highschool I didn't have a job to pay it so a cop showed up and took me to jail for 10 days and again I was just 17 in a adult jail. It was insane and after I got home I was informed that I still had to pay the ticket.

Government sponsored debtor's prison.

face the real problem......there are people in the US who can't afford 41 Dollars right away......fucking hell

jail time for a $2 beer?... that is insane.

10:00 that is EXACTLY like student loans! I had a car payment, student loans, and a traffic ticket. And when I couldn't pay the traffic ticket, the court over drafted my debit card, giving me a $35 overdraft fee that increased to $70because I was making $5.75 an hour part time while going to school (2001 year) with no additional financial help.

Fines should based on some metric that's individualized, like monthly salary or hourly rate. For instance, speeding could be 1/10th your monthly salary or 10x your hourly rate. So, if you make minimum wage, you owe $75. If you're a lawyer who charges clients $600/hour, then you owe $6000. And so on. Payments should be automatic from a person's bank account. They should be able to specify: all at once or a payment plan of up to 12 months, with no extra fees or a cap on maximum fees. And these private companies should be illegal.

When EA makes a country

Thats the reason that fines are based on your income in germany

Idk how john does it knowing just how absolutely aweful this entire world is, but we are ALL indebted to him for doing what he does.

Thank you John. thank you.

Id like to add my story to this: I had my car break down a mile down the road from a friend's house in North-Eastern PA. This was July 2nd, 2013. I had to park my car overnight in the lot of a state park because I couldn't get a tow truck out that late in the evening. While I was putting my car on a jack to see if I could get under it to reconnect the shifter (had gone loose while driving), a cop car pulls up and I explain the situation. They told me it was fine to keep my car there a few days if I needed to, since it was a public lot, as long as they knew about it. The following day when I walked down to where my car should have been, it had been impounded by the same officer I spoke to the previous day, about 2 hours after I had spoke to him. He stated in the report that the "happened upon the vehicle" and "due to an incoming holiday, knew the space in the lot would be needed." My car was impounded, but could not be released to me without a copy of my registration, which they would not allow me to retrieve from my car. I lived in NJ, so I had to find a way back to NJ, get to a DMV, and get a copy of my registration. When I returned 3 days later to retrieve my car, the cost for the impound was $150/day. After the initial tow cost was added to that amount, it cost me about 700 dollars in all. I started a payment plan, which luckily did not have extra fees as many in this video did, but the small town which I had to pay them to did not have an online service for their plans, so I had to make monthly trips out to heir offices. I skipped one month about 4 months into the payments because I was busy working extra hours through the holidays, and I assumed I could just pay it up the following month. They notified NJ about my non-payment, had my license suspended. In NJ, they sent a notification to my father's address (where I had not lived in years), about my suspension and requested I turn in my plates on my car (a suspended license also means a suspended registration in NJ). I completed the remainder of my payments without an issue, but was unaware of the suspension. About a year later, I was visiting my mother in Bethlehem PA, and a cop pulls me over. He said that my plates had been recalled, and my license suspended due to refusal to turn in my plates to the state. My car was once again impounded, but I had the money to get the car out that day. I had it towed to my mother's, where I started the process to get a new plate for my vehicle, and straighten out the mess. At the DMV the following day, I was notified that my license had been suspended for a year by NJ for not turning in my plates, and in PA for a year for driving on a suspended license, starting that day. (There was a paper I had to sign stating I turned in my plates for my suspension to start) None of my violations were for putting anyone else in danger, or driving recklessly in any way. Ive never been pulled over prior to that incident. Im now 24 years old, and am unable to keep a job because I don't have a reliable form of transportation as there are no buses that run near my house. This issue has made my life a complete mess for the last year, and I still have about 6 months left to go. I went from having my own place, to renting a room in my mother's boyfriend's house. When I actually get my car back, I will have to explain why I had a gap in work history to any future employers. I was very surprised to find out through this video that this if far more common for people than I imagined. I wish everyone who is in these issues now, or who ever will be, good luck.

I cri everi tim for my brothers in Australia who can't watch this... So I will watch it 23 Million times for all you Aussies #PrayForAustralia #LoveFromCanada #SteveIrwin

Thank you Mr. John Oliver , ❗️❗️❗️

As someone that is in the Fuck Barrel thank you so much for doing this story. This stuff is important and it needs to be talked about and worked on because no one should be penalized for being poor! J

Aren't laws... supposed to protect people?

"Oh u don't got 50 dollars? Well then we are gonna charge u an extra 5000. I can pay that right?

Lol, I worked in the US back in 2003 (just for summer). It was at Wendy's, and their chili was something I wouldn't touch with a stick. So it's funny to hear Wendy's chili mentioned specifically. For those who don't know - overcooked, burnt burgers are thrown into a special drawer throughout the day. At the end of the day they're soaked in water and chopped into small chunks. And that's the beef in the chili.

I been watching for 2 season I think you do a great job and catching up rest

Southern Le Miserable is still one of the best jokes this show has ever made

Every week I watch this show and it gives me another reason to be happy I don't live in America.

Ugh as much as I love Oliver his topics make me wanna move out of this country

14:39 when he said that it really hit me on how bullshit that system can be to people

I had a minor traffic ticket, and because I couldn't pay the already ridiculous fine on time, it escalated to $3,600. I was in one of those small ass municipalities when I got it. The big city cops don't give two fucks about minor offences. The ticket was for running a stop sign. Here's the thing; the sign had zero lighting around it and trees around it, so it was impossible to see unless you had spectacular headlamps and I didn't know the neighborhood because I was a new delivery driver. The cops knew damn well, because there was a cop just sitting there waiting for someone to not see it. Also, if you lose your license, he mentioned losing your job for not having a car. The kicker is, you can't even get a job without ID, which is utter horseshit.

Some rich college kid gets way too drunk and rapes someone, "We can't let one stupid mistake ruin this young man's entre life!" Some poor black kid stands in a corner for a few too many minutes "You deserve the hell you've made for yourself, paid in several dozens of installments, with added interest you can never fully cover. Plus you now have a criminal record that will affect your credit score, not to mention your chances when applying for a job"

In Finland, traffic tickets have been proportional to your wealth or salary (can't remember which). A wealthy truck driver got one speeding ticket for about 150.000€ if I remember correctly.

This video was done seven years ago and it’s still happening!!

Ticket for public drunkeness? For spitting on the floor? For petty loitering? WTF? Was this filmed in the 19th century?

I actually started the video thinking, "You can't be against fining people for running a stop sign!" but by the end I was swayed. Yes, people should be punished for breaking the law, but the cycle of fines and debtor's prison is ridiculous. Most states have usury laws that cap how much interest you can be charged for a loan. Something similar needs to happen for legal fees. And, you know, not arresting people for failure to pay, 'cause how does that help anybody?

He's brilliant.

is anyone just now discovering john oliver....because I am...i like it

I work at Wendy's and I can say that your chili comment is accurate.

You now Finland right? They use really good system where your fine is based you income and surprise.... it fucking works!

What the lawyer said makes complete sense. Fines and taxes both should be based on what that person *can* afford to pay, and alternate punishments should be given. Also, with computers: how is it we can't easily track installment payments made on fines without a third party's involvement? If the private company is putting all the payments towards their fees and none is going toward the fine, what is even the point of involving them? The entire system is broken and in need of an overhaul

Yes. Thank you GZA.

i got one speeding ticket in my whole life when i was 20. It was for $150 and i lived paycheck to paycheck and type one Diabetic. I was told by the court if i tried to fight the ticket and lost i would be put in jail till i paid the ticket. So i was forced to pay leaving my account balance at $25. My insulin prescriptions for that month with insurance cost me... Guess what? $150 and some change. i had to eat one small meal a day for a month to minimize my insulin use. All this for 10miles over the speed limit while merging into traffic. Im 33 now and still Diabetic and still alive. But imagine if i hadn't paid it. I would be in jail today because i would not have been able to pay it. Would have lost my job, probably my license and probably dies from not having any way to get insulin. But hey, justice would have been served right?

Its pretty hilarious that a comedic newcaster who targets major issues with honesty and fairness just for our entertainment would be a FAR better candidate for the Presidency than any other person currently running for president. I cant be the only one who feels this way.

In Sacramento running a stop sign is $975.00 - AND THAT WAS LIKE 15 YEARS AGO.

This hurts my heart just hearing it

In some scandinavian country, I think it's in Sweden, speeding tickets are proportional to your income. That means that a minimum wage worker would only have to pay a couple of bucks, but a manager with a 6 figure income would have to pay a couple 100,000. Sounds a lot more fair when you think of it, now, doesn't it?

Just another example of how those with power will do everything the can to exploit those without it. They then justify their theft through bullshit contracts that the exploited individual has no choice but to sign. If Corporations are people, they are the new sociopaths of our society...

great show!

So grateful that they don’t censor these videos anymore

We actually found a ferret in our backyard and kept him for five or six years before he died. Never took him to a vet, so no idea if he was ever vaccinated >_>

Debtors prison? Jailed for $2 this sounds like the 1,500’s

Yes Thank You GZA.

Thank you GZA!

"The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles. But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet. This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.” ― Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms: The Play

Honestly that ticket girl at the beginning is very me when I’m stressed

There was a online lending company that got charged with fraud for this exact same thing!

Conversion Camps. What a horrifying thought... Unless one GENUINELY wants to be there for their own reasons, I guess.