Jan 02 2009
Breathalyzer for Five Years; No Genetic Discrimination
Illinois, in addition to being the land of corruption, seems to increasingly be the land of “What?”
As of yesterday, the state has increased the penalty for a first drunk driving offense. The very first time someone is convicted of drunk driving, a part of his sentence is to rent a breathalyzer and have it linked to their car’s ignition system. Until they pass a breath test, the car won’t start.
Before you MADD-types jump all over me, I am not condoning or endorsing the concept of drunk driving. But, I think this lawis probably just another way to help someone’s good buddy benefit from Illinois laws. Someone, after all, must be producing and renting these machines.
The breathalyzer apparently costs $60 or so to install and then there is a monthly rental fee for the duration of the probation. Okay, again, it’s not that I object to the additional punishment. People who drive drunk need to be taught never to do it again.
On the other hand, I am much more concerned about the enforcement (and lack of it) for the law that already exists. Last summer, a friend’s little sister went out drinking with friends and then came to behind the wheel of her car after she had hit a telephone pole with it. Luckily, she did not hurt anyone, including herself, though she did total the car.
The police offier who wrote the ticket for her accident, wrote in his report that she reeked of alcohol (two hours after the bars closed), but he did not even do a breathalyzer test. She simply got a ticket for the accident.
Hello! Mr. police officer, what were you thinking?
She got away with it and didn’t hurt anyone, so do you really think she learned a lesson? I don’t. So adding more penalties for those convicted of DUI only works if you actually arrest them for the offense.
Another stupid Illinois law that went into effect yesterday prohibits employers from discriminating based on genetic information.
Okay, I understand the desire to prevent discrimination in all forms, but are employers really submitting potential hires to genetic testing? Most of the employers I know are too cheap to even conduct drug testing much less pay for an expensive genetic test for future/potential employees.
Clearly, I missed something here.
Anyway, that’s my rant today…Illinois should try enforcing the laws it has instead of making more.
