NYC Lawmaker Wants People To Pay Fines Based On Income
(New York, NY) — One city lawmaker wants income to get factored into how much New Yorkers pay for civil fines. Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan says a sliding scale would allow low-income residents to pay less than high-income residents. Other than double parking, Brannan’s bill doesn’t specify which categories would be included. A so-called “day fine” structure was once tested out in Staten Island and found an increase in collection rates while the system is very common in Europe.
Report: 50-Percent Of New Yorkers Cant Afford Basic Needs
(New York, NY) — A new report shows 50-percent of New Yorkers can’t afford basic needs. A report from the Fund for the City of New York says that half of the city’s working-age residents don’t have enough money to comfortably pay for an apartment, food and basic health care. It added that this is the highest number of households in the report’s 20-year-history. The report also said that a family needs to bring in 100-thousand-dollars a year to afford basic needs.