When Shane Bradwell got out of jail in 2011, he knew he would have a hard time getting a job, so he decided to start a house-painting business. But he quickly ran into a roadblock: Massachusetts suspended his driver’s license, not because he was a bad driver, but because of his drug conviction.
That meant Bradwell had to balance scrapers and brushes and even a gallon or two of paint on his bike. On workday mornings, he peddled to the bus stop, hopped on the bus with all his gear, and traveled as far as he could. Then he unloaded all of his stuff, rearranged it on his bike, and rode the rest of the way to his job site.
Massachusetts last year joined the majority of states that have scaled back or scrapped laws that automatically suspend the driver’s licenses of people with drug convictions and often charge hefty fees to get them reinstated. Unfortunately for Bradwell, Massachusetts made the change after he had borrowed money to pay the $500 fee to get his license back.
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9 comments:
I agree to suspend just like with alcohol. If they scrap it for drugs, then scrap it for alcohol
I disagree with 7:30 because it does make it hard for offenders to get and keep a job with no license.Would you rather that he be on welfare,hanging out with the same people who got him in trouble the first time? Some of you would be grousing about your taxes supporting this "bum" when in fact he wants to work.I'd say if he is pretty motivated to work and better himself if he goes through all that crap,riding on his bike with his painting supplies to a job site.
A few years ago Maryland refused to renew licenses to anyone that owed the State money, be it taxes, fines (of course), and even child support.
Some I agree with, others not.
There was (or is, I'm not sure) no avenue to appeal this. There really should have been some way to do this on a case-by-case basis.
My mamma always said "you made your bed , now lie in it" .
Yes! Let's make it difficult to impossible for those lowlives to hold a decent job and make an honest living! To hell with enabling them to help house and raise their children! Those bastions not only need a criminal record on their backs, they should be denied all other rights they were ever born with. Don't even let them have anything as sharp as a toothpick! Force them back into dealing drugs on the local street corner!
Take this one off the books.
8:00am yeah, you'd think people with common sense could make rules that are common sense. 241 years old this July and one thing stays the exact same:
CAN'T FIX STUPID!
He did the time now give him the license back and allow him to be a productive member of society.
A distinction to be made is whether the conviction involved operating a motor vehicle 'under the influence' of drugs or alcohol. If so, some obstacles to reinstatement make some sense. More so, if injuries or death were part of the violation.
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