NOT A CRIMINAL

I just read your story in the Aug. 3-9 edition of The Portland Phoenix and it brought back some haunting memories of when I first came to live in Portland, ME.

I had moved to Portland from Tennessee in Nov. ‘99 (completely on a shoestring budget until I could find work). I started work at a local manufacturing facility on April 19, 2000 and was stopped on my way home from work two days after starting.

I was in a long line of traffic on Congress Street heading towards Portland. We were all going the same rate of speed, I was not gaining on the car ahead of me nor was I pulling away from the vehicle behind me.

A squad car was conveniently hidden on the road taking you to the Italian Heritage Center behind Westgate Shopping Center. Just as soon as I passed him, he pulled in front of traffic to get behind me and pull me over.

I was stopped just past the Westgate Shopping Center in front of the Catholic Church on Congress. The police officer asked me for my driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance.

In Tennessee we are only required to have a license plate on the back of the vehicle, also, there is no inspection sticker program enforced in that state. To make a long story short, he cited me for going 51 in a 35 mph zone and told me that he was letting me off easy because he could easily impound my vehicle, cite me for not having registered my vehicle within 30 days of moving here, and not having a current insurance policy, all of which could easily costs me upwards of $600. I was given a ticket for the speeding (which as I said earlier, was inappropriate because I was in a line of traffic with all of us going the same speed — but since he only saw the one license plate I stood out from the rest) which cost me $92.00.

He didn’t even mention the fact that I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt at the time he pulled me over. Huge oversight on his part — could have bumped up his quota of tickets/citations for that particular month.

Did the incident leave me bitter? Of course it did! I was singled out of a line of traffic because he knew for a fact that he could get me for something! I couldn’t very well say I’d only just moved to the area because I had a parking zone sticker in my back window I had gotten in December ‘99 and it could easily be found out when it was applied for.

I’m not a criminal trying to elude justice, I’m simply a victim of Maine’s overzealous law enforcement flexing their muscles. I had every intention of getting my vehicle legalized for the state of Maine, it just took me a little while to get established.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I could sympathize with the anguish and anxiety with which you and your wife endured while you were incarcerated and the time it took to fight it in court.

Tiena

Portland

MORE POLICE, LESS LIBERALS

I enjoyed your article in the Phoenix detailing your arrest for failing to register your car in Maine, or anywhere else. I think the cops acted reasonably, considering that the tags were more than six months out of date. A month or two can be written off to procrastination, but more than about six months is tax avoidance.

I do sympathize, though. I hate paying the high tax bills exacted by our great state. It is especially onerous because I am retired and naively thought that they would cut me a little slack. The trouble is, liberal politicians need the money to conduct their good deeds. An active and vigilant police force is necessary to insure that everyone keeps pouring money into the hopper to be spent on the more deserving members of our community.

I assume that you are a fiscal conservative and always vote for candidates who promise to lower the tax burden. If not, then shame on you for trying to avoid the taxes you voted for.

John Petrizzo

Old Orchard Beach

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