Paying Florida Ex-Cons' Fines and Fees

[Cheerful Charlie]

Fees, sure pay those. Fines... aren't fines in lieu of more jail time?

No. Fines in some jurisdiction are laid on felons to pay for expenses uncured for jailing somebody, poorly punitive fines after time has been served and other fines. Often one cannot get a drivers license until such fines are paid off and other penalties. These can keep an ex-felon in poverty for years, with little chance to pay them off. Often these felons have minor drug charges, not violent crime felonies.

 

[Derec]

Whitey locks up disproportionate amount of blacks and hispanics for misdemeanors. Disproportionate amount of whites stay out of prison and maintain their voting status.

Racists: "Why aren't they helping white felons?!?!"
Also Racists "White privilege doesn't exist"

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It's truly an upside-down Newspeak world when paying off fines of only members of certain races is deemed good, but questioning it is called "racist".

 

[Derec]

WaPo says that this charity is very narrowly focused on Black and Hispanic ex felons. White guys are on their own?

That makes it pretty obvious that the goal is partisan electoral advantage rather than any lofty principles about universal suffrage.

By the way, apparently he will be investigated by Florida's AG.
Florida officials ask for investigation of Bloomberg’s fundraising push to cover fines for felons who want to vote

“Here’s how that works, Lou. In Florida you only get to vote if you’re a convicted felon if all of your court costs, fines, fees and restitution are paid off, and so what Michael Bloomberg is doing is creating a politically motivated way to retire the debts of these felons in exchange for their votes," Gaetz said. "And it’s not every felon; it’s just those which they have specifically identified as the Biden voters. and so again, that’s offering a bribe, an inducement, for someone to behave a certain way in voting. I think it’s potentially criminal.”

 

[ZiprHead]

WaPo says that this charity is very narrowly focused on Black and Hispanic ex felons. White guys are on their own?

That makes it pretty obvious that the goal is partisan electoral advantage rather than any lofty principles about universal suffrage.

By the way, apparently he will be investigated by Florida's AG.
Florida officials ask for investigation of Bloomberg’s fundraising push to cover fines for felons who want to vote

“Here’s how that works, Lou. In Florida you only get to vote if you’re a convicted felon if all of your court costs, fines, fees and restitution are paid off, and so what Michael Bloomberg is doing is creating a politically motivated way to retire the debts of these felons in exchange for their votes," Gaetz said. "And it’s not every felon; it’s just those which they have specifically identified as the Biden voters. and so again, that’s offering a bribe, an inducement, for someone to behave a certain way in voting. I think it’s potentially criminal.”

Matt Gaetz is a tool.

How is the charity identifying Biden voters?

 

[Derec]

Matt Gaetz is a tool.

Why?

How is the charity identifying Biden voters?

Going by what WaPo is writing, they are presumably using race and ethnicity as proxy for partisan affiliation.

Bloomberg should have, if he was going to do this at all, paid the fines of ALL felons, not just blacks and hispanics!

 

[ZiprHead]

Matt Gaetz is a tool.

Why?

How is the charity identifying Biden voters?

Going by what WaPo is writing, they are presumably using race and ethnicity as proxy for partisan affiliation.

Bloomberg should have, if he was going to do this at all, paid the fines of ALL felons, not just blacks and hispanics!

He's committed to helping Biden win Florida. So concentrating on certain voting blocs is standard practice. There is no guarantee all the people in the bloc will vote Biden.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

I am just amused that Democrats seem to be so certain that they have the felon vote in the bag.

Is that what Bloomberg is counting on? Do White former felons get their fines paid too?

ETA: No, they do not. Maybe Bloomberg is not counting on the felon vote in general, but reckons that Black and Hispanic people will likely vote Democrat - especially the former.

 

[repoman]

I am just amused that Democrats seem to be so certain that they have the felon vote in the bag.

Is that what Bloomberg is counting on? Do White former felons get their fines paid too?

ETA: No, they do not. Maybe Bloomberg is not counting on the felon vote in general, but reckons that Black and Hispanic people will likely vote Democrat - especially the former.

I think that this organization just happened to be an ultra fast clearinghouse for Bloomberg to get these fines paid. There is probably no time to get other people's, even other black or hispanic or ex felons, fines paid off in time.

So, I would bet that if a white ex felon came to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and wanted to register for fine forgiveness that they would not be turned away. But maybe they would, Does anyone have information on this?

 

[Rhea]

That was what I saw reported. That he was paying the fines only of those wo had asked to get their voting rights restored. No “Biden Voters,” not “black voters” but rather those who asked to vote.

 

[laughing dog]

I have not seen anything where it claims that white felons are not eligible for this charitable program. If you go to the Florida Rights Restitution Coalition website, there are links to online applications to get your fines and fees paid. Here is one such link (https://floridarrc.com/fines/assistance/). There is no mention of race or even asking about race in the application. That suggests to me that this "no white felon" claim is incorrect.

 

[fromderinside]

I don't see how republicans can make a claim for value received by one who gave if what they asked for was the right to vote and he wasn't running for office in Florida. Methinks some Trump lovers are going to get more bad news and press if they try to take the 'value for' tact.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

I am just amused that Democrats seem to be so certain that they have the felon vote in the bag.

Is that what Bloomberg is counting on? Do White former felons get their fines paid too?

ETA: No, they do not. Maybe Bloomberg is not counting on the felon vote in general, but reckons that Black and Hispanic people will likely vote Democrat - especially the former.

I think that this organization just happened to be an ultra fast clearinghouse for Bloomberg to get these fines paid. There is probably no time to get other people's, even other black or hispanic or ex felons, fines paid off in time.

So, I would bet that if a white ex felon came to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and wanted to register for fine forgiveness that they would not be turned away. But maybe they would, Does anyone have information on this?

I think they would not be turned away, but those numbers would be pretty small. And you may well be right that there is no time to pay for others. But the question is: why is it that all of the fines to be paid are for Black and Latino former convicts? Unless, of course, there is misreporting going on.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

That was what I saw reported. That he was paying the fines only of those wo had asked to get their voting rights restored. No “Biden Voters,” not “black voters” but rather those who asked to vote.

Fair enough, so this was a case of misreporting, and it's not limited to Black and Latinos, so no problem, even if it was done for electoral purposes - then again, now I suspect that the leaked memo might have been a case of misreporting too. I'll wait and see.

 

[ZiprHead]

In the articles I've read (both WaPo), Bloomberg himself is concentrating on blacks and latinos but the other organizations paying the fines are not limiting by color.

 

[TV and credit cards]

All half-baked reporting aside, I’m sure Bloomberg has plenty enough lawyers advising him how not to run afoul of the law here.