Try Explaining This To 222 DUI Victims

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By By Ken Schram

Summary

The Legislature still wants to give repeat DUI offenders four chances before making the crime a felony, stating that it'll cost too much money to make the penalty stiffer.

Story Published: Feb 27, 2006 at 11:59 AM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 2:13 AM PDT

Try Explaining This To 222 DUI Victims
SEATTLE - It costs too much money.

That's the legislative 'logic' for giving drunk drivers a second chance to make some wife a widow.

The same logic means that drunk drivers will also get a third chance for some kids to spend Father's Day at the cemetery.

And they will even get a fourth chance, which means some parents can eventually outfit their paralyzed son or daughter with a spiffy new wheelchair.

See, lawmakers acknowledge: There are too many repeat drunk drivers on our state roads, but then those lawmakers says that to put more of them in prison, well, that would just be too expensive.

That's why legislators decided that drunk drivers can have 4 FREE DUI's within 7-years, before the fifth one finally becomes a felony.

I think every single house member who believes that is okay should be obliged to visit one of the 222 families who lost a loved one to drunk driving last year.

They should have to sit with people who've lost limbs; spend some time and help feed a paraplegic.

I want those lawmakers to look into the eyes of a 10-year-old child and explain that mommy's dead because that's just the price they have to pay, because it costs too much money to take repeat drunk drivers off the road.

If you want to see how your state representative voted on HB 3076, go to: www.leg.wa.gov.