If The Penalty’s a Fine, It’s Only a Crime for the Poor
Unlike time to be imprisoned, we do not all share the same income to be fined. A $500 fine to me means bills don’t get paid. A $500 fine to Warren Buffet is a rounding error. So, you end up with the double-parking scenario in New York, where it’s easier for the rich to pay parking tickets than to try to find parking.