Numerous Massachusetts communities are taking your tax dollars courtesy of the Executive Office of Public Safety, and using the funds to grant officers overtime for the express reason of nabbing bad boys and bad girls driving or riding, without their seat belt on. Get caught and it's a $30 fine. Not fine about the fine and intend to fight it, you'll need to cough up an extra $25 for the appeals process.

The original seat belt law levied no fine. Today, police are enticed with overtime pay and, like private detail work, the cops are monitoring only for beltless motorists. What an absolute waste of tax dollars. As Fairhaven Police spokesman Kevin Kobza states, there's zero tolerance. They're targeting folks not wearing a belt.

If budget cuts mean program cuts and no sales tax holiday, how can the Commonwealth shell out precious tax dollars to sniff out beltless motorists? Use the public safety funds, to catch killers and real crooks. Let's ticket, Click It or Ticket.

By the way, there are no do you see seat belts on public transit buses. Can anyone spell double standard?

Editor’s Note:   Brian Thomas is the host of Brian’s Beat on 1420 WBSM New Bedford.  He can be heard weekdays from 10am-Noon and Saturdays from 6am-9am.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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