If I accidentally almost kill someone while talking on my cellphone, the fine is $50. Seriously, “amazed” you think that $50 is reasonable? I have a feeling if this happened to someone that you knew you would be screaming louder than anyone else.

It has been well documented on this site that we do not agree on a single issue so I really do not know why we waste each other’s time commenting back and forth. That said, let me proceed and waste more of our time.

I am not sure how your “darting out in front, riding close to the line, and wearing dark clothing” comments relate to Mrs. Morgan riding on a wide open stretch of rural highway on a bright sunny day in brightly colored clothing relates to this story, but maybe I am missing something. If someone accidentally hit a child walking on the shoulder of the road, I would guess that most people would see $50 as being unjustified. My point was that alot of people are forming completely different opinions of this story just because she was riding a bike.

My point with the tractor comparison was not absurd. I was pointing out that in the “rules of the road” bicycles are to be treated as any other slow moving vehicle. A tractor is a good example of a slow moving vehicle that is commonly seen on Mississippi roads. Most people do not understand that and would never treat John Boy riding his tractor down the highway with the same amount of anger and hostility as they do cyclists. Again, you miss an obvious point.

I realize that it was an accident and I am not saying that Norton should get “25 to life,” but I think that most reasonable people would see a $50 fine as absurd. I understand that with our current laws $50 might be as severe as it gets under these circumstances. If that is the case, we need to work to change the laws to better protect pedestrians, cyclists, and other types of road users.

I suppose that if I were to accidently hit a biker that darts out in front of me, rides as close to their little white line as they can (instead of staying in their lane) or wears dark clothing after dark, you would have me hung, too?

I hope that you feel better now that you have vented and I assume that your comparison of a tractor to a bike was written in haste and that you were really not thinking about how absurd it would sound?

Bethany—I make no assertions about this vote being somehow a socialist vote. I am simply explaining that people should vote NO on this issue. Most people in Starkville are paid by MSU so I understand how statistically we have many people here who believe that more government benefits are good. I also acknowledge that statistically many workers paid by the state or city have minimal knowledge of an economic system that relies on capitalism rather than an economic system in which the means of production are either state owned or commonly owned and controlled cooperatively such as at Mississippi State University.

Behind every company are individuals. The integrity of the individuals is representative of the company. Behind every government are individuals and their subsequent influence. Government isn’t accountable to anyone.

BA, I don’t know you and I pray that your response was satirical, but if it wasn’t I need to let you in on a little secret…you are a socialist too.

I hate to point out the obvious here – but the your entire rant is rather baseless since socialism requires ultimately removing group decision making in favor of the choices of one (or a few) all-important individuals. As this was a vote by referendum – you couldn’t be more incorrect.

The police in Starkville do not have a tough time. Their job is cake. They don’t work hard. Their job is a joke compared to most police forces. They are socialists who take money from taxpayers in the form of a salary. They then go around inflicting financial harm on individuals and the community by issuing citations for seatbelts bicycle helmets and other trivial infractions that exclusively inflict financial harm on hardworking individuals. $45 a year in tax increases? sure tell your friends to not eat out an extra meal. What about the family who can’t eat out an extra meal and is already in the red? $45 increase to build a city hall that our socialist leaders want to play god and make decisions that the government knows nothing about but some paper pushing administrator decides it sounds good on paper.

So yes our bicycle helmet ticketeting policemen want a new building. Forget about it. They already sucked us taxpayers dry. I think we should cut some of our police force.

The people who voted against this were probably out working and don’t have time to attend civic meetings. When people are productive they are busy.

Distrust? Distrust anyone who wishes for the government to step into our private lives and attempt innappropriate regulation of our activities. The government takes our taxpayers money and finds ways to blow it.

Does the local governemnt have any experience in managing money? Its hard to make a good decision about money without adequate background knowledge.

The better question that will appease a more diverse audience in this matter is: Aren’t there better ways to spend the money requested from the stand of an investment return? Who wants more policemen to want to come to starkville Jeremy? NOT ME
Don’t we want more businessmen? More asians to make our schools perform better? More JOBS? No one is going to ride in a 100k $ car on streets that are 3rd world.
I could rant for a long time.

Vote NO! Don’t make Starkville more attractive to socialists and government leeches by giving them a new office. What have they done to deserve it?
Give them a bigger city hall and they will be better at stepping into your life and performing innappropriate activities.