You can violate the law for $67 in Richmond

TimesDispatch.com | Hispanics find they can't drive with this license is a story about Hispanics being scammed with sham international driver's licenses. Reading it, I wondered why they thought they needed these licenses. The last paragraph of the story indicates one possibility

"Juan Santacoloma, a Hispanic liaison in Chesterfield, said the problem has no easy solution.

"About 90 percent of Hispanics are illegal and cannot obtain a legal driver's license. But they have to work, go to the grocery store and the supermarket," he said. "They have to obtain a license. So when they talk to someone who says, 'This is a legal license, you can get it for $300,' they say OK.

"They pay it because they need it.""

To get a driver's license you must be a lega resident. That makes the sham international driver's licenses work if, as said in the story, about 90% of the Hispanics are illegal aliens. The math works out to 4.5% of Virginia's population being illegal aliens.

Apparently, we accept that status quo to the point that you can violate the law for a $67 penality in Chesterfield County. Wonder if they have a sliding scale of minor fees for other criminal activity?

Acceptance of Illegal Aliens in Richmond

TimesDispatch.com | Hispanics find they can't drive with this license is an article about Hispanics in the greater Richmond area (~5% of the population) getting taken with an international driver's license scam. You have to read the entire article to see why this scam works.
"Juan Santacoloma, a Hispanic liaison in Chesterfield, said the problem has no easy solution.

"About 90 percent of Hispanics are illegal and cannot obtain a legal driver's license. But they have to work, go to the grocery store and the supermarket," he said. "They have to obtain a license. So when they talk to someone who says, 'This is a legal license, you can get it for $300,' they say OK.

"They pay it because they need it.""

In other words, these folks can't get a Virginia Driver's license because they are not legal residents. The amazing part of this is the acceptance from top to bottom of illegal activity. I wonder what crimes I can commit for the $67 fee in Judge Laney's court?

A bad day fishing

is better than a good day at work. Yesterday was in that category. Water temperatures about 75. Air temperatures about 80. Sky overcast. Only a couple of bites. First time in a very long time that I got skunked.

Oh, well. It still was a great day.

Great Photos and Narrative from Iraq

Michael Yon : Online Magazine

I wonder why we don't see stuff like this in the MSM. Not really.

Great day, wish I knew how to fish

Sunday was a nice day to be out fishing. Except the fish didn't think so. Managed to catch 4, but had to work my butt off to catch them. Maybe going up river to my honey holes is not the best idea. Couldn't seem to find any combiantion of anything that worked. Still, a bad day fishing is better than most other activities.

Never Understimate the Power of Human Stupidity

Sunday I got to see a bass boat that was wedged into some trees, 4' off the (rising) river, on the bank of the Chick. Seems that the driver was doing 50 and lost control of the boat. He ended up with the boat wedged between the trees with the prop not touching anything. He was either coming out of a curve or into a curve when he lost it. The navigable river channel isn't that wide, is full of tree stumps and trees. It is dangerous to go full out (even with my 40hp 16-footer). Glad he didn't get hurt or hurt anyone else.

If memory serves, this boat looked like one, whose owner is known for going flat out down the river. Even in the narrow twisty, turny places. Serves him right. Twenty is as fast as anyone needs to go in that stretch.

Cooler Temps, no fish, and now fix the boat

Saturday was cooler and I thought the fish would be a bit more active. No pickeral, just a few bites and one bass. Got adventuresome and went under the tree blocking the river. Coming back, I managed to finish cracking the windscreen on the boat. Will be in Plexiglass 101 this week.