Ouch! Moving violations just got more expensive!

Politicians hard at work in Sacramento have added some unrelated charges to the cost of a moving violation ticket.

Here's the breakdown of the tab for failing to stop at a red light up in the Bay Area:
$100 -- the base fine
$70 -- for various state programs
$30 -- Alameda County general fund
$70 -- county fee for automated fingerprint ID and other programs
$20 -- fee for state DNA crime evidence collection program
$55 -- fee for court construction
$20 -- assessment for county's emergency medical system
$20 -- court security fee
$20 -- surcharge for state's general fund
$35 -- fee to help cover revenue bonds for courthouses
$1 -- night court fee
$49 -- fee for the privilege of signing up for traffic school
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$490 for rolling through a stop sign. However you have the option to pay the courts on the installment plan or defer payment. With a $30 penalty fee, of course. Read the full story at the SF Chronicle.

$38 for a Cup of Coffee?

"Would you pay $38 for a cup of coffee? Clifford Phillips of Wash., did. He used his debit card to pay for a latte, not knowing there wasn’t enough money in his checking account to cover it. The bank could have declined the transaction for insufficient funds. Instead it approved the electronic payment and hit his account with a $34 overdraft fee.

At most banks and some credit unions, most checking accounts are now automatically enrolled – as a customer service – in an overdraft protection program. The financial institution lets you spend more than you have, loans you the difference (up to a certain amount) and hits you with a hefty fee."

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