"What should be the penalty for someone convicted of drunk driving?"
(asked at the Redmond Library on 01-09-97; published in the EJ on 01-12-97)

Penny Weimer, Library assistant, Kirkland


"They should have their license taken away from them and spend some time in jail because they're a lethal weapon on the highway. They ruin too many families."

Carol Davis, Senior library assistant, Duvall


"I don't think they should ever be able to drive again. And if they drive again anyway, there should be a penalty... They should have to volunteer in a hospital for at least six months -- in an E.R., cleaning up all the blood. And if it's going to be a monetary penalty, it needs to be far higher than it is now... Trying to force people into alcohol rehabilitation doesn't seem to work."

Stan Youngs, C.P.A., Kirkland


"I think they need to lose their license. That's ostensibly what's on the books today... In Europe, you lose your right to drive forever. I'd say a four-year loss of license. Beyond that, you have to go on penalties, either civil penalties or fines. I tend to be a restitution advocate... It's a tough problem and I think we need to be way, way tougher."

Eric Rohrbach, Consultant, Redmond


"My impression is what we're doing now is slowly bringing down the problem, so I tend to think it's working. I might get tougher on repeat offenders because I think the problem stems from a small minority. What you want to do is work to get them off the road."

Laurel Nyquist, Stay-at-home mom, Redmond


"I think they should take their license away -- and their car. People can get back on the road and it's dangerous having them out there... And a prison sentence would be more severe. We just have to get tougher."

Jeff Fisher, Free lance artist, Redmond


"Prison time first. Repeat offenders are not given enough jail time. And there isn't enough rehabilitation while they are in prison. Usually, drunk drivers are alcoholics and they're dealt with as criminals rather than as having a disease. They're obviously committing a crime, but the penalty should include rehab."

© 1997 by the Bellevue, WA-based Eastside Journal (née Journal American) newspaper.

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