So I had one of those times where someone borrowed my permit and I forgot to put it back on my car, and got a ticket.  After paying it, I thought why exactly does the ticket cost $40.00 ?? 

Not really complaining, but I was curious, exactly who set this amount and why?
My thoughts were that this amount was for deterring dangerous parking behavior, but if such was the case then the dept. would take better care into making sure drivers were parking better rather than going on ticket sprees on anything they could find. 

It annoys me when certain rules are placed for a good purpose, but that purpose gets lost and the rules get abused. 

In anycase, I also heard that the tickets were ways some employees made their wages?

Oh, a lil unrelated, but I feel that we should be notified one way or another, via email / letter that we received a ticket.  I heard from two friends how either the cop screwed up or someone was being a jerk and they never found out they had a ticket until a letter came saying it was overdue.