Ever received a $25 traffic ticket? Probably not in Pennsylvania, even though that's the price the state probably subscribed for your traffic penalty. All of the fees added onto the ticket most likely quadrupled the cost.

The increasing discrepancy between original ticket penalties and the final costs even has led police to question the fairness of the fees. Millville Police Chief Ted Stout and Orangeville Police Chief Steve Rothermel, whose departments both are located near Bloomsburg, recently said the extra costs added to traffic fines are too high. We can't help but agree.

The basic $25 fine increases to more than $100 with costs, leading the officers to say the state only cares about collecting money and not actually enforcing the laws.

The large difference between the original fine and the end cost certainly should raise some eyebrows.

If the state thinks tickets should be $100, why not make them that much to begin with? The $25 fine leads one to believe that the state assesses that as the fair penalty. If the punishment is $25, then that should be the punishment.

While we recognize the importance of the state's traffic laws and thus police officers' enforcement of them, we question whether making excessively high ticket costs is the fairest solution to combating traffic problems and safety concerns.

While the high price of tickets may be a deterrent to committing violations, there are other reasons, such as getting points on one's license or an increased insurance rate, that make people try to avoid getting pulled over. Thus, tickets should not be looked at as the only deterrent and thus increasing them an easy out.

There are charges for court operation costs and a Judicial Computer Project fund cost. Also, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Catastrophic Loss Trust Fund fees can be added. The EMS fund provides grants to pre-hospital emergency care providers such as ambulance services. How much longer should the list be? Where will the state draw the line?

Fees already are quadrupling the cost of the tickets. When the fines increase the costs by 10-fold will that be enough?