Are the airlines these days getting more fines for maintance or is the media just now reporting them more often. AA and WN now UA

How does the FAA come up with the amount of the fine or do they just pull a nice round number out of the air?

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080821/united_airlines_faa.html?.v=1

FAA proposes $18,000 penalty for United violations after Feb. runway skid


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing an $18,000 civil penalty against United Airlines for two maintenance violations the FAA said occurred before a United jet skidded off a runway and ended up in three feet of snow in February.

A Feb. 25 flight with 125 people aboard slid off the runway after landing in Jackson Hole, Wyo. No one was seriously hurt. The National Transportation Safety Board said in March that the A320 at Jackson Hole and another United A320 that also skidded off a runway had crossed wiring in their main landing gear. It is believed that caused the wheels to lock.

United checked all its A320s and found a third with the wiring problem. That aircraft was not involved in an accident.

[Edited 2008-08-21 14:30:45]