Doesn't the thieves guild give the option to have your bounty erased? i've asked every member "what other services..." and no one mentions getting a bounty paid off...

The guild members don't pay your bounty like they previously did. Instead, you can bribe a guard in town to get rid of your bounty.

ok, but i thought that was a speech perk. independent of whether or not your part of the thieves guild...

I noticed I had a bounty of 10 one time, so I decided to test this out by talking to a guard... The bribe amount? 297.

I guess the Thieves guild is more prepared to bribe larger bounties than the ones you get for kicking chickens.