911 Fiscal Emergency!
1October 23, 2016 by JImbo
Many communities have initiatives to soon increase the “E911” charge on your phone. The news keeps telling us that services are getting older and have no money to upgrade.
Huh…wonder why that is?
Could it be because some states are siphoning off that money to spend it on OTHER things? I know, it’s hard to believe that politicians would do something dishonest. ESPECIALLY when they are New York State politicians! (No way! Look at my shocked face! I am so shocked that New York State politicians are greedy and corrupt!)
Even Congress has been involved in the issue. Since the fee involves phone bills, the Federal Communications Commission tracks how much is collected… and stolen by the states.
For example, in Fiscal Year 2011-2012:
$194,787,113 was collected by NYS for the E911 cell phone fee.
$22,800,000 was diverted to the General Fund.
That’s about 12% of the fee that got “diverted” to non-911 expenses.
The 911 system is underfunded because New York State STOLE 12% of it.
Source: FCC Website
Since that, it’s only gotten WORSE. According to the latest figures, $400 million has been stolen by the State from local municipalities in the past 5 years. That’s 42% of the total of $945 million.
Source: Finger Lakes Times
This is why I’m a huge proponent of DEDICATED FUNDING. If you pay a fee to cover 911 service, then it should go towards 911! If you pay Thruway tolls, they should fix the damn Thruway.
There are three principles that I think would fix most of these problems of funding that keep popping up over and over.
Dedication
-Fees going to their intended service
Consolidation
-Doing things at the lowest level, with the least amount of duplication. For example we don’t need a Federal, State, County and local School organization. We don’t need Federal, State, County and Local “Transportation/Highway” departments. It’s redundant and wasteful to duplicate all of these services.
Elimination
Some things just shouldn’t be run by the government. Health care for example, or education*, or the power company. I hear you. “But it’s important!”
Well, so is food. The government doesn’t run all the grocery stores. We have the most variety and the lowest prices in the HISTORY OF THE PLANET.
Imagine that.
Meanwhile, the most heavily regulated industries such as health care and education are getting more expensive at record rates.
Coincidence?
- Education was for most of the history of our country separate from the government. Local schools were run as a non-profit community business.
The Readneck Review Blog 
They should balance the budget not find ways to tax & steal!
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