Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Monday February 12 2018, @10:04AM   Printer-friendly
from the states-needed-help-too dept.

Two members of the Federal Communications Commission want to stop states from using 911 funds to pay for other government services or equipment.

"On our individual phone bills, a line item is typically included for 911 service," FCC Commissioners Michael O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel wrote in an op-ed for The Hill today. It's a relatively small fee that states and localities charge to support emergency calling services. But too many states are stealing these funds and using them for other purposes, like filling budget gaps, purchasing vehicles, or worse."

The FCC's latest annual report on 911 fees, covering calendar year 2016, said that New Mexico, Rhode Island, Illinois, New Jersey, and West Virginia "diverted" 911 funds totaling $128.9 million.

Besides those five states, "another seven didn't even bother to respond to our inquiry to examine their diversion practices," O'Rielly and Rosenworcel wrote. "None of this is acceptable."

New York is one state that did not submit a report for the FCC's data collection, "but sufficient public record information exists to support a finding that New York diverted funds for non-public safety uses," the FCC report said.

ArsTechnica


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Monday February 12 2018, @04:39PM

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday February 12 2018, @04:39PM (#636731)

    Lottery funded schools are the biggest joke going. Of course the lottery doesn't (yet) completely fund the public school system, so even if 100% of lottery funds are indeed given to education, all that happens is that other education funding sources are diverted or reduced to compensate.

    Now, in the case of 911 fees, that should be a program that is fully funded by the user fees, and any user fees collected above the actual cost of the program should be refunded in the following year through reduced fees and/or shortfalls made up by increased fees in the following year...

    But, that's not how legislators choose to write their budgets. There's usually one "general fund" and big mushy piles of money shoveled in and out of it with vague labels and half-promises attached.

    --
    🌻🌻 [google.com]
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +3  
       Insightful=2, Informative=1, Total=3
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   5