New York – Outrageous: State Uses Your Monthly 911 Cell Phone Tax For Its Own Pleasure

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    Jay Jacuk, supervisor of dispatch operation at the Onondaga County Department of Emergency Communications, handles a call inside the agency\'s communications control center. New York – The cell phone bill says “9-1-1 Service Fee”: $1.20. You pay it every month to New York state.

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    But only 6 cents end up at a 911 center.

    Instead, the state spends the money on itself: overtime, fringe benefits, travel, vehicles, new boots, clip-on ties, sun block, spray paint, groceries, dry cleaning and other daily expenses for agencies ranging from the state police to the departments of corrections and parks, state records show.

    The National Guard, for example, spent almost $1 million at Oswego’s Best Western Captain’s Quarters hotel and steak and seafood restaurant and the Econo Lodge Riverfront Inn. That housed and fed up to 21 soldiers who patrolled the nuclear power plants for three years after Sept. 11, 2001.

    The state imposed the fee to raise enough money to upgrade 911 technology so dispatchers can find you when you call from your cell phone and can’t talk.

    The fee may have started as a well-meaning temporary tax. But in typical New York state government style, the fee continues to pump into a 911 fund that is raided, borrowed against, increased and perpetuated after its job is done.

    The state’s latest move shows the attitude toward this steady income.

    First, state officials promised to spend up to $2 billion from the fee to build the world’s biggest wireless emergency radio system for the state’s first responders. But that system keeps failing tests.

    So Gov. David Paterson last month redirected $40 million from that project to the general fund to be used for anything.

    “People are so used to paying that $1.20 to the state every month that nobody really pays too much attention to it,” Koon said. “So, it’s just another revenue stream the state is using now.”

    Here are some ways the state has spent your $1.20-a-month since 2002, according to state comptroller’s office records.

    Millions of dollars covered salaries at various state agencies. About $24 million went for overtime at agencies including the departments of corrections and parks.

    About $225,000 bought clothing and footwear. Nearly $20,000 paid for laundry and dry cleaning services.

    This year, expenses included two $153 hard hats and four pairs of $78 snowshoes for the Office for Technology. The State Police spent $18,600 on pants, shirts, jackets and tie bars.

    Two agencies — technology and agriculture — spent almost $60,000 from cell phone customers last year to pay their own cell phone bills.

    Over the years, the fee has also covered $15,500 on interest and late payments to businesses ranging from pizza places to the major law firm working on the statewide wireless network, records show.

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    13 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    What else is new. Take the tax money and run.

    Money Hungry
    Money Hungry
    15 years ago

    We are in a democracy not communist country government may choose to tax us and use our hard earned money however they feel like. A general phone bill now has about 25% in taxes why?

    rebbitzen Sarah Palin
    rebbitzen Sarah Palin
    15 years ago

    What’s the big deal,this is the way gov. Operates if you want to see this at its worse level vote Obama he will increase entitlement prog. So there can be more waste then he will make you patriotic(as his veep calls it)by raising taxes

    onions
    onions
    15 years ago

    do you know there still is a tax on cassette tapes! there still is a tax to make sure every town has phone service! fifty years later! taxes to sunset, only tax reductions sunset.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I believe there was a lawsuit about this or a similar tax by one of the telephone service providers about 2-3 years ago and a NY Court threw it out.

    nchemye farnuminer
    nchemye farnuminer
    15 years ago

    the bachur in lakewood who was beeten up dialed 911 do you think they came ? – ah nechtigen tug

    mikey
    mikey
    15 years ago

    This is what happens when people go into the voting booth and vote Democrat and continue to vote in incumbents – Its called lack of accountability.

    We taxpayers of NY are simply being RIPPED OFF by the City and State and Federal Government – but especially the city and state. We are the wealthiest state and run a deficit – its vulgar.

    political  analyst
    political analyst
    15 years ago

    1. no surpise to me. I bet all the other taxes & fees are a scam too.

    2. pleasure is spelled ‘pleasure’ not ‘plesure’

    Favish
    Favish
    15 years ago

    Where are our State elected officials???????

    Dov stop all the none sense in Israel, Let elected officials in Israel take care of them selfs and you start taking care of what you were voted for, REPRESENT US IN NEW YORK STATE.

    Mr. Silver you are the Speaker in the Assembly, Are you SLEEPING? Wake up already and start reducing the budget and cut taxes.

    Parker, Golden Savino, Smith what is going on in the State Senate? What did you guys do for us New York?

    TIME FOR CHANGE!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Time to vote all politicians out of office and vote for new ones. These politicians are stealing our money.

    Vote Republican

    HEFKER WORLD
    HEFKER WORLD
    15 years ago

    how in the world could something like this happen ? can a big corp. do whatever they want ? if a plain (small) person would something similar he would go to jail ………..look at bear sterans… lehman bros. ………merryl lynch…..& all that brokeredg morgage lenders……. why did nobody land in prison after all what happend lately …..they almost ruined U.S.A.

    Choizik
    Choizik
    15 years ago

    The biggest thieves in this State are the State itself! Thank you Shelly Silver!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Half of every telephone bill is not for telephone use. It consists of charges and surcharges, and taxes of charges and surcharges. Last year Sprint notified its customers (in small print of course) that from now on it will also start adding surcharges. It is only a matter of time until these companies start charging tax. Who says only the government can print money?