How Politicians Are Raiding 911 Emergency $$$ to Scam Millions of Consumers

[kpete]

How Politicians Are Using 911 Emergency Services to Scam Millions of Consumers
Raiding 911 funds is an easy way for politicians to scoop up loose cash -- far easier than taxing the rich.
March 5, 2011 |


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More troubling for long-term civil society, none of these officials, let alone the less-then-attentive commercial news media, identified the deeper problems besetting 911 services. Hundreds of millions of dollars are collected annually by states and localities to support 911 services and much of it is diverted to plug state budget holes and meet a host of other demands. Most disturbing, 911 services are technologically bankrupt, held together by duct-tape and workarounds.

911 monies are a direct surcharge on customer phone bills, whether landline, wireless and Internet service. Though it varies by the state, this charge adds $0.25 to $1.50 a month to phone bills per line, with only a few states not having a separate 911 charge. Worse, in most states, 911 services are not put up for bid, so the existing phone companies get the lion's share of monies paid for 911 services.

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A recent 911 Association study reveals different schemes employed by states to fudge their 911 books. One involves simply diverting funds to meet other obligations, most often to make up shortfalls in a state's general fund; between 2001 and 2004 such diversions totaled more than $400 million. Another simply redefines 911 services so as to use monies from 911 and EMS to fund, for example, courthouse pay raises.

more:
http://www.alternet.org/news/150132/how_politicians_are_using_911_emergency_services_to_scam_millions_of_consumers/