What can $48 get you?

[LugNut18]

In Tracy, CA it could get you unlimited 911 calls for a year. If you don't choose that plan it is $300 per call. If you don't live in Tracy, it's $400 per call.

Article:http://cbs13.com/local/tracy.9....html

Video:"California town to start charging $300 for calling 911"http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c2a_1266879938

Is Cali really that broke

[Ghostdrifter88]

"oh look, someone i dont know is getting raped." starts to dial 9-1-1 then realize that it costs $300..."oh well it aint my kid."^is going to happen A LOT!!

[brandonDavid]

i would pay the 48 bucks and use it for all it's worth, "Uh, I just heard a bump in the night, come check it out"

[Jesda]

I'm 50/50 on this. On one hand, I favor user fees. I'd be happy to replace all gas taxes with tolls on major roads. On the other hand, its a basic public service like fire and police coverage that one would normally expect government to provide at no additional cost to the general public, especially considering the ridiculous amount it charges us for all of it.

[Pieceofsand]

^^ LOL@ B-Metts

I don't believe people should pay anything. What about our tax dollars?

And, if I do pay, they better provide some better service.

All 911 operators are rude. Sometimes they don't even show up until 20 minutes later.
Modified by Pieceofsand at 8:16 PM 2/22/2010

[LugNut18]

I am also 50/50 on it. On one hand it might prevent the "omg my burger is over cooked but I ate it anyway, now give me my money back or I'll call 911"

At the same time, If I don't choose the $48/year plan and someone breaks into my house and I kill him/her, who is gonna call 911, because I won't. I'll just drag the body out back and bury it or toss it in the fire pit.

[Ace2cool]

I hate this state more and more the longer I'm here. This is absolutely retarded.

Yes, California really is this broke. It's on the local news/radio stations all the time about the "state budget crisis" and it's obvious when you try to take care of anything to do with the government/public service (minus police/fire/emergency ect...) because all the offices are closed on certain days and have horrible hours in order to cut back on employee's wages and electricity used. Hell, the DMV's bathroom where I am is now for employees only due to the water bill. I hate this place with a ridiculous passion.

[dusred]

I thought the emergency services were covered by our tax dollars?

[LugNut18]

I thought the emergency services were covered by our tax dollars?

...that's what I thought. I don't know why they would need to pay a fee if their taxes go towards EMS. Definitely a

[Red coupe]

All 911 operators are rude. Sometimes they don't even show up until 20 minutes later.

Hell, most the time the operator doesn't show up at all!

Is Cali really that broke

No, but apparently that one town is (or at least that greedy).

[sldewyz]

thats retarded....

maybe if its important then you would not be charged. if it was a stupid call then you would be charged for wasting time that could be used to do important things. kinda like a core charge.

california is fail as far as i see it. more and more reasons ill never make the hop skip and jump over the west coast.

[Pieceofsand]

Hell, most the time the operator doesn't show up at all!

well i meant the police not the operator.

[KACOUPE92]

Wow that's ridiculous.

[dusred]

No, but apparently that one town is (or at least that greedy).

Kalifornia isn't broke at all. . . that's why they pay their bills with IOU's. What planet have you been on?

[Ozzie]

Hell, the DMV's bathroom where I am is now for employees only due to the water bill.

If it were me, I would take a dump on the front door mat, then ask Arnie,

"What's cheaper, the water to flush a toilet, or the hourly rate you have to pay a guy to scrape up last nights burrito and nachos?"(or possibly the lawsuit from the next person who walks in the door and happens to use it as an unwanted skating aid)

[Red coupe]

Kalifornia isn't broke at all. . . that's why they pay their bills with IOU's. What planet have you been on?

There is a difference between economic trouble and having to charge people to use 911.

The question was "Is california that broke?!" The answer is no.

Its ONE TOWN, not california.Basically the equivalent to saying "I saw a Hispanic man with out a job... are mexicans THAT lazy?!"

Its a general statement based on looking at a very small minority. What one town chose to do has nothing to do with the rest of California.

[JustinStrife]

I hate this state more and more the longer I'm here. This is absolutely retarded.

Yes, California really is this broke. It's on the local news/radio stations all the time about the "state budget crisis" and it's obvious when you try to take care of anything to do with the government/public service (minus police/fire/emergency ect...) because all the offices are closed on certain days and have horrible hours in order to cut back on employee's wages and electricity used. Hell, the DMV's bathroom where I am is now for employees only due to the water bill. I hate this place with a ridiculous passion.

I agree with this totally. The state sucks if you work, have a family, and or are a car enthusiast. Hell it sucks for everybody who isn't an illegal alien, rich, or on welfare.

[Ace2cool]

But the fact of the matter stands that this is California that this is happening in. The statewide budget crisis is just that: STATEWIDE. Meaning every town is feeling it, every road is going without repair, every government owned facility is cutting hours.

This may just be one town, but it comes as a response to the fact that this state is in large, broke.

[Red coupe]

But the fact of the matter stands that this is California that this is happening in. The statewide budget crisis is just that: STATEWIDE. Meaning every town is feeling it, every road is going without repair, every government owned facility is cutting hours.

This may just be one town, but it comes as a response to the fact that this state is in large, broke.

look, I am not arguing that california is broke right now.

Hell, the whole country is broke right now....

But saying "California is so broke they can't afford 911 service" is f***ing stupid, and easily proved to be wrong, because california does not charge for 911 service.

Isn't it just as legitimate to say"But the fact of the matter stands that this is America that this is happening in. The nation wide budget crisis is just that: NATIONWIDE. Meaning every state is feeling it, every road is going without repair, every government owned facility is cutting hours.

This may just be one state, but it comes as a response to the fact that this country is in large, broke."

Because this is happening inside the United States, as a result of the budget crises of this country, it is obviously America is too broke to afford an emergency service right?

[Ace2cool]

Isn't it just as legitimate to say"But the fact of the matter stands that this is America that this is happening in. The nation wide budget crisis is just that: NATIONWIDE. Meaning every state is feeling it, every road is going without repair, every government owned facility is cutting hours.

This may just be one state, but it comes as a response to the fact that this country is in large, broke."

I guess you could say that, but a lot of states have done a much better job of managing their budget. I know this will sound biased, but Tennessee is still operating all of their facilities as they always have been. TDOT is still working on roads just as much as they always have, and yet they don't even charge a state income tax!

All I'm saying is that this state could manage their money a lot better, and I do suppose it is ignorant to assume that this is a direct result, but at the same time, all the facts point to the fact that the state is broke. The whole, "not my problem, I'm not paying $300 for a call" thing must have been thought about during planning this system, and the only thing I can think of as sufficient enough reason to still implement the system is that there isn't enough money to pay the firemen's/ EMS official's/ officer's wages through the government budget.

[Red coupe]

I guess you could say that, but a lot of states have done a much better job of managing their budget

I guess you could say that, but a lot of towns have done a much better job of managing their budgets.

Again, the comment that California is so broke it cannot afford 911 is nothing more then stupid people trolling (or actually being that stupid).

This doesn't mean that there are no problems, but like you said its a problem with one particular towns budgeting.

There are 480 towns in California, your seriously going to use the ONE who cannot budget well enough to afford 911 as an example?

Seriously, if we are going to point at one area to exemplify and entire state, lets let Dusred explain how AZ is full of polygamists, considering a google search of the term will return his home town as the second result.

[MinisterofDOOM]

All 911 operators are rude. Sometimes they don't even show up until 20 minutes later.

Man, you must be busy. I call those guys for a living and I STILL haven't talked to all of them.

[Ace2cool]

You may be right, in fact, you probably are. However, do you think if that town approached their governing body and requested more money for emergency services, do you think they would get turned down, providing there are adequate funds?

Maybe it's the town attempting to stop prank 911 calls. Who knows. Even with that thought, however, say you are a visitor in the town, and witness an accident. You don't know about the fee, and certainly won't have had the opportunity to register, are they still going to charge you $300 for doing the right thing? Also, I can't help but to keep thinking of this:

"oh look, someone i dont know is getting raped." starts to dial 9-1-1 then realize that it costs $300..."oh well it aint my kid."^is going to happen A LOT!!

Crime rates will soar.

[Zydeco]

yeah, no good is going to come of this. I just pulled up my cell phone bill and guess what. there a "ca State 911 fee". Wheres that money going? Humm Ill bet this get taken to court and then the 300 charge will be dropped.

[Red coupe]

You may be right, in fact, you probably are. However, do you think if that town approached their governing body and requested more money for emergency services, do you think they would get turned down, providing there are adequate funds?

Do you think ANY state has extra money right now?

"Adequate funds" are only there by not spending on something else instead. It is this one town's misappropriations, not California's.

Maybe it's the town attempting to stop prank 911 calls. Who knows. Even with that thought, however, say you are a visitor in the town, and witness an accident. You don't know about the fee, and certainly won't have had the opportunity to register, are they still going to charge you $300 for doing the right thing? Also, I can't help but to keep thinking of this:

Crime rates will soar.

I am not saying its a good idea, just that blaming this on California simply shows how desperate so many people are to put down the state.One town's stupidity is no more a reflection on the state then one state's "stupidity" is a reflection on the country. Should the claims people make about California mean that Arizona is a stupid place to live?

[Jesda]

Do you think ANY state has extra money right now?

Except in California, the town is representative of a much larger statewide problem.

Unemployment and economic decline affect California more than most other states. Its a product of a flawed mindset and value system that encourages excessive public and private risk, overly optimistic budgeting, and poor planning. Its a pervasive culture that enables poor choices, and when it gets bad, there's nothing to cushion the blow.

"Tomorrow will be better, spend more now" is a recipe for short-term disaster.