Fees meant to update NY 911 system get diverted to other uses

[x635 4,066]

Surprise,  surprise. This state really has some issues. How is this not fraud?

 

 

Quote

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York trails other states in modernizing its 911 systems to handle greater cellphone use, in part because lawmakers routinely divert money intended for that purpose and use it to plug holes in the state budget.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fees-meant-911-system-diverted-other-uses-132357589.html

[dwcfireman 656]

In the aviation world we have a term for this, "revenue diversion," where money generated by an airport is differed to another account to pay for other things.  It's actually illegal at the federal level, though almost every publicly owned airport is a victim of this crime, and eventually the federal government will catch you (it takes time because there are so many cases of it).  IMO there should be laws protecting all money that is supposed to be set aside for a greater good.  The money that NYS was supposed to dish out for better 911 coverage and system upgrades should be going to just that.  The money is appropriated for a specific reason, and that reason alone.  I would say this is akin to Congress stealing money from Social Security to fund anything and everything else other than Social Security.  It's just plain wrong!

[fire patrol nyc 153]

I'ts New York state,what did you expect???

[AFS1970 504]

Of course this hits home because of the intended purpose, however it is part of the much larger picture. One of the two things that I find the most myterious in regards to legislation is how earmarked money can be diverted away from the earmark and into something else. Then when they realize they still need to do the first project they raise taxes to pay for it and the public blames the governmetn wmployees and not those actually responsible.