Here we go again - Paying for police "coverage"
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbc...6/NEWS/4160373
Quote:
A proposal to impose a surcharge on municipalities covered by state police may have gained renewed traction after being recently dismissed as dead.
The idea, first proposed a year ago, is resurfacing after the federal government's rejection of Pennsylvania's application to impose tolls on Interstate 80. That move would have generated $450 million for road projects over the next year.
Paying for police
Municipalities covered by state police and subject to the proposed surcharge.
MONROE COUNTY
Chestnuthill Twp.
Eldred Twp.
Hamilton Twp.
Jackson Twp.
Middle Smithfield Twp.
Paradise Twp.
Polk Twp.
Price Twp.
Ross Twp.
Smithfield Twp.
PIKE COUNTY
Blooming Grove Twp.
Delaware Twp.
Dingman Twp.
Greene Twp.
Lackawaxen Twp.
Lehman Twp.
Milford Twp.
Palmyra Twp.
Porter Twp.
Shohola Twp.
State Rep. John Siptroth said the state is unlikely to reapply for tolls in the near future after being rejected for a second time.
"The application process is costly," he said. "I've got a feeling that's not going to happen."
The alternative? Charging municipalities without their own police departments $100 per resident for state police coverage.
Funding for state police for the past 15 years has come from driver license and registration fees and the gasoline tax, said Siptroth, D-189, a member of the House Transportation Committee.
If a state police surcharge is enacted, the revenue from driver license and registration fees and the gasoline tax could be dedicated again to road and bridge maintenance.
Siptroth said it would cover the $450 million needed for highway and bridge improvements.
A state police surcharge would hit half of the 20 Monroe County municipalities and all but three of the 13 municipalities in Pike County covered by state police. Only Milford Borough and Matamoras have municipal police coverage. Westfall has a shared agreement with Matamoras.
In Monroe, Stroud Township, Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg are protected by Stroud Area Regional Police while Pocono Mountain Regional Police cover Mount Pocono, Coolbaugh, Tobyhanna and Tunkhannock. Barrett and Pocono Township have municipal police coverage, and Delaware Water Gap has a part-time force.
Siptroth points out that approval of a state police surcharge would not get any resistance from large metro urban areas, which generally have municipal police forces.
"It sure does (improve chances for a state police tax)," said Siptroth of the defeated tolling application. "Now it's an easy vote because the taxing authority becomes local government to either be a part of a regional police department or have a department of its own or to pay a per capita tax to state police."
Middle Smithfield Township would pay $2.32 million for state police as opposed to an estimated $2 million annual expense to have its own coverage.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Schaller said the I-80 toll rejection "absolutely" improves the chances of a state police surcharge and likewise strengthens his case for a local municipal force.
"I believe the state is looking at any way it can to generate revenue and it is just a matter of time that they try to assess each property owner for police coverage," Schaller said. "I believe it's coming and we're prepared to move forward (with a municipal police department)," said Schaller.
I'd be all in favor of paying for "police" if it meant they actually DID something. Response time for PSP in my area is AT BEST 10 - 15 minutes, normally its measured in hours. The PSP does nothing in our area but write tickets and deal with accidents... and you want me to pay them 100 bucks a year to "cover" our area? get the fuck out of here
Re: Here we go again - Paying for police "coverage"
I'd rather see no change at all. However between some local JBT Barney fife type local idiots I'd rather pay the $100 for state cops. Trust me on this one local cops think they are the shit while the bulk should be considered mall ninjas the way they act.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dredly
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbc...6/NEWS/4160373
I'd be all in favor of paying for "police" if it meant they actually DID something. Response time for PSP in my area is AT BEST 10 - 15 minutes, normally its measured in hours. The PSP does nothing in our area but write tickets and deal with accidents... and you want me to pay them 100 bucks a year to "cover" our area? get the fuck out of here
Re: Here we go again - Paying for police "coverage"
responding time for my parents in Pike county is 45 mins, thats if they aren't busy and are in the area. otherwise give them an hour and a half at best.
Re: Here we go again - Paying for police "coverage"
Or a new regional department could be created, and hire me ;)
Look, either way, it's not going to stop murders/rapes/violent crime.
People need to arm themselves against these types of attacks.
Re: Here we go again - Paying for police "coverage"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rovert97
responding time for my parents in Pike county is 45 mins, thats if they aren't busy and are in the area. otherwise give them an hour and a half at best.
yup its about the same everywhere.
The only time response time is "good" is if they are in the area for court (up on 715) or they are at an accident scene.
Re: Here we go again - Paying for police "coverage"
This is all about our dirt bag worthless liberal Governor playing games because he didn`t get to toll I80. The idea will die a slow death once we get him out of office and put Sam Rohrer in.
Re: Here we go again - Paying for police "coverage"
As a former NYC resident I can tell you that no mater how much tolls and taxes they impose... it will never, ever, ever, be enough. Governments always find a way to waste the money they raise and come back for more. I will modify a quote I heard somewhere else and say... giving money to government is like feeding wild animals, they keep coming back for more and then they attack you for not feeding them.
Put another way... if we give them money they will hire more cops. Rather then use those cops to go after drug dealers and gangsters, they will arm them with radar guns and set them loose on us to give more traffic tickets. They will institute quotas on those cops because they now have to support their even larger budget requirements. Its a bottomless pit. You can see a very clearly failed model in NYC that only leads to misery. Better they have just a handful of cops who are busy answering real 911 calls rather then hiring more with so much free time on their hands that they set up speed traps and otherwise harass citizens.
No taxes, No tolls. They can make due with what they have and figure out how to stretch their resources.
If there is anything we learned from Obama... it is that change is usually for the worse. The Founding Fathers knew this. That is why they made it so hard to get new laws passed.
Re: Here we go again - Paying for police "coverage"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
tsafa
As a former NYC resident I can tell you that no mater how much tolls and taxes they impose... it will never, ever, ever, be enough. Governments always find a way to waste the money they raise and come back for more. I will modify a quote I heard somewhere else and say... giving money to government is like feeding wild animals, they keep coming back for more and then they attack you for not feeding them.
Put another way... if we give them money they will hire more cops. Rather then use those cops to go after drug dealers and gangsters, they will arm them with radar guns and set them loose on us to give more traffic tickets. They will institute quotas on those cops because they now have to support their even larger budget requirements. It a bottomless pit. Better they have just a handful of cops who are busy answering real 911 calls rather then having so much free time on their hands that they set up speed traps.
No taxes, No tolls. They can make due with what they have and figure out how to stretch their resources.
If there is anything we learned from Obama... it is that change is usually for the worse. The Founding Fathers knew this. That is why they made it so hard to get new laws passed.
You just wrote what everybody was thinking!
