Poli-ticks

When will you object to being second class citizens?

By Arlene Violet
Posted 3/29/18

The expose of the multi-year conning of Rhode Islanders reached a full crescendo with the scolding by a Federal Communications Commissioner, Michael O’Reilly, who came to Rhode Island to report …

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Poli-ticks

When will you object to being second class citizens?

Posted

The expose of the multi-year conning of Rhode Islanders reached a full crescendo with the scolding by a Federal Communications Commissioner, Michael O’Reilly, who came to Rhode Island to report the FCC findings that for 2017 alone, 60 percent of the fees were diverted. He flatly averred that the “911 fees” was an enormous deception since the majority of fees were not used at all for the 911 system. As phone users know, $1 per month for landlines and $1.26 for cell phone users is charged for 911 “services”. For years the majority of the money has been diverted.

Besides the insult of being on par with New Jersey (the number one violator, with RI being the second per capita “crook”) our system doesn’t provide some of the basic services as do that of other states. Right now, if you call in an emergency from a cell phone and you are on the road, it cannot pinpoint where you are. Please remember, that the “excuse” given to levy the monthly fee years ago was precisely to make this correction. Further, the 911 workers are undertrained. Unlike some other states there are no trained personnel to coach the caller into taking remedial measures to preserve the life of the patient while awaiting help. You are second class citizens if you need emergency services.

The politicians then came out in full force. The Governor says by this summer the cellphone calls will be able to be pinpointed. Both she and Speaker Nick Mattiello claimed that 95 percent of the calls are answered in 10 seconds or less and that the service response is about as good as that of other states. These assertions seem to fly in the face of those public safety officials who cite longer times for an answer and callers being placed on hold.

Now, there is going to be a hearing before the House Finance Committee. Unless the public speaks out forcefully, the hearing will be a whitewash. Legislators have to cover themselves for years of representing the “fee” as a 911 improvement fee while putting most of the money into the treasury for other pursuits. They just have plain lied and left you an inferior system.
While they are ”studying” the needs of 911, some workers at 911, ambulance and rescue drivers and emergency room personnel have told me that often people call 911 for less than emergencies. While they have automobiles parked in their driveway when the medics drive up, they somehow thought that a rescue ride usually at taxpayers’ expense somehow assured them of "jumping" the line. They are indignant when their ploy to elbow Grandma out of line doesn’t work since the triage system is in place to take case of the most severe cases. The House Committee needs to come up with penalties for the misuse of the system.

Finally, it will be salt in the wounds if one red cent is charged that doesn’t go to the 911 system. Already the speaker seems to be jockeying to keep the fees but call it something else. The public should be outraged by this sleight of hand. Stop the con.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.

Arlene Violet

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