Another nasty way to raise money

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| Monday, February 04, 2008 | (13 comment(s))

It's traumatic enough being in an auto accident without having a town add to your misery by charging you to respond to your misfortune.

But there is a growing move by cities and towns to do just that, a move state Rep. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, tried to get outlawed last year with a bill that passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Here's how this gig works: Let's say you are involved in a car accident in Griffith, which has contracted with Ohio-based Cost Recovery System since 2005. Cost Recovery suggests police charge up to $262 to respond to a call, and $80 an hour to interview witnesses.

So they bill your insurance company, and if they won't pony up you're on the hook.

And surprise! Cost Recovery gets a 10 percent cut to collect the money and disburse it to the town.

Munster, Merrillville and Porter briefly considered the plan, but ultimately wisely rejected it, despite the temptation to raise money at the expense of vulnerable people in a tough economic environment. But Daniels' veto leaves it on the table for every city and town to do so.

House Bill 1274 would have prohibited cities, towns and other political subdivisions from "imposing or collecting an accident response fee on or from the driver of a motor vehicle involved in a motor vehicle accident."

Why did Daniels veto this in Indiana, which is a very insurance company-friendly state? Who knows? Some of the ordinances are set up to waive fees if a motorist's insurance will not pay the bill. In Griffith, only people from out of town are assessed the accident fee, so as not to upset the voters.

But such a patchwork of who can be assessed and who cannot, or whether a town has such an ordinance in the first place, assures inequity across the board.

The whole thing reeks of either sticking it to the rich insurance companies, which no one cares about until everyone's rates go up, or sticking it to people who are trying to economize by not getting the insurance with all the bells and whistles.

We are already paying police through property taxes to respond to accidents, write reports, interview witnesses. What rationale can there be for this surcharge, which stinks of legalized extortion? None, said Rogers and her fellow House and Senate members.

And let's face it, if Mitch gets into an accident with his gubernatorial limo in Griffith, we all know who will be paying for it anyway.

The opinions are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at markk@nwitimes.com or (219) 933-4170.

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Simple solution... wrote on Feb 5, 2008 4:27 PM:

" Neighboring towns of griffith should pass a law saying that people living in griffith and involved in an accident in their town should have to pay. They'll remove that law in no time "

Bob wrote on Feb 5, 2008 1:17 PM:

" Next will be armed robbery victims, domestic violence, and so on. "I can't afford to call the police" "

FYI wrote on Feb 5, 2008 1:02 PM:

" Griffith did have this program but stopped it a few years ago. I was in an accident that was my fault, but because I was a Griffith resident, I did not have to pay. I was told it was only non residents who paid. "

Also to another correction: wrote on Feb 5, 2008 10:16 AM:

" Don't crash don't pay - Have you figured out a way to avoid being rear-ended when stopped at at stoplight? This is probably the one type of accident that is impossible to avoid, but is extremely common. "

TO: Another Correction wrote on Feb 5, 2008 9:34 AM:

" Just curious to know when all this started because "We the People" never heard about it until now. I guess it's just one more way for the government to get their hands in our pockets without telling us and expect us to accept it. I have had my car side swiped before and while the person was trying to take off because she didn't have insurance and was driving on a suspended license I was lucky enough to have poeple around to stop her from trying to take off from the scene. Should I have been held liable and paid this rediculous fee? Oh wait I probably already did several times over again through my tax dollars going to providing her with food and housing. Sorry to tell you that what you are advocating is opening up the door for trouble. "

To: Another correction wrote on Feb 5, 2008 7:55 AM:

" So, I should be responsible for the guy who side swipes my car while I am stopped at a red light? What the heck did I do wrong and why should I have to pay for some elses poor driving habits. I guess you, mr perfect driver have never been in a CRASH. Get a life. "

what the heck wrote on Feb 5, 2008 5:39 AM:

" Why don't we give every cop a taser gun, and give all out of towners involved in an accident the option of being "tasered" or pay an accident report fee? What Baloney! "

Another correction... wrote on Feb 4, 2008 8:12 PM:

" to you folks that continue to call these "accident reports". These are NOT accident reports....they are CRASH reports. In every crash, there was something done by one or more drivers that could have been prevented. Thus, vehicle crashes do not happen by "accident"....somebody did something (either intentionally or ignorantly) that led to a CRASH. Look it up, folks...every police officer in the state that investigates a vehicle crash files a CRASH report...not an "accident" report. Therefore, SOMEBODY is responsible and an attached fee is justified. Don't crash...don't pay. "

mj3 wrote on Feb 4, 2008 4:09 PM:

" this will truley sucks, you think its ok to charge the insurance company. They will only turn it around on us. Who will pay for the uninsured and the underinsured. Is it to be charged to both drivers in the accident? "

Dont be sorry, you are wrong. wrote on Feb 4, 2008 3:05 PM:

" Charging for sending an officer to do a job he is paid for could open up the door to a class action lawsuit. Lake county is known for re-appropriation of funds to projects that were not earmarked for the funds recieved. Another grey area. I demand the government stop the reckless spending and grey distribution of our tax dollars. You are sucking the life blood from the townspeople and justifying it by creative taxing. Shame on the lot of you. Stop wasteing our tax money and stop with the creative bull skip "

sorry to disagree wrote on Feb 4, 2008 11:32 AM:

" Hey wake up that is why they call it an accident. Bad things sometimes happen to good people and you yourself might one day be in the position of having to pay due to some reckless driver you sight in your posting. As far as the property tax cap goes...Your talking apples and oranges here and if the governement would learn how to be more responsible with the tax payers money the police wouldn't need to scrounge up extra money. Funny how none of this existed years ago, but now it is suppossed to be imposed and accepted by the people. By all means go after the s** offenders and charge them to the hilt - I could care less as those people shouldn't even be breathing in my opinion, but then again coming from someone like you you porbably think our tax dollars should go to housing and feeding them in the criminal justice system too! "

Sorry to disagree... wrote on Feb 4, 2008 10:57 AM:

" ...but you're wrong.

These fees are perfectly acceptable in the environment where property taxes are capped at 2% and there is no county income tax.

Property taxes pay these officers base sallaries, that is true, but we'd all be happier if they were out busting perps instead of writing up accident reports. By increasing the cost of the accident to the reckless drivers out there, it puts the economic emphasis where it needs to be: the reckless drivers themselves, not the greater society.

I hope that government can be even more creative in imposing fees. Those fees at the jail seemed good to me. Charging s*x offenders a registration fee? Brilliant! Get that originator a Guiness. "

Fed Up wrote on Feb 4, 2008 9:40 AM:

" Our tax dollars already go to paying for the police and emergency response teams. Who in the world do they think they are kidding with this. We all need to stand up and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!! you are not going to extort any more of my hard earned money you crooks! "

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