Passaic, N.J. Considers Charging For Emergency Calls

How Does $1,000 For House Fires And $600 For Car Fires Grab You?

March 30, 2012 5:00 PM

Flames (file / credit: Woohae Cho/Getty Images)

Flames – File / Photo: Woohae Cho/Getty Images

PASSAIC, NJ (CBSNewYork) – When emergency crews respond to a car or building fire in Passaic, a bill might soon be sent out.

WCBS 880′s Levon Putney On The Story

When the Passaic City Council meets next Tuesday, Mayor Alex Blanco said what they will not decide to do is levy fees against people in car accidents or building owners whose structures catch fire.

What they will do is go after the insurance companies.

“If you are a policy owner, you are already paying for it — this fire department service charge provision,” the mayor told WCBS 880 reporter Levon Putney on Friday.

He said the fees would only be applied if claims are made, and no fees would be levied for those without insurance.

There would be a $1,000 fee to respond to fires in buildings over four stories high. Single, two, and three-family homes would be exempt.

As for car fires, auto insurance would be billed $600.

Of course, a concern is that insurance companies will simply jack up their premiums.

“I feel that it would be unethical on their part,” Blanco said.

This is just the latest way the city is trying to deal with its budget woes, including elimination of free Sunday parking and charging for designated handicapped parking.

“We have lost $2 million in [state] aide,” said Blanco.

He said he believes these fees would raise about $200,000 a year.

What do you think about the measure? Sound off in the comments section below!

Leith Cassone

It always amazes me… If I run out of money I just spend less. When government runs out the answer is to create a scheme to tax more…

Cut the salaries, union deals, and don’t worry about the cash in my pocket… I’d rather spend that on goods/services that put people to work and stimulate the economy.
d

Mr Miyagi say best way to avoid punch…not be there. Get out as soon as you can. The NE is old, broken, and cronyistic. The other peoples money they are using to keep their broken machine running for the benefit of few, is yours. There are better places to be.

Chrisiv

Its all Republicans fault. They don’t want to pay taxes. Oil companies want subsidies. Foxnews, Limbaugh, ATM machine, Tsunami, talk-radio, wall street, big Pharma, big insurance, and now george zimmeran – they are all to be blame. Oh I forgot Bush and Cheney.
Obama is the greatest. He stands for liberalism. Let’s get Texas to pay. Afterall we are one country united, under Obama, the Messiah.

proudnot2bliberal

Dont forget airpot kiosks!…
of course those who watch PMSnbc will have no clue what we’re talking about

stoptouchingthatmabel

Emergency Cost
One Alarm: $529.99
Two Alarm: $779.99
Three Alarm: $1500.00
Four Alarm: $5000.00
Five Alarm: Just let the house burn.

keith Parsels

Just what I was thinking, Let it burn.

William

Sure, pass the buck to the insurance companies. They’ll just raise the rates on everyone with a policy in the area. They can dress it up however they like, but this is still a tax.
footballislife1962

Soooo, if a car is on fire in a garage is that gonna be $1600.00. Just askin’
Gringo With Legs

Don’t be a fool stuck with an immovable house and defenceless against spiraling property taxes, fees, overpriced insurance, assessments, lawsuits and UN-mandated environmental restrictions. With no jobs and trillions in debt the U.S. will be in severe decline for decades to come.

Opt out! Sell the depreciating house, get rid of credit cards, auto loans, 401K and go all cash with long term savings in physical gold, silver and lead. Buy property overseas, use a forex account to get your money out. Get second passport. Learn another language.
timbo

Start a private fire department. That’s the way it used to be. If what you have is broken replace it that used to be the American Way with public servants.
timbo

10 residents need to band together and complete a CAFR analysis or find a proven expert. Most cities have hidden 10k’s, 100ks even millions. Time fore citizens to get a property tax and sales tax removal too. No services = no taxes

Moe

Amen Brother! No Service. No Tax! As a matter of fact stop spending except for essentials and watch their tax revenue go in the dumper. If they want to rape the tax payer with abuse and fraud, then shut off the supply of money.

Peter007

I looked up teh 7 highest paid employees for the city of Passaic and 6 out of the top 7 are Fire Department employees each averaging over $150,000/ year

Dope and Chains

Same here. $258,000 top salary in a town of under 10K peeps. And they want a new levy passed or we’re all going to die if they get stuck with the current budget.

(initial comment censored by See BS)
muhammad X. Cheeks

and they will retire with massive lifetime pensions and benefits, while the ave social security check in america is only $1177.00/month, IS THAT FAIR????

hillary

no

dries

60% of Passaic tax levy go toward payroll & benefits of city employees. Amazing in a town of nearly 40K, with shabby public service.

Blanco gave 56K as a parting gift to his buddy busted by Hoboken police for driving drunk on wrong side of the road, with drugs in open, in a city owned vehicle.

gman

I’ll bet anything that the Mayor is a Democrat and that most of the city is run by Democrats.

Whenever you see stories like this about cities in dire need of money it is usually democrat run cities.

proudnot2bliberal

in the LIEberal north east? who would have thunk it a bankrupt city run by dems??
SerfCityHereWeCome

Congratulations, you win “anything”.

Jerzey Boy

I know! Let’s just raise property taxes, yea, that’ll fix it!~
muhammad X. Cheeks

people might have thought that the taxes they were paying was for fire service. the were mistaken, the taxes they pay are to pay the salaries and luxury pensions of the unions, the unions that contribute to the democrat party, so that the democrats will keep paying the union salaries and luxury pensions so that the unions can keep contributing to the democrats,
see how it works?
Benderdondat

As with every time the cost goes up, the lowest on the totem pole ppays for it. The insurance co will merely raise the rates the owner will raise the rent the renter will merely raise the price for the product Screw the consumer.
Free Willy

Can’t you hear it now….
911 operator: “Ok, house fire at 123 Main Street, will that be Visa or Mastercard…sorry we don’t take American Express”
TexanPatriot

It’s not fair that the uninsured don’t have to pay.
They should pay and pay hard!
Vance Herlingger

Time to start an investigation into the finances of Passaic and all that work for them. A forensic audit could turn up all kinds of money that has been improperly spent making these charges unnecessary.

If so, people will be going to jail and wish they had never mention this tyranny.

Have a great day. === http://911essentials.com
SerfCityHereWeCome

Seems like an empty threat; as the depression rages on we’re running out of houses worth more than $1000 and cars worth more than $600…
copyeditor

“Aid” is spelled wrong

SerfCityHereWeCome

Another NEA / UFT moment…
Glenn

FER SURE, DUDE.

Bob in Alpharetta

the mayor saying it would be “unethical” if the insurance cos raised rates to cover his estimated $200,000 is incredible. Very much like Obama wanting to increase oil co taxes by $4 Billion…as if that $4B would not actually be paid at the pump.
Robert

Passaic is a Puerto Rican city.

Bravo

yea and you can have it!!!! I’ll take the suburbs anytime!!!

Klonkey

Every NJ town has lost state aid. The responsible towns are cutting back, not punishing the taxpayers (what few are left, as Passaic is just a step up from Detroit.)
Jeff

Why don’t a few city administrators step down to make up the difference? It will save the city a lot of money. They’d rather the taxpayer make up the difference. For that amount of money, you could get your private police service and fire help. The absurdity of government…
Greg

Insurance policies will just go up to cover the costs. “No fee would be levied for those without insurance.” This is a comedy skit right?

Don

No – just that liberalism is an illness ….

Greta

I agree RJG, this is ridiculous. Why don’t we cut legislative pay and perks instead? Why does the average person always have to suffer for government ineptitude?

cg

Demand a forensic audit of all expenditures and those spending the taxpayer’s money …. bet you will find all kinds of stuff.
Howard

WE will suffer as long as we allow these idiot politicians to rip us off. Anyone who cannot see the danger and disaster which is heaped on hard working people by liberals in office is truly brain dead.

Every single State in America which is heavily in debt is run by Democrats and the ones showing surpluses and very small deficits are all run by Conservatives. One State, Missouri has completely fixed it’s illegal alien problem which is a source of huge money drain in States and cities which allow them. Missouri has passed laws to ensure illegals get NO Welfare, NO educational benefits, NO medical benefits, in short they get not one PENNY of tax payer money and because of this they stay away.

Passaic and other NJ towns are havens for these people and as long as it is allowed these problems will get worse.

RJG

Don’t taxes already pay for this? Sounds like double-dipping.

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Passaic, N.J. Considers Charging For Emergency Calls

How Does $1,000 For House Fires And $600 For Car Fires Grab You?

March 30, 2012 5:00 PM

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