Sacramento (CA) has enacted a "crash tax" for non-city residents

[Auggie]

That's right. If you're visiting Sacramento and are involved in an auto accident that requires a response from the fire department, you will be charged hundreds of dollars in fees.

From the Sacramento Bee, January 26th 2011:

... Supporters of the fees say the charges represent a fair piece of the costs that cities incur responding to thousands of wrecks each year. The fees are not taxes, city officials said, because they will not provide the city with revenue beyond what is spent on the Fire Department's response.

City officials said they were hopeful the fees would help avoid some future cuts to the Fire Department.

<SNIP>

Under the city's adopted fee scale, nonresidents will be charged $495 if they are involved in a typical incident in the city. Those crashes involve "scene stabilization" by the Fire Department, as well as a cleanup of gasoline or oil.

Crashes in which a helicopter is required to evacuate a victim will run $2,275.

FULL STORY: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/3352362/sacramento-council-approves-crash.html

The article continues to report that "insurance companies will in turn determine who was at fault (of the accident) and be on hook for the fees," and that city officials are "counting on insurance companies to pay the bills..."

:rofl:

[Bennyboy]

1. Love my town!

Guaranteed that i wlll never visit there again. Way to go Sacramento, you are batting 1000 in screwing up a cool city.

[Hello_Kitty]

2. Way to discourage visitors to your city, Sacramento! eom

[Newsjock]

3. Roseville crash tax on life support

Source: KXTV

Roseville city leaders said they want to ditch the city's crash tax because it's not living up to expectations.

In 2009, Roseville approved an ordinance that allows the city to collect fees for emergency services from non-resident drivers found "at fault" in crashes.

But Roseville City Manager Ray Kerridge said the crash tax has failed to deliver a promised financial windfall. "The projections were that it would produce $100,000 (a year) plus and more. And when we did the tally, it only brought in about $40,000."

Apparently emergency crews and business owners also complained about the law.

Read more: http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=121968&catid=2

[alp227]

4. how about crash taxes for Hollywood actors? n/t

[TK421]

5. Totally counter-productive.....and I shouldn't leave out idiotic

idiotic to the point that whoever brainstormed this piece of shit should probably not reproduce



ever

[Auggie]

6. Too cowardly, or too owned, to do what really has to be done: raise taxes on the wealthy

[TK421]

9. absolutely yes, but probably not in our lifetimes nt

[Newsjock]

7. Scary graphic of all crash taxes in the Sacramento region

It's pretty much not safe to drive anywhere along the I-5, I-80, and US50 corridors. This includes drives to Reno and Tahoe, and anyone passing to or from Los Angeles.

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/27/3355739_a3355633/business-community-insurance-companies.html

[Auggie]

8. You gotta love it... much of that is heavy Republican

[dems_rightnow]

10. I'd make every road out of town a Turnpike

Free to all except Sacramento residents.....