LETTER: Cell phone charges for 911 not equitable

To the editor:

I’m writing to comment on the article by Legislator Brian May about a new bill to charge prepaid phone users a 911 fee [“From the Legislature: Revised ‘wireless surcharge’ relieves burden on taxpayers,” Aug. 23]. I quickly agree that the concept “sounds good,” but is this just a “mom and apple pie” bill that sounds good, but can’t be effectively administered?

Attempting to tax every cell phone seems a Band-Aid approach to a community issue. Our property taxes cover community services, such as the public library costs, and the 911 service is for the community, not just persons who own cell phones. In fact, I would guess that many (most?) 911 calls are to help someone other than the caller, yet it is the caller who pays. I encourage our legislature to stop putting Band-Aids on this and pursue having this service incorporated into property taxes, receiving proper acknowledgement of their importance to the community. That would also reduce existing monthly fees now being paid to cell phone service providers.

Further, I see the bill Mr. May documents as not being equitable. A person with two phones does not use both at the same time and I’m confident many people have landline phones and cell phones, so would be billed twice with this bill. Additionally, prepaid services can be purchased anywhere in the country and enforcing a fee on all the many plans seems a difficult task. Please consider my proposal, which would simplify the tax and centralize its administration and free the residents from a monthly tax. Thank you.