NY state misappropriating fees collected from cell phone tax

An investigation by Michelle Breidenbach of The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y) shows that a $1.20 cell phone tax intended for upgrades to 911 technology is being misappropriated. Only six cents for every $1.20 collected ends up in the coffers of the 911 call center. “Instead, the state spends the money on itself: overtime, fringe benefits, travel, vehicles, new boots, clip-on ties, sun block, spray paint, groceries, dry cleaning and other daily expenses for agencies ranging from the state police to the departments of corrections and parks, state records show.”