SmallTown, USA can be a special circle of hell, which allows petty authority figures to get rich by inflicting endless pains and indignities on many, especially the poor.
**** USA TODAY January 30, 2003, Thursday, FINAL EDITION SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 3A LENGTH: 1124 words HEADLINE: Merchants may punch town ticket BYLINE: Dennis Cauchon DATELINE: NEW ROME, Ohio
BODY: NEW ROME, Ohio -- This tiny village is legendary for one thing: writing traffic tickets.
But "we ain't no speed trap," Police Chief Larry Cunningham growls. "Hell, only 8% of our tickets are for speeding. Sure, we write a lot of traffic tickets. Sure, we make a little money. But so does the highway patrol."
For a half-century, this village of 60 people has harvested a run-down, one-fifth-mile stretch of U.S. 40 near Columbus for millions of dollars in traffic fines. In good years, police bring in more than $ 400,000, more than 90% of town revenue. Nearly all of the money goes back into the police force....
All 13 village employees work for the police or municipal court. A double-wide trailer houses all governmental functions: cops, court and a cash register. In some years, more than 1,200 traffic offenders -- mostly drivers without valid licenses -- have spent time handcuffed to a church pew in a hallway before they posted a $ 350 bond or were taken to the county jail.
Cunningham says New Rome provides valuable law enforcement. This month, police caught four men in a stolen Mercedes, he says.
Police try to arrest all drivers who don't show up for traffic court or pay fines by mail. "We arrest people at work because it's safer," Sgt. John Carmony says. "Sometimes you get a hostile response. I had one boss yelling at me, 'You're arresting her for a seat belt violation?' I said, 'No, I'm arresting her for not showing up for court for a seat belt violation.' "
The town has a long history of corruption. State auditors have repeatedly investigated the disappearance of town funds. Since 1991, four village officials have been sent to prison for theft of village money or property....
<http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-01-29-speedtrap-usat_x.htm> *****
***** Ohio News | Article published Wednesday, February 5, 2003 Speeding-ticket happy New Rome puts the brakes on dissolution
By KELLY LECKER BLADE STAFF WRITER
NEW ROME, Ohio - In a record high turnout - 32 people - voters decided yesterday to keep this tiny town intact, along with the police force that has made it infamous.
The vote was 21 against and 11 in favor of dissolving this 60-person village on the western edge of Columbus that covers a 0.19-mile stretch of West Broad Street.
Before yesterday, the most people who ever voted in an election in New Rome was 18....
"The whole system is a failure, a horrible, horrible way of letting the village go on," said Jim Bussey, who got a ticket from New Rome police and has been fighting to get the town dissolved.
Three former officials have pleaded guilty since 1991 to stealing money. A fourth person resigned after thousands of dollars vanished. Last year, the state auditor's office recommended the village dissolve itself because its sole function appeared to be producing tickets.
The traffic fines and the feuds that arose among village officials attracted national attention. The town and its battle were in newspapers across the country and featured on ABC's 20/20 last week....
The village had 65 registered voters, but the 2000 Census showed that only 60 people lived in the village, including 42 who are old enough to vote. Elections officials said people likely moved out of the village and didn't change their registration.
New Rome still could be dissolved under proposed state legislation.
Rep. Larry Wolpert, a Hilliard Republican, and Sen. Steve Stivers, a Columbus Republican, have introduced a bill that would allow the state auditor and county commissioners to dissolve troubled villages with populations of fewer than 100.
<http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20030205&Category=NEWS24&ArtNo=102050066&Ref=AR> ***** -- Yoshie
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