bob taft doing something right IS something to write home about.

About friggin' time. This little spot of nowhere is notorious throughout the state. Death to speed traps and kangaroo courts!

A bit more information on the newromesucks website can be found here.

This is a good thing.

I recommend you read the site and view the "Tales of Woe". Especially the "top ten".

Holy Crap! $200,000 / 60! Thats....

er....

lots.

Wow. I just read the "tales of woe" section. That place is definitely on my detour list. Um, if I ever go to Ohio.

I hate that place!! Those cops pull so much crap to pull you over it's insane it's taken this long to stop them from doing it. I swear all of their officers were last in their class at the accademy. I like the story at the newromesucks site where the cop starts freaking out when he hears there might be a Mexican gang in the area.

How in the hell do they get away with it. Just dont pay, and then sue the ass off them. Litigate Litigate!

Why am I not surprised that New Rome has a history of fiscal mismanagement and questionable elections practices.

I also like how the village treasurer won't do an audit unless forced to.

Thanks GGracie, that was bothering me. I ran out of toes.

Is this place in the US?

New Rome horror stories at newromesucks.com.

Note to self: read thread before posting.

Awesome. I read about this place long long ago, it's nice to hear this news. I hate two-shyte towns in the middle of nowhere that give speeding tickets... on the drive up to Mammoth from LA, you have to pass through a dozen of them!

~Berj

Now they can go back to sleep, oh wait that was another post. Nevermind.


/Emily Litella

I didn't know America still had villages. Are there any hamlets left?

Sheriff Buford T. Justice is rolling in his grave.

they must have stopped giving the governor his hush money.

All Rise, court is now in session - Judge Alvin 'J.P' Valkenheiser presiding!

The new law also could spell the end of New Rome as a village.

A village of less than 150 residents can be dissolved if it fails to follow election laws for two elections, is declared to be in a fiscal emergency by the state auditor for three consecutive years, is found to be unauditable for two audits or fails to provide two municipal services such as police protection, trash pickup or street maintenance.

And they will say that New Rome didn't fall in a day...

New Rome horror stories at newromesucks.com.

Glasgowsfinest
If you don't pay, they will come to your workplace and arrest you. Go to the aforementioned newromesucks.com and you can read many stories about where the New Rome "Police" have done just that.

Andorian
towns in the middle of nowhere - While many may consider Columbus nowhere, it is still the 15th largest city in the US and New Rome is right in the middle of it.

They've got nothing on Lawtey and Waldo, Florida.

I wish the new law went higher than just 100 residents. I know a lot of little towns run by mayors that have no understanding of the legal system. There is so much room for abuse.

Wow that newromesucks site is incredible. That top ten list is really, really scary.

Good ol abuse of police power!

If even half of those stories are true, I'd stay the fark away from that hellhole.

a'course i would anyway, since its ohio, but still....

funny...i was reading about this town on above-mentioned site, two weeks ago. I understand the police force, but this township really abused their privileges and duty. Also, the mayor office was overrun by rampant corruption. But most of the fines came from out-of-town drivers who apparently forgot or did not know that New Rome was known for giving speeding tickets. From the stories, it seemed like the police pulled over anybody and turn every stop into a hostile situation. Harassment and embelished crimes were standard protocol.

I live in Canada and I've heard of New Rome's police abuses.

I initially read about this "town" in Car and Driver. There was a link to the article on the newromesucks site. Worth a read:

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=4347

Jeez, most housing subdivisions are bigger than this town.

Is this the mayor?

Ugh. I grew up about a mile from there and have to go through it now every time I visit family. New Rome can kiss my ass. I got pulled over the last time I went home for no front license plate. NC doesn't *give* you one. Dumbasses.

New Rome?

Trying again...

"Nothing But Trouble"=freaky ass movie

Actually, if you read up on the town at all, you'll find that only 14% of the tickets are speeding tickets. The rest are "you have dirt on your license plate" or "that light looks a little dim" or crap like that. Basically anything they can do to get ticket revenue. And the cops in the surrounding jurisdictions have no respect whatsoever for New Rome cops.

"Connie Tucker, the village clerk-treasurer, said no village audit is needed because one was finished last year.
"I'm not going to allocate funds for the audit unless I'm forced to," she said. "

Gee, Connie, whatcha been up to, that you don't want an audit? And who did last year's audit, your little brother Bubba?

Emasedawg
it seemed like the police pulled over anybody - They actually run the license plates through the state LEADS (Law Enforcement Automated Data System) system and then decide if they are going to pull them over. Once they pulled you over, they would generally make up a charge such as a car's bumper being 1/16" of an inch to close to the ground (actually happened and documented in newromesucks.com). Yes, this is entirely illegal and they recently had their use of the system suspended by the state Highway Patrol.

Namatad:

what about getting 40 new residents?
and then they can go right back to writing tickets
:)

Actually, many of the village "officials" are related, so with that in mind, a few years a few births - it could happen

I rembember their being a scandal about the mayors election their. Seems that one family of fugly rednecks run the whole town. They keep getting indited for stealing money. I hate rednecks. Especialy the ones from Ohio.

Actually, if you read up on the town at all, you'll find that only 14% of the tickets are speeding tickets.

This is true. My brother got a ticket because his taillight was broken and he had put red cellophane over it. They said it wasn't red enough.

we should all be able to drive as fast as we want and kill as many people as we want. Especially drunk. Laws are bad.

Ghare
You idiot. Nobody is arguing against ticketing, rather the
reasonable implementation of it and non-abuse of the system.

I'm especially amused by the old picture of New Rome councilman David Thisler:



Talk about rednecks!

I think he sings for Alabama, Will.

The New Rome Audit (pdf) is interesting also, for those who want to see the numbers.

Bob Taft, hero?

Circuits...Mal...Functioning....GAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

That audit says that "Court collections" totaled more than $483,000 in 2001.

Balls!

$483,000 / 60 = $8,050

And the best part is that the audit also says that the town purchased a $70,000 "modular unit" to add to their city hall!

Gov'ment in a mobile home. I love it.

Now if we could get something done about Windsor Heights (aka Radar Heights), Iowa.