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| Frequently Asked Questions |
Q: Who are you? A: We are the people who have been chewed up by the system and left for dead. Countless State, County, City, and Township legal systems financially and mentally abuse Us for the sole purpose of revenue generation and we have no way to defend ourselves other than to unite and fight. Billions of dollars are sucked from us yearly by this form of "protection" even though the punishment never deters the crime. The fine is just a bribe so they don't take away our "privilege" of driving. We have no control over the system. We have no justice in the system. What can we do about it? Build a web page! Q: What is your purpose? A: Our purpose is simple. We want to shed light on what is going on in New Rome and encourage the citizens to dissolve this so-called village and others like through a ballot initiative or legislation. Q: Where is New Rome? A: The 12 acre village of New Rome is located just west of Columbus, Ohio. It is landlocked by Prairie Township in western Franklin county. New Rome extends one block north and two blocks south of Route 40 (West Broad Street). It stretches for just under two tenths of a mile, or 1000 feet on West Broad. Q: What is the population of New Rome? A: Not many, but this is open to some debate. According to the 2000 US Census, there are 60 residents in New Rome, down from 111 in 1990. Eighteen of the 60 were minor children in 2000. The population is almost evenly split between males and females and the median age is 34. However, Mayor Mueller reports that if one goes door to door counting residents, the true number is about 37. Q: And how many cops do they have? A: Again, it's like trying to count clouds. The figure most commonly thrown out is 14. The Dispatch is now reporting there are only 6. Several are full-time, but the majority are part-timers. The council has recently voted to hire 10 auxillary officers to provide 24/7 "protection". Mayor Mueller has refused to hire the extra officers because they already have "adequate coverage". Q: How many police cars do they have? A: New Rome uses two late model Ford Crown Victorias with the Police Interceptor package. They have standard strobe blue and red light bars. The majority color of the cars is white with large "Police" and "Village of New Rome" markings on them. They bear Ohio "City" license tags OR 1847 and OR 1848. Q: How many tickets do they write? A: The strict patrols of West Broad St., along with random license plate checks result in thousands of traffic stops each year, almost all ending in one or more tickets. NRPD will seldom warn a motorist if they observe a ticketable offense. They take in roughly $400,000 in fines annually, although this figure is questionable as money seems to disappear from the Trailer of Injustice with alarmingly regularity. New Rome has reported that Between June 14, 2001 and June 14, 2002, 2,589 tickets were issued, of which only 352 were for speeding. Q: So they're strict; aren't they just doing their job? A: What is the point exactly? Does saturation enforcement of their three blocks of West Broad make New Rome that much safer for their residents? The consensus is that it's a cyclical action. They write tickets to pay for more cops to write tickets... Q: But writing tickets makes the roads safer, doesn't it? A: Unfortunately, the types of tickets New Rome writes are favored toward revenue generation, not traffic safety. Many of their tickets are for technical violations, especially regarding license plates. One of New Rome's tactics is to "pack" tickets. That is if you get stopped for speed and they see a cracked windshield and no seatbelt, you can bet on getting THREE tickets instead of one. New Rome loves to pile on tickets. Most police officers would give you a break and issue one ticket. Most cops will give warnings for minor infractions if everything else checks out okay. Not New Rome. Q: What if you don't pay your fine to New Rome? A: You may find yourself subject to one of New Rome's most despicable practices. When they issue your ticket, they will ask where you work. If you don't pay, they will come to your place of business and arrest you. Read through the Tales of Woe! That's right, they seek out people and arrest them over outstanding minor misdemeanor tickets. Obviously I suggest that if you get a ticket in New Rome you had better take care of it. But no other municipality I know of has the time, the will or the resources to go out and arrest people over unpaid tickets. We think it's just part of the culture of NRPD and the power trip attitude of their wannabe officers. They love the power, and they love to exhibit it in public and embarrass otherwise law abiding citizens. Q: So what. If you don't break the law, you have nothing to worry about. A: Again, you're kidding yourself. Read through the Tales of Woe and you'll find stories about New Rome stopping motorists for the pettiest of reasons including dim license plate light, mud on license plate, no backup lights, etc. Additionally, the Ohio Department of Transportation has recently ruled that New Rome's 35mph speed limit may not be legal under state guidelines. Q: Do they target truckers? A: Usually not. We've never seen a large truck stopped by New Rome. Most trucks take Interstate 70, which runs parallel to US 40, two miles to the north. Q: I live on a street that you list as a New Rome "detour" and the traffic is getting worse. Can you remove that from the site? A: No, sorry. I apologize to the residents of Little Farms and Greene Countries /West Woods subdivisions. The fact that motorists choose not to take the major thoroughfare because it has been hijacked by New Rome is affecting the comfort and property values of residents on the detour routes. I urge anyone that takes the New Rome detour to obey all traffic laws while bypassing New Rome. The residents on the detour routes should have a vested interest in getting New Rome shut down and freeing up West Broad for all through traffic. Q: What are you trying to accomplish? A: We would like the residents of New Rome vote to dissolve the village and become part of Prairie Township. The village of New Rome has run its course and they have isolated themselves into near extinction. They have a bloated and unnecessarily aggressive police department that has to vigorously write tickets in order to sustain the massive bureaucracy. We believe the westward expansion of the West Broad shopping district is being hampered by the presence of New Rome and their treatment of motorists that pass through. Q: What have you accomplished so far? A: Aside from being featured on 20/20, local
radio and news stations, in Car & Driver, USAToday, LA Times, the
National Examiner, among many others, newromesucks.com founder Jim
Bussey II has presented proponent testimony for Ohio Senate Bill 25 and
Ohio House Bill 24 which would provide the state with the means to
dissolve small, corrupt villages like New Rome. As of March 24,
2003 the bill has passed its second consideration in the Ohio
House. Also, in the beginning of this great saga, Jim proved that
New Rome's speed limit sign was illegal placed. They corrected the
sign height and position, but refused to drop charges against him. |
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