1. Costs of Violent crime: We said in class that violent crime will cost us about $450 BILLION dollars, 1/3 of which is from domestic violence. The fraud perpetuated by Charles Keating of the Savings and Loan scandal a few years ago will cost taxpayers about $473 BILLION (with a B) by the time paying for the fraud and bailing out banks is finished. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2. What is the Cost of Drunk Drivers on American Society? State lost $1 billion to drunken driving Published July 1, 2002 ILLINOIS -- Drunken drivers cost the state $1 billion in 2000, according to a study released Sunday by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Alcohol was a factor in 38 percent of the vehicle crashes in Illinois that year. Using a model provided by the National Safety Council, officials assigned the financial impact of each traffic fatality at $1 million, injuries at $35,300 and property damage at $6,500, said department spokesman John Pastuovic. The values are based on factors such as the earning power of an individual, funeral and health care bills, and other costs related to automobile accidents, Pastuovic said. "This is the first time that IDOT has calculated this in Illinois," Pastuovic said. The toll for alcohol-related crashes in Chicago was more than $199 million, according to the study. The study was released before the 4th of July to encourage people to buckle up and not to drink and drive. "There's a perception out there that impaired driving is a thing of the past," Pastuovic said. "Everybody thinks it's been solved, and that's not the case." _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx

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