[excon]

So I just love my local fire fighters,

Hello Padre:

Glad you're feeling better. You wouldn't love 'em so much if you forgot to pay your special assessment...

excon

[bleusong52]

I honestly have never heard of a pay for spray policy. Am disgusted to hear of it and even more disgusted that the building was allowed to burn down. I can stand the loss of an animal, I would not expect a fireman/woman to go in and rescue my cat. That poses too much danger for that professional. I do agree with other posts that have said - take care of the fire and bill later. The community might have even pitched in monies to offset that bill if the person did not have the funds. A policy like pay for spray is cold-hearted.

[Fr_Chuck]

We have to remember in those departments it is a business, that yearly fee is how they pay for equipment, training, and more.

If you are hungry and don't have money you can't get food from the local store without paying for it.

If you don't have money to pay the rent, you get evicted.

So if you look at those departments as a business, not a government service,

[excon]

so if you look at those departments as a business, not a government service,

Hello Padre:

That works for well for the RICH, but the poor homeowners suffer. Police protection is going to be privatized NEXT. That AIN'T going to be good.

Who is saying this isn't EXACTLY like the tea party would like it?? Seems to me, this is Tea Party nirvana.

excon

[speechlesstx]

Who is saying this isn't EXACTLY like the tea party would like it???? Seems to me, this is Tea Party nirvana.

Seems? Give me one shred of evidence, ex.

[excon]

Seems? Give me one shred of evidence, ex.

Hello again, Steve:

One of us is missing something...

I thought Republicans were in favor of PRIVATIZING government services... I thought the TEA PARTY had orgasms over PRIVATIZING government services... THIS is a privatized government service. THIS fire department is acting EXACTLY like you'd think a privatized fire department SHOULD act. No pay - no spray. What's NOT to like if you're a tea partier? Glenn Beck LOVES it...

Now, I could be wrong,. But, I'm NOT. .

excon

[tomder55]

This is not a case of privatized services. That is a distortion .

This person could easily afford the fee . He chose not to pay it. Had he been taxed for it ,he would've paid more annually than the fee.

Also he did not live in the taxing authority .People who live in unincorporated sections of the county near the village I live in have similar fee for services charges from the village. The village on it's own cannot afford to cover non-residences for free ;and frankly it would be unfair for the homeowners in the village to subsidize non-residences .

That being said I think it was irresponsible for them to sit by and not put the fire out. An upcharged bill could've been submitted and enforced after the service was provided. Consider the $75 not a tax but and insurance policy.

On 9-11 many volunteer firefighters responded and it cost them their lives. They did not sit outside because a fee hadn't been settled .

[excon]

This is not a case of privatized services. That is a distortion .

This person could easily afford the fee . He chose not to pay it. Had he been taxed for it ,he would've paid more annually than the fee.

Hello again, tom:

Huh??

Let me see. They were CHARGING for it. It WASN'T a tax. He COULD afford it. He DIDN'T pay, and he DIDN'T get the service. What ISN'T private about that? That's how I do business with my dry cleaners, and, frankly, everybody else for that matter... THAT'S how private business WORKS.

As a rightwinger, how is it that you don't know that?

excon

[tomder55]

He lived outside the taxing authority .Are you saying he should've been covered for free... or are you saying the people of the town should've provided this service to him for free ?
Maybe you think this is like the free health care services that illegals get.

[J_9]

This person could easily afford the fee . He chose not to pay it.

Incorrect. This person forgot to pay it. She paid in previous years, but forgot this year.

[Fr_Chuck]

I can't say how they bill there, but normally they get a bill, they get a reminder bill and often even another bill. If you forget to pay your tax bill, they will end up selling your house.

But with that said, to go back to excon statement about private police, which is what some gated communities have basically, And if you don't see a difference in the treatment of people in court who have the money to pay better lawyers, to afford investigators and to afford to pay for a dozen motions on a case.


If OJ had been a poor man from the projects he would not have been out on bail and he would be serving 15 to life.

[J_9]

Local news story.

Firefighters And Obion County Mayor Speak Over Fire Controversy - WREG

[excon]

He lived outside the taxing authority .Are you saying he should've been covered for free ...or are you saying the people of the town should've provided this service to him for free ?.

Hello tom:

He lived in SOME taxing authority. Maybe THAT authority (the county?) should have collected taxes to cover its residents... I'm sure the little town would LOVE to have received the money in a bunch instead of $75 here and $75 there. I'll bet they could even have gotten a discount if they paid that way.

What I'm saying, is this is either a failure of government, or it's an intentional outcome. I think it's intentional. I think it's exactly what Republicans want... Or, maybe you really DON'T want it, when you see it in action.

Government isn't ALWAYS the enemy. Ronald Reagan didn't tell you that.

excon

[tomder55]

The article J9 posted says that a county tax had been proposed in the past and rejected.

J9 whether they "forgot" to pay ,or didn't pay is irrelevant to my point of view because I already agreed that the fire dept was wrong to stand by.

That being said ,I wonder how many people in the unincorporated areas make the decision not to pay?

Reading the comments to the article I find that their illegal burning of trash is what caused the fire.

Ex ,yes I want to live in a world where there is at least a small degree of individual responsibility . It is absolute demagoguery to suggest houses burning down is the outcome we desire .

[speechlesstx]

What's NOT to like if you're a tea partier? Glenn Beck LOVES it...

Aside from his idiot sidekick mocking the man, Beck wasn't LOVING it. He made the point that - and I remind you that until the fee this area had NO fire service - if the fire department responds to everyone who hasn't paid the fee, no one would pay the fee and there would be no way to fund this service. You forget that my "green job" is in fire protection and it ain't cheap. If they have no money they have no fire protection.

[excon]

It is absolute demagoguery to suggest houses burning down is the outcome we desire .

Hello again, tom:

In private business, SOME people choose NOT to buy. When they DON'T buy, they DON'T get the benefit of whatever it is that they DIDN'T buy. I'm sure you don't like to see peoples homes burn, but that IS the result of PRIVATIZED government service. That's NOT demagoguery. It's BUSINESS. IF you're so worried about your neighbor, and you appear to be, put fire protection BACK under the social contract where it once was...

You either EMBRACE private fire departments, and accept houses that burn as a result of nonpayment, or you don't. Spit it out...

excon

[tomder55]

Not buying it . There is no mandate for this service. I see it all the time where I live. The Orthodox community opts out of the public services and provides their own on things like busing ,ambulance services etc . They just don't cry about it if they need the service and it isn't delivered by the government . They take care of themselves.

[twinkiedooter]

This is reminiscent of the old days where you had to purchase metal badges to be displayed on a leather cord or wooden board outside your home so the firefighters who showed up knew you had already paid for their services. Harken back to the good old days.

Also, the homeowner would have had homeowner's insurance that would have covered the fire damage (I hope). Maybe the insurance company will end up suing the fire department for not putting out the fire when they where there on the scene.

It's sad that this "service" should be paid for yearly and not included in their property taxes. Talk about backward states and backward counties..!

[Alty]

Mental note, stay in Canada

Here fire services are paid through your property tax but I can tell you that no one would be refused that service even if they hadn't paid their property tax that year.

To let the house burn, the pets inside burn, is inhumane, and the firemen that stood by watching it burn should be extremely ashamed.

I find this horrifying. You all can keep your government, I'll stick with mine.

[paraclete]

I have watched this debate and there is nothing logical in a system of fire protection that says you have to pay before you are protected. This does not serve the common good. It is like saying you can't step into the street if you haven't paid taxes, or you can't have medical assistance if you don't have medical insurance. The circumstances of this case show a heartlessness that is difficult to contemplate and I'm glad I live in a country where such behaviour would be unconscienconable and subject to action for criminal negligence