Firefighters let family's house burn down....

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http://www.alternet.org/news/148407/ayn ... y_$75_fee/



I hope they're f*****g sued for this, or worse. This is just sickening.

If you don't feed a starving man out of your own pocket, should you be sued?

ruveyn

People are so determined to forget the past and repeat the mistakes. There were good reasons why emergency services were put into the control of government funded completely by taxes as there were good reasons why other services were put under state control. Now as people have forgotten the past it's easy to implement a toll booth economy, privatisation and "government a la carte" in the name of Personal Responsibility and Liberty. Back in those days, an important reason for putting natural monopolies in the public domain was to reduce the cost of doing business. The privatisation of everything in sight is terrible for national competitiveness but it's an easy matter to pretend it's not so and openly blame the trade unions for everything. It justifies yet more plundering of the national wealth.

What about the man's neighbors? Were they home, and could they have helped? Which would have been better - the government stealing this man's house because he didn't pay the $75 per year fee, or this man taking the risk of fire upon himself. This is a tragic situation, and I hate that it has happened. However, the state-ists always argue that people should have to pay their "fair share" of cost for public service. If this were a tax, the man would have lost his home or be jailed for not paying. However, since this is a service fee, the man would have only lost his home in a fire (which in this case, he did). Each system of providing services has its advantages and disadvantages.

Well if he had been told and he knew the possible results of the choice he was making then sadly the home owner is to blame in this case, but I think it is a very harsh justice to stand back and watch the house burn.

I think it would be better to make everyone pay 75 USD in the county towards fire fighting as part of the local tax, anyone who fails to pay should be then viewed as a tax dodger. The great problem with this US method is if they get the wrong house. What if woodpecker has paid his 75 USD for fire fighting but when a fire starts they mix it up with the house next door where the owner failed to pay.

Funny, I figured fire services were a basic human right. Guess I was wrong.

You Americans have to pay for the fire service?

Most communities in the USA are not like this county. As much as I hate taxes, this is one thing I feel should be paid for by property taxes and not fees. In fact, I have noticed that as various fees for government services come online, our property taxes do decrease which suggests that there is another issue that is eating tax dollars rather than government services.

Wow. This reminds me of how lucky we are to all have healthcare. Could you imagine if we let someone die because they couldn't afford to see a doctor or to buy their medication? Oh wait...

What a horrible story, but at least a house is not a life.

I think the same thing, except I actually can say that thanks to the NHS.

Not boasting or anything, I just think it's disgusting that the richest country in the word isn't taking proper care of it's citizens.

Where I live if you want to build a house way out in the boondocks you have to sign a waiver stating that the fire department will not save your house. They will rescue any people but not put out the fire. The reason for this is that the fire department can't get their equipment that far back in the woods.

Everybody has to pay for fire services unless the fire service consists of neighbors coming in to put out the fire. Fire services aren't free anywhere. Firefighters have to be paid unless they are volunteers. Fire equipment has to be purchased and maintained. All of this costs money, and the money has to come from somewhere. There are 3 main models and combinations of that support fire suppression services. These are, tax based services, fee paid services, and donation paid services. Taxed based services are supported by governments collecting taxes from citizens (taking money under penalty for not complying) and transferring these taxes to the fire department. For fee based services, fire departments charge a yearly subscription fee or a fee based upon the actual call. Donation based services means that the fire department has to raise money from citizens who give voluntarily, and the fire service depends upon the donations to stay afloat. So, yes people everywhere pays for fire service. Just because someone doesn't actually write a check to the fire department does not mean they are not paying for it. The money may instead be a portion of the price of a candy bar, or it may be a portion of the price of rent or a portion of the price of a telephone call. In any case, the resources is collected from people and provided to the fire service. If the fire service did not have the resources, it would not be able to fight fires.

to number 5.....you wrote that at least a house is not a life. i could give s..t about the house.....but there were companion animals that died inside. those are lives to me.

nothing is for free, unless you live in california and know how to scam the system and use welfare money to take vacations to hawaii.

there's an easy way to end unemployment and get humans who can work but won't work....to work. no one in power has the guts to do it. have firefighters out your a..

i do not feel sorry for this guy. lets animals die so he can save 75 bucks.

I believe that the poster is fully aware that services cost money. He appears to have been showing surprise that there are American fire services operating on a "pay-per-fire" basis, as opposed to a direct levy from taxes, either local or national, thus meaning that EVERYBODY is protected regardless of financial position or bright ideas about budgeting, as should be the case with emergency services. Me personally, I'm not surprised but I do think its ridiculous.

That's what I mean, yeah.

In the UK we pay for the fire service, the health service, etc, through our taxes. Our VAT (sales tax) is quite a bit higher than in the US, but we then don't have to pay for basic stuff with the money with have left, unless we choose to buy some private health care of course.

Those firemen should be sued, for what they've done.