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LibertyEagle
10-06-2010, 02:53 PM
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/04/county-firefighters-subscription/


As ThinkProgress has noted, there are currently two competing visions of governance in the United States. One, the conservative vision, believes in the on-your-own society, and informs a policy agenda that primarily serves the well off and privileged sectors of the country. The other vision, the progressive one, believes in an American Dream that works for all people, regardless of their racial, religious, or economic background.

The conservative vision was on full display last week in Obion County, Tennessee. In this rural section of Tennessee, Gene Cranick’s home caught on fire. As the Cranicks fled their home, their neighbors alerted the county’s firefighters, who soon arrived at the scene. Yet when the firefighters arrived, they refused to put out the fire, saying that the family failed to pay the annual subscription fee to the fire department. Because the county’s fire services for rural residences is based on household subscription fees, the firefighters, fully equipped to help the Cranicks, stood by and watched as the home burned to the ground:

Imagine your home catches fire but the local fire department won’t respond, then watches it burn. That’s exactly what happened to a local family tonight. A local neighborhood is furious after firefighters watched as an Obion County, Tennessee, home burned to the ground.

The homeowner, Gene Cranick, said he offered to pay whatever it would take for firefighters to put out the flames, but was told it was too late. They wouldn’t do anything to stop his house from burning. Each year, Obion County residents must pay $75 if they want fire protection from the city of South Fulton. But the Cranicks did not pay. The mayor said if homeowners don’t pay, they’re out of luck. [...]

We asked the mayor of South Fulton if the chief could have made an exception. “Anybody that’s not in the city of South Fulton, it’s a service we offer, either they accept it or they don’t,” Mayor David Crocker said.

continued: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/04/county-firefighters-subscription/

Read the comments too. I honestly do not understand what is in some of these people's brains. They seem to think that money falls from the sky.

pcosmar
10-06-2010, 03:00 PM
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/04/county-firefighters-subscription/



continued: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/04/county-firefighters-subscription/

Read the comments too. I honestly do not understand what is in some of these people's brains. They seem to think that money falls from the sky.
Some people think this fire dept is a Private business instead of a Tax Funded service.
They think the Petty Bureaucrat (Mayor) is some Free Market guru rather that the Tax feeder that he is.

This is Government Service on the local level.

Dr.3D
10-06-2010, 03:01 PM
Started reading the comments and had to stop. Those folks seem to think everything should be "free". They fail to realize somebody has to pay for those things.

pcosmar
10-06-2010, 03:03 PM
Started reading the comments and had to stop. Those folks seem to think everything should be "free". They fail to realize somebody has to pay for those things.

People are paying for them, County Property Tax, Income Tax. Sales Tax.Vehicle Tax.etc.etc etc.

Dr.3D
10-06-2010, 03:09 PM
People are paying for them, County Property Tax, Income Tax. Sales Tax.Vehicle Tax.etc.etc etc.

The headline says otherwise:

Tennessee County’s Subscription-Based Firefighters Watch As Family Home Burns Down

I would tend to believe subscription-based would mean paid for by subscription.

specsaregood
10-06-2010, 03:10 PM
Some people think this fire dept is a Private business instead of a Tax Funded service.
They think the Petty Bureaucrat (Mayor) is some Free Market guru rather that the Tax feeder that he is.

This is Government Service on the local level.

So what you are saying is....this actually an example of a failure of the "progressive agenda"?

pcosmar
10-06-2010, 03:17 PM
So what you are saying is....this actually an example of a failure of the "progressive agenda"?
A failure of the Statist agenda would be more accurate.

Though this is being publicized and politicized as an anti-libertarian example.
the fact is It is a failure of Government and A petty local bureaucrat.
Some here,
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=32393
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978577549

pcosmar
10-06-2010, 03:19 PM
The headline says otherwise:



I am aware of the headline. Though I tend to call it propaganda. Some like the term "Spin".

Matt Collins
10-06-2010, 04:36 PM
YouTube - Firefighters Watch House Burn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw2B2u8zjPU&feature=player_embedded)

LibertyEagle
10-07-2010, 12:49 AM
bump

ClayTrainor
10-07-2010, 12:55 AM
Some people think this fire dept is a Private business instead of a Tax Funded service.
They think the Petty Bureaucrat (Mayor) is some Free Market guru rather that the Tax feeder that he is.

This is Government Service on the local level.

So...Fucking...True!

Philhelm
10-07-2010, 01:48 AM
My personal opinion on this matter is that some people are taking their ideology a bit too far, especially considering the reality of the system we live in, rather than what we'd like to see. First, this fire department is not a private entity, and therefore, profit issues should not have an effect on its willingness to respond. If the county can't even properly run a fire department with the taxes it already receives from its citizens, then perhaps it should think of cutting other functions funded by its ill-gotten gains. To take the position that he should have paid the $75 fee only plays into local governments finding more ways in which to tax us, using the semantics that local taxes are used for services other than the fire department, and that a fire tax is necessary. Hell, let's tack on a police tax too. Granted, your other taxes won't go down, but those no longer cover those services.

The fact that they had arrived, and merely watched the house burn down, is ridiculous. While being a good semaritan shouldn't be forced upon private citizens, those who are paid through taxation, and whose job it is to put out fires very damn well put out fires. Also note that his neighbor, who did pay, had part of his property catch on fire, which would not have happened if they would have simply responded immediately.