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$75 or we'll let your house burn down

#241
cassanova said:
Yes I do. But that has nothing to do with what I originally said about how these types of services should not be allowed to have a do not service list.

It's like being a cop to me. You don't get to pick and choose what laws you want to enforce. Fireman do not get to pick and choose which fires they get to put out. If you are the closest department then you respond and put it out period. That is your job. If they can service the neighbors house (which they did) then they certainly could've and should've doused the flames that destroyed this guys home.
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A municipal fire department, sure. A rural fire department that depends on fees, not taxes, well, no one gets a free ride or everyone gets a free ride, can't have it both ways.

It was $75 and the guy refused to pay it. His house burned down because of HIS actions. He can't blame it on anyone else. Well, maybe he can, I mean that seems to be the norm nowadays, blaming everyone else for your problems.
 
#243
I live just outside Philly. There have been times when the firefighters were officially on strike because of a lack of contract but even then those guys showed up at their stations and continued to do a great job "because they were true professionals, not wreck chasers making in the field decisions based on whether a fee was paid or not". I stand by my original remarks. My nephew who is a Philly firefighter currently described it like this. When you attend the academy and take the oath you make a bond with the citizenry, not the politicos.
 
#246
So the guy refuses to pay $75 into a common fund to protect his and his neighbours' property, and then complains when his neighbours refuse to risk their lives to save his property? Sorry, but if you tell me my house isn't worth $75 of your money, I'm going to tell you that yours isn't worth me risking my life. Especially when it was you who set fire to it.

Make choices, live with the consequences.
 
#248
According to this article, the couple had paid the fee in the past, but forgot it this year. This is from the AP. Also, the guy's wife said she isn't blaming the firefighters. She said they were just doing what their boss told them and that some of them had even called and apologized.


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#249
Rocker949 said:
According to this article, the couple had paid the fee in the past, but forgot it this year. This is from the AP. Also, the guy's wife said she isn't blaming the firefighters. She said they were just doing what their boss told them and that some of them had even called and apologized.


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So then, which story are we to believe? What really happened? Did they forget or did they rebel? And if they paid it before, how many times before in the last 20 years? This story has so many loose ends and so many contradictions.
 
#250
What was the quote? "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you read?" Something like that.

But editors have to sell papers, they look for the "angle" to make the story sell. If the headline said;

"Man refused to pay for fire service now shocked that they did not provide said service!"

I bet this thread wouldn't even exist.

Let's substitute some words in that headline.

"Man refused to pay for cable now shocked that they did not provide said service!"

"Man refused to pay for electricity now shocked that they did not provide said service!"

"Man refused to pay for flood insurance now shocked that they did not provide said service!"
 
#251
Floyd Eye said:
He can't blame it on anyone else. Well, maybe he can, I mean that seems to be the norm nowadays, blaming everyone else for your problems.
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This is a telling statement - and not just for this situation. The lack of responsibility taken for actions by people of this country and the blame game that goes on is ridiculous. Litigation and finger pointing is the name of the game. It's pathetic.

mpm32 said:
"Man refused to pay for fire service now shocked that they did not provide said service!"

I bet this thread wouldn't even exist.

Let's substitute some words in that headline.

"Man refused to pay for cable now shocked that they did not provide said service!"

"Man refused to pay for electricity now shocked that they did not provide said service!"

"Man refused to pay for flood insurance now shocked that they did not provide said service!"
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Some are making a distinction between fire protection and other services. Maybe that's right, maybe not. But this is an accurate post.
 
#252
6jase5 said:
I don't agree with this on any level. Freeloading (IMHO) citizens are NOT entitled to anything that OTHER citizens have to pay for. I (IMHO) pay for enough crap like food for death row inmates and medical for illegals that the thought of extending that down the "free services ladder" to people refusing to pay for fire protection service but then wanting it just enflames me. :mad:
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Even if in the long run it's cheaper to hand out those services than the alternative?

There is a lot of evidence that welfare is cheaper than the cost of dealing with the unrest of having a large indigent population.
 
#253
Clark Dark said:
When you attend the academy and take the oath you make a bond with the citizenry, not the politicos.
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In San Diego, firestations are getting "browned out", meaning closed on certain days of the week. It's horrible, but teachers are getting let go as well. Some days the "politicos" have to make horrible decision like, do we keep the diesel in the fire trucks or the kids in school? Scandals aside, services cost money.

In this instance, this guy forgot (still not an excuse) or refused to pay a simple price for a simple program. Sorry chief, put it on your calendar or work a few more hours and pay up. I wish I had the option to pay $75 to be sure that my local firestations weren't getting closed certain days of the month.
 
#254
6jase5 said:
In San Diego, firestations are getting "browned out", meaning closed on certain days of the week. It's horrible, but teachers are getting let go as well. Some days the "politicos" have to make horrible decision like, do we keep the diesel in the fire trucks or the kids in school? Scandals aside, services cost money.
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We have a terrible issue with priorities in this country.
 
#257
cassanova said:
The bottom line is a fire department refused to do their job/dutyt and put out a fire.
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Actually, they didn't refuse to do their job or their duty, according to the way that locality operates, however screwed up that is--but that's a policy matter that the county supervisors and the voters who elect them should be blamed for. There, you apparently opt in annually for fire department protection and pay for it. If you elect to not opt in and pay in, you're declining that service that other people pay for.
 
#258
SteveC said:
Some are making a distinction between fire protection and other services. Maybe that's right, maybe not. But this is an accurate post.
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It's specious.

The only thing accurate about it was the fact that it would never had been a thread/news if someone was complaining about not getting cable, electricity, or flood insurance without paying for it. If that's what you meant by accurate then I agree. If not, continue reading.

There is a huge difference between protecting the community from fires than there is someone expecting cable, electricity, and other services that are paid for out of pocket by the consumer.

Lets just say that entire town didn't pay the FD, they would've let the entire area burn to the ground. There is something drastically wrong with that.
 
#259
cassanova said:
Lets just say that entire town didn't pay the FD, they would've let the entire area burn to the ground. There is something drastically wrong with that.
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I don't see it as drastically wrong. People will continue to make bad decisions even when the consequence could be death.
Darwinism, we can't save every person from themselves.
 

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