This makes me sick
If you haven't heard about this, you should. It's disgusting. A rural county in TN has a "pay to spray" fire fighting policy. If you don't pay the $75 fee, your house burns to the ground, even if the fire fighters are already on the scene and there are animals in the house.
http://tinyurl.com/28jlxa5
The family's pets perished while the firemen watched.
http://huff.to/aeHfeW - then Glenn Beck makes fun of the homeowner.
I have since found out that the same fire department allowed a barn full of horses burn to the ground because the owner hadn't paid the fee. Obviously, all the horses burned to death.
http://commonsense-gater.blogspot.com/2010/10/tennessee-family-did-not-have-to-watch.html
Is this what we have to look forward to? Fire fighters that stand by while pets and livestock die? What's next? You call 911 and they only send the police/ambulance if you are on the "paid-up" list? Or you call 911 and they won't talk to you unless you're a "paying customer?" For the record, Vonage incorporates a 911 fee into their monthly service cost, most phone companies do.
Here is an example of "smaller government" at work. Do you like what you see? I know I sure as hell don't. Is this "common sense conservatism" to you?? If it is, it makes no sense and it's only "common" if you think it's ok to let pets and horses die needlessly.
Here in Bellefonte, our property taxes pay for services like this. The county and city officials in TN could have passed a .01% property tax increase to cover a fire department, but instead voted for this draconian fee-based system that allows property to burn and animals to perish in agony because of non-payment. This is what we have to expect when politicians talk about privatization of services. Fire departments, Emergency services, police, and ambulances all based on a "pay for" scale and if you're not on the list, you're S.O.L.
What this county and firefighters have done is unconscionable. Even the IAFF has condemned the actions of the fire chief and officials. It is one thing to "make an example" of a non-payer, but to allow animals to burn to death is beyond cruel. This is not America. We do not do this to our neighbors. We do not call them "free loaders" who "want to mooch off the system" then scoff at their misfortune and haughtily say they got what they deserved. This is not some lazy deadbeat who worked the system to get benefits and services he didn't earn or qualify for. This was someone's home. They lost everything.
Back in the 1700's Benjamin Franklin was credited with founding the first fire department in Philadelphia. They worked very much the same as South Fulton does now. If you paid for fire insurance, the fire dept would come and put it out. If not, you were out of luck. I would like to think we have come a good deal further along on things in the past 230 or so years.
http://tinyurl.com/28jlxa5
The family's pets perished while the firemen watched.
http://huff.to/aeHfeW - then Glenn Beck makes fun of the homeowner.
I have since found out that the same fire department allowed a barn full of horses burn to the ground because the owner hadn't paid the fee. Obviously, all the horses burned to death.
http://commonsense-gater.blogspot.com/2010/10/tennessee-family-did-not-have-to-watch.html
Is this what we have to look forward to? Fire fighters that stand by while pets and livestock die? What's next? You call 911 and they only send the police/ambulance if you are on the "paid-up" list? Or you call 911 and they won't talk to you unless you're a "paying customer?" For the record, Vonage incorporates a 911 fee into their monthly service cost, most phone companies do.
Here is an example of "smaller government" at work. Do you like what you see? I know I sure as hell don't. Is this "common sense conservatism" to you?? If it is, it makes no sense and it's only "common" if you think it's ok to let pets and horses die needlessly.
Here in Bellefonte, our property taxes pay for services like this. The county and city officials in TN could have passed a .01% property tax increase to cover a fire department, but instead voted for this draconian fee-based system that allows property to burn and animals to perish in agony because of non-payment. This is what we have to expect when politicians talk about privatization of services. Fire departments, Emergency services, police, and ambulances all based on a "pay for" scale and if you're not on the list, you're S.O.L.
What this county and firefighters have done is unconscionable. Even the IAFF has condemned the actions of the fire chief and officials. It is one thing to "make an example" of a non-payer, but to allow animals to burn to death is beyond cruel. This is not America. We do not do this to our neighbors. We do not call them "free loaders" who "want to mooch off the system" then scoff at their misfortune and haughtily say they got what they deserved. This is not some lazy deadbeat who worked the system to get benefits and services he didn't earn or qualify for. This was someone's home. They lost everything.
Back in the 1700's Benjamin Franklin was credited with founding the first fire department in Philadelphia. They worked very much the same as South Fulton does now. If you paid for fire insurance, the fire dept would come and put it out. If not, you were out of luck. I would like to think we have come a good deal further along on things in the past 230 or so years.