Have you wondered what it would be like, in real life, to adopt ultra-conservative, low-taxes, “every man for himself” tea party-type ideas about government? Well, here’s a chance to see it in action. Caution: It’s not a pretty site. ThinkProgress reports today on a house fire in Obion County, Tennessee that is causing anger toward the local, GOP-dominated government’s radical-right policies.
When Obion County resident Gene Cranick’s home caught fire, neighbors called the county’s firefighters. The firefighters showed up, but refused to put it out because Cranick hadn’t paid a $75 fee to “subscribe” to fire protection service. The fire continued for hours, and when it spread to another house, the firefighters put out that blaze because the owner had paid up. The Cranick home, though, burned completely to the ground.
The mayor’s reaction was that the Cranicks are basically out of luck, and compared the situation to auto insurance: “If an auto owner allowed their [sic] vehicle insurance to lapse, they would not expect an insurance company to pay for an unprotected vehicle after it was wrecked.” Which would make sense if fire protection, unlike auto insurance, wasn’t a universally recognized essential service of any local government worthy of being called a government. Americans may not like taxes, but they sure as hell don’t want to go back to the frontier days, either. Watch local news station Local 6’s report on the fire:
This article appears in Sep 28 – Oct 4, 2010.
I wouldn’t label this an “ultra-conservative, low-taxes, “every man for himself” tea party-type idea”. It’s just another example of government bureaucracy. If it was a Democrat in office, it simply would have been called a ‘tax’ rather than a ‘fee’ and would have been mandatory. One thing you conveniently left out is that Obion county does not have its own fire department and instead relies on the fire protection services of the nearby City of Fulton. The City of Fulton does not automatically serve residents of the county and that is why there is the optional fee.
Any firefighter that watches a house burn to the ground doesn’t deserve that title.
It’s like a police officer watching someone get murdered and doing nothing because they didn’t pay their “protection of life and limb” fee.
Somehow I knew that some right wing every man for himself fool would defend the fire department decision.
Trust me on this: YOU will not fare well in that every man for himself environment. Money is power and power corrupts.
Hmm, not sure who was defending the fire department’s decision here. Though it wasn’t really the fire department’s decision anyway. First, it was the local government’s decision to create a fee for the fire department’s services. Then it was Mr. Cranick’s decision to not pay the fee. That was his choice. Just like I have a choice to wear my seatbelt or not. If I choose not to wear it and I get in a wreck and am seriously injured or die, that’s my own dumb fault.
Power does indeed corrupt. Our current government has way too much power. I’d rather be every man for himself than have government controlling my life.
Here is a representative Massachusetts law (http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/258-10.htm) which both exempts towns from a requirement of establishing police and fire departments, and from any indemnity if they do not perform the “universally recognized essential services” we generally believe they are established to do:
“The provisions of sections one to eight, inclusive, shall not apply to:…
(g) any claim based upon the failure to establish a fire department or a particular fire protection service, or if fire protection service is provided, for failure to prevent, suppress or contain a fire, or for any acts or omissions in the suppression or containment of a fire, but not including claims based upon the negligent operation of motor vehicles or as otherwise provided in clause (1) of subparagraph (j).
(h) any claim based upon the failure to establish a police department or a particular police protection service, or if police protection is provided, for failure to provide adequate police protection, prevent the commission of crimes, investigate, detect or solve crimes, identify or apprehend criminals or suspects, arrest or detain suspects, or enforce any law, but not including claims based upon the negligent operation of motor vehicles, negligent protection, supervision or care of persons in custody, or as otherwise provided in clause (1) of subparagraph (j).”
Wes,
Look up “Ford v. Town of Grafton”. The police cannot be held liable in the situation you describe.
Mr. Grooms,
If you compel the fire department to serve homeowners that do not pay the fee, then those homeowners will feel no obligation to pay the fee. Then the fire department will collapse for lack of funding, since it will have established a precedent of serving homes that haven’t paid, and homeowners will stop paying it.
@Voldemort This is WHY taxes, those annoying, involuntary fees are normally charged for fire protection. Then again, you probably don’t believe in those either. Shame on you, and a very unhappy afterlife to the local douchenozzles who made this policy.