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.
…“I thought they’d come out and put it out, even if you hadn’t paid your $75, but I was wrong,” said Gene Cranick.
Because of that, not much is left of Cranick’s house.
This makes me feel even better about the obnoxious anti-income tax ads playing throughout the terrible Seahawks game today.
Remember kids, nothing government does is worthwhile. Taxes are always bad for the common man. You’d always be best off if you’re left to fend for yourself, you strong, burly, independent American.
(Via the A-list)
That guy needs a shirt.
From the article, it sounds like people who live in the city of South Fulton get fire service, presumably as part of their property taxes. Only people who live outside the city have to buy their own service from the city if they want it. Some blame here goes to the county, where they’re too afraid to tax people to either have their own fire service or buy a blanket coverage agreement from the city.
Also, if a firefighter got hurt in a non-covered house, would the city’s insurance pay? I bet not.
@52 “the homeowner may well have had some other reason for not paying a measly $75 for fire protection (that is, one not related to anti-tax or libertarian principles), but it’s hard to imagine what that might be.”
He’s cheap and/or thrifty and didn’t expect his house would be the one to burn down, but assumed that if it did he’d get a free ride on the contributions of neighbors, maybe? Hm…that was actually pretty easy to imagine.
“I sure hope you aren’t implying that fire protection ought to be provided by the free market. Public services all ought to belong to our democratically elected representative governments, which are more accountable than any private business. “
The State is accountable to the corporate interests that fund and lobby them. Period. Just take a look at how quickly Obama’s promises to fight lobbyist and the health insurance industry turned into legislation making it illegal for anyone not to buy their product.
Free market is a poor choice of word for what I’d like to see provide public sector services. Let’s just say I’d much prefer a decentralized, voluntarilyist and localized solution.
@45,n the neighbor’s house did not catch fire. The linked reports state that part of the neighbor’s field started to burn. The linked reports said nothing about the neighbor’s house.
On the plus side, his property tax bill should go down quite a bit.
@7 – Did you see the Frontline episode about that? It’s a little maddening. Ashland, OR—such a weird hotbed of libertarian ethics crossed with 70’s new age-isms—has the lowest vaccination rate in the country.
Libertarians of the world unite!
And stay the heck off of my socialized roads and out of emergency rooms when your house burns down.
Somalia ain’t such a keen thing, is it?
How is this legal? My neighbor not having police or fire protection puts me at a bigger risk and the community as a whole. Not just physical risk, financial risk too. so incredibly stupid.
And the fire started because he was…burning trash? Let me guess–too cheap to pay for garbage pickup or the dump fees? And too dumb to clear a fifteen foot radius around his burn area and have buckets of sand, fire extinguishers and a garden hose standing by? And also, on MSNBC tonight, claiming he “forgot” to pay his fee.
@18: Comparing a house to a child is fucked up. A house is stuff. Nobody is going to get hurt or die for your property. Sorry.
@15 you’re talking about my dad.
He’s not a semi-literate hillbilly, he was a professor at Marlboro College, and he’s been building houses since the 1960s.
But hey, say bad things about Vermont.