al_bundy

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39516346/ns/us_news-life/

Just like the old Marvell 2099 comics

And why would anyone burn trash in their backyard?

Kind of heartless of the firemen coming out to put out the neighbor's fire and letting this one burn

VinVega

Capitalism in action.

Groucho

This is actually being discussed in the "Government Creating Jobs" thread for some reason.

Bandoman

I don't think is controversial at all.

sauce07

My parents just moved to Knoxville and got hit with a $400 bill for the Fire Department, then again they don't have any personal property tax so it all works itself out.

Groucho

You had me at "I don't think".

glassdragon

I hear the "no pay no spray" model is also used at most strip clubs.

Bandoman

So you're religious too?





Ok, that was a low blow. Sorry.

Mikael79

My local joint uses "No buck, no suck", but it's the same idea.

Living Dead

I had no idea there were places where you actually have to pay the fire department to come to your house.

kvrdave

I had no idea there were places that you actually have a fire department. I assumed that was just something they made up for tv.

General Zod

I think they should have put the fire out and then billed him the full charge for the service. He may never be able to pay it and he may eventually lose his home over it but I think that's a better method for dealing with this than letting it burn down. They should have at the very least attempted to rescue his pets. I would have slugged the fire chief as well.

islandclaws

I'll bet that cheap sonofabitch remembers to pay next month!

wlmowery

This. Sort of how ambulance service works in the rural area I live. You can buy a membership each year ($50 or $100, I forget) and Paramedic/Ambulance services are free. Or, if you don't buy the membership, if you use the Ambulance services, you get a bill for the full costs (about $800 per use). It is done this way in rural communities due to lack of sufficient tax coverage to fund the service.

TomOpus

I was thinking of something along the same lines... say a $500 flat fee. Or make it to where you get a ticket (like driving without insurance) but there is no court appearance. Just pay through the mail.

Giantrobo

What is this the turn of the century 1900? They let his home burn?

glassdragon

I can't imagine being a fireman and taking an oath just to let it burn. My basic human decency would not allow me to do that. It's not like that guy didn't pay their checks personally. If my boss told me not to do it then I would tell him to fuck off and do it anyways, that's the decent thing to do. That would be like an MD watching someone die horribly because they forgot to pay their emergency room bill last time. An md would go to prison for that, why should this be any different honestly.

Seriously, I feel great sadness living in a world where something like this can happen. Everyone involved at the department should be fired and bring in some people with some kind of fucking compassion.

foofighters7

That's the way things work in 'The Greatest Country in the world".

Tracer Bullet

Ky-Fi

Yep, that would be my solution. I can certainly see the point of making it extremely costly for someone to not pay the fee, but letting his house burn down is going too far.

VinVega

I can live with that. I'm not a big fan of paying a separate fire dept bill, a police bill, etc, but what you suggested is the right way to handle the situation.

CaptainMarvel

What's the difference? How about the difference between property damage and human life? This gentleman didn't live inside the city, and the fire department made their services available to people outside the city strictly contingent on those people paying the fee. This gentleman didn't, and I suppose he learned there are consequences for his choices. I'd be willing to bet you the rest of the homes outside the city pay their fire dues promptly.

$75 a year for fire coverage is pretty cheap, but you can only afford to offer that service that cheaply if a great number of people pay beyond the number that actually need the service. If you turn it into a situation where people can "forget" to pay until they have a fire, then choose to opt in once they do, you're not going to have anybody voluntarily pay the fee up front.

Troy Stiffler

I'm glad that they made an example of this commie - thinking Obama's Big Government is going to stop his home from burning down. I'm HAPPY that it burnt down. I hope that his family is living on the streets. And I hope that his socialist pets spent the last moments of their lives, burning with painful terror. Socialist communist scum.

SuperJim88

For once, The Great United States of America is no better than Mother Russia.

Red Dog

And they likely rely on the upfront fees to be able to adequately equip the fire dept to respond to such longer range emergencies.

Somebody suggested a $500 flat fee for fire service w/o prior payment. Unless you're having a fire more than once every 6 years, there would still be no incentive to pay the $75/year.