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My hell as a 911 operator

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Re: My hell as a 911 operator

#231

Post by emmelaich »

peter_tonoli wrote: post #221

It seems to be that previous massive failures by companies such as Intergraph are quickly forgotten about. In Victoria, Australia, there ended up being a Royal Commission - and Intergraph didn't seek an extension to their contract as a result due to the massive fallout " rel="nofollow">http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s181316.htm> , and " rel="nofollow">http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s427907.htm>

Yep, I expected to hear that Intergraph were responsible. 12 plus years after disasters in NZ and Australia, (the latter resulting in a Royal Commission) they are still at it.

Some links: (Australian) Victorian Police Corruption http://www.smuggled.com/Inte1.htm

NZ Parliamentary Record: http://www.vdig.net/hansard/content.jsp?id=76345

"This year [2000] we see the very two people who were involved in the police force who were making all the recommendations about Intergraph, go to work for Intergraph."

Re: My hell as a 911 operator

#232

Post by moocowduckquack »

snitko wrote: post #225
moocowduckquack wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You agree to the taxation by using the currency of a tax raising organisation whose stability, and therefore the stability of the currency you own, depends on that organisation being able to defend territory and keep a stable economy running in that territory, which takes resources which in that system then requires some of the currency it created. If you want to create an alternative economic system that requires no…

Empirically, what you're saying is not true. Many countries use USD as their primary currency, however their citizens do not pay taxes to the US. But let's say I agree. I'm gonna switch to Bitcoin and start my own country. Problem is, no one's gonna let me occupy a territory I choose even though it may not be used at all (!) by a government or any of the citizens. The moment I start building my house in the woods, so…

In countries that use the USD as their primary currency, the USD is the currency of the tax raising authority in that country. However the citizens do also pay a small tax to the USA from the use of the USD in the form of seigniorage, i.e. they still have to buy the dollars. For coins this is apparently around 45 cents per dollar.

As for entitlement to territory, the only entitlement to territory that really counts is the ability to keep hold of it. If you want an anarchist utopia, you may have problems keeping it for any length of time unless you are fairly inaccessible or fairly martial.

This isn't particularly fair, admittedly.

Re: My hell as a 911 operator

#234

Post by njharman »

milhous wrote: post #46
greghinch wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was freelancing, I did some government work. I was flabbergasted by the slow pace at which things moved, and that I had to create accounts in 3 separate systems to submit and get paid for even very basic invoices. Government is a place that is ripe for disruption, but the walls around it are so high, I don't know how to really breach them. There is a huge machine in place of contractors and lobbyists which ess…

Large scale disruption is impossible because the government and its employees are protected by guns and the force of law, permitting special interests, cronyism, and incompetence to flourish. We in the marketplace (minus Industrial Military Complex) have no such protections, and actually have to produce value to make a living in a fair exchange of goods and services. Most government employees are unemployable in the…

> permitting special interests, cronyism, and incompetence to flourish.

Apt description of Enterprise class business's. or any large organization of humans.

Also, this system (as most things people blame gov for) was made not by a government but by private sector capitalist companies. Maybe who've should quit outsourcing so much to these fuckups.

Re: My hell as a 911 operator

#235

Post by nostrademons »

snitko wrote: post #214
moocowduckquack wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, so not just less tax than your current situation, but 0% tax. Well, you could live on a boat in international waters, or renounce the use of all forms of currency and live on pure barter, however you seem to be asking for a state that cannot raise revenue. There are some of them around the world, but you might want to hire a small military detail if you want to live there, as funnily enough they have a few securi…

What's so vital about a state that people can't do on their own? What does a state magically accomplish that no one else can?

Freedom from having people try to kill you on a regular basis.

Your argument is that it is unethical for someone to use force to compel someone to do something against there will, right? Well, that works great as long as everyone shares your ethical views. Unfortunately, not everyone does, and there are people in this world who would happily kill you and take all your property if they could. It doesn't even have to be all that many people - if just 0.1% of the population believes "might makes right" and you come in contact with >1000 people, you're probably dead.

The reason we have the state is so that we can realize certain economies of scale in protection. We entrust a monopoly on the use of physical force to the state; in return (in lawful democratic regimes), it agrees to use that force only when just. That way we can trust that we can go about our business without being randomly killed by a dude on the street, because they know that they are in for a world of hurt if they kill someone. There have been times (eg. the Wild Wild West in America, or post-Gorbachev looting & unrest in the Soviet Union) where the state has not had that monopoly on force, and it usually ends up being very difficult to conduct business during those times.

Re: My hell as a 911 operator

#236

Post by chris_wot »

drostie wrote: post #175
greghinch wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was freelancing, I did some government work. I was flabbergasted by the slow pace at which things moved, and that I had to create accounts in 3 separate systems to submit and get paid for even very basic invoices. Government is a place that is ripe for disruption, but the walls around it are so high, I don't know how to really breach them. There is a huge machine in place of contractors and lobbyists which ess…

> Government is a place that is ripe for disruption, but the walls around it are so high, I don't know how to really breach them. I have had this attitude before, but I am not sure it's a healthy way to look at the problem. What you were flabbergasted by was the inefficiency of bureaucracy . But this is not a government problem per se : large companies can also become bureaucracies; large militaries tend to have simi…

What you were flabbergasted by was the inefficiency of bureaucracy. But this is not a government problem per se: large companies can also become bureaucracies

Truer words have never been said! Try tendering or contracting at EMC...

Re: My hell as a 911 operator

#237

Post by pessimizer »

snitko wrote: post #213
pessimizer wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>because their daddy simply disagrees with what you think is right and refuses to pay to people you believe are good? I'd leave out this part. edit: or to be clear, I'd be as likely to say that as I would be to say to the children of a burglar, "I'm arresting your father because he wanted you to have nice things."

That's an interesting twist. You're basically calling me a burglar, even though it is you who intends to take my money away from me.

I'm not calling you a burglar.

Re: My hell as a 911 operator

#238

Post by jessaustin »

Daniel_Newby wrote: post #227
jessaustin wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Successful management of any endeavor requires prioritization. If dog catchers and tow trucks are in the same bullet list as ambulances, they're doing something wrong.

If a car crash needs an ambulance it also needs a tow truck.

In most cases an ambulance is required much more urgently than a tow truck. The cops can call the towing company they prefer, once they're at the scene. There's no need to complicate the 911 system with towing, unless it's important that kickbacks from towing companies be paid at a high level rather than directly to individual cops.

Re: My hell as a 911 operator

#239

Post by Daniel_Newby »

jessaustin wrote: post #238
Daniel_Newby wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a car crash needs an ambulance it also needs a tow truck.

In most cases an ambulance is required much more urgently than a tow truck. The cops can call the towing company they prefer, once they're at the scene. There's no need to complicate the 911 system with towing, unless it's important that kickbacks from towing companies be paid at a high level rather than directly to individual cops.

Cops at the scene should not be looking up phone numbers for this week's roster of towing companies. That is handled by the central police dispatcher. Who also dispatches SWAT, bomb disposal, fire, hazmat, linemen for downed electric wires, animal control for welfare checks of sick people who have pets, etc. 911 is just one part of an integrated emergency response system.

Re: My hell as a 911 operator

#240

Post by jessaustin »

rdl wrote: post #196
dkarl wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The supposed advantage of a hodgepodge is that somewhere the right approach has been tried and is working well, and pressure will mount on cities with inferior systems to either match or adopt the better systems. Where, if anywhere, is 911 being done well, and how slowly or quickly will the successful approaches spread? Do you think this dynamic will lead to places like New York having faster and more reliable 911 sy…

I call CHP 911 frequently (2-3 times/week, for reporting objects in roadways, etc.); it seems to work better than any non-military 911-type service I've ever used. CHP was traditionally where all cellular 911 calls went, too, but that got improved over time.

Just curious: what objects do you report? Even during those times in my life when I drove a bunch, I can't recall ever seeing that many road hazards.
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