When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
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When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
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Re: When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
#2> A man in the suburban South watched a chimney fire burn his house to the ground as he waited for the fire department, which billed him anyway and then sued him for $15,000 when he did not pay.
Is one typically billed when you have the fire department arrive? I thought it was a public good.
Re: When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
#3> A man in the suburban South watched a chimney fire burn his house to the ground as he waited for the fire department, which billed him anyway and then sued him for $15,000 when he did not pay. Is one typically billed when you have the fire department arrive? I thought it was a public good.
There has to be more to this story.. can't be that simple can it? ?
Re: When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
#4> A man in the suburban South watched a chimney fire burn his house to the ground as he waited for the fire department, which billed him anyway and then sued him for $15,000 when he did not pay. Is one typically billed when you have the fire department arrive? I thought it was a public good.
It's a good question, but many of these rural southern towns are very poor, and governed by conservative ideologues that have privatized all non-mandatory services.
These towns are required by federal law to provide school service to children within them, however, anything else like police, fire, and ambulance services are not required.
I think it's truly a shame that this has led to predatory practices by private companies who charge "fire insurance" rates of $500 a year, and charge exorbitant rates to people who might innocently dial 911 while their house is burning and don't have insurance.
For what it's worth, this is not normal practice in most civilized parts of the US (pretty much anywhere on the east and west coasts), but if you get far enough into the poor rural southern states, it really is like a 3rd world country.
Re: When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
#5> A man in the suburban South watched a chimney fire burn his house to the ground as he waited for the fire department, which billed him anyway and then sued him for $15,000 when he did not pay. Is one typically billed when you have the fire department arrive? I thought it was a public good.
There has to be more to this story.. can't be that simple can it? ?
This is a well reported story. Federal law only requires towns to provide a basic education to K-12 students. Anything beyond that like police, fire, and ambulance service, is not mandatory.
If you choose to live in such a place, be prepared to be completely self sufficient.
Re: When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
#6Privatization sounds great when you can afford your own private services. Otherwise, tough luck, pull on those bootstraps harder.
Re: When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
#7> A man in the suburban South watched a chimney fire burn his house to the ground as he waited for the fire department, which billed him anyway and then sued him for $15,000 when he did not pay. Is one typically billed when you have the fire department arrive? I thought it was a public good.
It's a good question, but many of these rural southern towns are very poor, and governed by conservative ideologues that have privatized all non-mandatory services. These towns are required by federal law to provide school service to children within them, however, anything else like police, fire, and ambulance services are not required. I think it's truly a shame that this has led to predatory practices by private co…
> this is not normal practice in most civilized parts of the US (pretty much anywhere on the east and west coasts)
Much of the interior of the US could be described as civilized...
Re: When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
#8> A man in the suburban South watched a chimney fire burn his house to the ground as he waited for the fire department, which billed him anyway and then sued him for $15,000 when he did not pay. Is one typically billed when you have the fire department arrive? I thought it was a public good.
It's a good question, but many of these rural southern towns are very poor, and governed by conservative ideologues that have privatized all non-mandatory services. These towns are required by federal law to provide school service to children within them, however, anything else like police, fire, and ambulance services are not required. I think it's truly a shame that this has led to predatory practices by private co…
I recall a lecture that proposed the home/fire insurance companies own the fire departments and your policy includes fire department services. In theory it should ensure incentives are aligned but then there is the issue of logistics and scale.
Re: When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
#9Free market enterprise requires, AFAIK, 'creative destruction' (business failure, freeing resources for new enterprises) and distribution of goods to those who can pay more.
Therefore, I don't think it's a good solution when the specifications are that the institution cannot fail (e.g., you can't have the police department go out of business or otherwise fail to provide services), and when its good should be distributed regardless of ability to pay (e.g., voting, fire protection, etc.).
Re: When You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers
#10Privatization sounds great when you can afford your own private services. Otherwise, tough luck, pull on those bootstraps harder.
Also, privatization often means: Give big government contracts to the campaign donors of the politician pushing privatization.