When I was in college, I fell for many of the concepts of Randian objectivism and thus spent time as a Libertarian. It was useful to me in that I desperately needed a system of thought that reinforced the value of the individual. Where it lost me was as I read more deeply into libertarianism and small government philosophies. The moment that really turned me around was the time I read a writer who swore the insurance companies would happily keep the roads in good condition to save themselves money on claims. Privatized fire departments are close cousins to that fantasy.
As for paying our taxes – we are paying more and more for less and less services. And you know that most of what we pay isn’t going to pay the people actually providing the services – so where is it going?
Still happening today, this one in Tennessee was in the news just recently; http://www.zdnet.com/blog/government/if-you-dont-pay-for-protection-should-fire-companies-let-your-house-burn-down-it-happened/9495
What about all the volunteer fire departments? Two weeks after our city got its first volunteer fire department (6 guys with buckets and shovels) our city burned to the ground. That was in 1896. They got a few more volunteers signed after that.
Fire and police protection are classic examples used in Economics 101-type classes for services which, if not publicly provided and universal, may have little value. A private firefighting service might be of value if your house is relatively isolated from neighbours or wooded areas. But in an urban setting, your neighbour’s property, or a woods being on fire is a threat to your property – as in the example Outworld Cats linked. Volunteer fire departments are a means employed by rural areas or smaller towns with insufficient tax base to provide universal fire coverage, but avoid the high overhead in salaries associated with paid, 24/7 staffing. But the coverage is still universal across the jurisdiction, not on a subscriber basis.
bdaverin over 13 years ago
When I was in college, I fell for many of the concepts of Randian objectivism and thus spent time as a Libertarian. It was useful to me in that I desperately needed a system of thought that reinforced the value of the individual. Where it lost me was as I read more deeply into libertarianism and small government philosophies. The moment that really turned me around was the time I read a writer who swore the insurance companies would happily keep the roads in good condition to save themselves money on claims. Privatized fire departments are close cousins to that fantasy.
IQTech61 over 13 years ago
In the olden days where?
As for paying our taxes – we are paying more and more for less and less services. And you know that most of what we pay isn’t going to pay the people actually providing the services – so where is it going?
docopenhaver over 13 years ago
Still happening today, this one in Tennessee was in the news just recently; http://www.zdnet.com/blog/government/if-you-dont-pay-for-protection-should-fire-companies-let-your-house-burn-down-it-happened/9495
Hunter7 over 13 years ago
What about all the volunteer fire departments? Two weeks after our city got its first volunteer fire department (6 guys with buckets and shovels) our city burned to the ground. That was in 1896. They got a few more volunteers signed after that.
Greg Johnston over 13 years ago
Fire and police protection are classic examples used in Economics 101-type classes for services which, if not publicly provided and universal, may have little value. A private firefighting service might be of value if your house is relatively isolated from neighbours or wooded areas. But in an urban setting, your neighbour’s property, or a woods being on fire is a threat to your property – as in the example Outworld Cats linked. Volunteer fire departments are a means employed by rural areas or smaller towns with insufficient tax base to provide universal fire coverage, but avoid the high overhead in salaries associated with paid, 24/7 staffing. But the coverage is still universal across the jurisdiction, not on a subscriber basis.