I never said that healthcare wasn't offered to everyone. I said "cared for properly".

Ever had an HMO? Ever tried to go to the doctors offered on Medicaid? Poor? Better not have a sick child (I'm talking major illness here)....

I suggest you ask someone on welfare with a heart problem or diabetes or a child on dialysis how great the "healthcare" system is here. Or just ask any elderly person about the monthly cost of their medications. Now go to Switzerland or Sweden and tell the people there your results and watch them clap their mouths in disbelief that the self-proclaimed "greatest country on earth" will not dish out basic health care for its' citizens.

This is what I mean by being "cared for properly".

Why should the federal government fund local fire departments? Fire departments are typically city/county agencies. If there is a lack of funding, that needs to be dealt with by the local governing agency, rather than looking to the feds for a bailout. Pianoman is correct that the problem stems from the local citizens voting down a proposition or fighting higher property taxes. Why should a person in New York city, for example, which has enormously high property taxes, be forced to subsidize firefighting services in a county or city halfway across the country that refuses to pass a bond issue or raise taxes?

Why? Because a volunteer department that covers a huge area with few people in it is still EXPECTED to preform with NO FUNDING!!

I'm talking about people who GIVE their time(and risk their lives) to help their neighbor's, but still have to raise money and hope for donation's. Keep in mind they are even raising money on their own time- just so they can VOLUNTEER!!
The tax base in these places simply isn't enough to fund a department, BUT!! The people still expect it!! Why should someone in New York fund a department half way across the country? Because when those New york's come to Denver on Vacation and their hotel lights on fire, or they have a Heart attack...guess who saves their A$$? And you know what? They EXPECT IT!!!
Police departments have been funded this way for a very long time.

Don't even get me started on Health care...

josh

Police departments have been funded this way for a very long time.

I wasn't aware that the federal government paid for local police departments. I always thought they were funded through city and county taxes.

I wasn't aware that the federal government paid for local police departments. I always thought they were funded through city and county taxes.

I don't buy into the volunteer fire departments issue. I respect the people who volunteer their time and effort, it's noble work. However, we all make decisions on where we live, and the level of governmental services we receive as a result of that choice. If I choose to move into a rural area, I take a calculated risk, placing myself outside the normal radius of urban fire and EMS services, and I am taxed at a lower rate than my counterpart in the city. If persons living in these rural areas aren't satisfied with the reduced level of services they receive as a result of their choice, it is up to them to fund additional fire or EMS protection.

Your analogy on the New Yorker visiting Denver doesn't work either. The New Yorker staying in a hotel in Denver is paying for his own fire and EMS protection through room charges, and sales taxes, which in turn fund the Denver fire department.

You don't "buy into" the Volunteer issue??
Those people living out there pay very similair taxes to the folks leaving in denver. In fact in some case's they pay more. But their aren't enough of them to properly fund their Fire/Ems service's. Talk about something you know about.

You didn't like the analogy of someone staying in a hotel huh?
How about someone driving down the Interstate?
Same New yorker on a cross country Road trip. Drivng down I70- when BLAMO!!! They get creamed by a dump truck.
They got their gas on outsid eof Denver...paid for that slurpy in Kansas.
But guess who's cuttin g them out of that car? And guess who's stopping that arterial bleed?? And guess what it just cost them???
0 dollars.

josh

You don't "buy into" the Volunteer issue??
Those people living out there pay very similair taxes to the folks leaving in denver. In fact in some case's they pay more. But their aren't enough of them to properly fund their Fire/Ems service's. Talk about something you know about.

You didn't like the analogy of someone staying in a hotel huh?
How about someone driving down the Interstate?
Same New yorker on a cross country Road trip. Drivng down I70- when BLAMO!!! They get creamed by a dump truck.
They got their gas on outsid eof Denver...paid for that slurpy in Kansas.
But guess who's cuttin g them out of that car? And guess who's stopping that arterial bleed?? And guess what it just cost them???
0 dollars.

josh

Because guess what, jackhole, Local communities can't always fund this stuff the way it needs to be funded.
This is way you'll see firefighters holding BAKE sale's to fund new equipment etc.

First off, I am not registerd with either Republican or Democrat, so I know not of this two-party world of which you speak.

Second, as you're discussing careless politcianS, I'm assuming you like neither. I still suggest you vote. Vote none of the above or Mickey Mouse, I don't care. The more votes that are collected for no one running, the more of a message it will send that the people in office are not cutting it. There is always more of the same because the people always settle on one or the other. "Lesser of two evils" is the phrase of choice, no?

I will do more of the same this election and vote John Kerry as I will do anything to keep Bush from getting another term. If I didn't care about either, I would vote none of the above.

As for your last statement, I doubt you would understand any of the above as I am obviously talking to a child.

Using your logic, If I choose to build a cabin out in the middle of nowhere, I should demand that the federal government help pay for water and telephone lines to be run out to my property. After all having a telephone and water are important to life safety, are they not?

I dont think he was talking about bulding a cabin the middle of the woods. Im guessing that you probably drink milk right? well, the people who own and work dairy, and other types of farms generaly live in large wide open areas that dont have too many factories. Now factories pay alot of tax money, rural farms dont. So because these farmers "decided" to have their farm in a rural area instead of a suburb they arent entitled to a well prepared fire department?

Im guessing that you have never lived in rural america where you depend on a volunteer fire department. The goverment loves to make regulations that increase the costs for fire departments, thye just dont see fit to help foot the bill. Growing up my town had a volunteer fire department....bout 2 miles from my house. They responded mostly to chimney fires and such. then someone in the goverment decideed that every one of the volunteers needed to have turnout gear or something like that. well, thats kinda expensive for a town of 300 people and no busineese to afford. So, the fire house had to be shut down, now the closest volunteer fire department is about 10 miles away. See the problem here? Local funding a great idea, but we cant all live in the town that has the multimillion dollar factory to provide a tax base.

then they shouldnt be telling them how to run their fire departments. If they are going to regulate something to that level they should be willing to help fund the costs that they make neccesary.

However, I don't understand why local governments via their representatives and senators don't fight the legislation that creates the problem in the first place, rather than let it happen, and then have to scream and beg for more tax dollars to comply.

Lobbyists :x :x :x :x :x

Namecalling, brilliant.

I hate you all for f---ing this country in the ass with a cactus.

And technically, it wasn't name calling.