Re: That I can respect and understand. - Edit 1
Before modification by Joel at 06/10/2010 11:20:14 AM
Then we're just debating particulars, which is the proper debate to have, IMHO; one of the great problems with politics in this country now is that everyone, partisan or not, seems to think that any "win" for anyone else is a "loss" for them. Used to be we all got ahead together, in the community, not communist, sense.
I like to cite the example of 'tool lending libraries', an idea that has a lot of flaws and merits to it, and a liberal origin one that I like. Flat out liberal beginning, some libraries decided to start keeping certain basic and specialized tools to be checked out, capital outlay plus some basic insurance costs, one more community resource to share. In more densely populated areas some of that nature could be done privately, but I wouldn't favor it because people with good knowledge and access to tools are a indirect benefit to their neighbors, note the GOP difference from libertarian there, indirect benefit works too, hence public schools are okay
Just has to be a clear benefit. Lib idea, but a good one, perhaps not practical in application but worthy of consideration.I'm cool with the idea, but I do think we have more urgent priorities (though with the attention we're NOT giving our decaying infrastructure that may be the only hope for it. ) Still, that's democracy; the majority may not agree, and we do have a lot of trappings of democracy even if we're ultimately a constitutional republic at the federal level. I assume you realize a lot of the big hardware chains (e.g. Home Depot) already do tool rentals, but that's not quite the same thing.
That's kind of the rub though, partisans on hearing an idea they like can get entrenched in it, the opposition plays devil's advocate as it should, but not only do they fail to give ground if the idea pans out as good, but the original supporters won't drop it if they find out its not all it was hoped to be, I think that's a bigger problem then the ideological divide really, albeit that divide fuels a lot of it.
Exactly, too many people (and I have my moments of weakness
) are more interested in winning than being right, but if you're on the wrong side and have your countrys interests at heart winning isn't really a good thing. The healthcare bill is a good example (as it is for so many other things we're doing wrong. ) I happen to think scrapping the whole thing and starting over with town hall meetings about WHAT to do would have revealed the GOP leadership had little more to offer than "tort reform will fix everything" but regardless of whether that's true, scrapping it and starting all over with everyone contributing to the discussion was the right thing to do. Instead everyone dug in their heels and was reduced to "Any bill defeated is Obamas Waterloo and any bill passed vindicates Obama [despite the fact he had virtually no involvement in writing any of them. ]" So instead of writing effective legislation that accomplished something, they wrote legislation they could sell to 60 Senators. That worked great for Ben Nelson and the insurance lobby; the rest of us got screwed.And, yeah, if he's among the non-municipal county residents who pulled that on their volunteer "fire department" it's hard to have much sympathy, because that is really just wanting something for nothing. I feel bad for his pets and his kids, but it makes the attitude of the local municipal fire department a lot more understandable. I wouldn't take a "come put out my house and I'll cut you a check" promise under those circumstances either, and if I blow my budget taking care of people who aren't helping support my department, I won't have the resources I need to take care of those who are. Better someone who refuses to pay for a fire department watch their house burn than someone who ALREADY paid part of their overhead.
Yep, its what bugs me about a lot of the kneejerk reaction people have on this, they leave out that he isn't part of their community, they're part of the same county, at this level the city's acting more like a private security company, offering a city service for a reasonable fee to outsiders. Apparently they used to do it for free, then they had the fee and just put out everyone's fires regardless, finally they just got tired of getting jipped and flicked their neighbors the finger.
The big one everyone keeps mentioning is 'why not have a spot fee, a high one, but available' Not a bad idea in of itself but on average post incident collection tends to fall beneath 50%, and while it might be decent to have such an option anyway, they didn't, and it wasn't their responsibility to have one, just like it would be nice if the ice cream store had mint but they only offer choc and vanilla. He was talking to a 9/11 dispatcher, such a person certainly has no responsibility - nor right - to be negotiating deals for the city, nor did the fire crew.
It's something I did think about, too; they could just figure out how high the on the spot fee would have to be to keep them operating if people only paid when they needed it and put a lien on the guys house if he didn't pay, but 1) that's an actuarial job that's hard to do on the back of a speeding fire truck, 2) it would be a lot more expensive to homeowners than a flat $75 annual fee (hence insurance premiums) and 3) even a lien doesn't guarantee payment, it just prevents sale of the house until payment is made. Which brings up an interesting question, too; I wonder how that fee works for renters. If you're renting from a landlord who doesn't pay it, does that mean you can't pay it yourself and get protection? And if you can, is that protection transferable if you move within the year?
And where were you this weekend? Don't give me that song and dance about "work" and "life" 'cos I'd NEVER resort to an excuse like that. Hopes and prayers everything is well though. 
Hopes and prayers everything is well though. Yes, quite well, thank you for asking. I was pretty busy, its been cold and overcast and rainy which is always my favorite weather so I was distracted with projects, but as mentioned, I don't like group phone calls, nobody can understand me over the phone unless I use my 'lecture voice' or they're very used to my manner of speaking, which doesn't seem to translate well to phones.
Yeah, I was just messing with you a bit, glad everything's OK though.