Firefighters Forced To Pay For Gear, Engine Fuel

Nice try Rockdoc...but I am surprised you cannot discern the differennce between your choosing to buy your own computer and your employer requiring you to buy one. Same with the Texas firefighters...there is certain equipment that is required to do their job and keep them safe...that equipment is customarily provided to them. If they choose to upgrade to fancier equipment sure they would buy their own.

Now...do you want to find a different example of why cutting costs in a state to the point that public employees or volunteers have to buy their own equipment to do their job is a good thing?

LadyJazzer wrote: Yeah... Silly me... I keep making the mistake of thinking that if the county or state government hires people to do a job for the public, then they have a right to expect that they will be provided with the funds necessary to do the job they were hired for. And yeah, I guess police, firefighters, etc., budgets DO come from the taxpayer's pockets....

Damn... I forgot!

Taxpayer's pockets? It is beyond that, it is now your children's and grandchildren's pockets. Will future firefighters even be able to afford a truck because this generation loaded up on debt?

archer wrote: Nice try Rockdoc...but I am surprised you cannot discern the differennce between your choosing to buy your own computer and your employer requiring you to buy one. Same with the Texas firefighters...there is certain equipment that is required to do their job and keep them safe...that equipment is customarily provided to them. If they choose to upgrade to fancier equipment sure they would buy their own.

Now...do you want to find a different example of why cutting costs in a state to the point that public employees or volunteers have to buy their own equipment to do their job is a good thing?

So what you are saying is that if I'm a public volunteer for a job, the state must buy my equipment for me? Isn't that we have local taxes and local fund raisers? You really do try very hard to make everything into a political issue.

Of course that is what she is saying. The government should save everyone.....

I prefer my fishing pole to the government fish.

Rockdoc... did you even read the article? The state of Texas supplies money to the local communities for fire fighting...the forest service is part of the state budget....both have seen their budgets cut and they are struggling to pay for the enormous costs of fighting these huge fires. Consequently the firefighters don't have what they need. Its a good thing the Federal government is picking up the slack don't you think?

It's amazing to me the twists and spin you will use just to prove me wrong. This isn't about me... The next time we have a fire near our own community, and we will....would you be so approving of cutting funds to fight fires if it effects your local firefighters? Would you expect them to buy their own equiptment to save your home? Well hell...maybe you should all fight your own fires....what do we need fire departments for anyway? Every man for himself right?

Becky wrote: Of course that is what she is saying. The government should save everyone.....

I prefer my fishing pole to the government fish.

Becky.....do you have the means to save your home when a major fire comes through....or will you call the fire department?

If you have a heart attack at home....can you save yourself....or will you call 911?

You all can't have it both ways....either there are some things the government can do better than you....or there aren't. I personally am glad that there is a Fire department, police and paramedics ....those are things I cannot provide myself......yes, I depend on the government for those services. Now I hear from you that if someone decides to be a fire fighter, paramedic or a cop, they should have to pay out of their own pocket for the privilege of saving your ass. Way to treat your fellow citizens......hey fire fighter......thanks for saving my home....but no, I don't want my taxes to pay for that.....you pay for it yourself.

I'm pretty much disgusted with the whole lot of you who complain and whine about government, and taxes, .....but I would bet that any one of you would call 911 for a fire, or a heart attack, or a burglary......you just don't want to pay for it....boo hoo hoo......Lucky for you that paramedic who scrapes you off the side of the road won't ask you if you agree that he/she should be paid a decent wage by tax payers.

archer wrote:

Becky wrote: Of course that is what she is saying. The government should save everyone.....

I prefer my fishing pole to the government fish.

Becky.....do you have the means to save your home when a major fire comes through....or will you call the fire department?

If you have a heart attack at home....can you save yourself....or will you call 911?

Nice simplistic try archer....not gonna bite.

My apologies to you archer for America not doing what it should for you and your party. Damn those crappy selfish conservative who try to get in the way of the government running everything in our lives.
I am just gonna have to rethink my party choice.....that free ride does look easy.

SS109 wrote:

LadyJazzer wrote: Yeah... Silly me... I keep making the mistake of thinking that if the county or state government hires people to do a job for the public, then they have a right to expect that they will be provided with the funds necessary to do the job they were hired for. And yeah, I guess police, firefighters, etc., budgets DO come from the taxpayer's pockets....

Damn... I forgot!

Taxpayer's pockets? It is beyond that, it is now your children's and grandchildren's pockets. Will future firefighters even be able to afford a truck because this generation loaded up on debt?

Well, hell... Then let's do away with fire departments altogether... Think how much money you could keep in your pocket then? I'll see if I can't arrange for your house to "conveniently" have a "problem", and then when the volunteers arrive and ask you for your Visa card before putting out the fire, you can lecture them on how much money has been saved by making it a pay-as-you-go service.

Wow! Why didn't I think of that? (Because I'm not a sociopath...That's why...)