Public Fire Departments on their way out, say Conservative Visionaries....

I thought this commentary in Thom Hartmann's newsletter pretty much points out again, the kind of America envisioned by the Republican Tea Party. The language of their bad ideas will subtly settle into the debate, and before anyone knows it, become actual bad policy. 

For the second time in a little over a year in Tennessee - firefighters sat and watched a house burn down. When her house caught fire - Tennessee homeowner Vicky Bell called 9-1-1 - but when firefighters arrived they parked their trucks away from the fire - and just watched the flames consume Vicky's home. Why?

Because Vicky failed to pay the $75 dollar fire subscription fee. That's a new policy in several communities in Tennessee - called "pay for spray" - homeowners now have to pay an annual fee to receive protection from the fire department - what used to be part of the commons - a free service paid for by all of us through our tax dollars. As the Mayor of the city - David Crocker - said, defending the policy, "There's no way to go to every fire and keep up the manpower, the equipment, and just the funding for the fire department."

I guess police and fire services will soon be luxuries available to just the top 1%.