Would privatized fire departments do a better job with the wildfires?

[underpants]

As we have seen in soooo many examples without the innovation that private industry brings you get stagnation and a lack of inventiveness while the market forces always bring better products and services at LOWER COST!!!

Maybe this tragedy in Southern California could be a wake up call to return fire fighting back in to privately run operations.

HELL they even have a strong union presence in the status quo situation!!!




:sarcasm: <---------- LOOK! I am being sarcastic

[rpannier]

1. A DUer posted a Bob Newhart sketch on private fire departments about 6 weeks ago

link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg4qDW7_MEY

begins at 7:11

Click the link for 2 of 3 in the related videos for the finish

It's very funny

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. I love Bob's old stuff.

[izzie]

2. I think some things should be left to public

Once you get private into it only a few people get the service for some reason. Even now the police come fast if your rich and not so fact if you are poor. Can you see this geting better if you put in a profit making company?

[Sean01]

3. Fire Departments as Insurance

In the distant past, fire departments used to be private insurance businesses. You literally had to pay a monthly fee for a special plaque that you displayed on your door. If you weren't a customer (and thus didn't have the plaque), the fire department wouldn't put out your house. This tended to be a problem when the house next door caught fire (and the house next to that, and next to that, and so on...)

When being uninsured causes public harm (in addition to private harm), it is obvious that it CAN'T be left to private business anymore.

The tragedy of private fire departments is in our past (which is where they should stay). No need to make the same mistake twice ;)

[underpants]

9. Welcome to DU

Yes there were. That is why they are still referred to as "Companies" (as are Military units-same thing at one time, for hire)

:hi:

[Canuckistanian]

14. Thom Hartmann mentions that occasionally

He always uses the example of Fire Departments as an example of the free market being a DANGER to the common good.

And welcome to DU!
:toast:
:hi:

[demmiblue]

17. You learn something new everyday!

Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[shireen]

4. don't stop there ...

let's privatize the water supply too. Only the rich will be able to afford indoor plumbing.
Or the police ... i bet Blackwater will snap up that contract and will get to water-board any suspicious-looking person.
privatize roads. Want to go home? pay a toll to enter your neighborhood street.
sounds like a Republican dream come true.
:grr:

[FarCenter]

6. They already have

In many areas, including here, water is supplied by private companies. They are regulated utilities, but they are private companies, similar to electric utilities.

There are more guards employed by private security companies than there are police officers.

[underpants]

10. Atlanta and Indianapolis to name two

there are others.

If you think people will go to war for oil just wait until the supply of water gets shrinked :scared::hide:

[XemaSab]

11. Yeah, and in some areas the "private" water is full of uranium

and the business has no money to dig new wells.

(If you're ever in Oakhusrt, CA don't drink the water.)

[ashling]

5. Hell, yeah! These damned terrorist fires could be out in no time

if we just pour some BlackWater on them.

:rofl:

[rucky]

7. At least the mansions would be safer. n/t

[ParkieDem]

8. That reminds me ...

of one of my all-time favorite snippets from The Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/32825

Now, I wouldn't be opposed to a large landowner contracting fire protection duty to a private entity that might have a better response time, but that shouldn't get in the way of the public role in firefighting.

[XemaSab]

12. +1

Reminds me of the classic "Marxists' Apartment A Microcosm Of Why Marxism Doesn't Work."

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/38517

[ParkieDem]

15. Which, in turn, reminds me ...

... of another classic: "Marxist student has capitalist parents."

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28832

I love the parts about Cancun and the Jeep he wants.

[demmiblue]

16. The result would be profit over people.

If it was more profitable to save a multimillion dollar property over the lives of a few people, no doubt they would save the property.