Pay to Spray? Tiny Tennessee town watches house burn.

This story resonates with me for several reasons, not the least of which is that I’m a Certified Volunteer Fire Fighter, Registered Nurse, EMT and fellow human being. According to one story, “The mayor said if homeowners don’t pay, they’re out of luck.” See the fire department’s website here: http://www.CityOfSouthFulton.org/fire.htm

OUR VIEW: PAY-TO-SPRAY NO WAY TO RUN A FIRE DEPARTMENT
http://www.FireEngineering.com/index/articles/Wire_News_Display.1277009971.html

The Santa Fe New Mexican (New Mexico)
October 6, 2010

A tale from Tennessee is enough to make one appreciate taxes and their role in keeping a community safe.

Huntsville, AL 9-1-1 Operators “a bunch of retards”

My recent conversation with a Huntsville Police Officer and a HEMSI EMT gave me some pause for thought.

They both shared some fascinating experiences, and opined about the same.

We three – the HPD officer, the HEMSI EMT, and I – are friends.

In context, our HEMSI EMT friend was relating a story about how, when sometime ago, he called 9-1-1 and informed them in detail of a particular off-duty scenario upon which he arrived and began rendering aid, the operator seemed to be mindlessly reading from, or following a script. In other words, the 9-1-1 operator didn’t listen.

My HPD friend shared an equally disappointing story, which he prefaced saying that

Recess Appointments -OR- Shut up, and stop your whining, John!

Saying, “I simply cannot allow partisan politics to stand in the way of the basic functioning of government,” President Obama has announced 15 recess appointments, including the much anticipated appointment of union attorney Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments about the validity of some of the 580 decisions rendered by the two-member NLRB since its five-member panel has had no quorum for over two years. The two members are a Democrat and a Republican.

Mr. Becker earned his law degree from Yale Law School, and has argued labor and employment cases before many appellate courts and the Supreme Court. He is also the Associate General Counsel to the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO.

Senate Republicans had blocked Becker’s nomination claiming he would bring a radical anti-big business agenda to the job, and requested