You gotta read this and the comments.

[Little Star]

Keith is right!!!

From one of the comments: "the mayor and the entire county commission are Republicans so Keith Olbermann linking this to the Republican-aligned Tea Party movement (Angle, O'Donnell, Palin, etc. run as Republicans) isn't far fetched at all."

It is a well known fact that Republicans and their good friends The Libertarians want government out of their lives. Well this guy got what he wanted, government services left him alone just like he wanted. Dumb Shit!

Yes, But, However October 5, 2010
By John Romano
Not a Joke: House Burns Down in Tennessee, MSNBC Host Blames Tea Party

snip~
Keith Olbermann, the angriest man on TV this side of Sean Hannity, blames a house fire in Tennessee on the Tea Party.

The story is a tragic one, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with the Tea Party movement. See, the owner of the house that burned down lived outside of the city limits. Folks that live outside the city limits of South Fulton, TN are required to pay a yearly $75 fee in order to procure the protective services of the South Fulton Fire Department. Gene Cranick didn’t pay that fee. When his house caught fire, the South Fulton Fire Department stood down as Mr. Cranick’s house burned to the ground.

We could debate whether the fire protection policies of small towns in Obion County, Tennessee are fair, unfair, or downright cruel.
~snip

http://yesbuthowever.com/house-burns-tennessee-5000034/

[boston bean]

1. K&R Keith is right!

[WeekendWarrior]

2. Ultimately

I blame the fire department who sat there and watched the place burn. Aren't they human beings? They couldn't have said, "you know what? Fuck this bullshit, let's help this guy and his family."

I don't care who is running what or who paid what or who is behind what. We're talking about people here, and those "fire fighters" failed to do the decent human thing in SPITE of what they were told.

[Winterblues]

3. Don't fire fighters follow the same policies as the police, "To Protect and Serve"?

Evidently they don't feel the same way..

[Little Star]

4. I agree that it was sad to just let the place burn. But, they made a

choice to not pay for the service. (I don't buy that the guy just forgot to pay his $75)

Keith had a point about those who want no government in their lives. They don't want to pay taxes to support fire fighters, police, highway workers or any of the other services (including public schools & teachers).

They can't have it both ways. They either pay for fire services, etc. or they get none. Not a hard concept.

I have no problem paying taxes for any of the services I need and use. I also believe in paying taxes for paved roads and other infrastructure that makes our life better.

These type of people want no taxes. Nice country we will live in if they get their way.

In my opinion they are selfish, greedy and stupid.

Do you all really think Keith had no point at all?

[Winterblues]

5. We can not pick and chose where our taxes go

Or else there would probably be no more wars...I am fairly certain that house was subject to property tax.. When a municipality collects property tax they should provide basic services for that tax.. Fire protection is one of those services..If the house was so far out in the boonies it was not taxed then they should not expect nor demand municiple services, however in any case, once a fire dept shows up on scene and then refuses to help, a problem develops...That is where basic morality gets factored in...

[kerkes]

6. Firefighters ethically should have put out the South Fulton Cranick fire regardless of payment

The South Fulton fire situation is not abnormal with fees and some areas require that type of fee structure in order to maintain firefighting service availability. Unfortunately in this instance with Cranick, people make mistakes, apparently sometimes life-threatening ones, like occurred with Cranick. While he says he 'forgot' to pay the $75 fee, he's also referenced (i.e. the attached article) that he thought, in video interview, that fire services would still take care of an emergency regardless or with an unpaid bill.

In regular or good economic times, people screw up and don't pay bills; in the current economy, people also don't pay every bill, particularly those they (maybe stupidly) feel are less vital at the time. Firefighters are in an emergency profession and there needs to be an emergency contingency in place, for situations like this, even if it means the city needs to attach billing (as police departments, other agencies do) to tax refunds, etc, to ensure being paid. There should be an emergency fire plan in place, even if there is a hefty fine instituted for receiving emergency services after the fact of an upaid bill; there should be SOMETHING in place that allows for service because there is a morality issue/question of ethics.

The view of South Fulton Fire Department is not shared by all firefighters, as leaders of firefighting organizations have said:

http://www.wacktrap.com/government/government-bodies/city-government/firefighters-watch-house-burn-over-75-four-pets-killed-