Let it burn
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
United States
December 14, 2010 9:49am CST
I was talking w/ my hubby about NYC to start charging it's residents for emergency services. Have you seen this on TV? They want to charge anywhere from $365 to nearly $500 per emergency incident! Now I dunno about you but don't most people pay plenty in property and sales taxes to offset this? Oh I bet it's the same thing a union sticking their nose in and saying don't close down any fire houses and no we won't negotiate pay. As many people are out of work, many people have to take jobs below their years of experience and level of education. Now why should these public servants think they are immune to things that every other employee is subjected to? I was reading someones blog looking for a link on this and get this FDNY firefighters make nearly $100,000/yr after 5yrs on the job!!!!!!!! http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/community/ff_salary_benefits_080106.shtml I know the cost of living is higher there but I think the chief's only make 100k if that here in big cities not just some regular schmoe fire fighter!
So do you think a person could REFUSE emergency services because of the cost? Would your insurance pick up the tab? I mean something like a fire or car accident is devistating enough w/o the city responding sending you a BILL! What do you think? My husband said if the insurance won't cover the city fee's then let the house burn to the ground.
Here's the article on the tax they are going to impliment http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/12/09/fdny-set-to-implement-crash-tax/
11 responses
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
14 Dec 10
Geez!
I hadn't heard about this before now.. so glad I'm not in NYC.
I know that here we are charged $50 if an ambulance shows up to our house.. and insurance does not cover that. Makes you think twice about calling an ambulance, right? I mean I don't have $50 to shell out, especially when I know I'm going to be paying co-pays ($100 co-pay for an ER visit) and doctor fees that my insurance doesn't pick up too.
Yeah.. it's just ridiculous.. these services should not cost us money. I mean, it's not like I meant to let my house catch on fire!
However, let's say someone is convicted of arson.. why not let the city/town/village whatever charge them a fine to cover the services of the police, fire departments, and ambulances that had to go to that scene!
But if the fire is deemed an accident.. just pay for the services with the taxes we already have to pay!
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
16 Dec 10
I have no idea what we are charged here if they show up. My Mom when she was in her apt had them there about every other week cause she fell but they never sent her a bill that I'm aware of just waivers to go to the hospital or not.
Technically it does cost us money thru our property taxes and sales taxes already. It just feels like people would be gouged for something they already pay for.
I agree w/ your idea about the conviction of arson. However, I bet even if they got charged/fined what are the odds they'd pay it? Probably rather serve out a jail term or whatever plea bargain.
Or instead they could get off their tush and pay their new employees a more modest wage.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
17 Dec 10
If there is a judgement against you, they can freeze your bank accounts, garnish your wages, and take your tax returns. Of course that doesn't help if you're in jail.. but that judgement stays with you forever so when you're out of jail, they can go after you for their payment!
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
17 Dec 10
I suppose they can can't they. Well then chase the arsonists and drunk drivers down and let things go the way the cards fall for their stupidity.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
5 Jul 11
Have they implemented this? That's just insane! I don't think it's right at all, people are already going to be bombarded with the bills for the car, for their medical bills, for other such things and now this? it's just ridiculous. Why not write more tickets or something, do what we down here do instead of trying to carge so much for a vehicle to come out and assist! It's insane!
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
19 Dec 10
yea,i understood taxes to pay for this-this is total BS.
all this is going to accomplish is more houses in particular burning because people-
don't have the money/decide to claim insurance and get a new house/getting foreclosed anyway,don't care.
i can kind of understand fees they put on rural areas,but highly populated areas of NYC?they're asking for trouble.and block fires.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
15 Dec 10
I've heard of this in small rural towns cause some homes are so far from town/fire stations etc. It was recently on the news about a guy's house burned to the ground cause he didn't pay the $75 a year for "fire protection services".
I don't know all the details, but it is wrong that they charge for these emergency services simply cause they can or to make those involved more money. If this country and it's government doesn't stop taxing people, we are in big big trouble.
And sadly that seems to be the way things are going....tax tax tax...with no consideration that the incomes run out and can't cover it all.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
17 Dec 10
I would be one that would let my house burn to the ground if they were to charge me for emergency runs. I know that at least in my neck of the woods we pay plenty for the public servants to be of service to us. Now, I could almost see setting a price for emergency runs when someone is calling for emergency help when there isn't an emergency at all. It would decrease the prank calls that they tend to get and would also add some revenue.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
15 Dec 10
Ouch
Here in Nova Scotia, it's about five hundred bucks, but if you're on the Canada Pension Plan (old age pension) it's $105, or on provincial disability it's the same cost. (for an ambulance) Now, if you don't need transport to the hospital, then it costs nothing. Some of the wealthier folks have Blue Cross or a private health insurance plan that will pay for extras, including the ambulance bill.
Does your city accept monthly payments? I'm not sure about our province, and yes, we pay the Nova Scotia gov't, not the city's gov't.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
14 Dec 10
3snuggle bunnies oh my g you mean before you got emergency services free? I did not know anyone got them free now. When I fell and injured myself, one of the onlookers did call for the para medics and my hmo really did cover it if they had not I would have had to shell out 300
dollars. oh yes they charge here like cray and if one does not have insurance that covers that you are in for a fat bill.Here in Sou then California it seems very few things anymore are free and thats so sad. Calenders used to be given away now you pay for the darned things.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
14 Dec 10
thats terrible. even our civil servants are now acting like they have to charge for their care. i always thought its wrong for a person that doesnt give a crap about people or only in it for the money should never take such jobs as fire fighters, police, or even doctors that go crazy with charges even if they halph azz their jobs and dont care. 
@savypat (20216)
• United States
14 Dec 10
The squeeze is on and less money is coming in. We feel this, the taxes collectors feel it and there is no easy answer. If you look at history you will see that during such times more and more people took matters into their own hands. Here we are seeing more and more home schooling. But up to 89% of my property tax goes for schools. We are closing schools because there are not enough students, teachers are receiving less and less. Everyone is runing around trying to keep what they have or even find a loop hole to increase what they are getting, but the facts are that there is only so much money and it only goes so far after that people must step forward to do more than they have done before.
I am totally dependent on the government for my income, I am retired, if the government goes under I will be in the soup line along with everyone else. Between Hubby and me we put in 70 years of working for our retirement and I know that it's not fair but then life rarely is.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
14 Dec 10
Let it burn indeed.. Wow had not heard this before, so thanks for sharing. Wow I knew New York was expensive, just did not know how expensive it really was.
From the few people I know that use to live there say it is impossible to live there if you are low and or middle class. Wow, how outrageous.
@okroger88 (24)
• United States
14 Dec 10
I think that's to much money. In Ct state it's going to be much more when they start to charge if it's not done already.
