KentForLiberty pages

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Albuquerque firefighters have an opportunity now

Albuquerque firefighters have an opportunity now

Due to the recent pay cutbacks, some Albuquerque firefighters are choosing to retire early. That's their decision to make, but I wonder if they have considered getting together to form their own, private, fire fighting organization.

I realize the "law" probably prevents it in some way. Just imagine if it didn't, though.

They could offer their services and experience to customers, both fighting and preventing fires and fire damage. They could experiment with different options and discover which works best, and let customers buy the services they want.

Those customers would still be forced to pay for the city-provided "service" that they no longer needed, though, just as home-schoolers and those who choose private schools are still forced to support a system that has failed and that they don't want or need. That's the problem with a coercive system that doesn't allow competition or an "opt out". It is also why most "public services" are unresponsive to actual customer needs; the pay doesn't depend on customer satisfaction, but only on the fact that it is there and you are going to pay for it or else.

Just remember: for any problem, there is always a liberty-respecting solution. Government may prohibit it, but that's government's flaw, not the solution's.


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