This is why we fight.

From WPSD:

Imagine your home catches fire but the local fire department won’t respond, then watches it burn. That’s exactly what happened to a local family tonight.

This is a tragedy and a farce. And, hopefully, a wake up call.

There are many reasons we can’t limit fire service to the people who can afford to pay for it.  For one, a fire in my neighbor’s house could spread to mine.  And even if my house were safe, having their burnt-out house next to mine would make my house less valuable.  Those are the self-interested reasons.

But the real reason we have public fire service is because we prefer to live in a place where our neighbors are protected from losing their homes.  So we pitch in together, pay for the Fire Department, and make sure our whole community is safe.  In the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes, “I like taxes.  With them I buy civilization.” 

Or, as the back of our Taxes Fight Fires shirt says:

“If your house catches on fire, highly trained strangers will risk their lives to rescue you and your family and to put the fire out. And they won’t send you a bill. Taxes pay the people who keep us safe. That’s why I Heart Taxes.”

We’re one country.  We share risks, so we share costs, or we lose.