[E. Pluribus Unum]

I can't think of a more important reason for the existence of a local government other than to provide fire and police protection.

You must be a city boy who doesn't understand that in rural areas THERE IS NO LOCAL GOVERNMENT other than one or two sherriff's deputies per COUNTY.

This is how a VOLUNTEER fire department gets formed:

1. You live in a rural area with no fire department and no taxing authority to create one.
2. You would like to have a fire department available in case your house catches on fire.
3. You talk to neighbors and peope in surrounding towns to see if they would like to create a fire department.
4. You form a group of VOLUNTEER firefighters.
5. Your group doesn't have $400,000 to buy a fire truck and another $300,000 to build a station house.
6. You offer fire protection to anybody who pays your group $100 per year for a tag to put on their mailbox proving they paid for fire protection.
7. You use the $100 per year from all the people who paid it to buy a fire truck, build a station house and train the VOLUNTEER firefighters to minimize the possibility of their dying while fighting a fire.
8. Since it costs you thousands of dollars in wear and tear on your fire truck and equipment to put out a fire, not to mention the danger to the lives of the firefighters, you don't put out the fires of people who didn't help pay for the equipment and training of the firefighters.

Without funding for equipment, there is no fire department, volunteer or otherwise.

Which do you prefer, a non-existent fire department that treats everybody the same by letting their house burn down, are an actual fire department that puts out the fires of people who helped pay for the firefighting equipment and training?

[Tokra]

You must be a city boy who doesn't understand that in rural areas THERE IS NO LOCAL GOVERNMENT other than one or two sherriff's deputies per COUNTY.

I DID grow up in a rural area. Monett, Missouri is not exactly a desolated wasteland. They have a population of 7400 ( I grew up in an area with a population of 2600). Monette has an airport and a high school. They had to have raised taxes for that - why can they not raise taxes to purchase a fire truck and fire hall?

When people first settled the area I grew up in, there was no "taxing authority". That's why people banded together and taxed themselves to provide a fire truck and a constable. Why cannot the good citizens of Missouri do the same instead of this bizzare "private club" concept?

Do you have to pay dues to attend the local schools? or to drive on the local roads? or to call the police?
Then why do it for fire protection? A school costs far more than a fire truck.

[gogeo]

You may be wasting your time. Gen. Honore comes to mind.