[Jim from C-Town]

The most logical approach is to privatize the fire services. They simply put the jobs up for bid. They fact is that firefighters are the Worlds most expensive insurance policy. As important as they are the majority of the time they sit around and watch TV at the taxpayers expense. It is time to eliminate the repulsive costs of keeping these people on staff. Private firms would do best at managing and paying these people. We would eliminate the repulsive pay and benefits packages and the ridiculous pension plans that allow people in their forties and fifties to retire with lifetime pay and benefits.

[cherry]

there has been a nationwide campaign to push out volunteer fire depts and expand the hired hands...