Rich Lowry: The New Wisconsin Idea

National Review ^ | February 18, 2011 | Rich Loway

[Jim from C-Town]

Actually it is quite the opposite. Several counties and cities already use private ambulance services, IE Rural Metro, or American Ambulance to handle their EMS services.

It has stabilized the cost of these services and limited the cities liability. Many Southern states have eliminated many of the functions that where always considered government functions. In several areas of TN the local Morgue and Coroners are actually services that are bid out to private companies. The employees are usually paid similar wages, yet they have benefits more in line with the private sector. No excess pension costs and union benefits.

The fire services are NOT a special situation. Remember that a vast majority of all Firefighters in this country are VOLUNTEERS. The future is coming weather the public sector employees like it or not. The idea that 20 - 25 years of work leads to 20 - 30 years of full pay and benefits in retirement are quickly coming to an end.

Read up on the future. This is just one of the companies that are taking up the slack created by the bloated fire fighter unions.

http://www.ruralmetro.com/products_fireservices.asp

[PapaBear3625]

The unions are already pissed off at them and support Rats every election anyway. What do they have to lose?

there's a difference between having the unions opposing you on general principles, and having them decide to ignore federal races and devote their entire budget to defeating Wisconsin Repubs.

Plus having their thugs target Repubs and their families with violence.

The fact that I think that them doing so might start a civil war is beside the fact that the unions might do so.

[Alberta's Child]

That all makes sense. I should have been more clear on this. The situation I'm describing involves urban areas where privatization isn't really an option (or won't be for many decades), and where paid fire departments are the norm. It seems to me that privatization is really suited for exurban and rural areas where the alternative to having private fire protection is having no fire protection.

At this point in time, the private fire company isn't really an alternative to a public fire department . . . it's an alternative to an all-volunteer force.

[Jim from C-Town]

Why, Why should large cities be exempt. It is counterintuative to believe that large urban areas are unable to privatize government services. Several already privatize garbage and EMS services. What makes fire services different from EMS services? Nothing!

Fire Fighters are simply fire fighters because they are trained to do so. Most of the real training occurs in Community Colleges, most tests are offered with a bonus points for those that have completed training in school. Most states then license them, just like they license people to sell insurance or cut hair. The biggest difference is that these licenses are renewable after Continued Education. Most fire fighters have passed the test one time and never are required to re-pass either their written or physical tests again.

I urge you to go to a local urban, suburban or any Union Fire Station and gander at the 300+ # ‘s that are watching TV in Lay-Z-Boys and cooking food for dinner.

It is not to say that Fire fighters do not tempt fate and risk their lives, but so does the guy who works at the local gas-n-sip or works as a Taxi Driver. Fire fighters just do it 7 days a month and sleep during half their shifts.

It will simply take one forward thinking, courageous major city Mayor to do the hard work and over night the rest of them will follow.

[chichipow]

This guy is the old liberal liar of omission. The city of Milwaukee’s Firefighters & Police unions backed Walker AGAINST Mayor Tom Barret who is a complete and utter failure. He’s let them down time and again. The state Firefighter’s & Police union backed Barret. So he isn’t wrong, just omitting a glaring and blinding fact. Also Walker didn’t jump on those two right now because he’s smart. Imagine the Firefighers & Police union members pulling the same thing that the teachers are doing? It would have happened and he didn’t want to tackle that all at one time. Their time is coming, though I doubt it will be soon and will be incremental (that is of course if he stays Governor of our fine state long enough).

[oyez]

Unions would have to collect dues themselves.

Its only faiir.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.......The union arranged a protest this month when Obama addressed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, accusing him of cozying up to big businesses.

Officials from another AFL-CIO affiliate, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said that tens of thousands of its members have been laid off and that they don’t see the White House advocating for them.

“They may be lost to the Democratic cause,” said Rick Sloan, a spokesman for the union.

John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said he “resented” the president’s recent calls to reorganize the government and freeze salaries because they seemed to feed into a growing criticism of workers. Pointing to Obama’s defense this week of Wisconsin public workers, Gage said, “It’s about time.” .....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/18/AR2011021807480.html?hpid=topnews