Should we move to a "For-Profit" model in Police and Firefighting Services?

[elehhhhna]

Of course not! That's absurd!

Mike Moore brought this up on Oprah Tuesday.

Social Services, such as fire and safety, and, oh yeah--HEALTH & WELFARE, are more efficient & less costly if they're not-for-profit. His analogy to fire protection really points up the absurdity of our HC "system" (racket?) today.

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Like Reno 911 and their corporate sponsor!

It was hilarious seeing them drive around in hot pink cruisers wearing hot pint uniforms! :rofl:

(off topic, but couldn't resist)

[jwirr]

2. It would help also to have drugs made by non-profits.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Just what we need: neighborhood Blackwater franchises.

:sarcasm:

[fishnfla]

4. Interesting programs being done here

Financial incentive to prevent forest fires. Kinda like crime stoppers I guess.

Property owners are given a limit of 100 dollars to protect an acre of land, those who come up with the most cost effective, and fireproof effective plan recieve a larger compensation.

They kinda did the same thing with health care and medicaid. Parents who sign there kids up and keep them up to date with shots and such, receive incentives.
Healthier kids save the system money in the long run

So along the lines of crime, fire and health PREVENTION, I could see it working

[unpossibles]

5. you laugh, but I have heard Libertarians actually argue for that

I wish I were joking. Hey, what's so bad about moving back to the feudal system?

[BridgeTheGap]

6. Just like our healthcare system

Police and fire departments should be there only to serve those who can afford it. Everyone else be damned!

[Phredicles]

7. Sure, just like the Romans had:

The first first department was headed up by 1st century BC billionaire Crassus. If your house caught on fire and you weren't a subscriber (or prepared to become one on the spot) they'd show up and watch the thing burn down.

There wasn't a police force per se either; a lot of the plutocrats and Caesar wannabes had their own personal outfits (called, if I remember correctly, blacvatores:P) which were more likely to promote mayhem rather than quell it what it served the patron's interests.

I thought we'd progressed beyond such things. I hate being wrong about stuff like that.

[iamahaingttta]

8. Why go back 2000 years for that example?

It was like just like that here with New York City firefighters less than a century ago.
And that's exactly how the the privatizers want it...