George,

Bob Gibson hit the nail on the head Saturday when he said:

"People who pay taxes and those who rely on fire and rescue services have a lot of questions that need good answers before local governments build separate and competing systems."

That's one issue and here's another. Charlottesville's budget proposal puts a million taxpayer dollars into the first phase, just the first phase, of a city rescue squad to compete with our volunteer Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad (CARS.) The city's tax-funded one will charge several hundred dollars per call even though it won't have the level of equipment that CARS has. They'll have to burn more and more tax dollars every year to get up to speed on equipment and stay up.

Would anyone needing help choose a costly ambulance service when the volunteer rescue squad we love and trust is free? No, so 911 would have to be corrupted to influence operators into diverting calls away from CARS and over to the costly service. 911 corruption caused by competing ambulance services has been a big city nightmare for decades. Why invite that here?

For only one reason. The city's budget proposal says the city will pressure the volunteer squad into charging for the rescue calls they now make for free. Corrupting 911 to divert calls away from CARS is that pressure. And the costs? Insurance will pay, says the city, and miraculously no one who can't pay will be denied service. Meaning in addition to our own insurance rates rising, taxpayers will pay for the 40% of the local population that's uninsured.

This is better than our free Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad supported by contributions?

Eventually we must be reminded of the adage, "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."

To me when I'm wearing my poli-sci hat, one definition of corruption is the ability to engage in personal empire building with money exacted from taxpayers. That's what seems to be going on here behind a facade of response time voodoo and exaggerated CARS shortcomings.

Either that, or this is as poor a presentation of a proposal from city hall as we've seen since 1970 (the doomed Charlemarle/Albeville merger.)

Conservatives get elected by promising voters they can keep what they earn. Liberals get elected by promising voters things they didn't earn. Call me a spoil sport (or worse) but I can't help thinking representative government works better when these are in balance.

Rey Barry (Electronic mail, March 31, 2007)
Charlemarle