By Paul Waldmiller
Did you know that there are an estimated four-hundred and seventy-nine registered fire departments across the State of Florida? Many rural Florida fired departments rely heavily upon volunteer-fire fighters. In comparison, most Florida cities utilize paid-firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
As Florida continues to grow in population due to a myriad of reasons including an influx of Americans seeking tax relief, Florida politicians seemingly find Americans moving to Florida as a fresh reason to raise taxes and the paid-fire departments also following suit holding their hands stretched out asking Florida taxpayers to pay more.
What if metropolitan areas throughout Florida chose rather than to raise taxes, they instead supplemented their fire departments with volunteer fireman and donated items available via our Federal Government? Perhaps Florida politicians and fire departments who are so eager to raise our taxes, instead reached out to Florida residents, especially the many retired U.S military veterans and also former fireman who have moved here to Florida? I believe some vet’s as well as former fireman would gladly either volunteer their time as previously trained firefighters or lend a helping hand as an emergency medical technician.
Our Federal Government has literally given-away military vehicles and other equipment to police departments. Surely, there is firefighting equipment also available including vehicles such as water tanks for fire departments. How many Florida politicians have researched available resources outside the local taxpayer, who to many of our politicians, citizens appear be nothing short of an available piggy-bank every time there is a “need’?
Our founding fathers designed our nation on the premise of personal freedom and as well, neighbor- helping-neighbor. America has a long and great history of helping in the way of volunteerism. Surely rather than the usual-out of control spending that our Florida Government leaders force upon us, they can instead look for alternative resources including volunteers. Floridians demand politicians everywhere curtail their habitual increasing, and out of control taxes rates which as a reminder to all, was one of the leading reasons the American Revolution had begun.