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I live in an area that is covered by the most expensive fire district on the island. It is the smallest fire district but yet we pay a fortune in fire taxes. There is a movement to combine the fire district into the neighbouring districts which is fine. But the present fire dept seems to have an issue with spending ; or at least seem to have no issue with spending.
Recently we got a $30,000 sign that simply states the date, day and temp. Now do we really need this?? Esp as most of the people in this district (Gordon Heights) are struggling to just pay bills. Last year it was a mini van that they bought just so that people drive together to conferences etc. But but, recently there wa a conference in Baltimore and people drove separetly, costing three times as much!!!
Lets get with the program here ; We need to stop spending spending spending.
Long island needs to get our volunteer firebug...err,firefighters under controll. Too many fire districts run by too many volunteer leeches trying to play professional firemen
Just remember that the thousand plus dollars a year in taxes that you're being charged is for a "volunteer" fire service. A service that relies on somebody showing up at the fire house when the whistle blows. A service that depends on getting enough sufficiently trained people to show up, in a timely manner, to race to an emergency call in which minutes count. Kind of scary.
Just remember that the thousand plus dollars a year in taxes that you're being charged is for a "volunteer" fire service. A service that relies on somebody showing up at the fire house when the whistle blows. A service that depends on getting enough sufficiently trained people to show up, in a timely manner, to race to an emergency call in which minutes count. Kind of scary.
No one is saying that these guys aren't doing a great service for their community but lets not overlook the bloated firehouse "palaces" each district has built and the grossly upgraded trucks they buy. I believe the report newsday did a few years back quoted one of the truck manufacturers as saying something like " we have $500,000 trucks, we have $600,000 trucks and then we have Long Island trucks".
I live in an area that is covered by the most expensive fire district on the island. It is the smallest fire district but yet we pay a fortune in fire taxes. There is a movement to combine the fire district into the neighbouring districts which is fine. But the present fire dept seems to have an issue with spending ; or at least seem to have no issue with spending.
Recently we got a $30,000 sign that simply states the date, day and temp. Now do we really need this?? Esp as most of the people in this district (Gordon Heights) are struggling to just pay bills. Last year it was a mini van that they bought just so that people drive together to conferences etc. But but, recently there wa a conference in Baltimore and people drove separetly, costing three times as much!!!
Lets get with the program here ; We need to stop spending spending spending.
The Gordon Heights Fire District is too small and they should merge with the surrounding districts. The $ 30,000 spent on a sign is just reckless and wasteful spending ; it's sinful to waste those dollars in these dire times.
The problem isnt the thousand a year that we spend for fire taxes ; it is the $2500 a year we pay for fire taxes. We have only about 900 households, but yet have no commercial taxes. If the Gordon Heights district came to a fire before the neighbouring districts, I would have no issue. But last year we had a fire across the road and it was the Yaphank fire district that came first. So yet, we pay $2500 to our district and a neighbouring district comes before!!!
I will bow my hat to all the people who volunteer and come to people's aid. You are a wonderful group of people and I give you my utmost respect. But when there is needless spending, a constant refusal to meet and sort this out on the part of the fire district, then we have a major problem.
Just remember that the thousand plus dollars a year in taxes that you're being charged is for a "volunteer" fire service. A service that relies on somebody showing up at the fire house when the whistle blows. A service that depends on getting enough sufficiently trained people to show up, in a timely manner, to race to an emergency call in which minutes count. Kind of scary.
And that should cost how much...??? Oh yeah, can't put a price on that, just like we can't put a price on a good education. Maybe, the GH district should be spending $5000 per year in taxes. Hell, there are lives at stake!Why stop at $5000. What's a good fire department worth, maybe $10,000 per year?
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wasteful spending
