Texas cuts fire dept funding by 75%

[rwoy]

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/09/texas-cut-fire-department-funding-by-75-percent-this-year/

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Shocking and utterly unsurprising at once.

[Yelnoc]

Welcome to the paradise state.  No income tax and they're lovin' it!

[Sbane]

Excellent timing too!

[Politico]

Welcome to the paradise state.  No income tax and they're lovin' it!

I am not coming to the defense of Texas, but they do not need an income tax to solve this issue. Raising property taxes would be sufficient and efficient as is done in New Hampshire, for example.

There is a problem when firemen and policemen are underfunded. Local level governments should be remedying the problem with cuts in other areas or increases in property taxes if necessary.

[bgwah]

Uh-oh!

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Shocking 

[stegosaurus]

You guys are aware that cities/townships typically fund the Fire Departments, right? For example, in The Woodlands, the FD is the largest budget item (19% of expenditures) and funded by a 1% sales tax on top of the state sales tax, with no help from the state (as far as I know). Nevertheless, the FD is well funded, completely operational, and building a new 8mil$ station in my precinct. The FDs in this area were well funded enough to efficiently extinguish the fires in Oak Ridge North, which borders The Woodlands. Simply said, Texas FDs function perfectly well when funded predominately at the local level. There is plenty to question the state legislator about without debating the merits of scaling back an ultimately unnecessary line item.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Fire departments are socialist, after-all.