Regarding “Coming soon to mailboxes in rural Riverside County: A new fire tax!” [in the Aug. 2 issue of the Town Crier].
Unless I’m missing something, the concept of a surcharge for fire protection in the WUI (wildland urban interface) seems more than reasonable. I realize that fire protection in Pine Cove (and Idyllwild) costs more than in, for example, Long Beach.
Who, aside from those of us lucky enough to live here, should pay this extra cost? The only question, in my mind, is [whether] $150 per year per habitable structure is the correct amount. Is it enough?
We, at least most of us who live here, live here by choice. We choose to escape the congestion, noise, smog, etc. of large urban centers and, then some of us, b---- and whine because we can’t have the same services that we had in the city without paying the additional cost
Please explain.
Tom McCullough
Pine Cove
Where is the tax money going you are already paying for fire protection? I, for one, want a detailed accounting of where the money is going first before any additional costs, fees, taxes, or other monies are forked over to a governmental agency who is naturally suspect of squandering. Let us see some overhead cost reduction first. Get rid of the excesses. I don't believe that has been satisfactorily proven in any governmental agency.. They just say they need more money and ask for more taxes.
It cost a heck of a lot more to protect your house from fire that is surrounded in trees than to assist someone that is having a heart attack. And yes, you do use the Sheriff and EMS services just as the cities do. Where there are people, there is a use of services.
For those of us that work,or have worked all our life.We already pay taxes for fire on the hill.We pay state and federal and fir dept. taxes.they pay for both city and federal fire.This is nothing but a way for the state to have us pay again and for a service that is not used up here on the hill.This is a BAD idea and alot of folksd did not do their homework to know where and what services are up here.government has stepped in again and alot of you have fallen for it,cause they scared you into thinking you will be safer.We will have no more help on the hill than we do now and all that comes from it .Is nothing.the same great folks that help put out fires will be the same great folks just with all of us paying a fouth tax.Yeah thats sounds great to me! i think that we should stand up and say "NO MORE". Do not let poeple scare you into giveing more of our hard earned and already taxed enough paychecks.for those that think this tax is a good idea,you should have voted a big fat YES to measure G.then our mountian would be in better shape and you would undestand that we already have alot of great fire personel on the mountain.