Socialized firefighting

As a student of irony, and a student of hypocrisy, and occasionally even a student of California politics, I found this column by former Chicago Tribune reporter and multiple Pulitzer nominee Michael Millenson amusing. Here are just the first two paragraphs:

“As wildfires sweep Southern California, I have been surprised that homeowners in some of the most affluent and staunchly Republican enclaves in the state have not protested the widespread deployment of government workers bearing fire hoses and driving ambulances. The pain of watching one’s life possessions burn to a crisp must almost be matched by the pain of watching tax dollars wasted on a task that private, for-profit firefighters could surely perform more cheaply and more effectively. Yet not even the richest of the fire-torn refugees has expressed regret over government intervention in their rescue.

It’s important to remember that wildfires in California are a foreseeable event, just like hurricanes in the Southeast, blizzards in the Upper Midwest or – to switch from the cosmic to the quotidian – illness or accidents befalling individuals. In bumper sticker terms, stuff happens. If one believes in the marketplace, then it should be up to individuals knowingly facing risk, not the government, to either take prudent steps to protect themselves or face the consequences.”

While the analogy isn’t perfect, it’s certainly valid to point out the disconnect between conservative homeowners lavishing well-deserved praise on their taxpayer-funded fire-fighting services and the same folks resorting to name-calling when government strays into other, arguably at-least-as-fundamental-to-the-welfare-of-citizens services such as health care. “Socialized firefighting,” indeed.

Thanks also to Dan Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee for the tip on Millenson’s column. I don’t agree with Dan every time, but I have a lot of respect for his status as one of the last living moderates in California politics. His writings should probably be covered under the Endangered Species Act.