Archive: Opinions

I say this from time to time: we get a really good deal in the Lansing Fire Department.  I know some people think the district spends too much money, but I think we get a bargain and I can't think of a reason to complain.  If we had to pay for a salaried department we'd be paying a heck of a lot more than we do now.  Salaries and benefits cost a lot more than equipment and assets.  It just doesn't seem right to me to not appreciate our fellow Lansing residents who volunteer to put their lives on the line to save ours.

I've heard some people complain about the tax, but they expect help when they need it.  This fire district has a 20 year fiscal plan that lays out miniscule tax rate rises every eight years or so.  Look at the tax rates of the other municipalities and you can see why I think this is a good deal.

Not many people voted on whether to build the new addition to Central Station that will start construction next Spring.  It passed by about 30 votes.  I am glad it passed, because that station hasn't been updated in about 30 years, and the two goals for the project are to increase safety and encourage more volunteers.  On top of that it's not costing taxpayers additional tax money because of long term planning.

Just because you are a volunteer emergency responder doesn't mean you get to skimp on training.  These men and women spend a large chunk of their lives at the fire station maintaining the equipment, attending training sessions, and actually responding to emergencies.  Even if they are not technically professionals, they behave as if they were.  In the almost quarter of a century I have lived here I've only needed them twice, and both times they exceeded my expectations.

The volunteers take pride in what they do, and we should be proud of them as well.  When I look at my tax bills and see what I have to pay the school district and the county, the fire district tax seems like peanuts.  When I look at my auto and home insurance bills, the fire district tax seems like peanuts.  It's the best insurance policy I've ever seen, really, and an amazing value for the money.

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