Down With Fees for Paramedics
A new way to receive money from taxpayers is to start charging for existing services.
A paramedic subscription fee will “kill” taxpayers upon implementation. Fire departments will impose these fees to generate income for their budget woes.
The people least affected by this will be the low-income or transient. They will call the fire department in any emergency because the fire department can’t collect on something they don’t have--money.
The middle-class citizen is normally law-abiding and will pay or subscribe to this service. They will be more inclined to use the service now that they have to pay for it.
The fixed-income senior citizen will be the hardest hit by this fee. They normally are on a tight budget. They will delay calling the fire department on their medical emergencies. This may lead to the fixed-income citizen’s death if he waits too long.
Generating fees to help fight the budget deficit is something the fire service needs to do. Please leave the emergency medical service out of this and find another way to produce monies needed.
ROBERT CAMPOS, Mission Viejo
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
