"I've seen roads in PA and NJ deteriorate in 3 months so they weren't passable at more than 25 mph."
Here in S Louisiana the roads are terrible: terrible with gov oversight.
I'm thinkin' folks might do a better job of it w/out incompetent pols & greedy contracters.
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"grew up with a town volunteer Fire Department who put out many grass fires around houses that burned down."
Made my point for me: thanks.
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"The fire department usually has an ambulance with full time EMTs
Here, we got Acadian Ambulance. Privately owned. We seem to get along just fine w/out the gov in this area.
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"Because it becomes too fucking expensive when only a few are in it"
Again: you make my point. If folks, in large numbers want sumthin' (like unimployment ins) then the market (other folks) will provide. If so few folks actually want it that it has to be mandated, by technocrats with lent power, to 'be', well: you get my drift.
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"Right, they wouldn't come to rely on it, they'd just die like they used to."
Think it through: if you know your golden years are all on you then, mebbe, you make an effort to provide for those golden years when you're younger, you know, the way lots of folks do 'now' even with SS existin'.
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"Fine when you boy is running 106 fever send out for bids."
Think it through: I've already done my homework. When he had an 'issue' I took him where the treatment was available and the reasonable, and 'I' paid the bill, not taxpayers.
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"I don't need a charity but where do these people who do find one?"
On-line, phone book, a church, city hall, etc.
A tiny bit of effort renders great reward.
Oh, wait, you expect the charity to consult a crystal ball and go to the needy, yeah?
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"thousands of people on the streets because they've no place to go."
Where & why are there 'thousands' on the streets with no place to go?
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"I'm not even counting the ones who prefer the street to shelters because it's safer."
Where are these unsafe shelters?
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"I'll bet for different reasons."
No doubt.
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"OK, I googled Associated Catholic Charities. It gives me Baltimore and NYC as a footnote."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Charities
And that link doesn't even begin to cover all the locations.
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"Cato or Brutus didn't write it, you did."
No, I didn't:
https://books.google.com/books?id=t3...nobis.&f=false
http://lf-oll.s3.amazonaws.com/title...1_EBk_v6.0.pdf
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"The internet says you're wrong"
No, it doesn't.
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"you are used to being wrong."
Please, expose my errors, list 'em, shame me.