Do you really want your monies worth?

My Thoughts

Dr. Bill Atwood

(Updated: Thursday, July 22, 2010, 5:16 PM)

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As the state and federal budget woes continue there are people who want to make sure we get our monies worth whenever we spend a nickel. On that I think we all agree.

There are also many who believe that a large number of governmental workers are overpaid and many of these folks are demanding reductions of salaries because they want to "get their monies worth."

There are some governmental employees I hope don't have to work very hard this summer. They are the folks who work in the emergency service end of government service.

I really would love to see that the men and women who work for Cal Fire have a very easy fire season.

I hope that we see them bored with being trained or just sitting around waiting for something to burn and the alarm never comes in. I sure won't scream about paying them for not fighting a blaze that would destroy homes or watershed.

We can all do our part and follow the rules about open fires, candles in homes, tossing matches or cigarettes out of our cars.

We can remember to watch for suspicious activities if someone wants to practice being an arsonist.

Let's do the same for the Forest Service Firefighters as well. Everyone needs to remember what Smoky tells us, "Only you can prevent forest fires."

I hope to see our Highway Patrol officers getting a rest from having to handle traffic accidents because somebody wants to drink and drive. I would love to see the CHP not have to work an accident scene because somebody was in a hurry and caused a wreck.

I am sure the CHP would not mind if they had fewer tickets to issue because we all actually obeyed the traffic laws. This would not be a waste of our tax dollars as far as I am concerned.

I would not complain if I heard that the Madera County Sheriff's Department had fewer crimes to solve because there were fewer crimes committed.

Perhaps each of us watching a little closer in our neighborhoods and many of us making sure to be less of a target for a crime might help Sheriff John Anderson's fine staff.

While not taxpayer-supported, I sure would not be critical of Sierra Ambulance if I heard that they had to make fewer calls because people did not engage in activities that caused injuries that necessitate a ride to the emergency room.

Our emergency service folks do a great job for us each and every day and we need to take time to simply say thank you for the protection from the stern realities of life that they provide to us.

While many might scream that they are overpaid I would argue that I really don't think somebody dons a bullet-proof vest in preparation for their duty shift simply for a great paycheck.

I don't think somebody is willing to race to the burning home or wildfire because the pay is great.

Can you imagine that somebody wants to be an EMT and deal with the effects of an accident or the scares of treating heart attack victims for the sake of a paycheck?

It isn't the pay but the desire to be of service that drives these brave souls to stand ready to serve. I hope all the taxes I ever pay that support the firefighters in Madera County are never needed to fund putting out a fire at my house.

I hope I never need the services of the CHP in writing up a traffic accident report in which I am involved. I hope that the sheriff never needs to respond to my house because I am the victim of a crime. I won't ever scream that I did not get my monies worth from my tax dollars.

I am willing to be a subscriber with Sierra Ambulance every year and hope never to need a ride in their vehicles.

I am very happy to pay each year for the service these folks provide and I sure hope that they have little to do.

The real value of our dollars that support these folks is the knowledge that when we need them -- they'll be there.