Syzdekistan

The local paper reported today that the “Nation’s Worst Governor” is going to charge Steve Fossett’s widow $687,000 for search expenses incurred when Fossett went missing in September in a small plane. This is utterly ridiculous on the part of Gibbons. Yes, I know the state is in poor financial shape. However, I believe that search and rescue should always be a free service provided by state and local government no matter how wealthy the missing person.

If governments began charging for search and rescue, I believe it would encourage people to wait too long to call for rescue. People would try to tough it out on their own to prevent being charged. Then, as their situation deteriorates, the rescue could easily become more dangerous and costly to the rescuers or lead to more severe injuries or death to the lost or injured party.

I know the fruitless search for Fossett was expensive. However, it was good training for the crews involved. I have trained with search and rescue personnel and there is nothing more meaningful to them than rescuing people. The failures are tough on them but they are satisfied by knowing they made a valiant search . Search and rescue is a service just like police and fire services that should be paid for by the taxpayers.

Some people say that Fossett was a thrill-seeker that the taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay to rescue. That’s incorrect. Fossett was a good pilot and known to be cautious and careful flyer. Just because he is doing something that most of us cannot afford doesn’t automatically mean that he was being reckless. We live on big planet and people, airplanes, and boats go missing all the time. If I survive an accident in a remote place, I want to know that rescue is coming for me. I would be comforted and have the power of hope, knowing that dedicated, caring people will be looking very hard for me.