condolences on loosing your fire department.

Everywhere and at all times, apparently.

I don't believe in bad either, so I don't even think the police are bad in any way whatsoever. Not a single one of them.

I apologize.

How would one describe to a stranger things that are typically classified as bad?

"X has failed to live to my expectations."

"X is undesirable."

Some uses of the word bad have specific meanings that I may use. For example: "This milk smells bad." In this usage, the word "bad" means "may make you sick if you consume." There is no moral judgement on the milk.

What about serial killers?

You can't just say "I don't like serial killers".

You have to make a moral judgement at some point, don't you?

How many people have died by President Obama's orders? What objective criterion could we use to say one is evil and one is not evil? Are they both evil? Since Bundy had psychological problems, one could argue he is less evil than President Obama because President Obama seems to have a very healthy mind.

How about a sane person who shoots a neighbor's cat for fun?

No judgement?

Lots of people kill flies in their houses, even though they really don't hurt anything. The only thing that makes a cat's life more valuable than a fly's life is one's personal preference.

When I was a child, I blasted an ant hill with water from a hose just for fun. I probably killed many ants. Objectively speaking, each and every single one of those ants was just as worthy --or unworthy-- of life as any other living thing.

So what is evil? Nothing more than an emotional reaction to perceived stimuli, and usually based on one's own faction.

What do you think evil is?

I was just wondering about bad and good. I suppose one could use "undesirable" as a euphamism for "bad".

It just seems an impossibility to me to that a person could disassociate from moral judgement.

Stimuli that.

I wasn't attacking you. I was trying to understand.

Apologies. Let's get back to Allen Park. I didn't mean to steal the precious thread which would have sunk like a rock without our bumping it.

You don't hear that everyday

I was making a point that the word "evil" has no real meaning.

I thought that would have been obvious since I am arguing against the existence of evil.

I mean, obviously that can be the case sometimes. There's nothing wrong with positing what others might say without claiming it oneself. But it looks like you are trying to have your cake and eat it to.

'I don't believe in evil. But if somebody did, they could argue Bundy is less evil than Obama. BTW, I don't believe in evil.'

Clever

Do you want to see someone post something outrageous? You seem to be enjoying the prospect.

Originally I wanted to nip this in the bud, but I couldn't help it.

I stand by my last post. You argued that you don't believe in evil, but it's possible to argue that Obama is more evil than Ted Bundy. I just thought it was funny that you were positing a highly controversial opinion that you don't believe.

Like I said, there's nothing wrong with that. We should be engaging with other perspectives and showing posters here what others might think. I just thought the comparison was amusing.

Ain't no thang

and no one can really prove the "out there" claim is false. This is because there is no way to measure evil, and that is because evil isn't a real thing.

Apparently, so taxophobic that we won't even keep fire and police protection. We'd rather our homes be looted and burned to the ground than fund our society, because some jerk somewhere will complain about being Taxed Enough Already By Anonymous Gun-Grabbing Elitist Rats (TEABAGGERS).

They plan to ask for an surrounding city to take over but I don't think that is going to happen.

if the residents voted the millage, who made the decision to end police & fire?

It might be a better deal. I live in northern NJ and one of my gripes is that every town has its own police department, its own board of ed, its own sanitation, its own fire department, etc. There is no reason why towns couldn't merge or agree to provide these services cooperatively to save money. The present set up is expensive and wasteful.

Who will take over police/fire? Melvindale? Dearborn? Will current police/fire employees be absorbed into that other city's departments, then based in the same Allen Park facilities? Using repainted Allen Park police/fire vehicles? It could work, but I don't see where there's much savings.

If Allen Park could be absorbed into a neighboring city, then the Allen Park city council could be dissolved. There's a savings for you. (kidding, sorta)

It would seem they need a plan. Any details?

According to that newspaper article, you city may have to cut as much as $4.2 million for the 2012-13 budget, according to the mayor, since it faces a $1.6 million deficit, which is pretty much the squeeze we're all getting. Noticed that your city was named one of the best small towns according some years back, but I'd say it is a little more than a small town (25 million?)

Anyway, it also said that voters recently rejected a two-year, 4-mill tax that would have raised $2.6 million annually to help pay off debt from the failed Unity Studios.

So, now they want to subcontract the police...

It's a damn shame what's happening to us...

Last edited Thu May 24, 2012, 07:52 AM - Edit history (1)

edited to add the question mark

But, I'm not from MI, I'm from PA, but was interested.

I can't imagine it would be as safe or economical, long term. In a depressed part of MI, they may have to resort to doing things on a regional basis. Let's see what the post of the OP says about this.

I meant to add a question mark

If a crime happens, who solves it? Who arrests the perp?

Idiots.

I' m pretty sure that for a few million a year, initially less than would be paid through taxing the population, Blackwater will gladly set up shop as a police force.

They'll keep the peace. Guaranteed.

What is OCP?

Everyone will be on their best behavior because everyone will probably get to carry a concealed weapon. See? Simple.

Hell it worked in the Wild West didn't it?