THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 27, 1995 TAG: 9504270012
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
On April 6, a man was clearing brush on family property near Charlottesville. He was trying to make room for a tomato patch. He decided to burn the debris. That decision could cost him - and save Virginia - $17,000.
Why? Because his fire quickly spread to 1,200 acres and took 150 firefighters with tractors, helicopters and an airplane a full day to extinguish.
The man, Doug Edmonds, has been charged with a misdemeanor - carelessly damaging property by fire. If convicted, he could owe a fine of $250. But that's peanuts considering the size of the fire, the damage it caused and how much it cost to control it. So the Virginia Department of Forestry plans to ask the judge to force Edmonds, if he's found guilty, to reimburse the state for the cost of fighting the fire. That could cost him $17,000.
In recent years, governments have increasingly tried to shift from general taxes to targeted fees when possible. It makes sense if those citizens who avail themselves of government services can be the ones who pay for them. So users of parks are sometimes charged entry fees that help maintain the property, for example.
Of course, the pendulum can swing too far in this direction. But charging arsonists - by accident or intention - for the cost of fighting the fires they set is a plausible extension of the same principle. by CNB