Reply #11: I worked with Keith McCall - sorry to see him resign

[Divernan]

& more so since he was replaced by a Republican. He brought a lot of state money to Carbon County. And he made out quite well when he resigned, getting a $145,000 a year appointment to the state gaming control board. I do disagree with him on foregoing fees for donations. It is NOT a case of having to choose one or the other. You can have both. Even if your volunteer company received fees, you could still hold fundraisers, and people would still get charitable tax deductions for their donations. At least you would have a set amount to rely on. I know equipment costs a lot - so get fees for daily operations and have fund raisers to buy a new pumper truck ($100,000). I saw your new rep. got a state grant for some $316,000 for some 32 fire/EMT volunteer companies. That's less than $10,000 each - a drop in the bucket. How does that compare to grants Rep. McCall brought home?

When times are so tough economically, donations dry up. My brother was a volunteer paramedic in his community, so was close to his local fire company. My thinking is that people who are highly trained and work so hard and risk their lives for NO pay, should not have to spend time begging for funding.