Taxpayers Pay Millions for Rescues



Taxpayers Pay Millions for Rescues

By Jonathan D. Salant

The federal government spends millions of dollars a year to rescue capsized boaters,

stranded hikers and injured campers but doesn’t seek reimbursement--even from people whose

own risk-taking puts them in danger.

In Michigan, where at least 95 ice fishermen have been rescued from lakes in one area

alone this winter, lawmakers are considering charging for rescues of people who were reckless or

ignored warnings.

But the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Park Service, two federal agencies that handle

thousands of rescues a year, say they don’t want to send out bills because it might discourage

those in need from calling for help.

“One of the last things we want is somebody who would not want a rescue because of the

potential of having to pay for it, and therefore losing a life,” said Coast Guard Cmdr. Mike

Lopinsky.

Even relatively simple rescues can be costly.

In December, the Coast Guard and local agencies spent a total $85,000 to rescue 18

fishermen from an ice floe that broke off in Michigan’s Lake St. Clair and was sinking in a

snowstorm. The operation, conducted in gusty winds that drove wind chills below zero, required

several boats and a helicopter.

Officials said the fishermen used bad judgment by going out on the lake too early in the

season, before the ice was safe.

The same month, the Coast Guard spent $130,275 to rescue three balloonists who failed

in their attempt to circle the world and ditched their craft off Oahu, Hawaii, on Christmas Day.

The balloonists included Richard Branson, the British chairman of the Virgin records, soda and

airlines empire, and U.S. millionaire Steve Fossett.

After the rescue, Branson said he would pay if asked. But the Coast Guard didn’t ask.

The National Taxpayers Union, a Washington-based group that advocates less

government spending, says such individuals should foot the bill when they intentionally put

themselves in danger.

“People who knowingly take a risk to try to set a record ought to assume the financial

costs,” said Peter Sepp, the group’s spokesman. “These are people who know the dangers but are

going ahead anyway. Taxpayers should not subsidize thrill seekers.”

The Coast Guard spent $380 million of its $4 billion budget in 1997 on search-and-rescue

operations, while the National Park Service spent $3.4 million the same year, the most recent

figures available. The Air Force also helped with rescues but did not have figures immediately

available.

The totals include rescues of people who became endangered by unforeseen

circumstances as well as those who were taking risks.

Coast Guard spokesman Lopinsky said the money is well spent: His agency saved almost

4,000 lives and $878 million worth of property in 1997.

Just last week, a Coast Guard helicopter in Petit Bois Island, Miss., that was looking for a

sunken barge instead rescued a 7-year-old boy, four adults and three golden retrievers from two

boats stranded near an island. “At one point we had five survivors and three big dogs in our

helicopter. It was crowded, but it was a neat rescue,” Coast Guard Lt. Tim Grimes recalled.

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

The rescues of at least 95 fishermen in the one area of Michigan prompted state

lawmakers to introduce legislation requiring those who put themselves in danger by ignoring

warnings to pay rescue costs, or perform community service.

“Some of these people just defy the laws of consequence,” said Democratic state Rep.

William Callahan, a sponsor of the measure. “They will think twice before they do something

stupid again.”

Similar bills have been introduced annually in Hawaii, where federal and county rescuers

spent $75,000 in 1992 to rescue a movie cameraman trapped in a steaming volcanic crater. The

cameraman had been shooting movie footage of the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea.

The National Park Service in 1993 considered requiring mountain climbers and others

engaged in risky adventures to pay for their own rescues, but dropped the idea.

“If we had to think about charging a victim, does that mean we’re going to be hesitant to

call in two or three helicopters because the family can’t afford it?” asked Ken Phillips, the search

and rescue coordinator at Grand Canyon National Park, which charges only for transporting an

injured person to a hospital.

“If we start taking shortcuts, that might wind up compromising somebody’s life,” he said.

Instead, some national parks are stepping up efforts to discourage reckless behavior and

thrill seekers.

At Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, hikers who wish to climb Mount

McKinley, North America’s highest peak, must register in advance and list previous mountain

climbs. In addition, each climber is charged $150, which helps finance rescues.

J.D. Swed, the South District ranger at Denali, said the pre-registration has reduced the

number of mountain rescues. The government spent an average of $461.33 per hiker for rescues

in 1992, but that number dropped to $63.15 per hiker in 1997.

Objectives

After completing this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify factors that prompt teens to take unnecessary risks.

• Recognize the high costs of health care in this country and discuss ways of reducing that burden.

• Apply the reading skill of drawing conclusions to an article on risk taking in order to understand its message for teens in particular.

Introducing the Lesson

Download from the Internet and print out articles or images of stunts that involve overt risk taking. Examples might include balloonists attempting to set a new world's record for circumnavigating the globe, individuals attempting to cross the ocean in a small sailboat, and the exploits of daredevils such as Robbie Knievel, son of the legendary Evel Knievel.

Explain to students that they will read another article about costs associated with risk taking. Add that, as students will see, these costs come not out of the pockets of individuals seeking treatment, but out of the pockets of taxpayers. Explain that it costs a lot of money to rescue people who take unnecessary risks. Spend a moment discussing the distinction between necessary and unnecessary risks and ask for examples of each. (Examples: A necessary risk is the kind taken by firefighters putting their lives on the line to save innocent victims. An unnecessary risk is the kind taken by daredevils and thrill-seekers.)

Teaching Strategies

Tell students to imagine that someone just entered the classroom carrying a dripping umbrella. Ask: What conclusion would you draw from this? (It is raining outside.) Note that the ability to draw conclusions based on evidence or facts is an important skill when reading.

Have students point their Web browsers to the site containing the article, or hand out printed copies of the resource. Ask: What type of resource is this, and how can you tell? (A newspaper article; the byline reveals this fact.) Allow a moment for students to skim the article. Point out that the author never comes right out and states his own views on this topic, which is open to debate. Rather, as a good journalist, he simply reports the facts and allows readers to draw their own conclusions. Urge students to take notes as they read so that they will be able to reach an informed conclusion afterward.

After students have completed the reading, you may either use the following as class discussion questions or assign them as individual or group work.

Follow Up

1. Drawing Conclusions. What was the U.S. Coast Guard's annual budget in 1997? How much did they spend on rescue missions? How much did the National Park Service spend during the same time period? What conclusion can you draw from these facts?

2. Comparing and Contrasting. Compare the official position of the Coast Guard with that of the National Taxpayers Union with respect to charging risk takers for their own rescues. Which of these positions do you come closest to agreeing with? Explain.

3. Synthesizing. What are some factors that prompt people to take unnecessary risks that place their lives in danger? Which of these factors do you think play the biggest role in risks taken by teens as a group?

4. Extending. Imagine that Congress passed a compromise law forcing only thrill-seekers to pay for their rescues and not people who had exercised poor judgment. Do you think this compromise would be fair? Explain your answer.

5. Analyzing. Critics of daredevils such as Robbie Knievel have attacked the media for publicizing and even giving TV airtime to their death-defying feats. What is your reaction to this attack? Do you think the conclusion these critics have drawn is reasonable? If so, do you think the media should be held accountable for the money spent on rescue efforts? Why or why not?

Drawing Conclusions About a Health Topic

The article you read provided you with information and points of view about the issue of taxpayers paying for rescues. You can draw conclusions about any health topic you read about by making note of the clues describing the issue, the setting, or particular events surrounding a particular topic.

Find another article about a health issue in a magazine, newspaper, or online source. As you read the article, look for clues and make notes recording the facts and specific information you find in the article. Then list the conclusions you can draw based on available evidence and facts. What decisions can you make regarding this health issue based on those conclusions?

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