Jason Talley's "competing with town services" idea

[Dave Ridley]

Jason Talley mentioned briefly an idea on Free Talk Live which I thought was worth discussing here.  He said he wanted to look at the Grafton town budget line by line and try to find services there that liberty folk could compete with. 

I don't see any other discussion of it on the web at first glance, so I'm starting the discussion myself and will probably later link to it from an upcoming ridleo.

[Kat Kanning]

Example of how this might work?

[Lloyd Danforth]

There are openings to bid on providing some services to the town. Bob Hull won the bid to mow the Rec field, Town offices, Library and Old Town Hall.
He underbid (by a lot) the guy who had the contract for years.  He's saving the Town money, but at a great expense to himself, timewise.
I don't know what else goes out to bid other than cemetery maintenance, which I think would be cool to do.

[Lex]

Someone could provide a fire permit issuing service. I believe you would have to get authorization from the selectmen and the local fire warden. If someone really wanted to do this they could probably pull it off.

[Kat Kanning]

This must be some new definition of the word 'service'.

[MTPorcupine3]

]'
[Bob Hull is] saving the Town money, but at a great expense to himself, timewise.

Perhaps Bob can subcontract to some kid who doesn't mind part time work at an even lower remuneration. Bob could keep a fair or agreed upon percent as a royalty for his idea in saving the town money, and whoever steps up to do the work will be doing so voluntarily.

And if people pooled their efforts, they could form a team—or even teams—of lawn mowing, tax reducing enthusiasts who wouldn't mind doing it for a pittance. And in what else would they not mind participating in the effort to reduce or eliminate taxation and other government force, prohibition, and extortion?

[Jim Johnson]

A private fire department could compete directly with the town's fire dept.

[MTPorcupine3]

A private fire department could compete directly with the town's fire dept.

Hmm.

[Lex]

This must be some new definition of the word 'service'.

Only as far as turbotax.com is a "service" that helps you file taxes

[Jim Johnson]

Intercity bus service.

[AntonLee]

no one forces me to use turbotax 

[Tom Sawyer]

A private fire department could compete directly with the town's fire dept.

To make it a company has to diversify...

Entertainment and Fire Protection Service 

[Jim Johnson]

See now, who wouldn't pay for that?

It comes in male types too, Dale... and Kat.

[jdtalley]

My name is in the subject so I should reply 

Lloyd's mention of Bob Hull mowing the town park is exactly what I was talking about on Free Talk Live. If I didn't mention it I should have. Last night I saw an awesome fireworks display in that park, run by volunteers and paid for by donations. My neighbors in Grafton seem to already get that when it can be done voluntarily it should.

It's up to us to show them that it can always be done voluntarily. So please keep the ideas coming and I write up something for http://freegrafton.com.

[Jim Johnson]

I have never seen anyone using the Rec field.

There is an opening for a private recreation department. 
A year round outdoor target range and some winter sports would be nice.

A winter or a summer sport event could grow into something major.