Quote:
Originally Posted by Jo55
[Leniency goes out the window in many places when people make hoax reports of emergencies. The Coast Guard seeks reimbursement for all-out searches triggered by false reports. In 2005, Jennifer Wilbanks, the "runaway bride" who disappeared four days before her scheduled wedding and phoned her fiancé with a phony tale of being abducted, was ordered by a judge to pay $15,800 to Georgia city and county officials who had searched for her.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...h-debate_x.htm |
A completely agree with this and Colorado has had cases where the person(s) have had to reimburse.
In the link I provided it also said:
Billing someone for the costs of a search is unusual.
On Tuesday, before Kieckhefer revealed the governor's plans, state Emergency Management Director Frank Siracusa said state and local government search and rescue workers have a long-standing tradition of not charging when they hunt for missing persons, even for multimillionaires such as Steve Fossett.
"We do not charge the rich or the poor," Siracusa said. "There is no precedent where government will go after people for costs just because they have money to pay for it. You get lost, and we look for you. It is a service your taxpayer dollars pay for."
I just don't believe his widow should be penalized because she and her husband are "rich." When it has already been stated "we do not charge the
rich or
poor."