Thread: Does anyone else........?

+1 With you on that one.

+2

+3.......

I'd rather pay for that compared to everything else my money is wasted on. Imagine all the money we'd save if our government didn't throw money at ratholes across the globe that want us dead or used it to reward crackheads to make more children so that they can buy some more rock.

So, no I don't think it's bullshit. I think the total of bipartisan runaway spending is bullshit. The money used to save these individuals is just a drop in the bucket in comparison and at least something is to be had from it.

Government spending is MAJOR bullshit, BUT this is still bullshit no matter how ya try to spin it!!!!

Well this is why I think they should make the emergency transponders mandatory. $10 rental, and they probably could've gotten to them much much faster, weather not withstanding.

Not to mention the dozens of brave men and women who are risking thier own necks to bring them home...

IMO, experienced climbers tend to take Mt. Hood for granted. It can be a relatively straightforward climb at the right time of year, but it can kick your ass otherwise. Case in point - my step uncle, an experienced climber, went up to Hood a few years ago. Didn't pay attention to the weather conditions and ended up going right after some weather patterns that created high avalanche and crevasse danger. He fell in a 80 foot crevasse, shattered his eye socket, ribs, pelvis... his only saving grace was his partner and another group that came by within the hour. But a ton of people still had to jeopardize thier safety to extract him and get him down. And now he's talking about going up again!

So I do think that when you look at the numbers, both in $ and people out there, it doesn't add up. But I can understand going to such great lengths to find them too. I wish though, that Hood were more 'buttoned down' so that it were harder for poeple to attempt a climb in bad weather without transponders, regardless of experience.

BTW - If anyone hasn't heard, the body of Kelly James has been found, and the search continues for the other two..

Yep and the other two may have fell as they were trying to come down.

Isn't Mount Hood part of a National Forest? I guess you could make the bigger question: is the government responsible for our safety when we're on hazardous government property?

Since I don't think the government should be in the real estate business, I don't think it should be responsible for our safety. But if National Parks and Forests are a legitimate use of taxpayer funds, maybe the rescue services are, too.

This question has come up before... I read somewhere that the people rescued can be billed for the expenses. But there's still alot of volunteers working this recovery too.