Australia to cover costs of Abby Sunderland's rescue

Australia to cover costs of Abby Sunderland's rescue

www.news.com.au

AUSTRALIA will pay for its part in the search and rescue of teenage solo sailor Abby Sunderland who encountered extremely rough weather in the Indian Ocean.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority chief executive Mick Kinley said searchers saw and made radio contact with Abby just after 4pm (AEST) on Friday.

"She sounds like she's in good health, as far as we can tell, and she's going to hang in there,'' Mr Kinley said in Canberra.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Are you kidding me? The Australian tax-payer is being forced to pay for the rescue of a girl involved in a media stunt that should have never happened in the first place.

Remember that 16 year old girl who decided to sail across the world alone and her parents allowed her to, even against the advice of just about everyone, including officials of at least two different countries?

Well apparently everyone was right and the parents were wrong, yet the Australian tax-payers are forced to fit the bill for the rescue that was inevitable according to the nay-sayers from the beginning.

Why not force the stupid family to foot the bill, since it was their stupidity to begin with? Unfortunately the bill isn't cheap either since the Australian government has already spent a ton of money chartering commercial aircraft and other needs.

If these parents wanted to let their child do something so stupid, then so be it, however their stupidity shouldn't be the burden of everyone else. I think that people should be made to pay for their own stupidity, that way people may just be less inclined to be so stupid in the first place. I'm not even Australian and this kind of stings my blood.

--airspoon

www.news.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

not only should the parents be paying the bill..

they should be charged with child endangerment..

Hypothetical: If Jessica Watson had become stranded near the coast of another country, would her family (and Aussie politicians) have expected that country's navy to provide assistance?

Don't get me wrong, dude... I don't care for rich little prats thinking that what they are doing is 'heroic'. Big friggin' deal if they sail the globe - or not.

I think that they should purchase insurance, so that their rescue costs will be covered. If they want to undertake a high-risk venture, with the expectation that they should be rescued, then they can take the insurance bet before hand. Besides, their insurance purchase will be more than recovered by the promotional dollars they will receive when they return. Jessica Watson is set to be a millionaire. Great. Give every kid a boat to sail the world so they can seek instant fame and fortune.

At the end of the day, she needs to be saved. That takes priority before deciding who should pay the bill.

reply to post by tezzajw


I'm not saying that she shouldn't be rescued, only that her parents should be forced to cover the costs, not the people who didn't agree with her actions in the first place. As a parent, I'm responsible for my children. If I okay my son to play with matches and he burns down my neighbors house or mine even, I shouldn't be able to rely on the tax-payers to carry the burden of paying for his mistakes.

--airspoon

Good investment ... whatever she goes on to do, her future income will probably bring millions of dollars, (taxes, spending, investment) into Australia.

I'm glad she gave it a shot and I'm glad she got out alive.

Seriously, a kid can't even climb a tree these days without the safety Nazis screaming to the Moon.

Originally posted by tezzajw


I think that they should purchase insurance, so that their rescue costs will be covered. If they want to undertake a high-risk venture, with the expectation that they should be rescued, then they can take the insurance bet before hand. Besides, their insurance purchase will be more than recovered by the promotional dollars they will receive when they return. Jessica Watson is set to be a millionaire. Great. Give every kid a boat to sail the world so they can seek instant fame and fortune.

My thoughts exactly Tezz! Well said mate! I believe that these ventures should be illegal without said insurance.

IRM

Its ridiculous - we didn't even have to pay if something happened to Jessica Watson, and she actually was an aussie - but this chick isn't, and somehow we're paying for her? Doesn't seem right - i think if the parents are stupid enough to allow their kids to do these things, they need to be the ones responsible to foot the bill when SHTF

Originally posted by area6
Good investment ... whatever she goes on to do, her future income will probably bring millions of dollars, (taxes, spending, investment) into Australia.

Really? How so? Lay it all out for me mate because I'm struggling to see the money go anywhere else but in her own pocket.

IRM

reply to post by KATSUO

not only should the parents be paying the bill..

they should be charged with child endangerment..

Why??

Teenage drivers die everyday in cars, should parents be charged with endangerment then?

People need to realize we die and stop living in a cushy padded life, avoiding taking chances and living, now that is a crime!

Originally posted by area6
Good investment ... whatever she goes on to do, her future income will probably bring millions of dollars, (taxes, spending, investment) into Australia.

I'm glad she gave it a shot and I'm glad she got out alive.

Seriously, a kid can't even climb a tree these days without the safety Nazis screaming to the Moon.

Why would that tax-money go to Australia? She is American! Doh!!!

--airspoon

reply to post by InfaRedMan


Hmm, my bad ... thought she was Australian. Oh well, it's the friendly ally thing to do.

Other than that, I just refuse to see the negativlty in this story that people like to drum up at every twist and turn.

reply to post by area6


The negativity that people like to drum up? You mean as in allowing your under-aged child to sail alone around the world and then expect the tax-payers to foot the bill for their own stupidity?

My son would love to play with matches... in my neighbors house. Does that mean that I should allow him to live life and go ahead and play with those matches? When something goes wrong and my neighbors house burns, should I expect the tax-payers to foot the bill?

I could care less that she allowed her child to do what she attempted to do. I could care less about their stupidity. However, this family should have to pay for their own stupidity. Others shouldn't be forced to pay for their mistakes. Were others going to share in the fortunes had she accomplished her goals? Absolutely not! Look, if she wants to lick peanut-butter from the trigger of a shotgun then so be it, but don't expect others to have to pay for the expenses when she blows her head off, especially when everyone was trying to warn her about such stupid actions in the first place.

--airspoon

reply to post by airspoon


I see where you're coming from. However, how realistic is it to charge the parents the bill? Considering that the price-tag isn't mentioned, we will never know if it's possibly millions of dollars.

I don't see a nice, clean way for her parents to pay a bill that they can't afford, forcing them into bankruptcy.

Little Abby should not get a friggin' dime of MSM money to tell her story. Little Abby should go home with her tail between her legs. Little Abby should gratefully thank her rescuers, the Aussie taxpayers and warn others not to try her dumb prank without considering the burden that it places on others to cover her f...up.

This is not an issue of forcing people to live 'safe' lives in a plastic bubble. This is an issue of irresponsible planning and a blood-sucking reliance on the charity of others, to cover her lack of higher cognitive thought processes.

Guess what, we will still be bound to save every other stranded sailor in the future too - regardless of who pays the bill.

reply to post by tezzajw


Her parents are filthy rich. They can afford a whole fleet of million dollar vessels, including at least one each for their children. If they are forced to pay this bill, then they may not be able to afford another multi-million dollar vessel. Poor family.

While some families are struggling to put food in their mouths and having to pay an arm and leg in taxes, I don't see how this family shouldn't be made to fit the bill when they can obviously afford to purchase/build multi-million dollar vessels for each family member.

--airspoon

What? The parents of the teenager should be the ones to foot the bill for endangering their daughter and the lives of the rescuers! In fact they should pay the fisherman who was there to help! The world is full of crazy egoistic people. God!

[edit on 2010-6-12 by pikypiky]

reply to post by theability


ever heard of the phrase apples to oranges?

there is absolutely zero comparison there..

if she were endangering her own life (as an 18 year old adult that is ultimately responsible for her own actions) and not involving a search party. yes..

but no.. how many tens of dozens of people were out searching for her day and night and only returning for fuel..

apples to oranges

[edit on 6/12/2010 by KATSUO]

reply to post by airspoon


Fair enough. If they're filthy rich, then bloody oath they should pay out most of the rescue costs.

Like I said in my first post, I've got no time for rich prats who think the world is their playground. Bring them right back down to Earth. Sue their arse off and hurt their pride. Morons.

It won't happen though. A few cents of my tax money went to saving little Abby from her own stupidity. I wonder if she will buy me a beer if I ever visit her?

The amount of money spent on her rescue is probably not even worth this discussion. Australia is being a good friend to the US as usual. Thank you, Australia!

Sailing is a wordwide community that comes to the aid of someone in distress because the ocean can kill. You "city boys" are too femanized to understand...