Rambling thoughts during football game.....

[TomVeil]

They ran this piece during the football game about how the local police in dallas delivered some trophies or something. (I wasn't paying much attention) That got me thinking about how many little ceremonies there are like this around the country.

My question is, who do you think pays for these sort of things? Public people/goods are being used for it. Assuming that the police station donates/pays for the things needed for it, don't you think that they shouldn't? It seems like the people who want the police to show up at these things should pay for the resources needed. Pay off-duty policemen who want to earn some extra money (acting in an offical police capacity, of course). Rent the cars/other resources directly from the police deparment at fair prices. A way to build the police fund without general taxation. The people who want them to do these things will be the ones paying for it.

I'm way too cynical to believe that's the way it actually goes. Anybody know for sure?