When out of control wildfires were ravaging Sonoma, California, ravaging homes, forcing thousands to evacuate, and killing those who did not escape in time there was a little-known intervention that originated with a few private insurance companies.

Chubb Insurance, American International Group, and USAA have contracted with private sector firefighting companies to protect the homes of their insured when threatened by large-scale fire disasters.

In the case of Chubb it sent crews into Sonoma County where they cleared wood piles, patio furniture, and other combustible items from close proximity to the home. Then the crews set up fire-fighting sprinklers or truck in water to the site. In particularly dire circumstances the private crews will spray a home with fire retardant foam in an effort to save it.

It certainly worked for Dick Fredericks. The Wall Street Journal reports he got an email from Chubb saying his home was safe and contained “some two dozen photos, including one of the service’s firefighters pumping water from Fredericks’s swimming pool to extinguish a brush fire on his Sonoma Valley property.”

Now there are two ways to report on this set of facts. One would be to highlight how the private sector can work with the public sector in a time of emergency. The private crews protecting the homes of the insured freed up local, state, and federal firefighting resources to concentrate on other areas at no extra charge to the taxpayer!

Or the reporter could instead make a tortured case that saving these homes from a devastating fire is just another example of the income inequality that makes residing in the USA a living hell for the peons forced to live there.

For the insurance firms, fighting fires is a marketing advantage. Paul Krump with Chubb explained, “The enrollment has taken off dramatically over the years as people have seen us save homes. [New policies are] absolutely growing leaps and bounds.”

For the WSJ reporter, private fire fighters are just another sickening example of the dark underbelly of the capitalist beast. Presumably in a socially just world everyone’s home would burn equally.

Unfortunately for the reporter that interpretation was a bit much for even her interview subjects. Amy Bach, with United Policyholders — a “consumer nonprofit,” started off on message when she said, “Do we like the idea of a two-tier system for wealthy individuals and people with less means? No.” But then reality set in and she added, “But do we want to see their approaches work? Yes.”

It’s a fact of life people with more money buy more things: Home, cars, clothes, toys, and even insurance. The land where everyone has the same amount of money has never existed and never will. Instead of trying to stoke the green fires of class envy, The Wall Street Journal and the rest of the Opposition Media would better serve the public by pointing out how in this instance the private sector complemented the public sector.

Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker’s bureau. Read more reports from Michael Reagan — Go Here Now.



Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian’s Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!)." Read more of Michael Shannon's reports — Go Here Now.