I can agree with that. But if searches like this go on the rise and costs go on the rise (regardless of how funded, pre-funded) and the government foots the bill in any way, I was implying some person in Congress will get ticked off and come up with something and try to get it passed. Especially when they are high profile cases you see on the news 24 hrs a day and get national attention like this case.

If the military was prefunded I would rather see those resources be used up responding to a real disaster that could not be helped. Not somebody's recreational mishap that could be prevented. But I guess the Coast Guard is all to familiar with those and it will be a never-ending thing.

I like the fact that they bill boneheads for the search sometimes. The government wastes enough tax dollars already. Come to think of it, I really couldn't leave them on their own though. I just look at that as downright wrong, no matter what mistakes they could or could not have made. I don't ever look at them as should be being held criminally responsible, just financially liable though.