messed things up, and have done so over and over again ("over" having the
additional meaning here of compounding the problems). They have as a group
"governed" by a short-sighted view of "show me the money".
The jurisdiction in an East Coast state where I once served had a nearly
brand-new apartment complex which was built with no insulation and
light-weight wood-truss roofs with a common attic. (To this day, the FD
won't mount an interior attack [potential for the building collapsing on the
FFs] and two buildings have burned to the ground in the last five years.)
That community also had the world's only unprotected wood frame enclosed
shopping mall!
Problem was, the local government was of the mindset that "restrictive"
building codes would repel the money. (Actually, the LACK of proper codes
repelled the money. Those garden apartments eventually became a slum, which
also increased the cost of emergency services.)
When Boston, MA, put in restrictive codes, Chelsea didn't, and all the
unsafe industry moved to Chelsea. A rag shop caught fire on a Sunday (14 Oct
1973) and ultimately half the city burned down. Hint: When half your tax
base has burned to the ground, the check ain't in the mail.
Our politicians, no wiser for the lessons they could have learned from
history, are doing the same thing now: Get the money in, and spend it, and
damn the taxpayers so long as we get to stay in office.
Ultimately, the problem always comes back to us, the voter/taxpayers*: We
keep voting these idiots back into office! What are we nuts!?
Example of how bad this is: In 2009 and again in 2010, state budget cuts
forced school districts all over CA to cut their budgets, lay off teachers,
increase class sizes. Yet in the 2010 elections, the California Teachers
Association endorsed (and coerced their members to vote for) the very
legislators who'd caused these layoffs of their members!!!!!!!
-------------------------
* Part of the problem, IMO, is that not enough voters are taxpayers. There
are a lot of votes among the urban poor, for example.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Waterhouse" <gydanw@cvip.net>
To: <californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 11:45 PM
Subject: Re: [californiadisasters] Cal Fire Cuts Staffing, DC-10 Supertanker
Rick--counties can't declare bankruptcy. Cities can, but counties can't.
And, the legislature may make it more difficult for cities to do so.
You probably will disagree with me, but Cal Fire was never intended to
provide urban type services. It has found itself forced to do so.
A board member for Fresno County Fire Protection District wanted to take the
district out of the EMS business several years ago. His position was the
purpose of the district was to provide fire protection, not EMS. The County
of Fresno pays American Ambulance to provide EMS service to most of the
county. He felt it was time for the Board of Stupes to require American to
provide full services, including extrication of patients from crushed cars
out on I-5. He got nowhere, and so he resigned.
Many of the counties have helped create this service crisis, by approving
subdivisions in areas ill-suited for them. Since the counties wanted this
housing, why should the state have the day-to-day burden of protecting it.
Let the counties assume their responsibility.
--dan
------------------------------------
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