useful tool has been perverted to the use of the politicians. How many
propositions have been on the ballot since Prop 13 that have really come
from the people as intended? Answer is that the vast majority have come from
"special interests"/lobbies and from the legislators themselves. Recently
we've seen propositions to raise taxes that the legislators knew would be
political suicide as a bill, so they essentially said to the voters, "Here,
you stab yourselves in the back."
And, though the voters are dumb enough that this probably isn't needed, the
schemers have gotten very accomplished at wording these things so that a Yes
vote will veto it, but a No vote will pass it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Clevenger" <tjclevenger@gmail.com>
To: <californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: [californiadisasters] Cal Fire Cuts Staffing, DC-10 Supertanker
It will take a constitutional amendment. Right now, the legislature and
governor could unanimously vote to cut spending, and any idiot can put it
right back on the ballot and get it put back in the budget with one vote
more than 50% of the popular vote.
On Thu, Jul 21, 2011 at 11:10 AM, Rick Bates
<HappyMoosePhoto@gmail.com>wrote:
> ** ** **
>
>
> Dan,****
>
> Perhaps counties can't go bankrupt in the legal sense, but the reality is
> that sure they can. They can lock the doors and send everyone home
because
> they can't make the payroll. They can tell the state to take over (worse
> than nothing). If it gets to that point, the legislature has no ability
to
> tell the county to do anything if there is no one left to tell what to do.
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> And yes, I remember when I started that the CDF line troops were 'rangers'
> and until POST came along were able to make arrests, carry weapons etc. as
> well as fight wildland fires. They like every other fire department
adapted
> to the needs of the day (people calling them for medical help because the
FD
> learned it to take care of their own, which evolved into medics, staffing
> ambulances etc.). It sounds like a cliché, but most folks (at the ground
> level) aren't there for the paycheck (a job) they are there because they
> want to give back to their neighbors and are honored to be given the
chance
> to do so.****
>
> ** **
>
> I've noticed that CalFire (here, contracted by the CSD) doesn't do a lot
of
> (any) business inspections (double dumb, it's making the place safer while
> at the same time exposing the line folks to what fire load is out there);
> they don't do many school visits (true fire prevention) but they have
enough
> knowhow to stay upwind, uphill and away from haz mat responses (calling
for
> specific out of county teams when that happens). That is to their
detriment
> if they only have one song to sing; it's hard to justify the expense.****
>
> ** **
>
> Each county has helped, as you said, dig themselves into a hole by
allowing
> people with more money than sense build in a place without proper access
or
> resources or in a safe manner. In a perfect world, the counties would
have
> learned how to say 'no' a long time ago, but money talks, favors are done
> and it was allowed. Since almost every county of the 58 has done that, it
> means that the state code system should have been used to effect safer
> change, but now it is a state problem. In the same line that if CA fails,
> it then becomes a Fed problem (which isn't looking so good either).****
>
> ** **
>
> Another issue is that (as Newnetboy said) the influx of folks (legal or
> not) here that don't pay property tax, yet can vote for services they want
> (public trough) while (again) not paying for them. If it isn't your money
> going in, it means less to you about how it's spent. No I don't want to
see
> a return to land owners controlling it all, but the attitude that
homeowners
> can pay more taxes because they can afford a home is retarded, um, greatly
> lacking in any form of sense. If you don't pay the bill, how is it that
> you can decide what is put on the plate? That's socialism and we don't
play
> that here (in theory). That's as close to the political side as I'll get
> here.****
>
> ** **
>
> The cause isn't the primary issue at this point, it's more important to
> figure out how to make it right than it is to apportion blame (although
> finding the cause is part of that process). The essence of the fix is
much
> like what any responsible person must do; decide what is the absolute
> minimum required to survive (services); what would be nice to have and
what
> is over the top. It might mean hot dogs and beans and a tent instead of a
> castle, but in most cases it should allow for a dribble of funds to be set
> aside for debt payment and for when things get REALLY tough (and it will).
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> I can get specific, but that enters the political issues too deep for this
> list. Let's just say I don't have a bleeding heart, I own a house (well
> the bank says I do) and I'm beyond unhappy with the folks we hired to
manage
> our affairs. They have failed at their job.****
>
> ** **
>
> Rick****
>
> ** **
>
> [Rick's rule for election time: If the incumbent hasn't done SOMETHING to
> make me recognize the name as someone who is trying to do the public good,
I
> vote for a newcomer to give them a shot at improving things. Simplistic
> yes; but I don't believe in anyone having a 'political career', unless
> they're truly worthy of the task (and most aren't).]****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* Dan Waterhouse
>
> 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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