Rick Perry cut Texas firefighting budget by 75% in March and now Texas burns

So Rick perry cuts the fire department funding by 75%, organizes mass prayer meetings and rain dances for relief to the massive droughts/wildfires and has forced creationism to be taught in science classrooms across Texas, and he is the frontrunner of the republican party's candidates to be the next president of the united states. The thought of having this creature in the white house in 2012 fills me with horror to be honest

reply to post by Atzil321

The thought of having this creature in the white house in 2012 fills me with horror to be honest

The fact that he's even a contender is scarey enough.

Rick Perry is an idiot... I never have liked him or his politics.

Damn right.

Who wants some socialist firefighter, union thug to show up and save your house and neighborhood from an inferno anyways!

Those families are nothing more than lazy moochers, why should my money pay to save thier home!

It's just plain socialism. Do you know those Socialist/Union firefighers in TX make an average of $18 dollars an hour??? Geez, they must drive Ferrari's when they aren't claiming to risk thier lives to save people and stuff!!

Socialist, Union, Communist, lefty thugs and if I lived in Texas I would let my house burn to the ground before stealing other peoples money by calling the fire department.

Good Republicans bust out the garden hose and save their own house from a raging wildfire!

Originally posted by Maluhia
According to some reports, the Texas economy is one of the best in the nation -

So why the need for such drastic cuts?

It's simple really, our economy is good because we have a climate that is favorable to businesses in part because we keep our budget in check. The way we do this is we cut spending when we don't have the normal influx of capital. This is the same approach the federal government refuses to take and now we're all suffering because of it. When things get better then we'll reverse the cuts. It's the same approach reasonable people take towards their home finances, they cut back in lean times and spend more when times get better. The cuts here are temporary. The federal government takes a different approach, they spend when times are good and spend more when times are bad. Brilliant.

I'm no Perry fan, but Perry's actions are reasonable given the current economic crisis, and his actions are in no way responsible for the drought or wildfires here. There's no correlation.

reply to post by SavedOne


LOL
What is the link between business climate/growth and state debt? Please do tell!

Originally posted by SavedOne


It's simple really, our economy is good because we have a climate that is favorable to businesses in part because we keep our budget in check.

Texas is ranked 27th in unemployment. Meaning 26 states have lower unemployment than Texas. Yet, everyone keeps saying how great the economy is in Texas. I have to wonder if these people are living in the same Texas as I am.

reply to post by Kaploink


Well, this weekends fire damage is estimated at 100 Million Dollars.
But hey, he saved 23 Million!

reply to post by SavedOne


No but i think what folks are pointing out is that since the cuts were made, it has possibly created the conditions in which the fires are going to be harder to fight off.

I sort of agree on both sides, but then again how do you prepare for things that haven't happened yet? We set funds aside right? How much is left in the rainy day fund? I think they had to dip into that for education but Im not totally sure as to the total remaining amount. Maybe they could use that to fight the fires and help with home losses.
quick edit_

rainy day fund tapped 3.2 billion to balance the budget deficit. It may have been about 6 billion before that. They expect that fund to be at 9.4 billion at the end of the next budget period, which is like well, 2 years from now, since we do this every two years round about.

Perry, like all republicans doesn’t care about ordinary people, he only cares about the super rich, who hire their own fire departments and police. So ordinary Texas folks getting their homes burned to cinder doesn’t bother a GOP guy like Perry. Their agenda is to return America to serfdom and this type tragedy is part of the program

Why dosen't Gov. Rick Perry get his band of Christian evangelicals together like he did in Houston and ....

Pray those fires out. "With God, anything is possible"

On thing is for sure...

If Plano was endangered by fire; Perry would have every available firefighter in Texas there; but if you live out where the real working folk live.........you're SOL!

Wealth does have it's privileges after all...........

Originally posted by Nephalim
reply to post by SavedOne

 

No but i think what folks are pointing out is that since the cuts were made, it has possibly created the conditions in which the fires are going to be harder to fight off.

I sort of agree on both sides, but then again how do you prepare for things that haven't happened yet? We set funds aside right? How much is left in the rainy day fund? I think they had to dip into that for education but Im not totally sure as to the total remaining amount. Maybe they could use that to fight the fires and help with home losses.

All I do know for sure, is that they made some tough choices and there are going to be people upset (understandably) as situations arise like this one. That said, Im not so sure I can place all the blame on one guy who governs a state along with a house and senate. You do what you can with what you got.

The concerns aren't new: A 2003 FEMA study concluded that parts of Austin and its exurbs were ripe for the kinds of wildfires that have ravaged California in recent years, both for natural and man-made reasons: The placement of new homes on semi-arid ridges and flats brimming with dried-out plants and trees. "Simply stated, the conditions ... as we find them today may be perfect for a natural wildfire disaster of significant (and prophetic) proportions," the 2003 report said.

www.alaskadispatch.com...

Don't just bash on Perry, check this out:

content.eaglepub.com...

This is what the article says:

Nearly half of the federal government's firefighting air tankers are siting idle at a California airport, grounded by the Obama administration in a contract dispute just weeks before wildfires swept through Texas killing a mother and her child, and destroying 100,000 acres.

The massive blazes forced Texas Gov. and Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry to abruptly call off a campaign appearance in South Carolina earlier this week to respond to the crisis, and may force him to cancel his first debate appearance tonight.

The U.S. Forest Service terminated the contract with Aero Union five weeks ago to operate seven P-3 Orions that are critical to the agency's firefighting mission, leaving the federal government with 11 tankers under contract to help battle more than 50 large uncontained wildfires now burning nationwide.

"We were certified to fly all season, but they just terminated us and threw 60 people out of work and left the country vulnerable to fires, as you can see right now in Texas," said Britt Gourley, CEO for Aero Union.

"This is our 50th anniversary fighting fires for the Forest Service. It's not quite the way we wanted to celebrate it," Gourley said.

Gourley said the government did not provide details on why the contract was canceled, but that they did not agree with Aero Union's 15-year maintenance plan.

"We wanted to sit down with them and ask why it was canceled and find a quick resolution, but they didn't want to talk about it. They just said, ‘We don't want the airplanes, have a nice life,'" Gourley said. "I had to let go of my staff–60 people and their families were devastated," Gourley said. "It's really been tragic."

The Forest Service says it will not use aircraft that does not meet its requirements, and in this case that included the long-term airworthiness inspection program, although the company passed its annual inspection.

Despite the contract cancellation, Gourley told HUMAN EVENTS he has reached out to his former employees and that they could have four planes up in 48 hours to fly to Texas' rescue, and assist in other devastating fires burning in California.

"First and foremost, we are firefighters at Aero Union, and we do not want to sit idle while the people of Texas and California suffer," Gourley said in a letter Tuesday.

"We feel strongly that a contract disagreement unrelated to the safety of our fleet to fight fires should not stand in the way of our mission at a time when these aircraft are most needed. The tragic scenes in Texas and California make any contract issues appear very secondary," Gourley said.

Read more about this story, and the planes from Canada the government wants to contract with. — Audrey Hudson

Our wonderful government!

great, so they made cuts. how bout raising revenues by slightly raising taxes too? maybe then, they would not be in this predicament. and just so you don't forget, perry whined that obama was not doing enough to help texas.

yeah they may have a great business climate. but at what cost? texas is the worst polluted state in the country. and the jobs are mostly low wage that were brought in. so low, that people really can not live on them so one has to work two to make ends meet.

reply to post by narwahl


Drought kills and fires burn... we know that already. Dustbowl brother, dustbowl.

What is the alternative though? desalination plants and vast water pipelines stretching across the state from the gulf? Mile deep drilling expeditions to tap into water? These guys have to get water from somewhere, right along with the rest of the state for a multitude of uses.

I figure that if you look at the costs of drought vs the cost of those plants we might actually pay less monetarily in using desalination in the long run. However, the bi product of those processes wins the argument every time. So there are alternatives to going without water. The problem the whole state faces even now with every city cutting back on water uses but those actions have cost concerns to both money and environment.

All I know is at some point, texas is screwing itself by not utilizing those technologies and putting money into research to better those programs to lessen the negative impacts. fema can write reports all day, but i see very little in the way of actual solution from any standpoint.

Originally posted by waybehind
Don't just bash on Perry, check this out:

content.eaglepub.com...

This is what the article says:

Nearly half of the federal government's firefighting air tankers are siting idle at a California airport, grounded by the Obama administration in a contract dispute just weeks before wildfires swept through Texas killing a mother and her child, and destroying 100,000 acres.

The massive blazes forced Texas Gov. and Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry to abruptly call off a campaign appearance in South Carolina earlier this week to respond to the crisis, and may force him to cancel his first debate appearance tonight.

The U.S. Forest Service terminated the contract with Aero Union five weeks ago to operate seven P-3 Orions that are critical to the agency's firefighting mission, leaving the federal government with 11 tankers under contract to help battle more than 50 large uncontained wildfires now burning nationwide.

First your article says "Nearly Half" (6) Which is BS. The US Forest Service lined up other resources that total 21 other tankers...net gain of 15 on-call air tankers.

The Forest Service has access to additional aviation assets to meet operational needs. Two other private companies provide 11 large airtankers under exclusive-use contracts. In addition, there are two very large airtankers available through a “call when needed” contract, as well as eight military firefighting aircraft.

www.aero-news.net...

Second ...Aero Union failed inspections by the FAA and didn't want to maintain and repair their planes despite the pretty penny they were getting from the government contract.

Would it be the "Obama Adminstrations" fault if one of those air tankers went down killing all on board because they turned a blind eye after the vendor failed safety inspections and asked for a pass.?

Nothing honest about that article

My state is burning down all around me because God hates Rick Perry.
There. I said it.

In addition to homes and lives, we just lost a really great nature park near Bastrop.
When I go outside, I sneeze and cough.

When I drove to Dallas I drove through dust storms reminiscent of the dust bowl.

Rick Perry, quit bringing the wrath of god on us!!


Funny thing is Perry is far from conservative (not socialist either, just kind of a corporatist henchman), but all these people love him because he is an over the top evangelical that says he'll institute a Christian style sharia law in the US. ARRRGGHHH People are so dumb.

Originally posted by links234
Rick Perry prays for rain and God sets his state on fire.

Something to think about.

hahaha, Its not his state thought.

No, cause the bastard is corporate shill. Not to mention after the disaster he helped create he asked money for it and the Obama administration denied him relief funds. So now people are burning alive and losing their homes because of politics.

Originally posted by Partygirl
Come on what are you people, a bunch of Comm'nists? Sheesh. Everyone knows the Efficient Market™ can handle all problems. So if your house is burning down, why not simply summon a private firefighter? If they can't get to your house in time and it burns down, the Efficient Market™ will punish them, so of course there is incentive to be more on the ball then ever. And if you can't hack it in the negotiations, haggling on your smouldering lawn for nickles and dimes while your world goes up in smoke behind you, then you aren't a good entrepreneur and you get what you deserve!!!

Agreed. This is the American way.

If your house burns, do not look to anyone for help. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and stop looking for the government that takes your tax money to help you. It burned down because it's your own damn fault. No one told you to invest into a home.

If we allowed private companies to run our fire departments, where residents would have to pay a monthly $500 fee, none of this stuff would have happened. The people that have their balances up to date with the FD would probably have their homes saved. Those that didn't will rightfully have theirs burned to ash.