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Posted on 10/27/2003 4:39:24 PM PST by John Jorsett
I just listened to an interview Roger Hedgecock did with several politicians (Congressman Duncan Hunter, State Assemblyman Jay Lasuer, perhaps others). Early Sunday, those fighting the fires were screaming for aerial tankers, but weren't getting any action. Tankers were available, but the person responsible for authorizing their use was refusing, saying the "weren't needed" or that they couldn't fly because of wind (at a time when new helicopters were everywhere, showing video of the fires). Hunter said he made repeated calls and faxes to Davis' office trying to get the governor to order the guy to act. None of those calls or faxes was answered. Finally, now, 36 hours later, it's just starting to happen. Once again Davis live up to his reputation for dithering while the state -- literally, as it turns out -- burns.
One of the problems cited was the federal Economy Act, which says the state must pay other agencies (like the DoD) if it uses their resources. Trouble is, if the state calls in the DoD for assistance, it pays them big money, and there are a bunch of private contractors with fire-fighting equipment who then scream that the state ought to be using that money to pay for their help. Their pressure on state and federal bureaucrats creates a tendency for the state to delay asking the feds for help. It's also apparent that the private contractors have a perverse incentive to have things be as bad as possible, since that's how they make more money. If this is causing road blocks to rapid deployment of resources, then it's time we called for reforms to this system before the next big fires.
Davis is going to be on the show at 5:30 for five minutes, according to Roger.
I saw him on Fox tonight and he blamed the whole thing on Bush. "I sent him those emergency declarations days ago and he just now got around to signing them...." or something like that.
When the hell is he gone, anyway?
San Diego County was "RecallDavisCentral", and he hasn't forgotten.
Impossible?! Davis is nothing if not petty and vain. In the Clintonian tradition, he rewards his friends and punishes his enemies. A guy who'd demand payment (campaign contribution) from college students to interview him, who'd unleash the hounds-of-hell on any political enemy, would have no problem sitting on his hands with the fine Democrat look of smug satisfaction.
As the old saying goes, if you dethrone a King, you'd better make certain you do so with certainty. This King's still on the throne, and his enemies will feel his wrath.
SFS
State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth
1:05 p.m. October 27, 2003
Republican politicians charged the Democratic Davis administration today with failing to move quickly enough to send in military assets to help fight the numerous blazes raging in the area.
The allegation brought a sharp retort from the governor's press secretary, Steve Maviglio, who called the grousing "the worst kind of political maneuvering" and said the critics are "not helping put one fire out."
Republican Assemblyman Jay La Suer of La Mesa, County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon and several other East County Republicans gathered at La Suer's La Mesa offices to call for the state to quickly approve a request to bring in a military firefighting unit from Colorado Springs.
Hunter said Gen. Richard Myers, the Joint Chiefs chairman, offered use of the Colorado Springs-based Military Aerial Firefighting wing to assist in combating fires, but that the required request from the governor's office for that help has not been made. Another, similar unit at Point Mugu, has already been released to help fight the fires.
"This (Colorado Springs) help has been available since yesterday, around noon,'' said Wendell Cutting, Hunter's chief of staff. Cutting called the California Governor's Office the "epitome of a beauracracy.'' Gov. Gray Davis, speaking to reporters in Santa Monica before leaving for San Diego, said he had called the president's chief of staff last night to impress upon him the need to sign a presidential disaster declaration as soon as possible. Davis said he has asked Gov. Kenny Guinn of Nevada and Janet Napolitano of Arizona to provide 50 fire engines each, most of which will be deployed in San Diego County, where "most of the deaths have occurred.''
Davis said every state agency is involved in helping with the fire-related problems, from the National Guard (helicopters, cots) to the CHP (12-hour shifts, helping with evacuations), mental health (for those who lost homes), Caltrans (moving cars, trucks and livestock).
Davis said what he really wants to see is the federal government set up one-stop "shops'' like those established after the Northridge earthquake in 1994, where local, state and federal aid was available under one roof, "`making it as easy as possible for the victims of this disaster.''
He said he was briefing Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger on an hourly basis. He said Schwarzenegger will be going to Washington, D.C. tomorrow to ask for federal assistance.
Davis said putting the fires out is the state's top priority, then helping people put their lives back in order.
(snip)
Yeh, me too. It's not like the 'Rats haven't done this before. Remember the Long Shoreman strike right after President Bush's election ? All the ships sat out in the harbor in Los Angeles/San Diego for days. It threatend our entire ecconomy. I guess they backed down when people found out they make more money than a doctor does- to unload ships (over $100,000).
Back then I thought the left did this to"punish" the people for NOT VOTING FOR THEM, and that's what I think now (about the Grocery/Transpo Strikes).
If there is any truth here- EVERY SINGLE DEMOCRAT NEEDS TO BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE! How dare they think they can get away with this.
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