Posted on 09/07/2011 8:16:21 AM PDT by The Bronze Titan
According to KVUE-TV, the state of Texas, under Gov. Rick Perry, cut state funding for the volunteer fire departments that protect most of the state from wildfires. Firefighters have actually been dipping into their own pockets to fight fires.
Volunteer departments that were already facing financial strain had their funding cut from $30 million to $7 million. There are 879 volunteer fire departments in Texas; 114 are paid fire departments, while 187 departments are a combination of volunteer and paid.
At a press conference Monday, Perry promised to seek federal disaster relief and said that FEMA would be in the state by Wednesday.
While the Texas governor has been highly critical of FEMA in the past, he dodged questions from CBS’ Erica Hill on Tuesday's 'Early Show,' insisting that now was not the time to worry about reforming the agency.
Perry said: “The issue is taking care of these people right now. We can work our way through any conversations about how to make agencies more efficient, how to make Department of Defense equipment, for instance, more available. There are a lot of issues we can talk about, but the fact of the matter is now is not the time to be trying to work out the details of how to make these agencies more efficient. Let’s get people out of harm’s way.”
Whoever thought cutting funding to your local volunteer fire departments in the middle of an epic statewide drought was a 'good thing' is mistaken. Especially when you have over six billion sitting in a 'rainy day' fund.
There's been a lot of passion when it comes to "politics", ever since Clinton came on the scene. It's campaign season, and folks are directing that passion internally into the primary. Look around this place BEFORE the Republican convention in 2008 (before McCain won), and see the fire directed at McCain (I was one of them also). But once the Convention came, it became a new ball game. So it will be this time again.
Everyone needs to keep everything in perspective. At the end of the day, even if Ron Paul won, I would vote for him over Obama!
Until then... let the foodfight continue...
Then they need to consolidate with larger depts. I don't see where it says that every home in America has a right to fire protection.
My son is a volunteer firefighter, he does not get paid 1 cent, and is out on calls almost every night for our town and surrounding towns.
What area has that number of fires in a normal year? Every night? If that is the case, you have an arsonist in your midst.
“Look around this place BEFORE the Republican convention in 2008 (before McCain won), and see the fire directed at McCain (I was one of them also).”
As was I.
“But once the Convention came, it became a new ball game. So it will be this time again.”
I did not vote for McCain then, and I still do not regret it. I did vote in the down-ticket races however.
Comparing your post to what was regurgitated ad nauseam by DU, Moron.org, michaelmoore, et al was not a compliment. Duh.
I read that the cuts just took effect this past week so technically the uproar is just politics right now.
If the locals didn’t have the necessary equipment before the new fiscal year began on the 1st then they wouldn’t have them to use at this moment.
If there is a need for more funding there can be a special session called for the legislature or they can tap into the rainy day fund or some other means to deal with the financing.
If you knew a fire fighter, you would know that not everything or everytime there's a response call it's actual fire. You have downed wires, accidents, false alarms, search/rescues, etc...
On average you’re only talking about 34,000 per fire department before the cuts.
That’s not going to pay for a lot of anything. It was merely a way for the state to dictate to local fire departments how they must run their operation.
Better for them if Perry had cut the entire funding.
I’ve seen that report. Clearly the annointed one (/sarc) is way over his head as well as his minions.
I know we’re all worried, and tempers are easily stirred, but please settle down.
I was just replying, politely I thought, to an out-of-stater who might not understand the way our VFDs operate.
We’re all doing all we can, including the state.
Bad times, in so many ways.
Pray for named rain.
The point is missed by pointing the obvious.
Was it a wise move? considering that if Perry DID have to cut, then why was he instead increasing Texas debt to fund the NAFTA Superhighway? Besides, I thought that his candidacy is based on TEXAS being awash in money, balanced budgets, increased job growth, and so on. Now we find out he’s CUTTING back on one of the most important resources of the state.
If this point is ‘all wet’, then please, by all means, continue to present an opposing case.
If you thought my post was impolite, I apologize. It was not meant to be impolite, it was meant to be emphatic.
I pray everyday; it is even the status on my Facebook page! Let’s ALL pray for rain in Texas!
You realize he was dissing you, not Perry, don't you?
LOL. Evidently not.
Ever try selling enough cookies to pay for a fire truck? Most of these guys work for nothing, some may have a paid pension of some kind, but not a lot.
Love is such a fickle emotion with some people. I have loved the same woman for 38 years, because she has loved me for 38 years. Check back in when you can tell me that Perry loves you.
Most of these guys work for nothing,
Yep, that’s why they call it ‘volunteer’..
The Texas legislature cut $30 million from the yearly budget, and then added $40 million back into the Forest Service/fire budget via the rainy-day fund.
Why didn’t you mention that the budget actually increased once the annual budget was “balanced”, and that the departments did get money from the state?
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