Of course I'm a rational democratic progressive, and I realize that most "good things" in life take money. Usually money from Taxes. But they are worth the cost -- because the alternative is usually worse. And the alternatives often end up costing more in the long run, if public services -- such as fighting fires -- are treated as if they are not worth the cost to maintain.
Of course irrational republican tax-haters would rather let nature take her course -- than plan ahead, than be prepared for the inevitable "bad things" that can strike anyone of us, at a moments notice. Such is one's lot in life, according to their world view.
Take Rick Perry, the red-state governor who would rather trust in prayer, than trust in preparedness ...
Texas cut fire department funding by 75 percent this year
by David Edwards, rawstory.com -- Sep 6, 2011
Under Gov. Rick Perry (R) this year, Texas slashed state funding for the volunteer fire departments that protect most of the state from wildfires like the ones that have recently destroyed more than 700 homes.
Volunteer departments that were already facing financial strain were slated to have their funding cut from $30 million to $7 million, according to KVUE.
The majority of Texas is protected by volunteer fire departments. There are 879 volunteer fire departments in Texas and only 114 paid fire departments. Another 187 departments are a combination of volunteer and paid.
[...]
Sorry Rick, even volunteer fire departments --
NEED costly Equipment, if they are going to stop at drought-fueled fire-storms before they destroy even more home. Nope,
those volunteer "garden hoses" just aren't going to cut it, as far too many Texans painfully learned last year --
the hard way.
Take the Republican-led House, the obstructionist renegades who would rather trust in Grover Norquist, than trust in the Constitution, our founding-document which instructs them to "provide for the general welfare" ...
Hmmm ... fighting fires would seem to come under that "general welfare" umbrella, don't you think? Well NOT them.
U.S. News: Budget Cuts Could Spark Dangerous Fire Season
Budget Cuts Could Spark Dangerous Fire Season
by Travis Zimpfer, newsy.com -- June 2, 2012
The largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history continues to burn due to low humidity, high winds and dry wood. [...]
But a human element may keep the blaze burning for weeks. The Guardian reports more than half a billion dollars in congressional budget cuts could hamper firefighters’ ability to stop these wildfires.
“Experts fear the shortfall will leave fire crews scrambling for resources and force government agencies to dip into other non-fire budgets to cover the gap.”
The $512 million cut by Congress since 2010 represents nearly 15 percent of funding to prevent and fight wildfires. Science Daily says experts think, thanks to human activities, these “megafires” will be more frequent -- and more intense.
[...]
Of course since the Republican-led House doesn't much believe in Science, I guess that means
they don't much need plan for "Megafire" events either. Sorry Coloradans, that record
low snow pack you got this year,
really has nothing to do with the firestorms you are experiencing now. It's just one big coincidence. A toss of the dice. The luck of the draw.
Climate Science has nothing to do with it.
Take Mitt Romney, the would-be president who would rather trust in pro-corporate fairy-tales, than trust in actual human compassion ... than to trust in long-established societal norms:
Obama video hits Romney over teacher, firefighter funding
by Justin Sink, thehill.com - 06/09/12 [Link has video]
[...]
"One of the biggest weaknesses has been state and local governments, which have laid off 450,000 Americans. These are teachers and cops and firefighters. Congress should pass a bill putting them back to work right now, giving help to the states so that those layoffs are not occurring," the president says.
That statement is contrasted with remarks Romney made Friday while campaigning in Iowa.
"He wants another stimulus, he wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more fireman, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people," Romney says.
[...]
In Mitt's Mega-millions world, criminals would deport themselves to the nearest jail, students would be all self-taught child prodigies,
and fire-storms would all put themselves out.
So what's all the fuss about, Sketchy wants to know???
Didn't you get the message America, public workers cost money.
And according to the Romney-Republican world-view:
We can't afford those public workers; More fireman, more policeman, more teachers? Who needs them?
Certainly not real self-reliant Americans (especially those with offshore bank accounts), who would rather just let nature take her course --
than plan ahead, than be prepared for the "bad things" that can strike anyone of us,
no matter which party we've been persuaded to vote for ...
Natural Disasters are no respecters of politics. Fighting them takes Money, and lots of blood, sweat, and tears of hard-working American public-workers -- that's assuming they still have jobs, and still have the tools they need, to get those "inevitable" thankless, dangerous jobs done.
Don't expect Mitt Romney to be lending them a hand anytime soon -- that no doubt, would cost Mitt money too. Mitt didn't get to be a Mega-Millionaire, by stopping to "lend a hand," now did he?