An Absolute Bunch Of Jerks...

[thedrifter]

An Absolute Bunch Of Jerks...

Commentary by
Raoul Lowery Contreras (Raoul Lowery Contreras'
columns are syndicated by the New York Times Syndicate, New American News service.)
November 5, 2003

A few days ago, I opened my front door at 9:00 in the morning and could see no sun; the sky was black with smoke. During the next 96-hours, over 2000 homes would be burned to the ground, 20 people killed and almost 300,000 acres of my county burned to ashes.

While this was going on, United States Navy and United States Marine helicopter pilots, all trained to fight fires with their aircraft, sat on the ground.

While this was going on, Sheriff helicopter pilots were flying and begging for fire retardant drops by state and federal helicopters. Their begging was for naught.

State fire fighting officials denied permission to the military pilots in the first 72 hours of the killer fires because state officials, led by Governor Gray Davis’ appointee, Andrea Tuttle, declared that the conditions didn't “lend themselves” to the military’s fire fighting abilities.

Andrea Tuttle heads up the California Department of Forestry (CDF). She has never worked in the field. She has a doctorate in Environmental Studies. Nonetheless, she was in charge, wearing a nice uniform, too.

According to published reports, three Navy helicopter units immediately set up to fight fires on Sunday morning, 12 hours after the fire began. They flew to the world’s most active fire fighting base, that of the CDF at Ramona, 40 miles from downtown San Diego.

“The crews were told they didn't have the department’s (CDF) permission to fight the fire,” the San Diego Union reported. The same rebuff occurred on Monday.

CDF has confirmed they didn't permit the military pilots permission to fight the fires outside the City of San Diego.

San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts, after discussing the issues with CDF officials, called them “an absolute bunch of jerks.”

Roberts told the San Diego Union that CFD officials told him, “Navy pilots had to be certified by the CDF and that the state had to verify the helicopters’ maintenance records before allowing them to fly.”

In other words, the CDF has a union contract with its employees to protect their jobs. No outside forces can be used to fight fires, including volunteers, until certain protocols are followed which, of course, means among other things, union rules.

CDF spokesman David Wheeler states: “Agencies use local resources, then turn to the county, then the state level before turning to the federal government, which is the last resort.” What he didn't state is that even if the entire county is burning, as it was in San Diego on Sunday and Monday, the federals can't fight until they are “certified” by union officials collecting pay as CDF officials.

Moreover, union rules prohibit state fire fighting helicopter and plane pilots from fighting fires unless under orders from these very same union officials. If a pilot disregards those rules in an attempt to save lives and property, he can and will be fired from his job.

Here is the factual situation involved. Yes, fires were raging in the Los Angeles County’s Simi Valley and in San Bernardino County before the San Diego fires started. Yes, most state resources were already tied up in fighting those fires, as were fire fighting units from San Diego working those fires under a mutual assistance pact.

There were no state air fire fighting units available in San Diego while hundreds of homes were burning, except, of course, for the U.S. Navy units standing by, on their own volition, at the fire fighting airport in Ramona. Additionally, six Marine Corps helicopters sat on the ground at Camp Pendleton, where, coincidentally, they had just successfully fought a giant fire on the base. Two gargantuan Air Force C-130 fire fighting planes sat on the ground at the Navy’s Pt. Mugu Naval Station north of Santa Barbara, 50-minutes from the fires and two more sat on the ground at Colorado Springs.

The CDF did not request these federal planes and only allowed the Navy pilots to fly on Wednesday and Marine helicopters on Thursday, five days after the fire started. In the meanwhile, over 2000 homes were burned to the ground; an entire National Forest destroyed and 20 people, including one Northern California fireman, dead.

When Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger is sworn in as California’s new Governor, his first act should be to fire Andrea Tuttle and everyone he can at the CDF who was involved in denying military helicopter fire fighting units to fly in San Diego’s firestorm.

Then, Governor Schwarzenneger should turn to Attorney General Bill Lockyer and order him to convene a criminal grand jury to investigate the CDF’s actions.

Criminal? Yes. People died because Navy and Marine pilots were ordered not to fly and fight killer fires because union officials needed to check maintenance records of Navy helicopters.


Sempers,

Roger

[echo3mike]

Once again a politician's agenda = Disaster!!!!!!!!!

[Devildogg4ever]

In other words, the CDF has a union contract with its employees to protect their jobs. No outside forces can be used to fight fires, including volunteers, until certain protocols are followed which, of course, means among other things, union rules.

Maybe the union needs to pay some of the damage done to the residents homes and properties! After all, that fire was big enough to need all the help they could get!! I agree with echo3mike!!

[MillRatUSMC]

If thing weren't so tragic...one might think that all the individuals were cast in a Shakespear comedy.
Some have their piorities all foul up.
Here too we have a case of a hero or a coward and Andrea Tuttle head of the California Department of Forestry (CDF) and the CDF have taken the route of cowardly action.
Damm the rules take care of the State because without the State there's no need for a union.
I agree with all that been stated.

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo

[mrbsox]

OK.... so these 'numb-nuts' are union (small 'u').

Why couldn't some gung ho Navy Admiral (or somebody, somewhere) reckognize that our NAVY isn't union, doesn't have to follow THEIR rules, and was capable of preventing a 'molehill' from becoming a mountian?

Just Fkn do what has to be done... and figure the P.C. 'Bovine Sewage' out later.

Just asking !!!

[Sparrowhawk]

thrown in as a cover-up by Governor Davis. According to federal laws he said to cover up for the b itch he appointed to CDF position, no one else can fight fires until all available private businesses had been given the opportunity.

That is plain stupid and hopefully someone in government has the balls to change that, or we may neever to recall that law.

stupid people... stupid people, stupid people.


Did I already say they arestupid people?

[MillRatUSMC]

Hermano!
Your come through load and clear...
Many might come under the caterogry of Alpha,Serria, Serria,Hotel,Oscar,Lima, Echo...
Samei, Samie..as stupid people.
Don't you have a page for stupid people...might need to include all the parties involved.

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo

PS My wife and daughter say that when I'm typing.
It sounds like a woodpecker.
Tap, Tap and so for...

[firstsgtmike]

I wonder what would have happened if one or more of the Navy or Marine Corps pilots had flown over the fire area, dropped their retardant, and said "oops".

[GySgtRet]

Why did the Navy and Marine Corps listen to the government in California? What are they going to do do kick us out of there? I don't think so. There are quit a few military babses in California, in the long run the little guy got screwed by a state government that doesn't give a S$$T for its residents. Will California pay for the losses that would have been prevented. Man there are some stupid people in state and federal governments to let this happen.

Just my two cents.

[Sixguns]

Apparently, no one had schooled the out-going governor that the Marines are trained to fight in the three block war scenario. I believe one of those "blocks" is the humanitarian missions that Marines may have to provide as part of modern warfighting.

If I had lost my home and learned that military, trained professionals, were standing ready but left idle because someone could not justify using military equipment or personnel, I'd hold that individual personally libel.

[Sophora]

Last summer there was a large group of illegal aliens who were crossing the desert here in Arizona and were near death. Marine helocopters from Yuma Med-evaced them and saved many lives...I don't recall that they had to get permission from anyone. There was a need and they responded. If the Marines can help illegals breaking the law why couldn't they help Americans?

[Sparrowhawk]

they don't have a dike appointed by a failure of a Governor in charge.

[CplCrotty]

The liberal-socialist crapheads within the United States, with Gray Davis being a prime example, will eventually inflict just as much, if not more, damage as any of the terrorists we're fighting outside our borders.

[NEWB]

Just a thought:

Maybe they should change "Smokey the Bear's Slogan" from only you can prevent forest fires to "Awwww, Pi$$ on it".