More collaboration needed re. fires
the Board of Supervisors and Lake County fire district officials need to collaborate together and grow some teeth and establish a serious county ordinance regarding agricultural and or grass mowing activities which may cause grass or wild fires, much like requirements for safe times and conditions for agriculture burns.
Weeks before the Ranch and River fires several fires occurred due to farmers operating their equipment in the middle of the day, in the heat of the day with windy conditions. My inquiries to the Lakeport fire chief revealed that no punitive action was taken in either of those cases. “Oh it was just a accident.” It’s not a accident with the amount of historically known fire information, public service announcements from fire officials and warnings posted in our local paper.
During the Valley Fire several years ago an incompetent individual in the West Hill Road area of Lakeport decided to mow his try grass mid day, with a push lawn mower. This individual started a fire in which 90 fire fighters who were taking a much needed rest at the fairgrounds had to respond to with fire crews,helicopters, dozers etc.
Inquires to that event reveal again no punitive action was taken.
Aside possible loss of my properties in this county I feel its unacceptable for my taxes being spent putting out fires caused by incompetent people especially when causing deaths, injuries or serious property damage.
—Thomas Nickel, Lakeport
Help local fire department
I understand our fire department is a special district and I believe it is time for everyone to listen to what I have to say. At this time I believe that all the residents of District 4 should donate $20 each if you are a property owner or if you wish to donate $20 to our fire department so we can keep the three to six people that are employed at this time who are going to lose their jobs. When this happens and if you have a fire at your property we will not have enough employees to man the equipment that we have. I wonder if the fire board will have their wives run the fire truck and/or ambulance. Right now our fire department budget is in the red big time, I know many of the fire board members and I can’t believe they have not brought this to light in past times to prepare for the future when they knew that our budget had been in the red for quite some time.
We always have money for the top people, like the administration, we are always short of money for the workers that do the job. I by stopped myself personally at the fire department today and donated $20 towards our deficit or money shortage. I challenge every person that lives in District 4 in the County of Lake or the City of Lakeport to donate $20 each to help our local fire department. This is totally unbelievable, as they have worked tiredly for this community for a long time and it is a shame to have to lay them off. Maybe it is time to raise the fire fees a small amount as all these fires have used a lot of gasoline and people have worked many extra hours coordinating with our sheriff’s department to make it work for everyone.
Now you need to think of the future, if we have more than one fire in our district at a time they are johnny on the spot to help, when we have an accident or an emergency like a heart attach, stroke, a fall, any type of emergency…who do you call? I know who you call now, but who will you call later and will there be enough people to cover many calls at the same time. It is time for the City of Lakeport and our Board of Supervisors, I know they don’t have any extra money, but right now at this time it is time to make a major decision. Do you want to have a fire department that is not big enough to do your job or do you want a fire department like we have now that is doing everything needed for our community for many many years. I understand that there is no one happy about this, so it is time for District 4 residents to step up to the plate and show that you are a person that is honestly committed to your community and your fire department. We have millions of dollars of equipment, and I want to know who in our community will step up to volunteer to take the place of the person or the people we are laying off…we can’t operate short…it would be just like the police department having no cops.
I myself have been saved several times over the past few years by the fire department getting to me quickly in order to save my life.
Time to take all of this very seriously. Tons of common sense thinking
—Ron Rose, Lakeport
In response to Craig Stankiewic’s Sept. 18 commentary praising Trump for his economic miracles (“He did it all by himself”) and “wonderful industry and banking deregulations” (Take a look at the toxic, putrid Florida beaches- totally the result of Trump pushed EPA deregulations). Mister Stankiewic is among the minions who irresponsibly continue to prop up Trump lies and corrupt presidency. (as per Politico and Slate on Sept. 7 Trump leid 125 in 120 minutes of tweeting…hello.) The reality is that under Obama the stock market tripled (t-r-i-p-l-e-d). As Jen Psiki the White House communications director said: “A buffoon could have kept the Obama recovery going.”
Trump and his cronies intitiated a huge pump-priming stimulus in the form of tax cuts for millionaire and billionaire home boys and gals. That tax scheme is projected (by the Federal Reserve) to send annual deficit over a trillion dollars by fiscal 2019 (“But Mexico really is going to pay for the wall- that will really save some money believe you me!”). And don’t forget that Obama took over the worst economic crash since the Great Depression (Triggered entirely by GOP extreme deregulations of banking and industry under Bush). It is also important to note that Obama’s policies worked to reduce economic inequality, while Trump and his goon squad are working manically to increase it. So please Trumpies, take a good look in the mirror and stop your pseudologia phantastica. (Yeah, I know, that’s a tough one for you, just like the truth).
—William Hui, Clearlake
