Vote no on 4A

OK one last try at getting some fact based discussion on the real problem. The present discussion is like arguing over how to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.

The problem is that since about 1970, wildfires in Colorado, in areas just like where we live, have been getting bigger and more destructive. They are not as frequent, but they are very much bigger. In the last few years they have turned deadly.

The fuels load in the forests has grown larger. The fire danger is higher. There are more people living in the forests on the front range every year. Fires are a much more significant problem than they used to be.

Colorado's front line of defense that provides the initial attack on wildfires is done almost entirely by our local fire protection districts. When initial attack fails to contain a fire in-spite of a district or districts best efforts, we turn to the State and Federal agencies for help.

State and especially Federal firefighting capabilities have been cut. There's less help available. The whole picture is not pretty. The outside fire fighting assets that used to be available to help out our local fire protection districts fight larger fires just aren't there like they used to be. One might argue that we have become dependent on federal firefighting welfare and now it isn't available like it used to be and we are on our own more than ever.

So, here's the debating point I care about. I don't want this community to burn next season or ever. I live here, so do you. Albert Einstein is supposed to have said that insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Colorado [and we in the Elk Creek District are included] have done very little to improve our ability to keep small fires small. I don't think we can keep doing basically the same thing as far as fire protection districts go and expect different or better results.

This discussion ought to focus on how we can improve our firefighting capability and whether the improvements suggested in 4A will help. Explain how what you are discussing makes a significant difference in our ability to keep from burning next year or explain why you don't think its a problem.

I agree with Einstein. Doing more of the same is probably insanity.

Now, who wants to go back to rearranging the deck chairs?

YES I AM !! I'm sure there was legal action if there was a conviction but I can't find it in the news archives. Can anyone help with this? This is what happens when AMATEURS try to perform a job of a Professional !

WHO F*ING CARES?

Don't you tea-wackos have anything better to do than continually try to dig up personal dirt on someone to support your anti-tax zealotry because if you're taxed a DOLLAR, something might happen to it????

I'm with FNP... I don't care about your ancient politics, and "board drama", and ambulance salaries (which are irrelevant to this discussion), or the price of tea in Dick Armey's house... "I don't want this community to burn next season or ever."

Jeez, get over yourselves....

Lady Jazzer is correct... no one on the left tried to dig up any dirt on Mitt Romney.

Take that you nasty tea drinkers.

Everyone cares. Who wants tax dollars in the hands of thieves?

Unless you have PROOF that everyone on the Elk Creek Fire District is a thief, YOU'RE A LIAR...

So, PROVE IT, or STFU. And I would suggest that you are skating perilously close to libel charges.

There are several folks saying leaders have been convicted of fraud, I can't find it. I suspect there have always been good people at Elk Creek and the only concern is the officials with the checkbook! Before I support 4A I want to know that this not the case anymore. Very Simple

If it's so very "simple" then either PUT UP OR SHUT UP...

There are several folks here who are saying that teabaggers AREN'T bat-sh*t-crazy... I don't believe them either.

GO UNION wrote: There are several folks saying leaders have been convicted of fraud, I can't find it. I suspect there have always been good people at Elk Creek and the only concern is the officials with the checkbook! Before I support 4A I want to know that this not the case anymore. Very Simple

There have and are good people at ECF, many good chiefs and many good board of directors. But give them a blank check and you see how having money can make them feel like they have spend every last nickel and then some. Look at the thread on the Platte Canyon Fire District and see what a fiasco it has been with their recent increase granted by taxpayers. The Tabor question has to be very specific so that you have a leg to stand on and rein them in when they overspend. Always remember that the Chief represents the fire district not the people. You have to make them responsible by being very specific what you as taxpayer want them to do. Open ended sloppy wording of ballot questions favoring the fire district with blank checks does not make them responsible. Vote NO on this Tabor question as it is worded.

GO UNION wrote: There are several folks saying leaders have been convicted of fraud, I can't find it. I suspect there have always been good people at Elk Creek and the only concern is the officials with the checkbook! Before I support 4A I want to know that this not the case anymore. Very Simple

LadyJazzer wrote: If it's so very "simple" then either PUT UP OR SHUT UP...

There are several folks here who are saying that teabaggers AREN'T bat-sh*t-crazy... I don't believe them either.

Usually I ignore you since I am the new kid on the block. But do you really think with your abusive nature anyone takes you seriously or that you provide anything relevant to the discussion?