California's latest blackmail threat.

[Merlin99]

This sounds like Cali is threatening to go BLM and "burn the mf down" here. Apparently they use a different definition of volunteer.

But Ghilarducci said the federal government was shirking its responsibilities to reimburse local governments by illogically relying on a "sudden interpretation" of a 1955 law that prevents the government from paying volunteer firefighters.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...-pay-18m-fire-debt-or-well-watch-it-burn.html

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

"More than a third of the state firefighting force is made up of volunteers who expect to be paid when called into action far from home, Ghilarducci said." Isn't that a contradiction? Volunteers expect to get paid? Unless they are hired on as temporary federal workers they should get nothing. But it appears here, that the local governments are pissed they aren't "getting their fair share". Maybe local volunteer firefighters (that want the experience) should not take their locally supplied firefighter equipment and instead be supplied with what they need by on site agencies. Then maybe the local governments would shut up.

 

[vraiblonde]

Let it burn - see how that works out for those dumbasses.

Clearly they didn't think that through.

That said, they need to be reimbursed. That's a federal responsibility.

 

[Hijinx]

Let it burn - see how that works out for those dumbasses.

Clearly they didn't think that through.

That said, they need to be reimbursed. That's a federal responsibility.

If they have a mutual aid agreement that agrees to pay the volunteers, then they should pay them.
IMO this is not a threat. This is simply a statement that if they aren't paid they won't work.

So if you are a volunteer and you are sent out of town for a week or two to fight a fire, and your employers dock your pay,
how are you supposed to feed your family? If that happens, they stay home. Who can blame them.
Who else works for nothing?

 

[Lurk]

It is high time (and a great excuse) to turn over the overly exaggerated acreage that's been confiscated and made into national parks, etc. Obama was one of the worst and it's time Trump reversed those takings.

 

[Merlin99]

Let it burn - see how that works out for those dumbasses.

Clearly they didn't think that through.

That said, they need to be reimbursed. That's a federal responsibility.

In most cases letting it burn is the best recourse anyways. The deadfall being burnt off on a regular basis would keep from having the major fires caused by excess fuel. The older trees can easily handle the small fires fairly easily, but the larger ones are a different story.
i do agree with Lurk though, sounds like a good reason to turn back over most of the nationalized property, not that I expect Cali to want property in lieu of cash.