California to feds: Pay $18M fire debt or we'll watch it burn

[IsailedawayfromFR]

The head of California’s emergency services on Monday penned a letter to the U.S. Forest Service that raised to prospects that the state may stop protecting national forests during fires.

Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci said the agency has stiffed local governments $18 million for fighting wildfires on federal lands last year.

"I cannot continue to support the deployment of resources to protect federal land that ultimately may bankrupt our local governments," Ghilarducci said in the letter sent Monday to Forest Service Chief Thomas Tidwell.

Rich Webb, chief of the Linda Fire Protection District, said the federal government's failure to meet the deadlines was particularly hard on smaller communities that had to push budget shortfalls to the current fiscal year.

Some communities were just recently reimbursed for last summer's Cedar Fire in Sequoia National Forest and several Northern California counties are still awaiting payments for other fires.

"They're frustrated to the point where they're considering not responding to Forest Service fires anymore," Webb said. "Why participate in this agreement if we're not being reimbursed? ... That's going to affect the entire mutual aid system throughout the state."

Nearly half the land in California is federally owned, and the greatest percentage of that is in National Forests. The dispute stems from longstanding commitments that coordinate and reimburse firefighters for work on federal lands.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/07/08/california-to-feds-pay-18m-fire-debt-or-well-watch-it-burn.html

This is rich.

The same people who want the federal govt to take over more land now is willing to burn the state in order to get more money from the feds to fatten the salaries of the fire fighters union.

Let it burn and let's see who gets the blame.  I cannot wait to see the pictures of firefighters sitting by idly watching homes being burnt.

And who is Mark Ghilarducci?  A political hack who began with an appointment by Gray Davis, the only CA governor who could be called worse than Jerry Brown.

[corbe]

                         I'm heartbroken.

[Suppressed]

The same people who want the federal govt to take over more land now is willing to burn the state in order to get more money from the feds to fatten the salaries of the fire fighters union.

And some people wonder why states don't want the feds to give worthless land back to the states.  As it is, Eastern states are subsidizing the costs of managing land in the West.  If it's given back, that burden falls on those Western states.

[Smokin Joe]

And some people wonder why states don't want the feds to give worthless land back to the states.  As it is, Eastern states are subsidizing the costs of managing land in the West.  If it's given back, that burden falls on those Western states.

Oh give it back. along with the mineral wealth, timber, grazing land, sure thing. We'll take it here. Can we have the rivers and lakeshores back, too?

[GtHawk]

Look I'm from California and I say fair is fair, if the state has an agreement with feds that says they should be reimbursed for fighting fires on fed land they should! Now let's see $18 million they say? I have no problem with the federal government withholding $18 million of aid money that would have gone to sanctuary cities in California and instead using it to pay the firefighting bill.

[Smokin Joe]

Look I'm from California and I say fair is fair, if the state has an agreement with feds that says they should be reimbursed for fighting fires on fed land they should! Now let's see $18 million they say? I have no problem with the federal government withholding $18 million of aid money that would have gone to sanctuary cities in California and instead using it to pay the firefighting bill.

Actually, if the Feds promised those fire protection districts the money for fighting fires on Federal Land, yep, the districts should be paid in a timely fashion. I don't really care where the Feds shift it from, and sanctuary Cities are as good a place as any. Wildfire fighting isn't easy or cheap.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Look I'm from California and I say fair is fair, if the state has an agreement with feds that says they should be reimbursed for fighting fires on fed land they should! Now let's see $18 million they say? I have no problem with the federal government withholding $18 million of aid money that would have gone to sanctuary cities in California and instead using it to pay the firefighting bill.

Ransom is never paid by the feds.  Don't you know that?  Standing by and letting the state burn is pure extortion.

So far, we have only heard from the leftists in California on this. Wonder when Zinke will weigh in.

Bet he has a list of unpaid items the state has not contributed on to choose from.

Remember, this is a political hack who made this claim.   

[Joe Wooten]

Ransom is never paid by the feds.  Don't you know that?  Standing by and letting the state burn is pure extortion.

So far, we have only heard from the leftists in California on this. Wonder when Zinke will weigh in.

Bet he has a list of unpaid items the state has not contributed on to choose from.

Remember, this is a political hack who made this claim.

Agreed!

[IsailedawayfromFR]

California is burning.  Wonder if those firemen are just sitting watching as they are protesting the US non-payment.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/09/thousands-flee-wildfires-burning-in-us-and-canada.html