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EDITORIAL
Don't upset the unions -- or else
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Two weeks ago, we described how the town of Flint, Mich., was hit with an arson wave on the day local officials were set to lay off a few dozen firefighters in an effort to close a municipal budget gap.
Flint's angry mayor made it clear he thought the spate of fires was anything but a coincidence.
Later, when city officials sought help from fire departments in surrounding suburbs, many refused to respond.
Then there's the story Friday out of New Jersey. The state faces a multimillion-dollar budget hole, and new Gov. Chris Christie has proposed reductions in salaries for public school teachers and other public-sector workers.
That prompted one teacher union leader to send a memo to his local affiliates. "Dear Lord," the memo read, "this year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."
Nice.
And now we have the same thuggish mind-set manifesting itself in Las Vegas, where municipal and county officials are grappling with justifying the healthy salaries of their public-sector work force at a time when the local economy is in the tank and they can't balance their budgets.
County Commissioner Steve Sisolak has been particularly vocal in advocating union concessions, especially among firefighters -- many of whom earn six-figure salaries and generous benefits. That apparently prompted Las Vegas firefighter Joy Sager to post on her Facebook page a note about wanting to "shoot Sisolak in the (groin)."
Sure, some of this may just be an expression of lighthearted frustration -- although the Flint fires indicate something far more nefarious. But it should also give taxpayers an idea of the risks inherent in upsetting the powerful public-sector unions -- and how important it is to support politicians come election time who are willing to accept those risks.
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Some more of the real facts ignored in the editorial. Not the unions, stupid! It's the economy.....
Tensions can arise, however, because the agreements rely on a shared expectation of help. The fallout continues from a decision by Harper Woods to call on St. Clair Shores and Eastpointe rather than Grosse Pointe Woods -- which is closer -- for a Feb. 7 apartment fire.
St. Clair Shores Mayor Robert Hison said Thursday his city is leaning toward ending its mutual aid agreement with Harper Woods. Jim Leidlein, city manager in Harper Woods, said only that a response to that possibility may come this week.
In Genesee County, Burton Fire Chief Doug Halstead issued an order preventing dispatchers from sending assistance to Flint after that city laid off 20 firefighters and a rash of fires there late last month prompted multiple calls for mutual aid assistance.
Burton taxpayers, Halstead said, "pay me to protect them." He said at least two other communities also have limited their mutual aid to Flint.
Dandre Williams, Flint's assistant fire chief, said he believes the issue will be resolved by a $6.8-million federal grant that will allow the department to bring back the 20 laid-off firefighters and hire as many 19 more.
Fire aid pacts aren't holding up
Budget cuts reduce response
BY ERIC D. LAWRENCE 4/12/2010
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Frustration over how some communities in southeast Michigan are responding to their mutual aid agreements for fire protection is growing.
Northville Township fire officials said they don't want to see neighboring Plymouth's decision to send only two firefighters to a recent blaze become a trend.
Richard Marinucci, deputy director of fire service in Northville Township, said the Plymouth Community Fire Department sent just two firefighters -- half of what departments usually send with an engine -- to help fight a March 28 garage fire in his community.
He said Northville Township initially asked for help from the City of Northville and Plymouth, but also had to call Livonia when Plymouth's response was less than expected.
"It takes a certain number of firefighters to safely attack a fire aggressively," Marinucci said. "We hope to get four people" when the assistance of an engine is requested. "That's our expectation."
Plymouth Fire Chief Mark Wendel said he understands the concern, but added that his first priority is to his community. If Plymouth had sent additional manpower that day, he said, that would have left fewer than the on-duty minimum of four firefighters mandated by his department's policy.
"I honestly don't see a serious problem at this point in time," he said, noting that Plymouth would have sent more firefighters if they had been available.
Wendel, whose department had three layoffs earlier this year, said financial challenges and layoffs facing Plymouth and other communities statewide may put more strain on mutual aid pacts at a time when they are even more important. Mutual aid agreements, which are not unique to metro Detroit, provide communities with easy access to additional fire-fighting resources from their neighbors.
bob first: You know I did that too but I didn't get a job. Took the written and scored 96%. Passed the physical test no problem. I have a college degree too. When I was in the process a couple guys from another local FD did an inspection in our office. I told them I was a candidate. They asked me what religion I was. I told them I was Catholic. They told me don't bother.
You can take your six figures and put them somewhere creative.
patrick are you kidding? You print your factually devoid republican diatribe and then accuse the paper of muckraking journalism. Are you the kettle or the pot?