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Union-Tribune's New Buyout Program Suggests the Company May Be Bought Out Soon, and May Be in Cash Flow Squeeze
Well, up above someone said that PUMA meant, "Party Unity, My Ass". These days a cougar is defined as a somewhat older single woman who likes to get dolled up and go out picking up younger men. Hence my comment that most cougars may be Democrats. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=co…— September 4, 2008 11:36 a.m.
Local Newsweek Correspondent Pleads to Chargers: "Don't Bolt!"
Burwell, Why should we pay millions for a canyon sprinkler system that may be used every 20-30 years? Why not pay for mobile fire protection that can be used anywhere in the city for multiple missions? The helicopters are used on missions in this city every day. They lift injured hikers off of Cowles Mtn or out of PQ Canyon. They fight inner city canyon fires very effectively. You're paying attention to the occasional big news item, not the day to day stuff. Highrises do require more protection. Perhaps you should ask past city councils why they didn't require developer fees for new fire stations. There are less firefighters downtown today than there were in 1972. In 1976, there were about 750K people in SD and there were 36 fire stations. Today, there are double that many people -- and only 47 fire stations. Traffic is worse and call volume is up. Thus response times are slower. Additionally, more homes have been built on canyons. Obviously, those require more protection. You are on to something with the special assessment districts. Personally, I think that the SDFD should break away from the city and become it's own special district. It could then annex or contract with surrounding departments and eventually become a county FD.— September 4, 2008 7:49 a.m.
Union-Tribune's New Buyout Program Suggests the Company May Be Bought Out Soon, and May Be in Cash Flow Squeeze
Someone explain to Don what the current slang "cougar" means...— September 3, 2008 6:12 p.m.
Local Newsweek Correspondent Pleads to Chargers: "Don't Bolt!"
Burwell, just out of curiosity, where will we get the water to run all of those sprinkler systems. I do agree that homeowners need to do more to protect their properties. Just eliminating cedar slap fences would do wonders. What people don't understand is that we want to hire more firefighters for the day-to-day emergencies. There are places in this city where it takes between 10 and 20 minutes to get a fire engine or paramedic to you. That's unconscionable. It's not infrequent to have every single engine company downtown already tied up on other emergencies. At the explosion at the Hilton downtown, the first engine on scene was from Golden Hill. The second from north of Little Italy. The third and fourth engines came from the Sports Arena and the area of Lincoln High. That's an obscene response to a major emergency.— September 3, 2008 6:39 a.m.
Local Newsweek Correspondent Pleads to Chargers: "Don't Bolt!"
Off duty firefighters from SD work OT to back fill for folks who are away are large fires or disasters. FEMA, or CALFIRE, or the US Forest Service pays for both individuals -- the SD firefighter who is away AND the one here. Thus those agencies are effectively paying for SD firefighters who are staffing SD fire stations. Is that a transfer of funding from one tax source to another? Yes. The public still pays for it. But it's one way for SD to recoup some of the taxes lost to other agencies. And it's a heck of a lot better than those agencies not reimbursing SD at all!— September 2, 2008 6:24 p.m.
Local Newsweek Correspondent Pleads to Chargers: "Don't Bolt!"
Yep. And it's paying for the folks who are replacing them here. So, San Diego firefighters get experience with large disasters and FEMA pays for staffing in San Diego fire stations. The only rub is that money goes back in to the black hole of the General Fund, not to the FD. If it went back to the FD, you'd see a much lower new expenditure by the FD. Instead, politicians get to use the reimbursement money as they choose and then yell about firefighters making OT.— September 2, 2008 4:12 p.m.
Local Newsweek Correspondent Pleads to Chargers: "Don't Bolt!"
JF, you are NOT at work in New Orleans. ======================================== Never said I was -- but a couple dozen San Diego firefighters are enroute there.— September 2, 2008 3:44 p.m.
Union-Tribune's New Buyout Program Suggests the Company May Be Bought Out Soon, and May Be in Cash Flow Squeeze
Is a PUMA the same thing as a cougar? Are most cougars Democrats? I'd have to think so, but maybe not...— September 2, 2008 3:39 p.m.
Local Newsweek Correspondent Pleads to Chargers: "Don't Bolt!"
Or New Orleans, as the case may be...— September 2, 2008 8:33 a.m.
Sempra spins Sunrise Powerlink in the Union-Tribune
Response to #219, Actually, Don, I believe $5 million was McCain's answer to, "What is your definition of rich", not his definition of middle class. I still don't like the guy, but we should at least poke fun at him accurately.— August 26, 2008 10:29 a.m.