The disaster that is North Las Vegas made national news today as Fox is reporting on NLV financial disaster.
From Fox News: There are no signs of rioters, wind-damaged homes or flooding. The
brand new City Hall features gleaming marble floors and the public
recreation centers offer Zumba, karate and Pilates classes.
Despite all of its suburban trimmings, North Las Vegas is officially a disaster area.
After five years of declining property taxes, massive layoffs and
questionable spending, leaders of the blue-collar, family-oriented city
outside Las Vegas declared a state of emergency, invoking a rarely used
state law crafted for unforeseen disasters.
No matter that the statute, which allows municipalities to suspend
union contracts and avoid paying scheduled salary increases, doesn't
actually include fiscal emergencies among the list of potential
disasters.
"It says, in case of `emergency such as.' You can't list how many
different types of emergencies there are in the world," City Council
member Wade Wagner said of the move, which will save the city $9
million.
There are many cities across the nation grappling with declining
property values and growing expenses like North Las Vegas, but few, if
any, have declared financial emergency....
For nearly two years, the city, where residents have long paid the
highest tax rate in southern Nevada, has teetered on the edge of
insolvency.
One in every 195 homes is in foreclosure, the state's highest rate.
Once the nation's fastest growing city, it lost more than 3,000
businesses in three years after the recession hit in 2007. Its total
revenue has plunged from $817 million in 2009 to $298 million this year.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/23/cash-strapped-nevada-city-declares-state-emergency/#ixzz1yd53Ow9e
Eric Hovde: The Ultimate Carpetbagger
5 hours ago
Did you really put such an ignorant remark in your blog that "firefighters are highly paid even though there are few fires in NLV?" Before you make such ridiculous statements, you should do your homework and see what the firefighters job requirements actually are. And then when you are one of the several hundred ignorant people that actually need the services they provide other than "putting out fires" and don't have the firefighters or service trucks to help you or one of your loved ones then we'll see what your opinion is. How irresponsible.......
ReplyDeleteUmm, no.
ReplyDeleteNorth Las Vegas, along with the rest of the fire fighters in the Las Vegas Valley are paid very well, in fact, some of the best paid firefighters in the country and they handle fewer fires because most of the buildings are quite young and have good few problems. Most fires are the fault of the homeowners.
Firefighting requirements? Please, most firefighters do not have 4 year degrees when they get hired and you have to be in reasonably good shape to do the job.
Yes, firefighters do a lot of jobs, but nothing out of the ordinary of other jobs. EMT/Paramedics are not close to being the same as an RN. FFs teach and do inspections- whoopee, not very tough. Handle tours- not very tough and usually, after 4:00 or %:00, the time is theirs, if they are working a 24 hour shift.
And the threat of if my relatives or myself need firefighting service, you'll see how irresponsible my opinions are is just a childish 2nd grade response.
You are supposed to be educated? Hardly. What I meant by job requirements was what their duties actually include other than putting out fires. No you do not need a degree for all positions (although many of them have them). And seriously, you think they "teach and give tours and are done by 4:00?" Their time is never their own while on their shift, which is anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. That's 24 to 48 (or sometimes longer) of not being with their families, taking calls all day and night which are 98% medical calls and are generally as often as every 2 hours. They do not get to ignore the calls coming in because they are tired or haven't slept. They don't get to choose not to treat the drug addicts who have OD'd or not take the calls where a child has fallen out of a second story window or drown in a pool or first on scene to a car accident where someone has been decapitated due to a drunk driver or a mentally unstable person who just blew their head off. Yes, this is what they deal with on a daily basis while you sit at home and write your ignorant posts about what you THINK they do. People like you make me sick and you may think it's a childish 2nd grade response when I say I hope you experience not having them around when you or a loved one needs them but how would you catagorize the irresponsible statements you have made in your posts? Go back to Wisconsin please, maybe there your ignorance would be appreciated! Or maybe I could be as ignorant as you and suggest you make cheese because that's "all they do in WIsconsin". Really????
ReplyDeleteObviously, you are not a firefighter because you would understand the term "the time is your own" after 4or 5:00. So, I will educate you. Unless they are making a run after 5:00 or whatever time the contract says, then they can do pretty much as they please at the station whether it is watching TV, eating, playing ball, sleep, or whatever. They have no formal duties after a certain time, unless they are on a call. Of course they make their runs, but apparently, you are not a firefighter to understand that.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the bad stuff, well welcome to the real world. Firefighters, cops and ambulance workers chose that profession, so quit crying about it. You are no different than witnesses who are at the scene when an incident occurs. The witnesses are the true heroes because they have no choice in dealing with an emergencies. Firefighters, cops and ambulance personnel are not heroes compared to the people who are are at the scene.
There are many other jobs that deal in gross stuff, first responders don't have the market on dealing with gross stuff, so get over yourself.
Finally, stop using your union's talking points like saying what if firefighters weren't around when we needed them- that is such a childish argument.
Again, you demonstrate your ignorance. Yes firefighters, police officers and ambulance personnel choose their professions and thank god that they do. The problem I have with you is the manner in which you denigrate the importance of their profession by making childish statements such as "FFs teach and do inspections- whoopee, not very tough. Handle tours- not very tough and usually, after 4:00 or %:00, the time is theirs, if they are working a 24 hour shift." Then follow it with statements like the "witnesses on scene are the true heroes because they have no choice in dealing with emergencies" and " There are many other jobs that deal in gross stuff, first responders don't have the market on dealing with gross stuff, so get over yourself." Are you kidding me? Do you honestly believe that the situations they deal with have no merit because there are other professions that deal with gross stuff? While I contend that it is difficult for anyone faced with a tragic event, including the witnesses, the lives of those affected are put in the hands of the men and women who have chosen these professions every day. They do not ask to be viewed as heroes. All that they ask for in return is that people like you do not minimize what they do by making irresponsible uneducated statements like you have made here which ultimately gives the public a misconception regarding the sacrifices they make and the risks they take while doing their jobs. Jobs which make sure you and your family as well as those they provide service to have a fighting chance when faced with an unforeseen, unplanned event or circumstance which many times is life altering. And yes, it's people like you who need to put a sock in it until, as they say, "you have walked a mile in their shoes" and actually experienced what they do. I only wish I could be there when you are faced with a need for their services and they still treat you like they would any other person-with respect and compassion and without bias for your nescience regarding what they do. You can call me childish all day long for that. At least when I am in need for their services (as we all will be at some point in our lives) I can do so with a clear conscious because I acknowledge the importance of what they do. Do us all a favor and put yourself on your own wall of shame!
ReplyDelete