General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsInsanity: 16 fires overnight and Detroit Mayor announces layoff of 164 firefighters
June 25, 2012 at 9:57 am
Detroit firefighters tackle 16 overnight blazes
By Tom Greenwood
The Detroit News
Detroit The Detroit Fire Department had its hands full battling 16 fires on the east side of the city Sunday night and into Monday morning.
"We have no details or information at this time as to the cause of the fires," said Lt. Teresa Halsell, a spokeswoman of the DFD.
"The fires were all called in at different times during the night. One was a second alarm fire at 2285 Chene Street; a church that included a dwelling.
"One fireman was injured and was transported to a local hospital."
more...
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120625/METRO01/206250361#ixzz1ypCSyvVa
June 25, 2012 at 12:47 pm
164 Detroit firefighters to be laid off, Bing says
By The Detroit News
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing announced Monday 164 Detroit firefighters will be laid off by the end of July but said the city hopes to win a federal grant to rehire 108 of those positions.
In a statement, Bing also said he expects many of the remaining layoffs to be eventually rescinded through attrition.
"Since I became mayor, I've made public safety my top priority and I've said I would protect the jobs of police and firefighters, but fiscal realities have made this untenable," Bing said.
The city's' 2012-13 budget, effective July 1, makes cuts in nearly every department and slashes 2,600 jobs. It cuts the fire department's budget about 13 percent, to about $160 million. Overall, the plan would reduce the city's deficit by $75 million.
more...
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120625/METRO01/206250395#ixzz1ypDbZqmU
aquart
(69,014 posts)Turbineguy
(37,427 posts)to offset the rise in insurance premiums. The republican solution to any problem is to create a bigger one.
sinkingfeeling
(51,501 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Commit arson for financial gain. So there may be more to this, and these fires. Some of them may be crazy making by gangs, others may be for gain. Less firemen, less investigation less interference with business.
I was with a group who talked to a real estate developer years ago who everyone believed burnt down a vacant house in my neighborhood one night. He got very nervous and asked, didn't we want the new school that was going to built there, then continued on about how this was much cheaper than having it demolished piece by piece, so no harm, hey?
We all exchanged knowing looks as he attempted to placate us. We figured that, in the end, it was his house to burn and none of our business. Since it was his business to get the new project going, you know, and the fire department didn't even show up.
Years later, I lived in a small town where a church ended the tenancy of a resident who had an arrangement with the former owner to stay there after the sale of the rest of the land. At least that was what the preacher told us and we thought that was very nice indeed.
Suddenly the house burned while he was at work, and the local fire department only made sure the fire didn't spread to the woods, as it was the only building on the property. I watched them stand by to observe the destruction of the house with sadness, as a waste of living space in an area sorely lacking in affordable housing and giving way to gated communities, the small businesses and less prosperous residents being pushed out by zoning. That event let the church take over the entire property to complete their new development.
Do I know for sure if either fire was an accident or an arson? I can't prove it, just saw what the results were. Perhaps those fires were just serendipitous. I was a member of the church, too, and it was handshakes all aroundas the land was now going to fit the landscaped views of the new church, which didn't have the little house in the picture we were shown every Sunday. A collection was passed to help the man move and get an apartment in another area as there wasnt anything available to rent that he could afford. It was another feel good moment, but I felt something was wrong. Maybe it wasn't.
Stuff goes on that's not a conspiracy, just a result of relationships most don't know about. Detroit is being cleared out with schools, libraries, so many things, left in ruins. These fires may be part of it. Or just the chaos that follows defunding the institutions of civil government. I'm sure there are private interests taking over the property these buildings are on, or will be eventually, and the tax burden on the owners will go down in the meantime. These things will be forgotten. From my viewpoint, it's wasteful and depressing.
panader0
(25,816 posts)I remember a forest fire set here in Az some years back by a smokejumper who needed work.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Property owner has the last say on how a fire will be handled. Firefighters are dying to save lives, property is not worth it. Just trying to find a reason for what seems so puzzling in the OP.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)hack89
(39,171 posts)and still cover the same geographic area, there are going to be problems like this.
Detroit is too big for its population and tax base.