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Did Davis delay one last time? [California fires]
Sac Bee ^ | 10-28-03 | Dan Weintraub

Posted on 10/28/2003 8:10:50 PM PST by ambrose

Edited on 04/12/2004 6:00:42 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

Did Davis delay one last time?

Republicans on Monday accused Gov. Gray Davis of dragging his feet before requesting military help to fight the fires in San Diego County. Davis denies it. The San Diego Union provides this detailed story explaining how federal law and bureaucracy make quick decisions difficult in situations like this. Among other things, a 1930s-era law designed to protect civilian jobs prohibits the U.S. Forest Service from requesting military planes until all of its own resources are exhausted. The story does suggest that Davis, a former Army captain, might have been guilty of sticking to the established chain of command. Rep. Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he gave state officials the home number of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was standing by to order two planes into action, but nobody ever called him for help. Hunter's Alpine home was believed to be among those destroyed in the fire.


(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: catrans

1 posted on 10/28/2003 8:10:50 PM PST by ambrose
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To: ambrose
I viscerally hate Davis and was so glad to get his as$ booted, but I think this is a little bit of 'piling on'. I think we should quit doing the 'Iraq quagmire' bit approach and pull together before the whole state burns down. We're in between Governor-ships in this state and need to focus on handling the crisis, not blame or speculation. Not directed at you at all, ambrose - just how I feel in general.
2 posted on 10/28/2003 8:16:46 PM PST by ysoitanly
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To: ysoitanly
You points are well taken by this Californian. However, if Davis intentionally delayed the deployment of assests because of petty politics or his demeanor, he should be brought up on criminal charges. It was very clear by Saturday night that we needed everything deployed ASAP.

To quote one of the first fire officials to arrive on the scene in Laguna Canyon during the Laguna Beach Fire of 10 years ago, 'Send me everything you got now or you can wipe Laguna Beach off the map !'.

3 posted on 10/28/2003 8:24:25 PM PST by justa-hairyape
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To: ysoitanly
This isn't piling on with Davis. This is liberal environmental policies coming home to roost. This is Davis kowtowing to radical environmentalists that led us up to this amount of fuel ready to explode.

Oregon, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico are among other States that burned down before us. Liberal control of forest management is at the root of a lot of these disasters, IMO.

4 posted on 10/28/2003 8:27:28 PM PST by patriciaruth ("In an insane world, it was the sanest choice." --Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in Terminator 2)
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To: justa-hairyape
Wow. Thanks. I bit my lip not to respond to Gumby's comments that 'this is the worst crisis to hit California in a century'. You KNOW that I wanted to say 'except for your two terms.' But I have restraint! ;)
5 posted on 10/28/2003 8:28:16 PM PST by ysoitanly
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To: ambrose
"But he said federal law prohibits the Forest Service from asking for military aircraft until it exhausts the available inventory of civilian contract aircraft."

"...the Economy Act of 1932 – a Depression-era law passed to protect civilian jobs – requiring firefighting officials to exhaust all civilian possibilities before asking for military assistance.",

"Several frustrated Western lawmakers are pushing plans in Congress to change things."

"The congressmen have asked Hunter to ensure their measure survives negotiations with the Senate, where some Republicans are fighting the plan because they say the government should not interfere in work the private sector can do.

6 posted on 10/28/2003 8:34:29 PM PST by Kay Soze ('Tis safer in Sunni triangle than in the liberally controlled area known as Los Angeles.)
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To: patriciaruth
Agree, Patricia - did you see now that Feinstein and the other Dems and the enviro-fascists that rule this state are now agreeing that we need 'controlled brush-clearing'? (Great, now that it's all, unfortunately, been cleared - by way of destroying those just awful environmentally-awful HOMES). I just mean that I'm dying to see how they're going to spin this that they come out right after they stalled this for a whole year, knowing our forests had been decimated by drought and beetles and were ripe targets for a devastating fire. And the press will let them slide. My ex-boss and his wife lost their home yesterday and I'm more furious than I can stand. Feinstein is already covering her hypocritical environmental/gun stance as$ as we speak - finally endorsing the bill that's been languishing for a year.
7 posted on 10/28/2003 8:36:59 PM PST by ysoitanly
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To: ambrose
The morons' failure in Sacramento and DC to combat the bark bettle infestation throughout California and the entire southwest is as much at fault as the arsonists who started these fires. All culprits heads should roll!
8 posted on 10/28/2003 8:46:06 PM PST by kellynla ("C" 1/5 1st Mar Div. Viet Nam 69 &70 Semper Fi!)
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To: ambrose
The planes were loaded up and ready just waiting for the lame duck to call, and he didn't. Homes and lives were destroyed that might have been saved, according to those in the area and in the know. Why? Who knows, it isn't the first time Davis made the wrong choices, that is why he was recalled. This time however, he may have cost lives, homes, and lots of money.
9 posted on 10/28/2003 8:50:59 PM PST by ladyinred (Talk about a revolution, look at California!!! We dumped Davis!!!)
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To: ambrose
The San Bernardino fires started last week, and if he had immediately done something about that, then maybe San Diego wouldn't have gotten so out of control?

Hindsight is 20/20, but even if Davis couldn't legally do anything else, him getting on the Radio Sunday and arrogantly talking about how he "demanded action from Bush" kind o' teed me off. Like asking wouldn't be enough, he had to demand it!
10 posted on 10/28/2003 9:14:33 PM PST by LaraCroft (Ping a ding ding)
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To: ambrose
Davis moved very slowly and very dully.

It could be his revenge against areas he knows voted strongly for the recall.

Or it could be his revenge on Arnold, intentionally leaving a terribly crippled State financially.

Or it could simply have been more of Davis' core incompetence.

(After all, his only skill in office was for shaking down unions and others for "contributions")

11 posted on 10/28/2003 10:07:33 PM PST by BenLurkin (Socialism is Slavery)
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To: ambrose
Rush's Tuesday sub, the guy from San Diego Roger what's-his-name, said there were two firefighting-equiped C130's sitting on a tarmac near the fires...the kicker is the two planes in question belong to the California Air-National Guard, which Davis could have dispatched, but didn't.
12 posted on 10/28/2003 10:12:04 PM PST by Keith in Iowa (Tag line produced using 100% post-consumer recycled ethernet packets,)
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To: ambrose
Roger Hedgecock is so mad over Davis' actions, he wants a FORMAL INVESTIGATION. Roger said what bothers him most is that when the hunter was arrested for shooting off a flare and starting a fire .. NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT THE FIRE THE HUNTER STARTED.

Roger is just livid.
13 posted on 10/28/2003 10:19:36 PM PST by CyberAnt
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To: CyberAnt
Roger is just livid. Livid seems to be in style around San Diego these days. Heads are going to roll. Trust me. Heads are going to roll.
14 posted on 10/28/2003 10:32:52 PM PST by Pompah (If it ain't broke,fix it 'til it is.)
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To: ambrose
Davis was in the Army?
15 posted on 10/28/2003 10:56:17 PM PST by quietolong
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To: BenLurkin

Davis moved very slowly and very dully.

It could be his revenge against areas he knows voted strongly for the recall.

Or it could be his revenge on Arnold, intentionally leaving a terribly crippled State financially.

Or it could simply have been more of Davis' core incompetence.

And the correct answer is: ALL OF THE ABOVE

16 posted on 10/28/2003 10:57:39 PM PST by nicksaunt
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To: ambrose
This post has been added to the… California In Transition- Must read Threads!

Want on our daily or major news ping lists? Freepmail DoctorZin

Visit the new web site for the OC Chapter of the Free Republic!


17 posted on 10/28/2003 11:56:13 PM PST by DoctorZIn
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To: ysoitanly
Watching Dianne Feinstein in the Senate this morning was a scream.

"And here we see a picture of an Arizona forest [labeled Sequoia National Forest]

"I've been in the Sierras...[Actually its singular, Sierra, as it means saw-toothed mountain range, unless she was referring not just to our Sierra Nevada but to Mexico's Sierra Madre]

The funniest part was her explaning how brush clearing around old trees would protect them and was environmentally sound. ROTFLOL! Her radical environmental supporters must have been screaming at the tube.

18 posted on 10/29/2003 12:28:04 PM PST by patriciaruth ("In an insane world, it was the sanest choice." --Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in Terminator 2)
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