[JohnA]

I don't think you read the Douglas Gantenbein
pieces, Carrie.

Here: http://slate.msn.com/id/2066948
and http://slate.msn.com/id/2090573

I try not to get into great, huge ideological
discussions.

One thing's clear. You have no safe large air
tankers (from private industry) and you are left
with government ones alone for this season.

When you, whatever your political stripe, attempt
to shut down a thread concerning 1st responder,
lifesaving methods, you seem confused.

[Carry_Okie]

I don't typically patronize Slate, but upon reading the first article, it doesn't impress me. I am quite familiar with what happened in the Hayman Fire. It reinforces my thesis that we need to get the Feds out of the firefighting business.

I try not to get into great, huge ideological discussions.

That's what this website is for. It isn't an advertising page.

When you, whatever your political stripe, attempt to shut down a thread concerning 1st responder, lifesaving methods, you seem confused.

First, I didn't attempt to shut down the thread. I didn't flag the AdminModerator. I didn't advise Jim Robinson. I advised Stoat to get Jim Robinson's permission. That is all.

You have no safe large air tankers...

Absolutely correct, however, the Ilyushin isn't "safe" either because flying an air tanker is inherently hazardous. The question is one of RELATIVE risk, not "no risk." On that point, neither of us knows how bad the condition of those old tankers really is. There may be no good reason for grounding the fleet, other than to for the bureaucrats to hose the taxpayers for more money, take more National Forest out of production to please the likes of Georgia Pacific and Weyerhaeuser, and place more lands off limits to the public. As such, the bureaucrats have screwed it up again.