PINHEAD PENCIL-PUSHERS PLACE CITIZENS IN PERIL

NY POST ^ | 11/15/02 | ANDREA PEYSER

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

THE cause of this fire was sheer stupidity, coupled with a failed attempt at cooking dinner.

A while back, a small fire ignited in a fry pan inside a kitchen in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, then erupted into a cabinet-licking monster.

[Alberta's Child]

Within two minutes, the guys of the 204 were inside my house, dousing flames and issuing a well-deserved lecture . . .

People don't like to hear this, but it is necessary to strike a balance between "fiscal reality" and "safety." Imagine how many lives could be saved if that two-minute response time were reduced to 10 seconds.

But then that would require a fire department of about 200,000 people, wouldn't it?

[FreePaul]

We are going through the same thing in Houston. Our incompetent Mayor can't provide a budget that he can live with. He, and his corrupt administration, constantly spends more money than comes in and budget for. The solution? Cut basic services so there is money to throw away on pet projects to reward political cronies. Close fire stations and cut maintenance on equipment. Turn police officers into revenue collectors by assigning ticket quotas.

[Seruzawa]

This is normal activity during budget cuts. The most critical services that the public needs are cut. But the worthless featherbedded paper-pushing offices are left alone. This is simply an attempt to intimidate the public into accepting higher taxes so that the bureaucrats and politicians can keep their graft in order.

Such acts are extortion.

[Deguello]

Appears to be a Dear Abby customer: Dear Abby, don't do the stupid things that I do.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

I hate these "multiple recipients".

What about the military BJ Clinton and crew destroyed?