“Public safety is job one” for any elected official from the local city council to the president of this country. We have endured four days of wild fires across the state including Santiago Canyon in Orange County.
As a resident of Mission Viejo we are represented in SAC by Assemblyman Todd Spitzer in the 71st AD and Senator Dick Ackerman in the 33rd SD.
Having received several calls from Mission Viejo residents regarding word from our city officials and state representatives on the fires let me share the following.
Todd Spitzer has earned the respect from many of my neighbors who called telling me of his quick action in this natural disaster including his appearance on KFI radio this morning.
In the meantime I have waited to hear from our state senator Dick Ackerman. Earlier today I received his latest newsletter which one would have expected to include an update on the fires and what actions the state government was doing in the way of dealing with this tragic event. Following is the first few paragraphs.
Subj: Daily Briefing for October 24, 2007
Date: 10/24/2007 10:52:38 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: senator.ackerman@senate.ca.gov
To: subscribers@sen.ca.gov
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Daily Briefing for October 24, 2007
STEVE LOPEZ COLUMN
He won’t say ‘I told you so . . .’
http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-me-lopez24oct24,1,5880052.column?coll=la-news-columns
Former San Diego fire Chief Jeff Bowman, who repeatedly warned that his city wasn’t prepared to handle major fires, is out back of his house near Escondido at 7 a.m., watching the smoke come over a ridge and wondering if he’ll lose everything he’s got. “I think I’m OK,” Bowman says, pointing out how he cleared the brush, picked rocky surroundings and built his hilltop ranch house with very little exposed wood.
PETER SCHRAG COLUMN
Educate them, then deport them: This is nuts
http://www.sacbee.com/schrag/story/450067.html
A bipartisan group in Congress has been struggling for years to pass the federal Dream Act, which would allow an estimated 360,000 young illegal immigrants who are recent graduates of U.S. high schools – many are now in college – to get on the track toward legal residency. An estimated 45,000 live in California.
MATIER & ROSS COLUMN
Southern California blazes add to global warming
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/10/24/BADISUPJ6.DTL&type=politics
When it comes to greenhouse gases, Mother Nature and her forest fires like the ones raging through Southern California can be some of the biggest polluters out there. According to the California Air Resources Board, the blazes raging from Malibu to the Mexican border will send some 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, plus 200,000 tons of methane and nitrous oxide.
WILDFIRES
Governor visits fire-ravaged Lake Arrowhead
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-arrowhead24oct24,1,5509922.story?coll=la-news-politics-california&ctrack=5&cset=true
As twin blazes continued raging through the Lake Arrowhead region, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited one of its fire-ravaged neighborhoods today to view the damage.
————————————————————————————————————————
What did Dick have to say to those of us on his distribution? Zilch, NADA. Only clippings from various newspapers around the state.
Last night I stood on a friends balcony in Mission Viejo and watched the flames around five miles away over Saddleback Church where there are no roads for the fire trucks to approach the subject area. So at noon today I called Dick Ackerman’s district office to ask where has he been for the past four days. The response. “He is out with the governor.” The media reports that even president Bush is coming to see the damaged area first hand. He might even get on the scene before our local Republican leader.
I have left a thank you note for Todd on his cell phone.
Therefore, for this week I tip my hat to Todd and express my disappointment in our senator for his delay/failure in trying to show his efforts to fight the fires and calm our fears. While this may not be 9-11 there are those who have lost their homes and could use some moral support at this time! Juice Readers. Did any of you hear from Senator Ackerman?
Yeah, right. I saw Spitzer on t.v. mugging for the cameras, running around in turnouts….you’da thought he was actually fighting the fire. Spitzer is nothing more than a pandering, opportunistic politician – an ambitious one at that. Should we start calling him Governor Spitzer yet? He should spend less time on his soap box and more time earning a living, rather than suckling on the teat of the public trough.
Anon 1:29 pm
Style points aside you cannot argue that Todd is multitasking. And as long as it includes an effort to draw attention to the safety needs of the community I will give him a pass for being on camera.
Larry:
Since when did state Senators become firefighters? I didn’t think you’d be one of those who’d succumb to the temptation of demanding that their elected officials — any elected official — must “do something” regardless of how far afield the issue is from their area of responsibility.
Larry:
Ackerman was AWOL on this one. Shame on the AWOL Senator.
But remember their are no special interest for him to call the Mayor for–like subsides to a local car dealer in the Re-Development Zone.
I say a big thank you to Todd Spitzer who pinned the tail on the Donkey–Cal Fire, who would not employ the certified Marine and Navy chopper pilots to fight the fires. Could it be Cal Fires cozy relationship with the private sector that inhibited the use of highly trained military pilots.
Also would it expose the facts that the military could do an effective job?
Spitzer stood up for the people while Ackerman choose to remain invisible with the exception of his Cameo Appearance with the Gov.
This is just like our gas tax money sent to Sacramento to be spent in anyplace but Orange County. Orange County has Two–yes Two Viet Nam era helicopters to fight fires.
It is time for all of the people to let the truth be know, and Cameo Appearance will not fetch it D. Ackerman.
Jack Still
Mission Viejo
Anon 3:23 P.M.
Using your argument president Bush should not be blamed for any FEMA delay in Katrina?
We have a presidential candidate in the Republican party whose major claim for being qualified is that he was on the scene immediately after 9-11 to reassure the citizens of NYC that we should remain calm during the GWOT. That visibility is what I am talking about. And no, Rudy is not a firefighter or police officer but he was there.
As someone said earlier today: “Where is the most dangerous place to be during the current So. Cal. fires?….
Answer: Standing between Todd Spitzer and a T.V. camera!
The shameless politico’s are out in full force.
The circle jerk with Garemendi, Schwartznegger et. all today was disgusting. Apparences/comments by Boxer, Issa Fienstien (who could’nt bother to be here) were equally disingenuous.
But I hold my vomit for Spitzer, who would invite the register to his own funeral if he thought it would get votes.
Using your argument president Bush should not be blamed for any FEMA delay in Katrina?
The problem with that example, Larry, is you’re not using my argument.
You’re just taking a gratuitous, illogical shot at Ackerman.
no doubt spitzer was grandstanding, but he did put all the politicos on defense. all we heard today was how efficient the govt was in reacting to the wildfires. oh really? oc was ignored for how many days before we received air support? it seems that after todd made his point, orange county received more resources. thank you, todd, for telling it like it is. now if you would only support civilian police oversight…. jill storm
Anon 4:54 PM
.
Area of responsibility?
I guess when politico’s convince us to vote for them based on a platform that always includes a promise to provide for our “public safety” yet when a serious event occurs they get a pass in that they are not fire fighters or cops?
What are you smoking, especially as we try to put out fires.
You multitask. Namely to delegate and second to put us at ease by showing your face to let us know you are taking action.
Yessirree- Todd knows how to primp and pimp for a camera, but where was he after the 2003 fires swept through OC and Southern California? Beating his chest in opposition to spending any money to provide the equipment he now laments not having, simply because his district burned this time around. Hypocrite. Larry, where were all the private donations for the equipment that Spitzer wanted to colect instead of the taxes or appropriations to pay for them? Vote for this clown again, Larry – you will find him screwing the fire authority and firefighters again in no time – and the people who suffer the loss of their homes and lives in the next fire. Pimp and preen, Todd, and run back to your sacramento mistress.
Therefore, for this week I tip my hat to Todd and express my disappointment in our senator for his delay/failure in trying to show his efforts to fight the fires and calm our fears.
Are we children, Larry? There’s no shortage of information on the fires. You’re rapping Ackerman because he didn’t send out an e-mail with the same information that’s everywhere else? Or because he isn’t grandstanding on the radio?
You use the President Bush/FEMA analogy. Bush is the chief executive. FEMA is an executive agency. Katrina’s impact is in FEMA’s jurisdiction.
Ackerman is a legislator. He is not in charge of local, county or state fire departments.
Unless you think he should be out there manning a firehose, what is your beef?
Anon 7:27 AM
Use caution as to what you post on this blog. “Your Sacramento mistress?”
You who hide behind an anonymous post making allegations which have zero bearing on the fires scorching CA. Shows that you have a lot of class. NOT!!!!!!!!!!
Anon 7:27 AM
Private donations? Part of any government agency is to provide public safety which includes police and fire protection, whatever that entails. As we now recognize the need for air support than the OC Fire Authority should add said equipment to their budget request and have the county make the call regarding extent of the funding and timing.
While thousands of individuals or firms responded to 9-11 with financial aide this is not an obligation of the private sector.
Anon 8:17 AM
Your words: “Ackerman is a legislator. He is not in charge of local, county or state fire departments.”
The same applies to Assemblyman Spitzer yet he was in the district he serves, the same district of our senator.
Perhaps Dick was with the governor for the same photo op that some accuse Todd of seeking.
I will admit that they have different styles of performing their tasks but in this case Senator Ackerman’s silence for the past four days was an error in judgement.
Hey LG,
Your cheerleading for Spitzer just exposes your shallow sensibilities in a time of sorrow. Grandstanding is nothing but an exercise in self-indulgence.
Check out the front page article in the LA Times today where your other idol Schwarzenegger is quoted as saying, “Anyone who is complaining about the planes just wants to complain, because it is just a bunch of nonsense” He further goes on in another article to characterize Spitzer’s complaint as “ridiculous” (direct quotes BTW)
The article states further that Spitzer remained mum when he toured the affected areas with the Gov. on Wed. How cowardly of him not to say anything when he had the Gov’s ear right next to him.
Todd Spitzer is my Assemblyman, not my idol. The good news is that I am able to contact him to support or oppose legislation, or in this case, to follow up on a natural disaster.
As to my other idol Arnold. Are you joking? You have no clue as to my position on our governor.
And your comment that Todd was silent when he was with the governor I can’t respond in that I wasn’t there. Were you?
OK
Spitzer is my assemblyperson too, so what? Aren’t we all supposedly able to contact our representatives or is that a priveldge reserved for you types that live in MV?
I certainly didn’t praise him for grandstanding as you did.
No, I wasn’t invited to tag along, but how come spitzer did not jump at the chance to grill the Gov. with all that media around. Wasn’t that his initial purpose for grandstanding in the first place to shine a light on the lack of resources to the OC? Why wasn’t his chest puffed out then?
Also, I really don’t follow your preferences, so sorry for assuming you that you liked the Gov.
When the Governor got up on Weds.
to make his statement…all the
usual suspects were there. Our
own guy Chuck Devore stood behind
with great decorum…no grand standing. So, Arnold finishes up
his comments and he introduces
Dick Ackerman to make a few comments…well, Ackerman approaches the microphone…says
two words and the audio went out.
He couldn’t get the mic back on..
and all the media..cut to a commercial! So, we wouldn’t even
be having this discussion if they
hadn’t cut his microphone on Weds!
Readers.
I had breakfast with a retired firefighter this morning where we discussed the fires and Arnold’s comments. He informed me that LA contracts for as-needed air support while Orange County does not. All in all he felt that Arnold was not 100% accurate in his remarks and I will leave it at that.
CQT 96.
Assemblyman Spitzer has spent most of his official time in Sacramento with a primary focus on public safety. Therefore you should not be surprised by his pro-active stance in questioning our response time for fighting these fires.
As to being on camera or KFI. While people around the country have been glued to their radios and TV ‘s all week where better to get the message out.
Should he hunker down in his new broom closet of an office until the fires are put out?
As to his being accessible. It’s nice to actually have an elected official who responds to your calls. I am sure if you have a valid issue and contact his office you too will get the same level of responsiveness which I receive.
I pray that you and your family have not been impacted by our local fires.