City Council...clueless?

Frankly I’ll believe the whole insurance thing when I see my bill go up. Every time I hear it come up it sounds to me like nothing but a scare tactic.

I think it’s great that we have such a wonderful fire service here in Prince Rupert, but we just can’t afford it any more. Every time the city would bring in a round of cuts the Fire hall would escape and now it’s just time for them to finally cut back. I found it amusing that back a ways when the city was cutting in most of it’s departments not only did our Fire Dept not get cut back, they expanding into become First Reponders! Thats a great service too, when the city can afford it.

Hard decisions are being made and it’s time for the Fire Dept to cough up.

Just renewed mine. $17 more than last year.

Might just be inflation or other factors.

I went to renew my insurance on my truck, and its was down to $80/month, with full collision, and comprehensive of 1 million. Also with windshield, theft, and fire. Before i just had basic coverage, with $200 000 comprehensive, and nothing else, and it was something like $95/month. 3 more years, and insurance will be really cheap. Houses should be the same… If you have safe living for so long they should give you discounts.

One big reason for the increase of house insurance is due to the Underwriting companies feeling the effect of the Kelowna fires. They affected rates everywhere in BC

Oh. That’s the excuse huh. Insurance co’s are greedy scum who’d raise rates ‘because Mars and Jupiter were in alignment’.
USed to live outside the fire district in a log house. $2500 to insure a $100,000 log house. So a lot of neighbours put their woodstoves in seperate buildings and piped hot water to the house. The rates went up 'because they had to be 100 ft away. So the next guy put his 110 ft away. The rates went up cuz it had to be 50m away. So they started a lobby to make a satellite fire dept. Insurance compnay found out and said rates would go up unless there were a minimum 20 trained volunteers on call. So they got that many, and the insurance said rates would go up because they needed a certain model firetruck (not the donated one, one they only started manufacturing that year).
So keep in mind that the goal of an insurance company is to take as much money as they can get from you, make it as difficult as possible to put in a claim, and stuff as much into shareholder dividends as they can. Their advertising theme of ‘helping protect you’ is as shallow as Michelin’s ‘you’re risking your children’s lives if you don’t use our tires’ theme.

rant for June 3…

CrazyMike……I find it interesting that you think that the Fire Dept. should be cut. I strongly disagree. Emergency services are not out to make profit. Fire Departments are in the business of saving lives. I read a letter to the editor in the Daily News a few months ago that was in opposition to the Fire Dept. being cut. It mentioned the case down south where the Coast Guard couldnt enter an overturned vessel to save lives because of regulations. By cutting staff to the fire hall that is essentially what would happen. Firemen wouldnt be able to enter structures because of regulations until a few others got out of bed and eventually showed up delaying what would be crucial time to save lives. It makes no sense to me especially when the city is only going to save maybe $300,000- $400,000 a year tops and we have huge things on the horizon here. In the next 5 years that amount of money is going to be a drop in the bucket the maintain an essential service which will be even more essential when the container port is operating. You can’t put a price tag on life safety. This isn’t some small farming community that would be fine with a few local volunteers. This is a progressive and diverse industrial based city that requires alot more in the way of services than most municipalities of similar size. Sure we have all been down over the past 10 years but we have a huge future ahead of us and it’s time to invest fully in that future and stop turning the clock back to what service levels were 35 years ago in policing and fire, not to mention recreation and such. Time to stop looking back and to look forward.

I think all court house staff should be let go as there too many of them what do you think CrazyMike. We need the fire dept we dont need a bunch of volunteer guys who no shit, then we will be looking at fatalities in more fires.

Clearly we can and do put a price tag on life safety. It’s called a budget. By your reasoning we should just cut the firehall a blank check. Hell why stop there. Why not take every unemployed person in the city and hire them as firefighters. That way we could build a firehall on every block and fully staff that as well. After all, it would be safer that way and lives would be saved. :unamused:

Well lets set aside this “thinly” veiled personal attack for a moment and focus on the courthouse. We run one man short most of the time at the Sheriffs office. That means that on occasion someones personal safety and the safety of the public is at risk. Why don’t we have that one extra Sheriff we require? We don’t have it because of budget cut-backs. It may surprise you that as someone who has to work in that environment, and who’s personal safety is on the line due to these cutbacks, I agree with the budget. I agree with it because if we had that extra Sheriff we would have an extra guy sitting around doing nothing most of the time.

These are tough times for the Rupert and every department of the city has to fall under review. Having a sacred cow that is untouchable is not the smart thing to do. It’s simple. Either they cut back services or the taxpayers in Rupert pay. Considering the lack of an uproar over the consideration of budget cuts around the city (including the Fire Hall), I’d say the taxpayers don’t feel like shouldering all of the burdon.

I know I don’t.

Hmmm… can a Sheriff go around deputizing people in times of need? Like Rosco does with the Duke boys?

Well it’s not as easy as just running around Deputising people… but in the BC Sheriff act it does empower us to:

Now if I could just convince the Government to change our vehicle colors from white to “General Lee” orange… :laughing:

Crazy Mike**…if you think that maintaining a firehall that as just an adequate number of people on shift to actually perform a rescue is writing “a blank cheque” then you have some serious problems. The firefighters here in Rupert have had to deal with cutbacks contrary to what you think. If what I am told is right they are making 15% less than most firefighters in BC and 14% less than Terrace. Not to mention the anxiety that goes with having your job and your family’s well being threatened repeatedly. When you sleep at night rest peacefully knowing that if something goes wrong that there is an adequately manned and trained fire department that will come and save you quickly.

If you are comparing your own workplace issues to those that work in our fire department then you have alot to learn. Our cities firefighters have alot to deal with and don’t as you do in your workplace sit around doing nothing. They deal with a variety of responsibilities which require them to put their own safety at risk to protect others. I know of car accidents, house fires, hazardous materials, medical emergencies, suicides, high angle rescue, marine incidents that these men have to deal with on a daily basis that auxiliary firefighters or your average sheriff would not be capable of doing. Not to mention that they maintain the entire building and equipment washing toilets, floors, windows etc. These guys have so much more to do then the average person realizes.

There is also the small issue of a collective agreement and these men have a clause in their contract for a minimum crew of 20 on staff. Kudos to them for negotiating something that not just guarantees their employment but assures the public that an adequate firefighting crew is available to respond 24/7.

I as a citizen and taxpayer feel better with the fire department as it is and it frightens me to think of what will happen if this towns fire department is ripped apart as city council insists on doing.**

fingahz, I’m going to comment one more time and then let this be since it will just turn into a flame war.

You clearly didn’t read my post very well, or your own for that matter. The comment about the blank cheque was a reply to your logic of “You can’t put a price tag on life safety.” Following that logic we should just throw more and more money at the firehall because clearly it would make us safer. In reality I have no clue about how the budget at the firehall works. Neither do you. I don’t think it’s unfair, however, to be looking into thier buget. Thats the job of city hall and it’s what we trust them to do. I have seen no information in the media that convinces me that doing so would cause peril to the citizens of Prince Rupert. What I have seen is very little factual information and a lot of scare tactics. If you have some actual facts to share in favor of your position (and not the “I read this somewhere” stuff) then I would be happy to change my opinion.

Telling me that thier duties of “maintain the entire building and equipment washing toilets, floors, windows etc.” doesn’t make me feel better. Don’t you think that the city could hire someone to do those tasks at a MUCH lower rate of pay than a firefighter? They have got to be the highest paid toilet cleaners in town.

As for the courthouse comments… of course I wouldn’t compare my workplace to thiers. They deal with the reality of dealing with fires and other emergency incidents and I deal with the reality of keeping the courts a safe place to be and possibly having to use deadly force to do so. Two entirely different things. My courthouse comments were strictly in response to Astrothug. He clearly isn’t smart enough to debate an issue so instead resorts to personal attacks. I was trying to open a door for him to participate.

Mike

Where anywhere did it say that I read anything? It actually said

You assume too much Mikey. You have no idea where I get my information from. Just wondering if you have attended any recent Council meetings or townhall meetings during the past year or two???

You just finished saying that you have no idea how the budget at the firehall works. Again you assume too much by saying that they must be the highest paid toilet cleaners in town. I’ll tell you one thing that I know. The janitors at the schools make more than our firefighters do. Provincial and Federal government employees make more than our firefighters do. These guys do it because they love it and have a genuine desire to help people and to make a difference, not to make oodles of cash. Maybe the provincial government should get taxi drivers to do transfers of criminals?? I’m sure that it would save money. Whats the big deal?? …Sheriffs must be the highest paid taxi drivers in town.

Who said anything about throwing more to the Fire Department. This is all about keeping current service levels.

Let me tell you what I do know. The information provided to the public in regards to comparing fire department budgets across the province by the city manager was misleading. He was comparing apples to oranges. PR’s fire department budget is roughly 1.8 million/year for 20 firefighters. Terraces budget in 2003 was roughly 1.4 million with 8 firefighters and about 30 volunteers. $400,000/year difference for a huge difference in service that you are already in fact and have been paying for for years. Its not the Fire Department or RCMP for that matter that has put PR into such a cash crunch. The city has purchased land next to Cow Bay and is now a landlord to NIS. They not only have incurred more debt because of this but no also take in less taxes. The city has helped finance the museum sale. Which in Mr. Kumars terms has affected PR’s “liquidity”. I’m not sure what is going through this guys head but he has put certain city departments heads on a platter and is trying to get them and their families to pay with their livlihoods.

Back to apples and oranges. PR’s Fire Dept was compared to Port Moody, Ft St John ,Squamish. Lets look at similar industrialized port communities. Campbell River ,20 firefighters, no volunteers; Kitimat 18 firefighters, no volunteers. Many other towns have close neighbouring communities that could give help if needed. Terrace has Thornhill, Port Moody has Coquitlam and Maple Ridge, Kelowna has Westbank. The RCMP here have their ERT that can be easily dispatched if needed. Who can PR’s firefighters call for help? Can’t count on Port Ed. They are too far away and have too few members. What happens if when the container port is operating if a crane operator has a heart attack 100 up in the air? Lets just say for arguments sake that you are an auxiliary firefighter. Are you going to be able to leave your job to help? No?? Well who is going to do it?? Not enough guys on shift at the firehall anymore so I guess the guy is S.O.L. Too bad that the fire department was reduced. Try explaining that to the guys family.

Lets say that your house catches on fire on a Saturday night. Your kids are fast asleep as are you. You get out of the house but the flame and smoke made it impossible to get your kids. The Fire Dept. shows up with two guys and cant go inside until there are four. You can hear your kids inside but can’t get to them. Youre waiting for two more firefighters to show up on scene and get you kids out while theyre still alive but no one shows up. Its a Saturday night and no one else is available to come to your kids aid. No one can go in.

Scare Tactics?? No…this crap happens everyday. It doesnt have to happen here over a couple hundred thousand dollars a year.

Don’t worry dude…its just a debate.

nicly said.

Mike is being paid by kumar.

Paid by? Hell didn’t you hear? He’s my live-in lover… :open_mouth:

Mike

lol

:frowning: :shock: :? :wink: :idea: :arrow: 8)
Mighty glad at least one somebody is able to see past through the smoke & flame, much like Superman’s vision and DOUBLY glad he is able to describe the horror of what he is witmess too! The dumkopff is one of the many liberal dreamers that has the vision of a milk wagon horse mit der blinders on, exactly like does udder ones at the great hall, not to forget the fart mit the office that is now closed with some jobs lost. The prime reason we are so screewed up of a city lies with these two fancsions of the same entity> Liberal. Gov’t was not conceaved to be a corporation, it was to look after the people and there environs. If we can come up with ways to embellish a project the payback is in taxes but we would be utterly foulish not to retain key things directly linked or associated with our bread and water, our resources. If you want more boom and bust go to the USA please, leave use in peace. With boom comes inflation and bust you starve, be on the street! The Green Party is a excellant read on this concept. So is the Nature of Things show. Stupid you can’t borrow from libruaries this show of 30+ years running yet peoples are still oblivious to the immportant messages that lie within; ESPECIALLY those that we elected. When such an employee of the people makes a statement such as “oh! That Idot” and repeats it, I lost fath and walked away. It became as in legal terms “A No Contest”! And I the one with Disabilities, actually recertified 2 years ago by his supported (vote) mandate. What a horror that was.
Point in closing, RE pulp mill, When the circus is runing there is interest and money made, when it gets shut down and there are lots of other circuses around, no interest. Best you can hope for is a nickle or dime to get rid of everything. The Chinese thing is scary but the last kick so to say. Shrug & say oh well. Then again hold our breath a while longer yet, hoping we can get past the flames followed with the pain from the immediate past to deal with. Try ever so hard, never-never ever to get burnt, its quite an exciting and exillerating expirance, Like Jimmy Hendrix- song “Are you EXPERIENCED?” a saying goes: It is much, much worst to be 1/2 Dumb than completly Dumb, one has no and gives no excuses!

:open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: Why is the COUNCIL form in this section locked out, did the Fitz complain again the bullies are after him? Nothing need be said other than watch him, watch him well and if you’r obsevant you will be rewarded with some insights. Kindly known as “Shootfootinmouth”.

No offense man, but your shit is nigh impossible to read.