To quote Pogo: "I have seen the enemy, and it is us"

Amidst all the rants from the Trump Administration about California's mismanagement of forest lands -- some truth in some criticisms, imho -- leading to the devastating L.A. and other wildfires, often overlooked is the fact that 46% of California's LAND MASS and a huge majority of its forest lands are owned by the Federal government. That includes the National Forest in which the Palisades fire that devastated L.A.. So now we see the Trump Administration's solution: cut the workforce that maintains the forests by 10%, but leave the firefighters intact to deal with the results of that mismanagement.

"The U.S. Forest Service, an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that manages national forests and public lands, fired about 3,400 probational workers, according to a source familiar with the cuts.

"It represents nearly 10% of the Forest Service workforce of 35,000 employees. The source told USA TODAY the layoffs don't extend to firefighters, law enforcement officers, bridge inspectors or meteorologists.

"Forest Service workers anticipate that Schedule A employees, who include disabled people and veterans working two-year probational periods, will be targeted next, the source said"

--USA Today

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DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

The quote applies yet your reasoning of the quote is the total opposite.

The greed of capitalism is behind its meaning.

The federal resources were never there, nor was California's resources available.

The blame is ALL of us, for we are supposed to be apart of the government.

Infrastructure is Government's responsibility to it's people. Both federal and state governments. Not to the greed of capitalism.

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

So the people laid off were not doing anything? Why were they on payroll?

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hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@dancingtongue A number of years ago Alberta did similar to what Trump is now doing. It was a real benefit to both the employees and the employers. Moral in the civil service went up. The employment rate went up. The government deficit went way down.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@hippyjoe1955 Aside from the goals of reducing government payroll and spending, was it done in similar broad stroke randomness as Trump/Musk or was it more targeted to actually weed out underperformers, inefficiencies, and unneeded?

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@dancingtongue It was pretty much a % cut. It was not a targeted cut.

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dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@acpguy So nothing constructive to contribute tot he discussion then.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@acpguy " My dad first served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War for three years. He was a staff sergeant, a radio operator and an instructor, and was awarded the Bronze Star with a “V” device — for valor. He met my mom at a USO dance at Fort Carson, Colo., in 1953 and they married six months later.

"He then went to grad school on the G.I. Bill and got a doctorate in plant pathology from the University of Minnesota in 1961.

"The U.S. Forest Service hired him as a research scientist. His area of expertise was tree diseases of the northern hardwoods states.

"I can see your eyes glazing over, but the fact is, thousands of federal employees do essential work that you’ll never see, appreciate or care about. " -- Jack Ohman

Point being, as a plant pathologist specializing in diseases of the northern hardwoods need not be able bodied to determine how to protect the forests.

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