Plano Firefighters Association challenges idea of Collin County as Republican stronghold

Chris Kidd, says:

Scot, uh..yeah man. This is America ya know, people can have different political beliefs that dont attest to yours brother. Collin and Denton are starting to become democratic areas, maybe its the common sense approach that unions have is whats scares you...

Jason Rice, says:

::only a matter of time

Holding your breath?

Travis Bush, says:

LOL..again with the "Watch out! Texas is becoming California!..." Not gonna happen.

Jason Rice, says:

I, for one, welcome our new Marxist overlords.

Travis Bush, says:

Yeah right, Jason...You gotta lower the draw bridge first..

Jason Rice, says:

::lower the draw bridge first..

Shhhh! The ones that walk on water are the only way we feed the fish.

Travis Bush, says:

I also have to come back and say that I agree with Scott, to some extent, about the unions. haven't heard much about them making serious sacrifices to help the struggling economy. Is there something I'm missing?

Scot Walker, says:

12.6% unemployment is common sense? Ha! There sure are a lot of have-nots in that labor union bastion, Michigan.

So we want to emulate that success? Detroit?

Sorry, guys, there I go again - looking at the results.

Scot Walker, says:

Here's a story from today's L.A. Times about an L.A. teacher who gets paid to stay home. There were 4 complaints in 1 year from female students and colleagues over sexual harassment. For 7 years, he has had full pay, vacation time, sick time, full benefits but hasn't done a second of work. He stays home. Why? Union contract.

He's 1 of 160 employees in the same situation.

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-tea...

"The housed are accused, among other things, of sexual contact with students, harassment, theft or drug possession. Nearly all are being paid. All told, they collect about $10 million in salaries per year -- even as the district is contemplating widespread layoffs of teachers because of a financial shortfall."

It's very hard to actually get fired once you have tenure in California. You get tenure after only 2 years of teaching. Arnold tried to make it 5 years, but the unions spent $200 million on ads to defeat that ballot initiative.

Pavel Lishin, says:

The problem with any large organization is that it eventually falls victim to self-perpetuating ideology, and forgets what it was originally created for.

It's evolution, really. Except these things don't die easily.

Jason Rice, says:

Like slime mold?

All for one!

Sander Wolf, says:

again, you really need to differentiate your opinion stories from your news stories. This crap is fine, but please label it differently so it doesn't get picked up by the aggregators, etc.

Scot Walker, says:

Union Fireman,

Here is the all-time donors list: http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php

The IAFF has spent $14,986,593 and 81% was given to Democrats.

Here is the Plano's Firefighter Association's Political Links Web page on their site: http://www.planofirefighters.org/inde...

Is that a bi-partisan list? Daily Kos? Huffington Post? Slate?

I'm not vilifying firefighters. That's a straw man. The Dallas Morning News has an article about the growing influence of the firefighters union in Plano. I'm commenting on that issue and looking at the track-record of where union donations go (mostly to Democrats) and I'm pointing out that the Obama administration is working to make unions more powerful in every state, including Right to Work states like Texas. The Plano Firefighters Association knows that too, which is why they highlighted that story on their Web site.

Here is a Democratic blog about how Plano's political direction is changing towards progressive because of the Plano Firefighter Association: http://collindemsnews.blogspot.com/20...

Apparently, I'm not the only one with this view.

"Long dominated by Republican leaning high growth real estate development interests, new constituencies are slowly taking over as the real estate developers lose interest in using their influence to sway local politics to their favor, now that Plano is all but fully developed. The rise of Plano's Firefighter Association is another indication the city undergoing a political shift in the progressive direction."

The Plano Firefighters Association is backing Proposition 1, which is an $11,368,000 bond (debt) for the taxpayers at a time when Plano has a multimillion dollar deficit. Is that fiscally conservative? New fitness center equipment for firefighters?

Chris Kidd, says:

David, hence why I've decided not to get involve in the low brow "repub" antics that the party is currently engaging in.

Jason Rice, says:

I dunno. I Kinda like his stuff - and the firestorms. I learn a lot on both sides.

Remember just 8 months ago, the democrats were all grandly sporting the "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism" bumper stickers? Now the same champions are shouting "Sit down and shut up!"

Good for the goose...

Travis Bush, says:

Really, Jason? I don't see anyone telling anyone to sit down and shut up. I think there is more of a request that FACT and OPINION be separated.

It is the same phenomenon in regards the teabaggers...all this complaint about spending money to boost our economy now, yet no such complaints every time another zero got tacked on to our total war expenditures over the last decade.

Dismay from Republicans becomes some kind of sick joke..especially after suffering under their leadership for such a long time.

Jason Rice, says:

::teabaggers.

--- and other tinfoil hat wearers. Can we all agree they don't belong to any of us? Natural selection has failed us.

As for opinions... he draws conclusions and with some practice will bring his supporting arguments out of the "retort" block of his post-publish arguments into the body of the story. The data he uses, when complete (and when not, he acknowledges it on correction), presented earlier, would that halt the charges of "opinion"? Right?

::The IAFF has spent $14,986,593 and 81% was given to Democrats.

That doesn't sound opinionated.

The full lineup of political links on the quoted site... again, pretty clear left leaning (shock of shocks on a Union site... but anyway) not opinion.

So I'm missing the delineation. maybe some numbers up front would soften th blow, but he comes to conclusions - and they have a personal bias, but they are not invalid.

Then again, I voted for ScoobyDoo

Scot Walker, says:

Travis, the war in Iraq has cost us a total of around $600 billion over 6 years. Obama signed a single $780 billion stimulus bill.

He has a $1.65 trillion dollar deficit for this year alone and is projected to have $500 billion in deficits indefinitely.

Jason Rice, says:

But he has a new puppy.

Chris Kidd, says:

We should let this guy and avi fight it out for title of "Offical Old Crazy Crank" on Pegasus News

Pavel Lishin, says:

<i>Travis, the war in Iraq has cost us a total of around $600 billion over 6 years. Obama signed a single $780 billion stimulus bill. </i>

So it's only bad when the guy who isn't in your party does it?

Scot Walker, says:

So your opinion, "Billusa99", is that Pegaus News should not publish my articles for the good of free speech?

And I shouldn't respond to comments and should keep my mouth shut, for the good of free speech?

That's your position? :)

Scot Walker, says:

"So it's only bad when the guy who isn't in your party does it?"

That's the point, I think equating $600 billion over 6 years to $780 billion in a single piece of legislation is seriously flawed.

Republicans have been critical of Bush's spending for years, starting with his $300 billion entitlement program for prescription drugs early in his first term.

Jason Rice, says:

Well guys, in trying to scare him off, I think you convinced him to stay.

Scot now has a face.

Scot Walker, says:

It was the punch and cookies that did it.

Jason Rice, says:

Well, I was baking a cake, but if you've already moved in....

Travis Bush, says:

I think Jason is lonely..

Jason Rice, says:

Yeah! Where are all the guys supposed to be storming the drawbridge?

Scot Walker, says:

Union Fireman, very good and fair points, indeed.

What is the story about that list of political links on your Web site?

Scot Walker, says:

A bi-partisan one?

That list is nothing but leftist sites, including a few that are hateful (Daily Kos is the site who was reporting Sarah Palin's son wasn't hers and demonizes conservatives when they get cancer or die, like Tony Snow).

I think that list of political sites kind of contradicts this image you are trying to portray that your union is bi-partisan.

I think 77% of the IAFF's 2008 contributions going to Dems and 23% going to Republicans is also not very bi-partisan. It's less partisan than other unions giving 97-99% to Dems, but I wouldn't call it bi-partisan. Please note that IAFF's spending to Democrats increased from 72% in 2006 and 2007 to 77% in 2008.

In regards to the ISO class 1 rating, I agree that it's important to keep that rating Plano has had for years. The new debt was not required to keep that rating.

All of the candidates you guys endorsed won. Congrats! :)