Rawstory: Texas cut fire department funding by 75 percent this year

[markpkessinger]

Texas cut fire department funding by 75 percent this year

Posted on 09.6.11
By David Edwards

Under Gov. Rick Perry (R) this year, Texas slashed state funding for the volunteer fire departments that protect most of the state from wildfires like the ones that have recently destroyed more than 700 homes.

Volunteer departments that were already facing financial strain were slated to have their funding cut from $30 million to $7 million, according to KVUE.

The majority of Texas is protected by volunteer fire departments. There are 879 volunteer fire departments in Texas and only 114 paid fire departments. Another 187 departments are a combination of volunteer and paid.

For that reason, aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could be more important than ever to the state where wildfires have recently been raging.

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read full article at: http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/09/texas-cut-fire-department-funding-by-75-percent-this-year/

[yardwork]

1. I hope that this story has legs. k&r

[Warpy]

4. It better have legs. At the same time, FEMA has given 20 grants this year

dedicated to firefighting to Texas, 16 of them in April, alone.

Someone needs to start asking Perry just what he did with all that FEMA money.

[Fumesucker]

7. Hookers and blow?

One can wish of course...

[Kingofalldems]

2. Another words Texas relies on Federal Welfare for basic services

[Oceansaway]

3. K&R...n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. What do you say to that, Rick?

Hmmmmm?

[Wind Dancer]

6. Shameful!

[RKP5637]

8. Scary Perry Solutions 101! n/t

[teddy51]

9. Yep, real Presidential material here! NOT..... Damn, the nutbags that the

Repugs/Teabaggers are offering is a major joke. Other than Perry being good looking (and that's a personal evaluation) not certain what I see him offering to voters.

[HappyMe]

10. He's gone from plain old nutbar,

to dangerous, thieving nutbar.