Politics of Wildfire

 It is disturbing to me that the wildfires have become political too.

My brother wants to blame the governor, but then the governor gets blamed for every tiny thing wrong if you are of the opposite political party.  It's always been that way.  If its not the governor, its the President, if a person is of the opposite party. 

First it was stated widely that one of the fires could have been halted when it was 400 acres but the governor refused to call in federal help, or something.  The other version of the same story states the governor wouldn't put out the fire because if it got bigger, she could ask for federal money.   Another story circulating is she refused to call in the national guard to help with the fires for two weeks because it might look bad, like she was calling in the guard to stop the Portland violence with that crew of 100 or so freaks who throws things at police like spoiled toddlers every night.  That story started before two weeks had even passed since the fires went berserk.  The national guard was called in to help within three days, in fact.  My brother tells me all these with great gusto because he hates democrats.  My father was that way too.   I didn't argue but did send him a dated news article about when the guard came to help.  It won't change his mind though.  

I don't know how these stories start or if there is any truth to any of them.  Another story now has it that the governor gave state employees a big pay bonus that should have been used to fund the forestry department for fire fighting efforts.  And that she gave $60 million to public art projects instead of funding fire fighting.  Well, I suspect the art funding refers to the Portland city art tax, which has nothing to do with the state, although I don't know.  I have never heard of any state funded art projects.  Yet another story is that last year, when a bill that would have drastically increased fire fighting funds was up for vote, the Republicans in the legislature, fled the state so they wouldn't have to vote on a cap and trade bill, that was also up for a vote. So the cap and trade bill never passed and neither did increased wildfire funding.

There's probably plenty of blame to go around.  We really haven't experienced a lot of horrific huge wildfires in Oregon until two weeks ago and that was fueled by an extremely abnormal weather event.  We've been very lucky in years before this one, in regards to huge fires.  I don't think we've had a lot of huge flood problems for awhile either.  I can't remember.

 Those who blame the governor also seem to blame the people who like to hike and camp in the forests, like we're some sort of fire causing freaks.  Or the people who want watersheds protected for safe drinking water and water recreation like fishing or wildlife.  And think the saviors of the world are loggers and that climate change is a hoax.  Ok whatever.

I have no idea what is true, what isn't.  Most of its political crap really from one side or another.  Be nice if that could be set aside and forest science could prevail.   Without political leaning interference from one side or another.  

Fat chance in the world of today.  It's ridiculous that most of us even discuss it since I'm no forester, for gosh sakes and know nothing about how to best manage vast forests, for health and not just to make some company rich.

I've never owned my own home, so I can't imagine how it would feel to lose your own home like to a fire.  I have lost all my belongings several times.  This happened twice to me when I was evicted from a crappy rental.   My belongings were just tossed by family members or management.  As a result I don't have that many personal belongings and very little attachment to what I do have.  It's really hard, I discovered over the years, to ever consider a rental apartment a home.  You can be tossed out on your arse at the inclination of a landlord at any moment.   A rental is not much more than a campsite.  I'm not in that league of people who have a business that could burn, leaving me without livlihood or properties or a home to lose.  In that regard, I can't really be part of the discussion because I have no skin in the game.  

But I hope Oregon can manage its future rationally, not us vs. them politically.  I long for rational discussion of any subject now, without it tinged in politics.  Our country is already entirely on fire, in that regard. It makes solultions hard to come by.