San Diego County is the only county in California without a fire department. This is because San Diego is extremely conservative, especially in the rural eastern county where these fires started. And conservatives don't want to pay taxes, even for obviously important things like fire equipment. This isn't new either, it was an issue in the Cedar Fire four years ago.

I live in San Marcos, a city in north SD county with it's own fire department, where we just opened a new fire station two blocks from my house. We evacuated briefly on Monday due to a small fire that was quickly extinguished and then watched for the rest of the week as the Witch Creek and Harris fires raged throughout the county.

On Thursday I was looking through some fire pictures on a local news website and I came across a photo of a San Marcos fire engine at the Harris fire, 30 miles south. On the news I heard that at the height of the Harris fire they had 10 engines fighting it but they really needed 100 to contain it.

If the Witch Creek fire (burning between us and the Harris fire) had decided to turn north any time this week we would have been in real trouble real fast. And the resources we paid for would have been tied up fighting a fire for people who (presumably) didn't want to pay for those same things.

On the freeway yesterday morning I saw fire engines from Milbrae and San Bruno returning home. These cities in the San Francisco area had diminished fire protection so their departments could drive 400 miles south to help out here. Should they have, given that San Diego County wouldn't have been able to return the favor if the situation had been reversed?

I'm not begrudging anyone fire protection. But I am tired of the conservative free-riders who don't believe in personal responsibility or paying their fair share of taxes assuming that the rest of us will pick up the tab for their anti-social behavior. And the end result of this behavior is a greater threat to life and property from uncontrolled wildfires for those of us who are responsible citizens.

The Republican Party is a racist, homophobic, lawless torture supporting anti-Constitution anti-democracy organization. "Bias" would be mindlessly promoting the Republicans who practice these things and mindlessly attacking those who disagree.

Y'know, kind of like what Fox News does.

Seriously, go fuck yourself.

I didn't like or dislike you as President, but I didn't vote for you. It's what we get to do as Americans, choose our leaders.

Your son, however, is a piece of shit. And although I didn't choose him he stole an election with the help of your advisers. He's human garbage and so are you. You raised him and encouraged him so you share in his manifest failures.

My child, my 9-year-old daughter, has to live under diminished expectations, will live under the threat of terrorist attacks and a ruined environment because you are a bad parent. My child will learn to fear her government, hate her crazy rightwing countrymen, fear that her government will arrest and imprison her without cause and maybe be forced to kill or be killed at the whim of your idiot child.

What do you expect from me, forgiveness? Do you want me to feel sorry for an old man crying crocodile tears for his failed child and the needless death and destruction his progeny has caused?

Go fuck yourself you traitorous old bastard. You don't deserve to call yourself an American.

..care for a glass of wine.

But my son is going for his second tour of Iraq soon and sadly I'm at a loss for what to do or say.

So there you go.

Busy shooting holes in the boat they themselves are floating in. Good job Mr. Slade. Mission Accomplished.

So how many plastic knives, forks and spoons do we throw away in this country every day?

"They can own the issue forever and get nothing done. Or they can reach out and decide to have a bipartisan discussion and get something done"

Meaning, do it my way or we do nothing. I think we've been doing it your way for about the last 7+years there Newty and frankly you and yours have screwed the pooch big time. Now you have "solutions" - if the liberals will bend over and take them, that is,

I've had enough of the Republicans and their nuclear options and suicide pacts.

Get bent pal.

My favorite is from the "Stop The ACLU" website. It has "ACLU" in large letters and the "C" is formed with a hammer and scythe. Below it it says "Enemy Of The State".

I think there is an irony gene that the wingnuts are missing, or maybe the kool-aid has some irony impairing properties.

I am a 7th generation white male American and I apologize for what my government did to you in my name.

It's not what we are about, it's not what we are supposed to be and I intend on fixing this country.

Again, I apologize - and when this is done if you should even decide to visit us again we will welcome you.

Since when did our legal system become a place where "an innocent man cannot simply trust that the truth will come out"?

Because I thought the system was so completely and totally correct and above-board in all respects that there wasn't even a need for trials or evidence - that we could trust implicitly the government only charged guilty people?

Isn't that what Bush and Gonzales were arguing, what? about 3 months ago?