Fire district best option

To the editor:

One definite way to ruffle feathers in the town of Hillsboro is to force this fire department to grasp reality. Only years ago did the department scream for change as cinder blocks were laid in the center of town to provide a temporary home for the fire department.

We dealt with the issue by putting a cheaply manufactured structure next to the most esteemed building in the county. Shortly after, we built a state-of-the-art fire station that met the needs of our local firefighters. Around the same time as the economy tanked nationally, we went into public works upgrades that could not be afforded by the people of Hillsboro sought after by previous administrations.

Warning signs such as Stockton, Calif., the city that recently filed for bankruptcy, remind Hillsboro of what can become local reality if necessary cutbacks are not made.

Because of years of budgetary mismanagement, Stockton will not be able to grow their city and will face setback after setback until they can build the city's credit back to an acceptable level. This also did away with the city having to pay pensions to retirees that worked for Stockton because pensions are considered a debt.

This is the path Hillsboro is being pressured down: manufacturing costly decisions into situations where nobody wins.

As I see it, Hillsboro has finally elected someone who has come up with a workable solution to a problem that has troubled the city for years: to join in with a district that will keep costs down while allowing the same coverage to the same area.

We are a society of technology that allows for a broader area to receive coverage under one system of management instead of many little systems that use up resources.

I would think that the fire department would be excited to join forces with their brotherhood of fellow rescuers. Instead, they shun the idea by campaigning "Save Our Fire Department" when they should be proudly waving a banner that says "save our city."

It seems like they are only invested in their own special interest instead of the job they are hired to do: to protect the city.

Not only to protect by fighting fires and paramedic services, but to also protect the city from a self-perpetuating downward spiral. It is time for Hillsboro Fire and Rescue to work hand in hand with their brotherhood of firefighters but to also work with the city and help ease some of the burden off of the backs of the people of Hillsboro. We can all work together, or we can die alone.

Sincerely,
Daniel Klein
Hillsboro