City on fire

New York City’s Fire Department Braces for Cuts

So, now that New York City voters have elected him back to office, following his ill-fated run at a doomed third term, look at what happens next, naturally :

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed a city budget that would shut down up to 20 fire companies.

Hypothetically, it may take a longer time for fewer fire fighters to respond to more fires than they could have reasonably been expected to fight in the past. Delayed or prolonged response times by fire fighters can result in serious injuries, fatalities, more expensive losses connected to property damage, and devastation of neighborhood economies. The FDNY plays a critical role in the safety and security of the city.

Meanwhile, in an article in today's newspaper, The New York Times reports that the mayor's proposed closings will have dire consequences. "Response times could creep up," the article's reporter, Al Baker, concluded.

This is the objective reporting from a member of the newspaper's journalism staff, not to be confused with the editorial board, which, as you may recall, in October 2009, "enthusiastically" endorsed the mayor's karmically-doomed third term.

It makes you wonder whether we live in a dangerous city because of terrorists, or because the mayor wants to see the city go up in flames.