http://rawstory.com/news/2007/As_public_firefighting_decays_billion_dollar_1210.html">Another explanation...
The politics of private-firefighting
Some private firefighting firms or their owners have made hefty donations to the Republican Party and prominent elected officials. Mike Wheelock, owner of Greyback Forestry Inc. in Oregon, one of the largest and most elite private firefighting contractors with substantial federal contracts, gave a whopping $25,000 to the Republican National Congressional Committee in 2006, as well as large donations to George W. Bush’s presidential campaign and other prominent GOP leaders.
Privatization of government services is a key plank promoted by prominent Republican leaders including conservative strategist Grover Norquist – the Washington maven famously quoted for his desire to shrink government to be small enough to “drown it in a bathtub.” In 2005, a media strategist for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s told campaign donors of a plan to promote a `phenomenon of anger’ aimed at turning California voters against firefighters and other public employee union members to help pass ballot initiatives aimed at breaking up public unions and, perhaps, support privatization of firefighting and other public services.
“What we’re going to hear more of is sort of blaming the victims of these natural disasters who don’t pay the higher premiums to get this special service,” author of The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism Naomi Klein said on Democracy Now! Radio in July. “You're starting to hear the language of personal responsibility…`It’s up to you to protect you and your family. You can’t look to the government.’”
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