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The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.
- Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
- Gated communities in Lodi (112)
- I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (99)
- The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (82)
- David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (59)
- Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (55)
- Universal health care solves big problems (37)
- Words from our forefathers (26)
- With resolve and imagination, Downtown Lodi can surge once again (24)
- 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home (18)
Lodi can't afford to lose four firefighters
I am writing on behalf of the Lodi firefighters. I am concerned not only for the safety of the community of Lodi and my family and friends, but first and foremost, the firefighters who serve the public on a daily basis.
My husband and the father of my children is employed by the city of Lodi as an engineer with the fire department, and has been a strong force in the department for eight years.
He is the man who gets up in the middle of the night to visit your parents or grandparents at Ashley Place and Delta Convalescent; the one who, with all the love and compassion, helps to reassure them that everything will be all right and things will look better in the morning; and the one who, with his crew, helps your aunt who has fallen in the bathtub and can't get up — showing her as much respect and privacy they can considering the circumstance. They are also the ones who are on call when your wife has locked the keys in the car at Wal-Mart with your new baby and your 3-year-old inside in the summer heat.
The city of Lodi and its budget shortfall is affecting your public services, the services your taxes pay for.
The fire department has already given to the city in the form of a pay cut and browning out a fire station 70 percent of the time — meaning if you had a fire in your home near the Turner Road area and Station 1 (Downtown) is browned out, you will have a fire company responding from possibly near Harney Lane. What condition do you think your home will be in when they finally arrive? Also think about your medical issues.
Now the city is asking for more — four firefighters. I think that is a safety issue for you and the firefighters.
I am asking you, as taxpaying citizens of Lodi, to do your part. Contact your council members and make your opinions known or attend the City Council meeting today. It is not OK to jeopardize your public safety and the safety of the firefighters of your city. They need your help.
Kim Allen
Valley Springs

Reader Feedback
what22 wrote on Jun 18, 2009 12:35 PM:
what22 wrote on Jun 18, 2009 12:34 PM:
Cogito wrote on Jun 17, 2009 10:40 PM:
reading wrote on Jun 17, 2009 8:20 PM:
Try to at least stay current on what happened 7 days ago before you type...it will help your posts look a bit less stupid.
That said, as of a week ago, it looks like the firemen and the city found some ways to "afford" their employees thru a series of cuts and compromises. Very old news. I guess all your firemen buddies left that out of your conversations. "
what22 wrote on Jun 17, 2009 4:12 PM:
Really wrote on Jun 17, 2009 1:04 PM:
Im not going to trade bashes with you its very juvenile
the fact that you told me to shut up show just how immature you are, Doesn't feel good when someone singles you out and bags on you now does it?
The bottom line is the Firefighters and I highly doubt you are on expert on the field, I have been directly involved with fire departments for the last 18 years
lets just say we will agree to disagree. "
Cogito wrote on Jun 17, 2009 9:46 AM:
really wrote on Jun 16, 2009 2:54 PM:
They would be laughing at you not with you.
I would pick your job apart but I have more integrity than that. To each their own, no go worry about your own. "
Lodian wrote on Jun 14, 2009 11:45 AM:
Robb wrote on Jun 13, 2009 5:08 PM:
I have no idea, whether there are real firemen in brooklyn, just not in lodi, that's my point...
Lodi firemen are over rated, and need to be held to a higher standard for what they make... "
Lodian wrote on Jun 13, 2009 2:28 PM:
Cogito wrote on Jun 13, 2009 7:51 AM:
Gator wrote on Jun 13, 2009 6:57 AM:
13 of the Eastside Locos, most all were transplants from California, ring a bell??
Friends of yours??? "
reading wrote on Jun 13, 2009 6:36 AM:
You got me there...I do tend to quickly skim over the redundantly stupid, therefore missing your location earlier.
Whatever your animosity stems from, it's not the problem of the Lodi taxpayer. Perhaps a return to drug use and some anger management will help brighten the sky in your world.
The LNS has a nice big article about the Galt Boys and Girls club today. Maybe you can inflict your endless knowledge there, and someone from Galt will actually believe you. "
illegalinLodi wrote on Jun 12, 2009 10:38 PM:
illegalinLodi wrote on Jun 12, 2009 10:34 PM:
Cogito wrote on Jun 12, 2009 8:50 PM:
Gator wrote on Jun 12, 2009 8:40 PM:
area California sent 10 crews to help out in 2007 and last year we sent 7 engines and
75 fire fighters to help out Southern California… That’s how things work amigo!! There are many ways to cut funds with out jumping on emergency services "
kp wrote on Jun 12, 2009 8:08 PM:
Cogito wrote on Jun 12, 2009 6:25 PM:
Gator wrote on Jun 12, 2009 2:56 PM:
Gator wrote on Jun 12, 2009 2:55 PM:
of Bull when I worked on a line Crew for PG&E, how come so many guys,
well I made a difference twice when I pulled linemen out of hot wires and
saved their lives, if I hadn’t been the fourth man on the crew someone would have died.. When one talks about a trade you know little about you had best Have your facts straight ore mums the word…. "
reading wrote on Jun 12, 2009 1:45 PM:
Make that, "I've seen..." "
reading wrote on Jun 12, 2009 1:43 PM:
I seen you post mostly negative comments on almost EVERY blog the LNS posts, and that has been over a long time period....so your credibility is pretty low to begin with.
Now that we know you're a Galt resident, whatever issue you have with them has nothing to do with Lodi, and it makes your statements even more ridiculous. Try to pay attention to which city you are talking about first, then get your story straight... before you post.
Good luck. "
kp wrote on Jun 12, 2009 12:49 PM:
Gator wrote on Jun 12, 2009 12:44 PM:
Engine 82 in the South Bronx , real good money!!! Or maybe the guys from
Rescue 2 in Brooklyn, they lost half the house in 9/11... A statement like yours could only come from a gutless wonder… "
Cogito wrote on Jun 12, 2009 11:43 AM:
KG wrote on Jun 12, 2009 10:39 AM:
KG wrote on Jun 12, 2009 10:36 AM:
suzain wrote on Jun 12, 2009 10:32 AM:
Eastsider wrote on Jun 12, 2009 9:49 AM:
Gator wrote on Jun 12, 2009 8:21 AM:
choice and no sick or vacation time goes with the territory. As for the
four Firefighters sure they are not needed every time but when they are
they make a difference, A house burns to the ground, a major fire downtown
Or a Death or two could be the end result then again cogito you could
volunteer and pick up the slack… "
Cogito wrote on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM:
kp wrote on Jun 11, 2009 6:39 PM:
Gator wrote on Jun 11, 2009 4:24 PM:
Gator wrote on Jun 11, 2009 4:18 PM:
to have the fires other cities have.. Here in Boise we have structure fires in
spurts, sometimes 5 or 6 a month then none, Last summer we had a wind storm come up and wires down 13 homes burned but 40 were saved, sorry to say one person died…50 mph winds and sagebrush burning but those greedy fireman saved the day and 40 plus homes.. My point don’t criticize what you know nothing about… 118 Metro firefighters and 26 Wild land Firefighters died on the job in 2008... "
suzain wrote on Jun 11, 2009 12:38 PM:
1-Cogito your full of it the fire department never charged you anything for your sore back thats pure BS and I hope that is was a true emergency.
2-the fire fighters were willing to do their part with the budget. The problem was 4 months ago we were asked to give back $342,000. We also knew that the city would be back for more when the new budget came out. We were not able to come up with that amount in a few months so we came up we a plane to give back $648,000 for 16 months. The city could not show us were that extra $306,000 went. That is how we got to where we were last week. "
Cogito wrote on Jun 11, 2009 7:56 AM:
KG wrote on Jun 10, 2009 9:48 PM:
"Shame On You!" How soon you forget about 911. Best Wishes to the Lodi Fire Department. Kelly Gore "
KG wrote on Jun 10, 2009 9:40 PM:
"The Brotherhood" as many of you have called it. To "Eastsider" the daughter of a 30 year veteran for the Stockton Fire Department if your really wondering if it takes a fire engine and four firefighters in uniform to buy dinner at the store why don't you ask your dad! I'm sure not much has changed since his time and in regards to your comment about calling a lock smith instead of the fire department to get a child & keys out of a locked car I would like to just say to you...I hope you remember that when it's your child in the car for hours while you wait for that lock smith. "
dogs4you wrote on Jun 10, 2009 6:47 PM:
backatu wrote on Jun 10, 2009 3:28 PM:
Thank you for the time you spent on this today.
Kim Allen
Valley Springs "
Robb wrote on Jun 10, 2009 3:21 PM:
Just hose jockeys... "
backatu wrote on Jun 10, 2009 3:16 PM:
Thank you for the time you spent on this today.
Kim Allen
Valley Springs "
backatu wrote on Jun 10, 2009 3:15 PM:
Thank you for the time you spent on this today.
Kim Allen
Valley Springs "
Cogito wrote on Jun 10, 2009 2:55 PM:
Whoa Nellie! wrote on Jun 10, 2009 1:43 PM:
As Observer pointed out earlier, our papercutting taxpayer lodieye is back as illegalinlodi. aka eyewhitie in stkn. doesnt he drive big green 18 wheelers off Hwy 12? His venom for HSS was my clue. all that rage cant be good for his blood pressure.
I'd like to thank JIMP & PEEK in the other fireman story today for hitting home runs with their comments. "
Cogito wrote on Jun 10, 2009 1:21 PM:
Cogito wrote on Jun 10, 2009 1:21 PM:
pooh-75 wrote on Jun 10, 2009 1:11 PM:
jimp wrote on Jun 10, 2009 1:10 PM:
patton1 wrote on Jun 10, 2009 1:09 PM:
Eastsider wrote on Jun 10, 2009 1:01 PM:
Billy Rubin wrote on Jun 10, 2009 12:40 PM:
Billy Rubin wrote on Jun 10, 2009 12:34 PM:
Billy Rubin wrote on Jun 10, 2009 12:31 PM:
The firetrucks and firefighters are THE SINGLE REASON the city budget is unbalanced. We will simply HAVE to raise taxes because, in your opinion, there were too many firemen that came to help you when you called 911 - because your back was sore.
Well, next time, Coggie ol' boy, why don't you save some tax-payer money and call someone ELSE when you're sore? Maybe you can call t jefferson or jimp?
And tell me, do you plan on calling the Fire Dept. if your house is burning? What will make you happy then? Will you be happy if one fireman shows up in a taxi?
Yeah, Cog, now that I think of it, I want the truck with ALL the stuff in it at my house fire - you can let yours burn and save us all a bunch. "
lodisafeway wrote on Jun 10, 2009 12:12 PM:
That being said, the author of the letter also makes it seem that only firefighters are compassionate as they do their jobs (which they are aptly compensated for, by the way). We should all remember that no one is forced to perform a job that is inherently dangerous as being a firefighter and policeman often are; and they should be respected and appreciated. But it is by their choice that they hold these positions.
Yet to insist that economics should not be used to determine the numbers of these employees required is nonsensical on its face. No one and no position is indispensable. "
Cogito wrote on Jun 10, 2009 11:25 AM:
illegalinLodi wrote on Jun 10, 2009 11:10 AM:
illegalinLodi wrote on Jun 10, 2009 11:07 AM:
illegalinLodi wrote on Jun 10, 2009 11:03 AM:
real one wrote on Jun 10, 2009 11:01 AM:
patton1 wrote on Jun 10, 2009 10:40 AM:
Billy Rubin wrote on Jun 10, 2009 10:26 AM:
When the truck is blasting through town with lights and sirens, they're rushing to help someone - a friend, relative, neighbor or stranger - in distress, WHATEVER that distress may be; but they are hurrying with all speed to do what they can.
The haters here can let their house burn rather than call the man from Valley Springs, they can die of injuries rather than have an extra fireman on scene - I don't care.
I want them available when they're called. "
IMHO wrote on Jun 10, 2009 10:18 AM:
And I agree with a lot of the other posters, why do you whine about our Taxpayers money here in Lodi, when you choose to live in Valley Springs? Why not move here and hey, your tax dollars can help pay your hubbies salary? "
peek wrote on Jun 10, 2009 9:34 AM:
jimp wrote on Jun 10, 2009 9:28 AM:
jimp wrote on Jun 10, 2009 9:08 AM:
Eastsider wrote on Jun 10, 2009 8:43 AM:
pooh-75 wrote on Jun 10, 2009 8:40 AM:
stucknlodi wrote on Jun 10, 2009 8:23 AM:
Cogito wrote on Jun 10, 2009 7:33 AM:
real one wrote on Jun 10, 2009 7:33 AM:
jimp wrote on Jun 10, 2009 7:12 AM:
t jefferson wrote on Jun 10, 2009 6:03 AM:
Better yet the first thing they should do is move to 8 hour shift, get rid of the 24 shift non-sence. Other business are staffed 24/7. This would make sure that there is no time lost waiting for the FF to get dressed "in the middle of the night". Probably would force a lot of the 2nd busnesses these people have to close, but so what. "
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