NOAA's party boat
 

Senator Scott Brown asks
"What does it take to get fired at NOAA?”

Update: Brown, Tierney decry NOAA 'pleasure' boat bought with fines Fishing Industry Stories GloucesterTimes.com, Gloucester, MA

This is old news. They also have more government vehicles than employee's :smash:

Some town here in MA had a supervisor's pickup that I looked at at a Chevy dealer.

2010 Silverado 2500HD crew cab LTZ FULL PACKAGE
What exactly does a job truck need bluetooth, sirius, leather, etc for?

It's all about the gravy train in this country.
You're either on it or you're paying for it.

It's not just the government. The federal government under the homeland security umbrella along with numerous so call "stimulus" packages have given hundreds if not thousands of boats to communities. Most of these are a complete waste of taxpayer money. I can think of two on MV alone. I am sure you have them in your town too. Here is the latest gov paid "free" boat debacle where I live:
Tisbury harbormaster takes delivery of new $250,000 patrol vessel : The Martha's Vineyard Times


BTW... I heard it is plagued with issues.

So what issues is it plagued with?


The aluminum boat was designed with security, law enforcement, rescue, and firefighting capabilities. It will be the only boat in the harbor capable of responding to a fire.

Why would you need to fight a fire from the water? It's not like the docks at a place like Menemsha would ever catch fire.

-spence

NEVER! :hihi:

true story... Mt Chace Me. is a little tiny remote northern Maine township. They recieved Homeland funds for a 400K fire engine. It sits in a garage where it awaits the all volunteer firefighters. The house next door to the fire station burnt to the ground before they could get to the fire house. Never mind the house was worth 20K. The 400K fire truck never moved.

Homeland Security must have covered up the story. :hihi:

What's the point of the story? Did the township not need a fire truck?

-spence

Yes that's the point Spence... it would be cheaper to build new houses when they burn. And the houses would be better

Is it really? Your story didn't say anything about the fire department not needing a new truck...if anything it was an ironic tale, but not much more.

I'd think that in a rural area the local volunteer fire department probably serves many different towns. I do know a thing about fire trucks and even the basic ones are pretty expensive, most are customized for the local municipality. 400 grand doesn't even get you anything fancy...

So was this fire truck a needless accessory, pushed upon the people of Maine by radically liberal central planners? Or did the Federal Government help a rural area better prepare for their emergency services with an expense not easily justified with meager local tax dollars?

-spence

It was just a funny story Spence. 400K fire truck sits in a garage while the house next door burns. Get it???? I was there when they held training for this truck. Even you would have found it mildly amusing. They were all wishing they had a parade in town,you now, if they had a town.

OB has a larger fire fighting boat (that cost about 500K if I recall), twin jet drive diesel I think). It was used to fight the menemsha fire. (also alum. boat which I know has had some electrolysis problems.

Look I am not against the collective fire/police dept's having equipment like this, I support it. I just don't believe it is the federal governments job to create grants and give this stuff away to any town/every town who apply. Because we have 5 towns that support a year round population of 15K should we really have a need for multiple boats? If the island needs one, they should BUY own, and PAY for one with taxes, not be given one.

As it is, its use it or lose it.

So they used it.

I see plenty of this.
Our auto body shop fixes vehicles for a few different towns,
police, fire,dpw, building inspectors ect....
We have painted vehicles just for the sake of painting them, and after they get painted they get garaged back to doing nothing along with the guys who are employed by the towns !
Good for us when things are slow, but in my mind it's not right and a waste of tax dollars.
Most of the towns in my area are all about "Status" and got to have the newer & nice buildings & equipment than the next town.
My town has a beautiful new fire/police station.
The old one they tore down for no reason was pretty damn nice also
:wall:

DHS did alot of money throwing right after 9/11. things like this happened all over the country

That's why we have a national debt so large your great grand kids will still be paying for.

I looked at a 2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD crew cab.
LTZ package
Brand new plow
Leather/bluetooth/EVERYTHING
($50k? $55k? new roughly)

Town supervisor vehicle. REGISTERED to the town. :rotf2:

We have a snorkel fire truck in my town that can go 100 feet in the air. Does it matter that we don't have a building higher than 3 stories????

Yes,angle of attack.

Hingham Harbormaster has a brand new F-250 superduty extended cab. What's that $50k?

I work outside the mass bay community railroad. They have a fleet of new GMC 2500 HD crew cabs.

The point is that these towns need new equipment. They don't need the most expensive equipment money can buy.

edit: I stand corrected $40k
http://www.hingham-ma.gov/Committees...11/091610.html

Sen. Brown Exposes Report On NOAA's Illicit Party Boat - YouTube
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Simply amazing....
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Tierney calls for probe of NOAA boat Fishing Industry Stories GloucesterTimes.com, Gloucester, MA
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