The jerk from Montana
Virginia firefighters treated to profanity from a U.S. senator
August 5, 2006 When forests and fields in Western states ignite into flames, help arrives from all quarters - including from Virginia. So, with fires breaking out recently near Billings, Mont., the Augusta County "Hot Shots" were on the job.For their arduous, dangerous labors, the 20 or so Virginia firefighters received about $8 to $12 per hour plus time-and-a-half for overtime.They also enjoyed the profound gratitude and deep appreciation of the people of Montana and their elected representatives.Well, mostly. U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, Republican of Montana, had something else to offer the Virginians.After days spent in the heat and flames of the Billings' fires, the Augusta firefighters were finally on their way home, sitting in the lounge of the local airport, waiting to board their flight to Virginia. That's when the senator showed up.Was he there to thank them? Maybe he wanted to give them a plaque or something. Politicians do that sort of thing, especially when there's an election coming up.Oh, no. Burns stormed up to the Virginia crew and cussed them."See that guy over there?" the senator said, according to a subsequent report of the incident. "He hasn't done a [expletive deleted] thing. They sit around. I saw it up on the Wedge fire and in northwestern Montana some years ago. It's wasteful. You probably paid that guy $10,000 to sit around. It's gotta change."Naturally, this generous and thoughtful expression of appreciation by the senator went over like, well, gas on an open-range fire. The Virginians took offense, as they should have.It appears that the senator was voicing objections raised by Montana ranchers over the firefighting strategies employed - something about which the Virginians had no say. They were simply there to help and do as requested. To say that Burns' intemperate comments were misdirected would be something of an understatement.To say he acted like a jerk would be right on the money.It gets better, however.A member of the Daily Press Editorial Board contacted Burns' Washington office to check the story and to see if the senator had any more to say on the subject.The young man (very young, we surmise) who answered the phone responded with language that would make a sailor, maybe even Burns himself, blush. Imagine a "South Park" tirade in full force, laced with assorted colorful obscenities, and you get the idea."And you can tell Sen. George Allen of Virginia to [vulgarity deleted]," said Burns' spokesman.It took close to 10 minutes to finally convince the gentleman in Burns' office that, no, the caller was not his chum in Allen's office, but in fact a representative of a Virginia newspaper.Burns has since expressed regret for his outburst at the Augusta firefighters. "In retrospect, I wish I had chosen my words more carefully," he said in a prepared statement. That fulfills the minimum.As for his employee in Washington, poor fellow. Imagine how the senator treats him. He was sufficiently chagrined when he got his bearings, and so we leave his name out of it.For the record, the Augusta Hot Shots have been in operation since June 2001, and traveled to New York City that year to aid emergency crews after the destruction of the World Trade Center. Last year alone, the Virginians were called out to fight fires 35 times.That shows a remarkable degree of commitment, well deserving of admiration and respect - which doubtless they receive in Montana and elsewhere, with Sen. Burns being the notable exception.
Virginia firefighters treated to profanity from a U.S. senator
August 5, 2006 When forests and fields in Western states ignite into flames, help arrives from all quarters - including from Virginia. So, with fires breaking out recently near Billings, Mont., the Augusta County "Hot Shots" were on the job.For their arduous, dangerous labors, the 20 or so Virginia firefighters received about $8 to $12 per hour plus time-and-a-half for overtime.They also enjoyed the profound gratitude and deep appreciation of the people of Montana and their elected representatives.Well, mostly. U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, Republican of Montana, had something else to offer the Virginians.After days spent in the heat and flames of the Billings' fires, the Augusta firefighters were finally on their way home, sitting in the lounge of the local airport, waiting to board their flight to Virginia. That's when the senator showed up.Was he there to thank them? Maybe he wanted to give them a plaque or something. Politicians do that sort of thing, especially when there's an election coming up.Oh, no. Burns stormed up to the Virginia crew and cussed them."See that guy over there?" the senator said, according to a subsequent report of the incident. "He hasn't done a [expletive deleted] thing. They sit around. I saw it up on the Wedge fire and in northwestern Montana some years ago. It's wasteful. You probably paid that guy $10,000 to sit around. It's gotta change."Naturally, this generous and thoughtful expression of appreciation by the senator went over like, well, gas on an open-range fire. The Virginians took offense, as they should have.It appears that the senator was voicing objections raised by Montana ranchers over the firefighting strategies employed - something about which the Virginians had no say. They were simply there to help and do as requested. To say that Burns' intemperate comments were misdirected would be something of an understatement.To say he acted like a jerk would be right on the money.It gets better, however.A member of the Daily Press Editorial Board contacted Burns' Washington office to check the story and to see if the senator had any more to say on the subject.The young man (very young, we surmise) who answered the phone responded with language that would make a sailor, maybe even Burns himself, blush. Imagine a "South Park" tirade in full force, laced with assorted colorful obscenities, and you get the idea."And you can tell Sen. George Allen of Virginia to [vulgarity deleted]," said Burns' spokesman.It took close to 10 minutes to finally convince the gentleman in Burns' office that, no, the caller was not his chum in Allen's office, but in fact a representative of a Virginia newspaper.Burns has since expressed regret for his outburst at the Augusta firefighters. "In retrospect, I wish I had chosen my words more carefully," he said in a prepared statement. That fulfills the minimum.As for his employee in Washington, poor fellow. Imagine how the senator treats him. He was sufficiently chagrined when he got his bearings, and so we leave his name out of it.For the record, the Augusta Hot Shots have been in operation since June 2001, and traveled to New York City that year to aid emergency crews after the destruction of the World Trade Center. Last year alone, the Virginians were called out to fight fires 35 times.That shows a remarkable degree of commitment, well deserving of admiration and respect - which doubtless they receive in Montana and elsewhere, with Sen. Burns being the notable exception.
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