More Positive Results from the Nation's Public Service Unions: Two Children Dead

All across the United States, we are hearing about budget restraints in states and local governments. In nearly everyone of these stories, there is a public service union involved. Look at Wisconsin for example, where union benefits and pensions through collective bargaining have helped break the state's bank. Illinois is in the same boat, which is sinking faster than the Titanic. Now we get this story from Philadelphia, where its union run fire department obviously didn't take a pay cut to help with budget shortcomings--no, they took fire engines out of commission.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Two children were killed in a fire in the city’s Olney section Tuesday, and now an official from the firefighters’ union is questioning if Philadelphia’s cost-cutting “brownouts” of fire companies played a role.

A 7-year-old and a 9-year-old were pulled from the row home on the 100 block of Sparks Street once firefighters were able to knock down the flames.

The engine that would have been first on the scene, Engine 61, was browned-out, or closed for the day, as part of the city’s cost-cutting measures.

Fire Department Lt. Mike Grant said, “Engine 51 took over for them, they got here in good order.”

On the other hand, Mike Kane, with Philadelphia Firefighters Union Local 22, says Engine 61 could have been on the scene in half the time.

“Whether that Engine 61, being browned out, if that company was in service, they would have made a difference? Nobody can answer that, because we don’t have a crystal ball. What we can say is, maybe if they were there, they would have had a shot. Maybe them kids would have had a shot,” Kane said.

Did I mention they chose to take fire engines out of commission over taking a pay and benefits cut? Oh yeah, I did.