Fighting fired with fire

Like many cities -- including Las Vegas -- the struggling auto town of Flint, Mich., faces serious budget woes.

As in many places -- including Las Vegas -- elected officials in Flint have asked public employees, including firefighters, to bear a share of the burden.

And as has been the reaction in many cities -- including Las Vegas -- some public-sector unions aren't taking the news so well.

But at least residents of Southern Nevada can be thankful that the situation here hasn't deteriorated as far as it apparently has in Flint.

With its population down to 115,000 from 197,000 just a generation ago, Flint faces an $8 million deficit. To close that gap, city officials announced they would lay off 23 of 88 firefighters and 46 of 150 police officers. Two of five fire stations were also to be closed.

The layoffs were to begin Thursday.

Guess what happened.

On Thursday, 10 fires broke out around the city, many in vacant homes, one in an empty four-story apartment building. Two firefighters were injured battling the blazes, though neither's life was in jeopardy.

An official with the firefighter union blamed the mayor for the sudden outbreak, saying the layoffs were an open invitation to arsonists in a town where many residences sit empty or dilapidated.

But Mayor Dayne Walling wasn't buying it. "This was a premeditated attack on the safety of the community that is likely to have been timed to try to achieve some kind of perverted political purpose," he said. "I think (the perpetrators had) knowledge of what they're doing and I'll leave it at that. You can read between the lines."

Now, it's not always prudent to jump to conclusions. But let's just say it would be mighty surprising if what appears to have happened in Flint didn't actually happen. And that's a bigger blight on those responsible than decaying infrastructure could ever impose on Flint.