MISSION BEACH, CA. It is not a direct one-for-one, but get this:
Water quality testing around Mission Bay is being severely cut back from 16 sites to only six sites, beginning the first of April.
Plus Mission Bay is losing two life guards for the upcoming summer season, due to budget cuts.
But don’t worry! The Department of Homeland Security is funding 13 to 16 surveillance cameras to be installed around Mission Bay – chiefly “to monitor launch ramps and water areas,” as the Peninsula Beacon reported.
Ya see, government has figured it all out and has got it all covered. We don’t need to continue water quality testing if we can just have the cameras trained on “launch ramps and water areas” – (that’s a fairly broad scope – “water areas” at a bay? ) in order to prevent anyone from entering the contaminated areas. And we don’t need lifeguards as we’ll have the beach covered by the cameras. This is great.
Okay, to be honest, the Peninsula Beacon reported that the surveillance cameras won’t be ready until 2010. The plan was unveiled to the Mission Bay Park Committee on April 7th by Sgt John Everhart. The cameras will be installed “to protect against homeland security threats.”
In the same breath, this same Sgt. Everhart reported that Lifeguard Services lost two lifeguards for this summer, because – you guessed it – budget cuts.
Finally, Mark McPherson, chief of Land and Water Quality Division at the County’s Department of Environmental Health, told the Mission Bay committee that water quality testing around Mission Bay is being reduced from 16 places to just six sites. More cut-backs. [Go here for more.…]
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Gee, lemme see, we’ve gone nearly 8 years since 9/11 during the most hellishness anti-terrorism days of George Bush without these cameras rimming Mission Bay. But, oh, now we need them. Sure.
Fabulous. Will the lifeguards be able to monitor the cameras, or will they have to subpeona Homeland Security for any tape of drowning tourists?
Yeesh.
this is just awesome! now we dont have to worry about getting blown up at the bay but just worry about swimming in sh*t filled water. i think water testing is a little more important u stupid f’n politicians
and at least if i drown everybody will be able to see it at you tube