¡Canallas! (though I think “scumbags” works better)

Being one of the Heroic Donors, I’m pissed. 

Muerte en canasto by Franciso Toledo, Interior by José Luis Cuevas (both limited run lithographs), a pencil drawing by Rafael Coronel and Guillermo Scully’s Sax “mysteriously disappeared” from the Heroico Cuerpo de Donadores’ storeroom. 

 We “heroic donors” put up the money for a new firehouse in Colonia Cuauhtémoc… on the site of the Lobohomo nightclub, that burned down in 2000, killing 24 teenagers.  It wasn’t the fire department’s fault… there just wasn’t a firehouse that could get to the Zona Rosa in time.  Having spent more time in more ZR clubs than I’d like to admit, I don’t feel particularly “heroic” in donating a few pesos for something so worthwhile, but hey, how can you not support the Heroico Cuerpo de Bomberos? 

We donadores put up the money originally just for a modest neighborhood firehouse.  So much for the idea that Mexicans don’t support charities… we ended up (heroically) donating 79,362,000 pesos.  The money went towards an “environmentally-smart” 1300 square meter firehouse, training center and communications center.  AND… and upgrades to 14 local firehouses) and whatever else the fire department needs.    By the way, donations to the Heroico Cuerpo de Donadores, A.C. can be made to HBSC account # 4037889151, Sucursal 3070 (monumento a la Madre). 

There was some slight grumbling, when the firemen’s union wanted a raise a few years ago, but even then, it was only a questin of “how much?” not “do they deserve one?”  Chilangos despise los Esmurfs (the cops) and like their Pependores (garbagemen), but respect los Bomberos.  You’ll never hear of a scandal or shakedown by a fireman… even when he’s not pulling you out of an exploding building, dealing with earthquakes, floods and the occasional fire we have in a mostly concrete city. 

Next to robbing a church, this is about as low as you can go.  Whoever did this probably deserves to burn… horribly… for several millenia.