I would have thought that a suggestion that the fire service could afford to lose 20% of its workforce idicated very clearly, that he thought someone was not 'pulling their weight'.
Here he was running with the hounds.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20021127/ai_n12654914



A different story in 1966 - running with the fox.
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/12-10-2002-31963.asp