Part 3: Corruption... seeps in ever so slightly.

All of this came to light with a letter. Actually, it was a blindside by a fellow commissioner to his own board. Usually that's how corruption starts. It's like rust where there's one little weak spot and it begins to corrode, and the rust grows. So it did with this. And the letter was the beginning of the exposure of just how deep this corruption ran.

A letter was read publicly by Commissioner Ruben to the Board from a "Steve Stevenson" making very personal accusations against the board, district and department that only someone from inside department could know or have such partial information about. Many of these accusations were half truths and more lies because they didn't have the whole story or all the facts. Anyone can imagine the "rest of the story" based on only part of the facts. If someone has a bad impression or an axe to grind with the management, then nothing is going to look right no matter what happens. And so a letter full of innuendos and misleading accusations was read publicly at a Fire District board meeting by Commissioner Ruben knowing full well it would stir up a controversy and catch his fellow commissioners off guard. Commissioner Ruben was in "cahoots" with the writer, Steve Stevenson.

Then at a subsequent meeting, Pete Donchenko, a firefighter and a Battalion Chief with Southern Manatee Fire and Rescue District, reveals that he is the author of the letter under the assumed name of Steve Stevenson. Several of his accusations have been addressed already in the blog posts. He's disgruntled because the board chose someone other than his friend, Deputy Chief Berry to be the new fire chief when Chief Hennessy retired. So, Pete Donchenko broke rank and file and took matters into his own hands in favor of the Union taking control of the board to meet his own personal agenda because if Commissioner Ruben's promise had been kept to his friend Deputy Chief Berry, then Donchenko would have been moved up to Berry's rank of Deputy Chief, as promised. This all becomes very sordid. If the Union gains control, many good people will LOSE their jobs and the wrong unqualified people will be in positions they didn't earn except to do the Union dirty work or be someone's buddy. No fire department should run that way!

Now, Donchenko, has chosen personal leave time because he finds the fire department environment "too hostile" according to various sources. This raises my hackles to think that the men I always knew who protected each other at all times on all calls are now divided and infighting because of this Union business. It doesn't seem to me that the Union is looking out for their best interests! Especially when a perfectly able bodied BATTALION CHIEF is taking personal leave time (that we taxpayers are still paying him for!)  because of the hostile environment he helped create!

Furthermore, when a person makes a spectacle of himself at public board meetings in an obnoxious and hostile manner, such as Pete Donchenko has, one should make sure their life is impeccable. Donchenko cannot claim that. Being obviously oppositional to the board as Donchenko did for the record, he exhibited poor character for a firefighter. His attitude is reflective of his history. Deception obviously doesn't bother him (like the letter he decieved the fire department with )and, he has been charged wtih threatening his wife, prostitution solicitation, domestic violence, multiple suits for non-payment, numerous traffic infractions, multiple evictions & foreclosures, and wage garnishment. Fire department policy requires an officer to report any incident he's involved in to the department. Donchenko failed to comply. Again, is Deputy Chief Berry covering for his friend? Corruption seeps in so easily.

All the while the basis of all these little arguments with the board is to disrupt the board by getting the Union the control. And behind all this is the Union President, Merv Kennell, who's sole goal is to control this board. He discovered he could gain control of one commissioner and set his sights on replacing the others in this election so the union can get what they want. All that equates to for homeowners (and landlords) is higher property taxes.  Emails that have been shared with me about union notes regarding this process contain statement such as:

• "our presence is of greater importance  at the commission meeting so we can witness discussions"
• "Make every possible way to pack the commission rooom on Sept 2"
• "thanks for attending, it was an awesome display of unity and power."
• "see you all there to show our power in numbers."
• "lets show everyone that we STILL control who wins the election"
• "this has tremendous potential for substanial rewards."

What kind of talk is this for firefighters? This sounds like gang talk to me! Power? Control? What happened to cooperation and mutual respect? These firefighters have enjoyed a very fluid relationship with their board for many years in which their needs have been exceedingly met and the district has thrived. Why have a Union that is trying to drive this kind of thinking into a brotherhood of men and women who've worked together for years quite peaceably?

With everything that has been going on, the current board of commissioners ordered an internal investigation of their own with an objective outside Fire Chief to interview thoroughly and report back to them what he's found. Because this investigation involved many legal issues with different individuals and many possible ramificatiions, prior to the last board meeting, a "gag order" was requested by the board counsel and the fire chief who is conducting the investigation.  The board complied reluctantly.  The Union was aware of this. Despite that, Merv Kennell still stood up and chastised the board for not talking, knowing full well they were under orders not to discuss anything.

Sleazy, weasel ways of politics and control and power talk have no place in a fire district. Personal agendas lead to corrupt thinking and personal favors. All this leads to wrong thinking and bad examples. Pete Donchenko is a bad example and not someone I'd want any child of mine to emulate. I know many other firefighters I'm very, very proud to know. The Union is divisive and destructive. The firefighters can vote it back out and we can be free of it all. This investigation won't be done til mid November but hopefully, if the voters are listening and reading right here, we'll have the right people in office after November 2.

VOTE ANDERSON, SOLOMON AND RANNEY FOR THE SAKE OF SOUTHERN MANATEE FIRE DISTRICT.


Typos corrected Friday morning at 9:26am daw