I cannot emphasize it enough as to how important it is to our district to vote correctly in this fire race. I think though you as a voter should understand the process of the Fire Commission and what it entails and how we the voter/homeowners are affected. Now if you think because you're a renter you AREN'T affected, think again, you are because your landlords are. So please pay close attention and read on.
Here over the next week, and probably for years to come as need be, you will learn what happens behind the scenes in managing our fire department and why it's not always a good idea to throw out "traditional" methods of doing things (as a recent UNION driven Sarasota Herald Tribune article suggested), or welcoming in the new "union" ways (as unfortunately our firefighters were snowballed and fearfully led into doing last July 2009)! You'll learn what's actually running these campaigns are personal agenda's to destroy years of good honest service. PERSONAL AGENDA'S based on personal ambition and greed driven by the Union's powermongering amongst a brotherhood that has been a true brotherhood for as long as I've known it!
And that's why I am sick of slick and sleazy politics weaseling their way into my district time after time with people who's character I wouldn't trust wearing what appears to the uniforms of hero's in our community. For over 16 years I have followed this Fire District and watched some pretty lousy antics AND seen some seriously marvelous times. Through all of it I have been proud to know the commissioners, and many of the firefighters! When firefighters not worthy of the uniform have risen to the top, they're generally ousted by one of their own undoings and failings. It's inevitable. The cream will always rise and the sour stuff is always discarded. That has happened alot of late with quite a few who've found themselves "fired" for noncompliance with workmans comp orders (such as may be the case with former firefighter Jerry Bennett who so disrespectfully greeted Commissioners Ranney and Anderson in the last Commission meeting, and in front of a visiting fire chief, no less!) or others who've just had one difficulty after resulting in their leave of absence from the department (such as Pete Donchenko, whom while checking public records is simply embarassing but we'll get to that later.)
