Welcome to the Voters Beware Site for the Southern Manatee Fire District

Welcome to a blog designed solely to enlighten the taxpayers of the Southern Manatee Fire District as to the truth in their district - from those candidates running for their fire district positions to whatever's going on in the fire district.
The elections are almost over again but continue to visit ... this site will continue and always be the inside line to the district truth!
ONE PEICE OF ADVICE: if we'd learned anything from the last election- don't elect whoever they recommend because it's union backed... elect the opponent please. We don't need the unions plans to come completely full circle!
Don't go down the wrong road, like we already have, just because you don't know!
Another election has come and gone and voters have proven they are lazy and simply follow the recommendations cos it's easier... well folks when the market comes back and your real estate taxes go up, remember now... remember how you just followed all these recommendations and just shake those union folks' hands and thank THEM for our higher fire taxes! Remember that and then look back fondly to the past years when we didn't have taxes like Cedar Hammock but do now... its coming.

CURRENT NEWS

CURRENT NEWS:
(03/21/2013) Former Southern Manatee Fire Commissioner Mark C. Ruben Trial Date WAS set for May 13th... then suddenly all charges were dismissed in a filed Nolle Prosequi by the DA's office. For what reason? Who knows?


http://www.manateeclerk.org/DesktopModules/AwsModules/Clericus/document.aspx?returnUrl=http://www.manateeclerk.org/PublicRecords/CourtRecordsSearch/tabid/57/ctl/detail/mid/484/Default.aspx&did=MjgxMzA0NjU%3d-QVtBnCF1UCA%3d

(10/31/12) Former Southern Manatee Fire Commissioner Mark Ruben Trial Date set:
08/17/2012 COURT EVENT Event: JURY TRIAL Date: 01/07/2013 Time: 9:00 am Judge: NICHOLAS, EDWARD Location: COURTROOM 4-A


(Feb 2, 2012) South Manatee fire commissioner suspended after sex charges. Gov. Rick Scott made the announcement Tuesday that Mark D. Ruben has been suspended after his arrest last week on sexual assault and molestation charges. http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2012/february/376928/South-Manatee-fire-commissioner-suspended-after-sex-charges


(Jan 27, 2012) SMFD Commissioner Mark D. Ruben arrested for Sexual Assault & Sexual Battery.

http://www.bradenton.com/2012/01/27/3825608/photo-gallery-inmates-booked-into.html#http://media.bradenton.com/smedia/2012/01/27/06/24/lSuJ4.St.69.jpg

According to the charges filed against Commissioner Ruben as a matter of public record - see above- or go to http://www.manateeclerk.org.... you have to agree to the privacy issues, then go to court records and research Ruben, Mark & his record will show itself. There are a total of 8 counts : 4 of Sexual Battery & 4 of Lewd & Lascivious Behavior. He is being held without bond.

These charges date back to events beginning in 2005 and ending in 2011, against TWO minors. These are public record in the Manatee Clerk's files.

I commend those who have worked hard to remove another sexual predator! And I pray for his victims' recovery from this nightmare.


(Feb 17, 2011) Department Disciplines are being handed down, Interim Chief Johnson takes action.


Firefighters throughout Southern Manatee who had made the grave error of exhibiting poor judgment in sharing the various vulgar emails that were part of the THREE charges that convicted & convinced Chief Gover to resign from his duties, have been recieving their disciplines accordingly. The discipline was very simple: one day suspension without pay and a write up in their records for this behavior. This has surely sent the message throughout the department that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated anymore.


(Jan 30, 2011) Cyclist Killed in Manatee County Crash... Sondra Thompson, 66, of University Park, died in the crash that occurred at around 1:45 p.m. at Whitfield Avenue and Treymore Court in Manatee County, FHP said.

Thompson was riding her bicycle on Whitfield Avenue when she was struck from behind by Mark Ruben, who was heading in the same direction on Whitfield Avenue, FHP said.

(Jan 11, 2011) Former Fire Chief, Pension Board Cleared MANATEE — After months of rumor and speculation over the $1.6 million lump sum retirement payment to a retired fire chief, the investigator Tuesday cleared the Southern Manatee Fire and Rescue District Pension Board and the former fire chief of any wrongdoing.

The investigation concluded the pension board did nothing illegal in awarding the lump sum payment, which was allowed under its policies. And the former chief, Tom Hennessy, did not misuse his position or coerce the pension board in securing the lump sum payment, said the investigator, Interim Chief Michael Johnson.Read more: http://www.bradenton.com/2011/01/11/2868169/former-fire-chief-pension-board.html##ixzz1AvSnE4ln


Big surprise! NOTHING WRONG WAS DONE! Thank you Chief Johnson!

(Dec 16, 2010) Chief Gover Foster voluntarily resigned, on his terms, from Southern Manatee Fire District. With respect and dignity, but sadly, the Chief offered his own solution to the issues at hand after the extensive investigation that taken place at the behest of the union and it's members (the firefighters). All too quickly the NEW commissioners pounced on this opportunity to remove the Chief, by making sure the UNITY of their 3 votes to the opposing 2 votes of the veteran board members agreed to the Chief's offer to resign.

In a mildly determined debate amongst the board members, that saw some wisdom prevail by new board member Charles Durant, Mark Ruben tried to make his buddy, Tim Berry the chief immediately. The notion was defeated for the time being but not before Ruben made an ass of himself trying to insist upon Berry becoming the chief immediately.

Funny (not really) but wasn't all this predicted right here from the start?





(Nov 10, 2010) Old Commissioners still seated til Nov, 12, 2010. Then New Commissioners will assume positions.



( Nov 8, 2010) Union Contract passed in Special Board Meeting. Firefighters recieved the 3% raise they were asking for.



Saturday, October 30, 2010

Examples of this campaign... examples of the character behind the candidates

Being a writer, photojournalist and generally all around media in various situations, I am afforded opportunities to see many sides of different situations. So, recently I was helping out placing signs for a couple of the candidates I believe in for this race. I came upon one set of signs I had placed and was adding another set of signs to the same site and just had to laugh and take the following pictures.



Obviously they tried to put two signs
very close to cover ours.
  There's been no doubt that the opposing candidates have a tremendous budget (or at least they've pulled out all the stops to defeat the incumbent and new candidate opposing them) and can outdo their opponents in signage and door hangers, but double signage on top the opponents is simply ridiculous!  Better yet, it's really immature! And to prove it so, Mother Nature blew them down and left their opponents standing! How hilarious! I never touched them. Drivers passing by watched as I placed the new shorter sign and then got my camera to take the pictures. It was just too good to pass up. 


Are they afraid if they don't try to double up and cover up the opponents, that the public won't know who to vote for? Do they think the public can't figure out who is the right candidate from one sign? Is twice as much better or more powerful looking? I think not.


They just have too much time and money to waste and it's showing before they even get into office!  The pictures speak for themselves. Elect the candidates who are still standing. Commissioner Ranney has withstood the tests of time through many previous campaigns of conflict, he'll be able to withstand the future. Steve Solomon has great business experience and knows how to be a smart teammate to the board. Elect the right people so that the firefighters continue with the best wages, benefits and conditions that have been put in place for them and our district continues to enjoy the lowest taxes.

Elect Anderson, Solomon and Ranney! It's the smart vote!



Typical of their campaign.
Later in the day the weekend, this picture was afforded us to prove their antics. It's petty, inconvenient and time-consuming to have to backtrack over all a candidates signs to be sure all the other candidates are playing fair with integrity in the same sandbox. Alas, not so for this race. Worst yet, while most all candidates know you don't place signs in the right of way, this campaign doesn't seem to care. If they don't care about simple small county ordinances like these, what other rules won't they care about? So this is what we see all the time, placing signs in front of the ones they're trying to overcome.  They've been doing this alot lately, (cover-ups) but not to fear, we will expose all and name names very soon, so that everyone will know a life of corruption is no one's good example or one that benefits anyone!   
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