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.



Sunday, March 24, 2013

What happened? Justice? NOT!

Just when I think the system will work, it doesn't. Just when I think if I get quiet and let Lady Justice do HER job and the system do IT's job, everything will work.  Either the Manatee County District Attorney's office really believed the biggest pack of lies they could've heard or intimidation finally took over and everything dissolved ... as so often happens, pulling the rug out from under the DA's office and resulting in the following out-of-the-blue sudden decision by their office. It's unfathomable that these children who've probably endured horrors already, would have had to relive it in the courtroom and THAT alone probably dissolved this case... but I speculate... which I can do now that this case is CLOSED.

ONCE AGAIN, MARK C. RUBEN ESCAPES HIS JUST DUE.  And don't tell me he's spent so much time in jail ...yada yada yada!  What he's done is lifelong! And regardless of discrepancies, children don't lie in details that had to be attained to achieve the charges they got.


Once again, people have suffered as a result of his behavior and he goes scott free.

Once again, murder occured (yes, child abuse, especially child sexual abuse is murdering a childs soul and they will spend their lifetime overcoming it.)

PUBLIC RECORD:
the order Nolle Prosequi... "No prosecution" 
 His trial date had been already set for May 13th...  

Say what you will, I don't want to hear it. Defend him all you want but a District Attorney's office doesn't go the extent it went on this case unless something was there, and it was valid. But as usual time was on Ruben's side and as in all things, time can heal and time can diminish and time can discount and pretty everyone just wants it to go away and they give up. Ruben timed it out...for which I'm so sorry. He really needed to suffer the consequences of these charges.


But there's a special place waiting for him some day and then he'll get his just due. Til then... this is what was decided.

How incredibly sad someone so in need of real punishment keeps slipping through the system.




Posted by at

7 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 26, 2013 at 1:39 PM

    Thank you for posting this. That's excately what happened. Please pray for these beautiful children.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 26, 2013 at 6:48 PM

    its sick that this has happened. He should never have been released the mother should have made the kids testify, they needed guidance on what to do...

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 28, 2013 at 11:58 AM

    the mother should have gotten divorced and full custody. That is just stupidity to me.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Debbi WillisMarch 28, 2013 at 1:38 PM

    Hindsight is always 20/20... and armchair quarterbacks can always call better than those in the game... but in today's "civil" everything... she did the best she could considering the snow job she got too... consider the source. The SOURCE of damage is Mark Ruben. May God have mercy on his soul one day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMarch 28, 2013 at 5:47 PM

      God WILL have mercy on all our souls, when he open the gates of HELL for him.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousMarch 28, 2013 at 5:01 PM

    but the mother has to do everything that she can to make sure that her kids are safe. Making sure that the kids are safe from mark ruben is what would be my top priority. Why would you ever stay married to that monster. I 100% believe that he is guilty, I just dont understand why she wouldnt make sure he had no custody of them. Its actually very stupid of her.

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  6. AnonymousMarch 28, 2013 at 5:29 PM

    3 innocent kids, they got a "life sentences" they will have to deal with this the rest of there lives. Mark Ruben gets 15 months and walks... He will go around and tell everyone how innocent he is. He will not see the light of his past and what a past he has. It will be a sort time and we will be reading about him again in the paper.

    ReplyDelete

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