Short Lesson and Food for Thought on Pensions... one of the primary benefits of a firefighter

I was working on this post before I got tangled up in the attacking comments I had to address in the blogwars, so it's kind of out of order but still worthy of thinking about.

Retirement means relaxation and all the great things you worked for right? Well it didn't for Chief Hennessy when he came under attack for taking a lump sum payout for his pension. So let's explore the differences to their pension benefit AND the difference between his and Lester Godwin III's payment plan.

What's the difference between a Pension and a 401K? I wondered that myself as I've read all these arguments over the general public's outcry over a man who worked nearly 29 years to be the first firefighter to retire from Southern Manatee Fire & Rescue, Tom Hennessy. Then I wondered if Lester Godwin III had really thought it out before he let his outcry go the Bradenton Herald because the general public isn't stupid. There's been a lot of talk about Chief Tom Hennessy's pension payout of $1.6 million.  The amount sounds so exhorbitant until you figure out what that equates to per year for the time he worked: approximately $57,000/year income, which is basically a percentage of his salary.

The union managed to help blow out of proportion the payout that Chief Hennessy recieved for his pension because he got it in one lump sum of $1.6million after nearly 29 years of service to the department. This was properly done (as fully explained in the post by Leigh Hollis) and paid in one lump. This occured because the Union President, Merv Kennell took this to the ABC-TV Ch 7 news and made a news story about the issue.

The amount sounds exhorbitant but let's consider the next retiree who drew attention to himself with his extremely sad story in the Bradenton Herald, Lester Godwin III.  He retired also after 25 years and was told he could not have his lump sum of over $687,000 but would have to "settle for" monthly payouts of about $4800 per month for the rest of his life. Now think this through (as a Bradenton Herald reader has already), Lester Godwin is only 47 years old. There's a fair chance he'll live to be 67 years old, which is another 20 years. At that rate, Lester Godwin will have made $1,141,394.40 off the pension he's being paid montly. That's OVER $1 MILLION!  If he lives another 10 years, he'll earn $1.6 MILLION+ or nearly TRIPLE his lump sum pension! This is short term "sacrifice" for long term gain folks! Just do the math: $4755.81/mo x 12 =  $57,069.72/year income for his pension.

So, might we think the pension board actually did Lester Godwin a favor by securing him an income that he doesn't even have to work, but if he wanted to, COULD and RETIRE from an entirely different field if he wished with another pension or retirement plan?! Can we say shortsighted here? Goodness! In an economy where folks are and have been jobless for years, and pensions have been dissolved, this man ought to be downright grateful to get anything for the rest of his life! And it's guarnateed because TAXPAYERS can't just decide not to pay it out, and TAXPAYERS don't just go away (though they sure can become fewer which just shifts the burden to those of us left behind) so it's a sure thing! So, quit "crying"!

Blog Wars! Tit for Tat, Now Let's See Who Gets Muddiest!

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS AN EXTRA LONG POST IN ORDER TO GIVE ALL MY ANONYMOUS FANS THEIR DUE.  READ ON TO UNDERSTAND AND READ MY ANSWERS TO THEIR QUERIES. IT'S VERY ENLIGHTENING AND HERE YOU WILL GET BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY BECAUSE BOTH SIDES DO HAVE THE TRUTH. IT'S ALL A MATTER OF HOW MUCH WHO WANTED TO DISCLOSE AND HOW THE OTHER SIDE WANTED TO SPIN IT. WELL, I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, SO HERE WE ARE, WE'RE GOING TRANSPARENT... HOPE Y'ALL LIKE WHAT YOU SEE.

Obviously I've hit a lot of nerves but the ones with those nerves don't have the nerve to speak up with the courage to post their names.  I am amazed that I seem to be such a threat to them all too. Here the election is over with and they've WON! You would think my blog would be meaningless now, wouldn't it? What's the big deal? Me thinks they doth protest too much and where there's smoke, there's usually always fire. 

So with that, I am going to address every ANONYMOUS post in the blog. Some of the posts are not very respectful of me or the former commissoners, but I'm considering the source, after all, it is anonymous. How do I even know it's a firefighter? Those comments that have valid requests and questions, I am more than happy to debate and comment on. I've never shied from a good debate and those firefighters who do know me, know I am not one to back down nor am I one to hide behind anything or anyone. However, I do my research to be sure I don't need to come out with an apology (which I will be more than happy to issue). I have already stated that I have nothing against any union member -that is not hostile or is in this thinking they're securing their future. I've stated all along I understand why the firefighters backed all this. Personally, I beleive they've been deluded by the union, as we're all going to get hurt in the long run when all the dust settles- because they're also taxpayers in this district and ultimately they'll be paying their raises into their property taxes too. ONLY the union benefits from this kind of turmoil and power. 

I also understand the anonymity as I'm sure Chief Johnson will be wondering how these statements are getting out in public. But still if you have something to say, why not own it. Is it anything less than you've already said to Chief Johnson? Or are you breaking the requested "gag order" by making these statements in public? If so then why couldn't you be patient and wait for the dust to settle and let me and the commissioners sufffer the fate some of you seem hell-bent on seeing? Yes, I've read the inane posting at your site. How incredibly ungrateful of folks who've benefitted so much from the previous commissioner's proper management. As in most management vs. labor, though, labor never understands the big picture and always wants more regardless of the costs.

 My personal opinion of the union firefighters who are acting like this hasn't changed. I think they have behaved very badly and I find it interesting now, that they are threatened by my opinion. If I know so little, what do I matter?  The ones who have organized and rallied everyone to this "show of power" have made a mockery of their "brotherhood". They had brotherhood and power before, they didn't need union to prove it.  Donchenko, Berry and Bennett aren't union so I'm not including their behavior in my opinion of the union. But Merv Kennell made it clear he was very supportive of them and he fueled their accusations AND fed private information to the media, breaking a "story" that wasn't a story for the public! They're simply issues for the fire department to deal with at this point and an embarassment to the department for ALL who are involved! 

My personal opinion of the union firefighters like Leigh Hollins, who had the courage to SIGN HIS NAME to his post, EXPLAIN properly, showing he ACCEPTED the situation at hand AND showed loyalty where due as is the way I always thought the brotherhood of the fire department ran, hasn't changed one iota. I still admire them. But then Leigh is probably an old-school firefighter with guts and courage that I as a citizen who is dependent upon him, can count on. IF that's how a union works, then I'd support it 100%,  but I haven't seen that yet in this case. As Leigh noted, this union is making everyone look pretty bad and started out on the wrong foot.

And think about this: Do you really, really want to get down to brass tacks on these issues? Because the public doesn't really know how good firefighters have it. It's not that firefighters don't deserve it. I've always supported that. But the general public will not completely understand. But as Leigh Hollins pointed out, Donchenko opened up one can of worms, you can count on the fact that you're all opening up another now! So here it goes.

What Voters Can Expect Now? the ugliest picture ...

What can the voters expect now? What are the repercussions of trusting all those fine-looking, muscled, red shirts that swarmed the polls tuesday and intimidated many voters or just provided a card with the for the unprepared? What happens when voters don't pay any attention to the smallest part (but most directly affective) of the voting race and the least discussed publicly issues in our vicinity (as they usually try to keep things cool, calm and clean in the district)?  What do we have to look forward to? Well,  let me paint a very ugly picture for us, and yes, I mean us cos it's going to hurt now.  No doubt on many fronts it's not pretty and the repercussions may resonate for years to come.

The Ugliest Picture could look like this but I'm praying it won't. I am truly hoping that the likes of Donchenko and the whole personal agenda deal fails miserably now that it's been exposed. Certainly, Ruben has to realize to fulfill these promises would make him look like the buffoon he's already been! But if it goes through it'll be something akin to sheer stupidity, though at first it may work just fine, it'll be simply a sad mistake that such assininity occurred.

What this means now is that most likely:

1)They will vote themselves a 3% raise which will be immediately translated into a 3% or more fire tax hike in our property taxes. 

• 3% doesn't seem like much but figure the average firefighter's wages start around $50k- $60K nowadays (that's why it's so attractive to be one again), that's an easy $1500-1800/year raise or broken down another $120-150/month in a family budget
• The Union Contract demands this now and it's on the table currently to be ratified. During times like we're in right now, and a time when firefighters are making a more excellent wage than they've ever made before, it's unheard of to demand an increase that will trickle down to hurt homeowners across the board. I know I don't need to pay 3% more on my taxes just to support a firefighters raise. Start living within your means, your salaries are twice mine and as much or more than my husband who works construction management 6 days a week (your average work week is 3 days)! 
• 3% sounds small until it's calculated on the $1000 in taxes... then it's $300 more. I like my taxes low. SMFD has been famous for keeping our taxes low while other fire districts are renowned for how high theirs are. Welcome to their world.

• The worst part is once done, it can't be undone and we all just have to live with it. While the firefighters will get the wages they need to support THEIR tax increases and higher expenses, OUR local businesses, employers etc will suffer those same increases we're suffering and we won't gain any increase in our wages NOR will we be able to support our increases in those taxes then. So do you see the damages here? Think beyond your personal gain, please? That's why I despise union promises, and fear-based thinking. You serve the public now start thinking about them!  

An Obituary of a Fire District , a Sad Day for SMFD

Southern Manatee Fire and Rescue District was once a fine fire district full of passionate, practically fire-breathing firefighters who did the right thing for their district and their families. I'm afraid they've gone soft though and despite still possessing many of those firebreathing, passionate firefighters, they are now the minority in a majority of decieved union followers. On November 2, 2010, SMFD died to the directives and politics of the AFL-CIO Local Union 2546 who will take control of the Board of Commissioners on November 18th at the next board meeting. In light of the victories of three candidates:

• Charles Durant, who actually appears to be qualified but misguided at the moment if he's as union-committed as he appears to be,

• 

  Commissioner
  Ranney

  Mark Ruben, who is essentially a traitor to the board he already serves with a lack of understanding that commissioners serve the taxpayers not any one "side", and 
• Anthony Evans, who not too much is known about him except he'll follow the other two and certainly hasn't the experience of Commissioner Ranney (who put up a valiant fight and had the most votes of all three candidates) whom he replaced,

there doesn't seem to be any hope for life as this district's residents have known it.




Chairman
Robert Kulchar



Commissioner
John Barry

 SMFD is survived by the current Chairman, Robert Kulchar and another board member, John Barry, both of whom are not up for election until 2012. Obviously the handwriting is on the wall and all future votes will most likely go into the record books in a 3-2 stand whereever the current administration and the new union-administration disagree.



Not that the majority of the voters seem to truly care though because the fire department is supposed to operate smoothly in the background of our lives, remember? It's supposed to be there at all times and rescue us when we need it and we just expect them to be our heroes. We don't want to know anymore about them and we trust that the folks WHO WE ELECT TO PROTECT US,  THE TAXPAYERS, will do just that, protect us... but then something goes awry. Like we don't check out our candidates, do any research, take time to attend a fire meeting, call someone who knows something, or just plain trust the beautiful, young man in the red shirt who says 'THIS IS OUR CANDIDATE, please vote for him (or them)'.

The really sad part is that I completely understand the fear-based, paranoid tactics the union used to get into the middle of US. What I don't understand is where the trust broke down and which leadership failed. In that area, I do trust and know someone will be watching closely and hopefully thinking with clear heads and not letting the union lead them around like bulls with their nose rings. Our firefighters are just this: firefighters. They aren't politicians and it's a total sham the union has turned them into this. Southern Manatee was unique prior to this union stuff. They had a wonderful system of trust with good commissioners for nearly twenty years and good leadership. They've survived against great odds when so many figured they would merge or fold. Always Southern Manatee came out better than before and blazing gloriously. I don't think we're shining so well right now with what took place yesterday. The union's happy but it's not a victory for SMFD. It's a road none of us should have gone down and truly a sad day for the voters of Southern Manatee Fire District.

Public Opinion and Damage Control

As was feared, anytime a bad light is shown on a public organization, the public gets a bad taste about that organization. It's already showing by what I can tell from the posts following the article in the Bradenton Herald Saturday, October 30th by Sara Kennedy, who did  a fine job of quoting me after our lengthy conversation!  Check it out at: http://www.bradenton.com/2010/10/30/2696259_p2/southern-manatee-fire-race-heats.html#disqus_thread  called "Southern Manatee Heats Up".

Money always gets everyone in an uproar. How much someone has, how much someone's getting, how much someone is paid, if they're paid too much, if they're worth what they're paid and on and on and on ad nauseum!  It's truly a sad state of our world that we've all become such experts at everything when we really know nothing. I've learned over the years to really look hard at something before I decide I know alot about it. But today with the internet and forums and everyone's got a voice and an opinion, it's like everyone's 15 minutes of fame is more important than being remotely accurate.

i guess that's why campaign's like the one I've been fighting against all this past week get going. They know all you have to do is "sound" like you're  the real deal and everyone will think you are; or talk like it's all true and no one will realize it's not. We're such a lazy society! The best con game around is to act like it is true and everyone will think so. Sad.

But I have to admit to being appalled at the comments follwing this article. Comments all focused on the chief's pension, or the weight of our government employees & the time they leave their jobs, or how firefighters are not deserving of a pension, or the worst ones, in my opinion, "The salaries, benefits, and pensions of fireman is dishonorable and literally thievery." and "I AM AN AMERICAN TAXPAYER AND THE FIREMEN AND THE GOVERNMENT ARE HERE TO SUPPORT ME. I AM NOT HERE TO SUPPORT THEM."  When will we realilze WE ARE the government and we support each other in an interdependent mutuality? Where did the respect go?

The BEST THINGS HAPPENING in the District!

On Saturday, October 30, 2010, the trailer that transported a 12foot steel beam from the Twin Towers from New York City for a memorial monument to be constructed in honor of all those who lost their lives September 11, 2001 was raffled off by the Southern Manatee Fire District. A ticket cost $10 and the Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club won the trailer!



It was a good time of refreshing sharing and reconnecting with old friends.  The father of a fallen New York firefighter was on hand to pull the winning ticket and share how he's doing since losing his son. Helping with times and moments like this helps him. Sharing with fellow firefighters helps him remember he's part of a bigger picture. The warmth and comraderie was obvious between all the men. Commissioner Brad J. Ranney was on hand with Fire Chief Foster Gover, and men on the committee who organized the Steel Beam's transportation to Bradenton.

The trailer had been donated for the use of retrieving a 12 ft, 3500lb steel beam from New York for the trip to Bradenton but suffered considerable structural damage in the process. Because the trailer was only rated for 3200 lbs, and was now damaged, it was no longer feasibly saleable for the dealer to reuse, so the district purchased the trailer and repaired it properly. Thus the reason to raffle it off in order to recoup some of the costs of the trailer. The problem now is that all of the cost wasn't recouped and about $1800 will have to be made up to the District. So,  a couple of District management personnel have opted to pay the difference in lieu of the money coming out of the tax budget.

Should anyone wish to contribute to the reimbursement of the cost of the trailer, please send all donations to:

Southern Manatee Fire District, Administration Building, Attn, 9/11 trailer,  2451 Trail Mate Drive

Sarasota, FL 34243-4041 and you can call if you have any other questions, (941) 751-7675.  Leave a message for Commissioner Ranney or Chief Gover and they will return your call.

Character Counts and Perception & Preservation Protects

 "Character Counts" was a popular slogan one year for the Boy Scouts of America and drove home the point that every thing any leader did, set an example to every scout we interacted with.  Not only that, it reminded us that we influenced everyone who did or didn't have anything to with Scouting in general. On top of that, it's also a widely used program in the educational system throughout our country emphasizing the qualities we want children to emulate and grow up with. Leaders and teachers are able to reinforce that same theme with scouts  and students so that they realize, THEIR character counts with everyone who looks up to them, or watches them from afar. And yes, even children learn that at an early age.

Some grown men obviously never do.

Most firefighters I know, adopt the same thinking along with the notion that it's also their job to protect the perception of their profession. But instead, because of a personal agenda driven political campaign claiming to be the "firefighters' choice", there has been much dirty laundry aired in the newspapers and that letter to the commissioners being publicly read about things that should not be happening in the Fire Department. They could and should be handled discreetly within the management without making it all public opinion fodder.  Putting out signs all over in duplicate to their opponents with a blanket statement of "the firefighters' choice" and going door-to-door to over 2700 doors in the district of over 55,000 voters (just in the SMFD) with the "appearance" of being "official" when in reality they are a union-based interest, is not ALL 'the firefighters' choice'.  A more TRANSPARENT and honest approach with what they'll really do for the district would have shown true integrity, instead of this grand illusion that's really just another version of the children's story, "the Emperor's Clothes".

Ironically it was the union president, Merv Kennell who said, “It’s about bringing transparency and a change from the ‘good old boy network’ to Southern Manatee.  “It’s been a culture of fear and intimidation. If anybody questioned something, they would be fired.” I'm sure he's referring to the dismissal of firefighter Jerry Bennett whom Donchenko had referred to in his deceptive letter, but if the records are checked, Bennett brought his own dismissal on himself through his workman's compensation issues.  If Kennell wants an "honest and transparent district", then certainly he wouldn't and shouldn't want the taxpayers supporting a non-working firefighter who could be working or could be getting healed to get back to work or on with whatever he needed to do. The "good ol' boy" network hasn't existed in Southern Manatee since the last time the board was taken over and prior to that, it's inception. There's no fear or intimidation by those who are straight up and honest in their dealings with their job.

One particular hot subject has been the pornography email accusations.  A sensitive subject and hot topic that no one likes to think about in any workplace and mentioned again in the paper this weekend. When these came to light, it was discovered that the problem ran much deeper but it wasn't just with Chief Gover, so much as it was amongst all the firefighters, Battalion Chiefs, and other officers. What has been discovered is that because the Chief's a trusting person and his computer is open to others, there's a good chance it may have been compromised to equally implicate the Chief but the fact is the whole department has some issues on this. 

Now, doesn't this sound like an internal issue that should have been handled more discreetly by the management (the Board) with their employees (the Department)? So, for that,  the Commissioners know they will have to institute new directives, order sensitivity training and reinforce specific rules against such immoral behavior on or with District property. Of course, this is not condoned by the Board of Commissinioners, but it's an easy fix and one that is an internal issue that is not uncommon for any workplace to deal with. It is not something that should be aired publicly to DRAG THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE MUD as Pete Donchenko indicated he did not want to do but then blatantly did under the assumed name of Steve Stevenson! There's no character-building, department protective principle in that action!