Phantom
05-14-2004, 11:53 PM
36 Fire Department Lay-Off’s OK'd in Warren, Michigan
FFCC.Com Notes: While we are sure that if someone looks "anywhere" they will find some waste, this latest assault on the fire service appears to have some significant "personal" related issue effecting CLEAR thinking-and what is BEST for the public. Why do we feel that way? Well, perhaps comments by the Deputy Mayor such as:
"... these cuts will not jeopardize public safety... "
"... the fire department is overstaffed and wasteful... "
"... the FIREFIGHTERS are the biggest complainers... "
"... this is about money... "
WHAT ISN’T?
Well, we sure hope that the Deputy Mayor (who, after those warm remarks MUST be the pride of that City) is accurate when it comes to NOT effecting public safety, but even with my inability to do basic math, a 20% cut HAS to effect someone, somewhere... having chest pains or having a fire in their bedroom.
We’ll wait and see how this one plays out-but it sure SMELLS like a classic example of some City Hall bureaucrats wanting to "show those damn firefighters" who the BOSS is... or, maybe like a lotta other stuff, there is a part of this called... "the REST of the story"... OR... maybe it is somewhere in the words of Warren Councilwoman Carolyn Kurkowski-Moceri who has criticized the administration for not being open to compromise. "For the first time in my life I am extremely worried about the safety of people in Warren," she said. "Now we're talking lives, not rhetoric and politics."
The word is that these cuts could have been prevented weeks ago had the City Council agreed to LET THE VOTERS DECIDE and consider a tax increase. For years we have wondered why some communities will NOT let THE PUBLIC decide what levels of service they want? What would it hurt? The bureaucrats don’t want the running of "their" City Hall to become political? Yeah-OK.
There is some well documented history in many communities that the personal agendas of some "City Hall types" directly impact the ability of their firefighters (career or volunteers) to do their jobs, give the public what they need-quickly-and to allow the firefighters to return home after the alarm. When it becomes personal, the reason "why we are here" becomes completely lost. FD’s are like an insurance policy for the Citizens... they hope they never have to use it-but when they do-they will always want the best that THEY can afford-not what someone TELLS them, they can afford. Why not let the customers decide?
Ahhhhh... "HOMELAND" SECURITY.
Take Care,
BillyG
The Secret List 5-13-04
36 layoffs in Warren to be in effect by July
May 13, 2004
BY MARY OWEN
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Warren will lay off 36 firefighters and paramedics -- about 20 percent of the department -- after the City Council approved a 2004-05 budget Tuesday that reduced the fire department's funding by $3.6 million. The vote was 5-4. Pink slips are to go out in the next month, and layoffs will go into effect before July 1. The $136-million budget also calls for eliminating five unfilled positions in the fire department. Firefighter union president Chris Hartman said the cuts will be a profound blow to public safety. "The prospect of shutting down engine and paramedic companies is now a very real possibility," Hartman said of the 174-member department, which serves about 130,000 residents, including 23,000 senior citizens. But Deputy Mayor Mike Greiner called the department overstaffed and wasteful. He said the cuts will not jeopardize the safety of Warren residents. "This is about money," Greiner said. "The firefighters are the biggest complainers."
Greiner said everyone in the city has had to take hits due to a $5-million shortfall in state revenue sharing. Warren also laid off four City Hall employees and eliminated five unfilled police officer positions and 50 other unfilled jobs. But firefighters call the cuts retribution after a nasty, 5-year contract dispute with the city. The Warren firefighters openly supported Mayor Mark Steenbergh's opponent in the November election. In recent weeks, the fire department was put on the defensive when the administration accused two firefighters of abusing a commonly used buddy relief system, which allowed them to continue receiving a paycheck and benefits without coming to work. Hartman said the previous fire commissioner approved both cases and neither man violated city rules. The cuts in the fire department could have been prevented weeks ago had the City Council agreed to let voters consider a tax increase. But some council members said they wanted to make cuts elsewhere instead of passing on the cost to residents. Councilwoman Carolyn Kurkowski-Moceri has criticized the administration for not being open to compromise. "For the first time in my life I am extremely worried about the safety of people in Warren," she said. "Now we're talking lives, not rhetoric and politics."
FFCC.Com Notes: While we are sure that if someone looks "anywhere" they will find some waste, this latest assault on the fire service appears to have some significant "personal" related issue effecting CLEAR thinking-and what is BEST for the public. Why do we feel that way? Well, perhaps comments by the Deputy Mayor such as:
"... these cuts will not jeopardize public safety... "
"... the fire department is overstaffed and wasteful... "
"... the FIREFIGHTERS are the biggest complainers... "
"... this is about money... "
WHAT ISN’T?
Well, we sure hope that the Deputy Mayor (who, after those warm remarks MUST be the pride of that City) is accurate when it comes to NOT effecting public safety, but even with my inability to do basic math, a 20% cut HAS to effect someone, somewhere... having chest pains or having a fire in their bedroom.
We’ll wait and see how this one plays out-but it sure SMELLS like a classic example of some City Hall bureaucrats wanting to "show those damn firefighters" who the BOSS is... or, maybe like a lotta other stuff, there is a part of this called... "the REST of the story"... OR... maybe it is somewhere in the words of Warren Councilwoman Carolyn Kurkowski-Moceri who has criticized the administration for not being open to compromise. "For the first time in my life I am extremely worried about the safety of people in Warren," she said. "Now we're talking lives, not rhetoric and politics."
The word is that these cuts could have been prevented weeks ago had the City Council agreed to LET THE VOTERS DECIDE and consider a tax increase. For years we have wondered why some communities will NOT let THE PUBLIC decide what levels of service they want? What would it hurt? The bureaucrats don’t want the running of "their" City Hall to become political? Yeah-OK.
There is some well documented history in many communities that the personal agendas of some "City Hall types" directly impact the ability of their firefighters (career or volunteers) to do their jobs, give the public what they need-quickly-and to allow the firefighters to return home after the alarm. When it becomes personal, the reason "why we are here" becomes completely lost. FD’s are like an insurance policy for the Citizens... they hope they never have to use it-but when they do-they will always want the best that THEY can afford-not what someone TELLS them, they can afford. Why not let the customers decide?
Ahhhhh... "HOMELAND" SECURITY.
Take Care,
BillyG
The Secret List 5-13-04
36 layoffs in Warren to be in effect by July
May 13, 2004
BY MARY OWEN
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Warren will lay off 36 firefighters and paramedics -- about 20 percent of the department -- after the City Council approved a 2004-05 budget Tuesday that reduced the fire department's funding by $3.6 million. The vote was 5-4. Pink slips are to go out in the next month, and layoffs will go into effect before July 1. The $136-million budget also calls for eliminating five unfilled positions in the fire department. Firefighter union president Chris Hartman said the cuts will be a profound blow to public safety. "The prospect of shutting down engine and paramedic companies is now a very real possibility," Hartman said of the 174-member department, which serves about 130,000 residents, including 23,000 senior citizens. But Deputy Mayor Mike Greiner called the department overstaffed and wasteful. He said the cuts will not jeopardize the safety of Warren residents. "This is about money," Greiner said. "The firefighters are the biggest complainers."
Greiner said everyone in the city has had to take hits due to a $5-million shortfall in state revenue sharing. Warren also laid off four City Hall employees and eliminated five unfilled police officer positions and 50 other unfilled jobs. But firefighters call the cuts retribution after a nasty, 5-year contract dispute with the city. The Warren firefighters openly supported Mayor Mark Steenbergh's opponent in the November election. In recent weeks, the fire department was put on the defensive when the administration accused two firefighters of abusing a commonly used buddy relief system, which allowed them to continue receiving a paycheck and benefits without coming to work. Hartman said the previous fire commissioner approved both cases and neither man violated city rules. The cuts in the fire department could have been prevented weeks ago had the City Council agreed to let voters consider a tax increase. But some council members said they wanted to make cuts elsewhere instead of passing on the cost to residents. Councilwoman Carolyn Kurkowski-Moceri has criticized the administration for not being open to compromise. "For the first time in my life I am extremely worried about the safety of people in Warren," she said. "Now we're talking lives, not rhetoric and politics."