Sunday, November 30, 2008
Failure to Reply
As I mentioned previously, I wrote to Chief Silvernail of the Mehlville Fire Department about the numerous problems related to his new contract that was approved by the Board of Directors on Oct. 29th, 08 but dated April 4th. The chief turned my request over to the district's attorney Matt Hoffman who has refused to address the gifts that violate Missouri's laws. This is unfortunate as the district will continue to waste our tax dollars responding to the state's attorney general's office which I'm told recently admonished the department for numerous violations of Missouri's Sunshine Laws.
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27 comments:
Why should Silvernail care about your stupid requests? As an elected official, you were sued by the Call for your own violations and the Call received a tidy settlement. You have no credibility and deserve to be ignored.
Again, state a time where I violated the law. Anything said by Bill Milligan and the Call can not be believed. They are fools and liars.As you note, the Call did receive a settlement from the district's insurer to settle that nuisance suit. They never received any new materials from the district, even from the new board. You have every right to ignore me, just as you have every right to go jump in a lake.
Heins: What makes you think you have any credibility with anyone? Last time you ran for election you got your ass kicked pretty good and I credit the Call for that. It's obvious why you hate the Call, its accurate reporting of your antics on the school board have made you unelectable. And in my opinion, that's a damn good thing. I support the current board, which is still cleaning up the mess you helped create.
Mike
Are you aware that they have two pictures of you in the Mehlville fire Administration office. They have your head over a monkeys body.
One is in the hallway and the other was out in front.
That's too funny!
2:56 Sarcasm Alert/snark!
Thanks for the info. I didn't know losing an election meant that you had no credibility. Gee wiz! I wonder how Catherine Hanaway got that job as a U.S. Attorney after her loss. Poor Senator McCain, I guess nobody will respect him now that President Obama whipped him. I think I'll call John Campisi and Joe Matuzak and ask them if they'd like to get together once a week at BreadCo for a losing support group. I thought I made it quite clear why I don't like the Call, but I guess I'll have to try to explain more thoroughly. I'm glad you support the board of education. I do also. In fact, I've supported each one since I moved here 16 years ago. I'm always trying to improve, so why don't you try to be more specific as to what I left as a mess.
I was saddened to hear today of the passing of Tesson Ferry's longtime Committeeman Joe (Tooth) Mutazak. Had I known, I probably wouldn't have used his election loss in the example above, although I think Joe would have approved. Joe appreciated my sense of humor, that's probably why we got along so well. That and the fact that we were a little old school. We understood that politics is a competition not a war. He certainly was a good example for my point above. He lost his re-election bid just a few years ago to former State Representative Carl Hendrickson after serving the Republican Party here in South County for numerous years. I don't know the reason for the loss, but I can tell you it wasn't for lack of credibility. Joe was known on both sides of the fence and many may not have agreed with his politics, but everyone I know respected his sincerity and his committment. I last saw Joe just a couple of weeks before the November election. I was driving by as he was putting up some yard signs. I hollered " Joe, I've got some Obama signs if you need them." He yelled at me " if you need some McCain's."
Rest in peace, Joe. I'm going to miss you.
Mike
The Call sure had some great coverage of Mehlville FPD in this week's issue. Did you read it?
That is one great looking fire house, I do think it is a little to big and fancy.
The new firehouse is beautiful. What a wonderful asset to the community.
I think it is way to large, why do they need a garage for three fire trucks?
They need a "garage" for three fire trucks to house spare equipment rather than allow it to remain out in the weather to deteriorate. That was also a key reason to build #5 House the size it is. It is one thing to worry about the paint and shiny stuff on a fire truck. It is another issue altogether to consider the cotton jacketed fire hose, pump packing and additional equipment stored in the external compartments of any modern fire apparatus - equipment that doesn't play particularly well with changes in temperature. Having that equipment inside helps protect not only the shiny stuff but also the medications and advanced medical equipment now being stored on every piece of line equipment, whether or not there will be someone there who is licensed to use it. With three bays available one piece of spare equipment (pumper or LSV) can be stored at that house rather than beside or behind another engine house. That will leave the other two bays available for the current online staffed LSV and pumper assigned to the house.
I hope the new house is attractive. The guys will work hard to keep it that way. But I understand (but haven't had the chance to compare the plans) that it's smaller in living space than the current engine house - a place that is already too small. If so, the folks assigned there will go from a small place to an even smaller place with little personal or storage space but a great new look.
I think you are very wrong, that house is plenty big. You do not need room for every fire truck at the expense of the tax payers. It still has one extra space from the present station. The living space is more then ample for the staff. Why do you need extra space to sit around. Sorry I will not buy your story. You might bull sh-t some people but for most of the citizens we know better.
A reasoned, thoughtful, literate response from 7:48 followed by the usual third grade comments from 8:22.
"Most of the citizens" know nothing about emergency services and are perversely proud of that ignorance.
Hope you don't have to call 911 in this district anytime soon.
They may be ignorant on 911 but they are smart on what they pay in taxes and know all about the past record of the Mehlville fire department and the greed of the local. You need to stop dropping dead babies in this blog and realize tax reform is here to stay.
8:22, if you like it or you don't it is still smaller than the current house. At shift change there are between 10 to 12 grown men and women conversing about what they ran the previous day, what they used, broke, what they did around the engine house, etc to the oncoming crew. With this shift change comes exchange of paperwork, computer work,narcotic keys and boxes, a place to house 30individuals and their belongings(shower items, food, bedding, books for studying etc.) Further more the apparatus placed at 2 house is designed for that area. They have a 75 foot ladder truck (for the commercial property in the area) and of couse an ambulance. When the ladder truck is broke down, they don't have a spair ladder truck in it's place. They have to either run an older pumper which doesn't have a ladder or keep the platform there. The platform will not fit in the old property or the new property it's too big. With this said I don't want to change your mind it's just how it is. Like it or not. And the men and women have to like because it's going to be there for the next 50+ years.
Also if you see the board pass the tax decreases, you are going to see another majority of the present and new staff quit/retire. I have heard this from numerous people. They are just waiting.
8:49, pal, you only know what Hilmer and the Call have told you. If you trust those two sources for accurate, unbiased information, you really have your thumb in your mouth and your blankie snuggled close to your cheek.
This "reform" bunch is hell bent on bankrupting the district. It's what Hilmer's been after from the start. Kill off one of the most respected and influential districts in the county and help set the stage for county-wide consolidation. That will be great for the less affluent departments. Their standards will rise, especially after the powers-to-be redistribute resources from the wealthier areas. However, for those of us who have helped build first class departments, it will be a lose-lose-lose situation. (Although, at this point, Mehlville is no longer a first class department.)
They've already bankrupted Mehlville in terms of morale and experienced workers. These folks are going, going, gone. They have been replaced by the most amazing assortment of cheap rejects and right outta school newbies. The blind leading the blind. Hell, they can't even hang on to the blind newbies they hire!
The firemedic mania is turning out to be a joke, albeit not a funny one. It is not possible to instantly implement an effective cross-train program. It must be phased in over many years. Hilmer's snap your fingers approach has caused chaos and will get someone killed, if it hasn't already. A lot of crap happens on the scene which never makes its way to the general public. Turns out many of the much heralded pumper medics are sitting on their hands on the scene, either because they don't really want to handle patients (which they don't) or because they know they are over their heads in medical situations.
Now the BOD is going to push this permanent tax decrease thing to insure future boards are handcuffed. Sure, it sounds like a nifty idea to the tax-phobes, but the potential for disaster is incredible.
If they can sell their homes, the really smart people will plan to watch the long term consequences of this BOD's irresponsible behavior from afar. In terms of emergency services, this is a markedly less safe place to live now than it was four years ago. The BOD will spin their story and skew their figures and the tax-phobes will lap it up, but it all boils down to "you get what you pay for".
In this economy it's tempting to slash any expense which isn't an immediate need. However, solid emergency service isn't like cable tv. You can't simply drop it and expect to restore it with a phone call sometime in the future. It is an investment which must be maintained or it will not be there when you desperately need it.
The BOD and the goofballs that support thrm don't care about the people who work at the fire department. They just want a shiny fire truck or ambulance to show up when they call 911!
They have no idea about what goes on in the technical side of the service.
Get it cheaper they say, no cares to whether its going to perform or not! Leave the truck/ambulance outside, that way we can save a few bucks!
Make # 2 house a firehouse that hase to be backed into, who cares that backing a firetruck into a bay is a great way to cause damage or injure a emplyee. maybee they see it as a way to get rid of more staff to hire there bargain emplyess!
Look at the # 3 house ambulance. They saved a few bucks on a remounted box and in the return they got a massive headache with electrical repairs and headaches. Not including the time it will be out of service.
Eventually I see the neighboring departments dropping there mutual aid agreement with Mehlville Fire due to the incompetence of the administration. The Mehlville Fire will be on it's own!
Now they brag about lowering the tax rate. I guess that they just don't care about the future of the district. I can see permanent damage to the staffing, equipment and service provided.
Do you think that the puppet administration will voice there opinion on this? I think not, there owned by the board as well!
Mr. Heins
You are a real chicken shit trying to duck all of the stuff coming down on local 1889. You have really supported a bunch of thugs and if course I believe you are a part of the whole thing. Your blog site is a real tribute to crap that happens in south county and supports all of the wrong doings. You need to get your head out of your ass and come into the real world of right doing. I have always said you are a no good life sucking bastard of South County.
3;13 Anonymously calling me names is a really more of a comment about your character than my not blogging much lately. I'm not sure what you think I'm a part of, but you have a right to your imagination. As to the men and women that work for the fire department, I continue to support them wholeheartedly. While it's unfortunate one of the district staff has been accused of a horrible crime, that does not mean anything at all as for as their association. Should someone feel that it does, they would have to have no respect for our St. Louis County Police. It wasn't that long ago, one officer shot another officer while he was on drugs. Most people of average intelligence, understand that when you have people, you will have exceptions to high standards.
Thanks for writing in.
Mr. Heins
Your blog sit is very negitive and doesn't really relect on anything but union activities. I feel the fire board of mehlville is a true reflection on assisting the tax payers with relief and reform. You need to support there cause with a positive reacation on your blog site.
Most new is negative. People are bored by good news. Do you find yourself going to blogs about the mission works of churches. There are some great things being done by people of faith but it just doesn't interest most people. I agree that the fire board represents those taxpayers who would like to pay less taxes. I don't think that if we had an informed citizenry that the majority of them would appreciate the reduction in the quality of service that they are provided.I don't support this board because they are dishonest and they violate numerous laws to achieve their goals.
This board has not broken any laws, that is only your opinion. As far as being dishonest you are dead wrong. You are supporting individuals that have a greedy agenda and of course self serving.
Get your head out of your ass and read the articles of the real world of the local 1889 present Executive board.
Prove one law that was broken or one lie that was told by any MFPD board member.
I agree with bloggers 8:43 am and 11:23 am. While you may think you know the law, you know more about slander and listen to individuals that are trying to make a killing from the district pay roll and benefit packages. Wake up and smell the roses like the people that work for GM, FORD AND ALL OF THE BUSINESS THAT ARE CUTTING BACK IN SALARIES, BENEFITS AND NUMBE OF EMPLOYEES THAT THEY ARE REDUCING FROM THE PAY ROLL.
Mr. Heins
I hope you and your family have a real f--ked up holidays.
6:47 I feel very sorry for you. On Christmas Eve, you blogged a nasty comment to my family. I don't know what hurts you so much, but I hope, somehow, you can find some happiness in the season. I forgive you and wish you peace.
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