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Alan Osborne

Beach Lover
Jul 12, 2008
105
132
My response

I appreciate your response. Just so you know, I was never invited and other than my conversation with coy, received no phone calls about this meeting from anyone. What candidates were there? I have attended everything I have been invited to or gave a response if I had a prior commitment. I would have like to have addressed the group myself and had a turn in the Hot Seat so to speak. Thats all I'm saying and I'll leave it at that. It has been very frustrating to find out about events after the fact. I don't blame you but I want you to know that I very much wanted to particpate. I do things for what I believe are the right reasons and it's everyone's right to disagree if they want. I have not tried to cut a deal with any group, I just wanted to make myself available. If people attack me for that then so be it. I did make the effort is all I'm saying.
Alan
 

SoWalProfire

Beach Lover
Jul 22, 2008
75
74
www.local3516.com
Very good point. An endorsement that is not based on a candidate forum, i.e. Emerald Coast Association of Realtors, or some other criteria the public can examine is always questionable.

Also, anyone involved with South Walton Fire District out there? If so, was this an issue that SWFD was involved with?

On a somewhat related note, I keep hearing that some candidates are being approached by (or possibly approaching) SWFD to strike a deal for support for the district, in exchange for supporting that candidate. This is rather concerning, as it certainly stinks of the good ole boy politics so many on here complain about.

To my knowledge, SWFD is not nor will it be "involved" in any political action. This is so because of the Hatch Act. SWFD is funded by ad valorem tax dollars.

South Walton Professional Firefighters Association is the labor organization whose members are the men and women on the ambulances and fire trucks and are employed by SWFD. These two organizations are mutually exclusive. South Walton Professional Firefighters Assoc. and their and interests are funded solely by membership dues and participation.

South Walton Fire District cannot legally "strike a deal" in support or opposition of any candidate. This would be in violation of the Hatch Act.
 
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scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
What are the specific issues the local firefighters are looking for when endorsing candidates? Wages, health care, work conditions, management etc.
 

SoWalProfire

Beach Lover
Jul 22, 2008
75
74
www.local3516.com
I appreciate your response. Just so you know, I was never invited and other than my conversation with coy, received no phone calls about this meeting from anyone. What candidates were there? I have attended everything I have been invited to or gave a response if I had a prior commitment. I would have like to have addressed the group myself and had a turn in the Hot Seat so to speak. Thats all I'm saying and I'll leave it at that. It has been very frustrating to find out about events after the fact. I don't blame you but I want you to know that I very much wanted to particpate. I do things for what I believe are the right reasons and it's everyone's right to disagree if they want. I have not tried to cut a deal with any group, I just wanted to make myself available. If people attack me for that then so be it. I did make the effort is all I'm saying.
Alan

Again;

Each of these candidates received the same questionnaire you received. Each of these candidates did their own research and answered the questions to the best of their ability. This is how we have always done it. It would not be fair to provide "questionnaire aid" to any individual candidate. If the candidate does not answer the questions as written, then the candidate does not get invited to the meeting of the membership. We have never changed our process to bend to the will of any individual candidate.
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
While I'm all for rules and regulations in local politics, asking for more info or a clarification on a question shouldn't disqualify a person from participating in a public candidate's forum. Little draconian IMO.
 

BeachSiO2

Beach Fanatic
Jun 16, 2006
3,294
737
SWProfire:

As I mentioned above, it might be even more powerful for your organization and helpful to others if you were willing to share reasons why your group voted to support the candidates you are. I realize it was based on a questionnaire and some additional live questions. Could you at least share with us the questionnaire and candidate's responses from those who did respond?
 

SoWalProfire

Beach Lover
Jul 22, 2008
75
74
www.local3516.com
While I'm all for rules and regulations in local politics, asking for more info or a clarification on a question shouldn't disqualify a person from participating in a public candidate's forum. Little draconian IMO.

Again;

Each of these candidates did their own research and answered the questions to the best of their ability. This is how we have always done it. It would not be fair to provide "questionnaire aid" to any individual candidate.

Asking for clarification did not disqualify a person for participating. Not submitting the completed questionnaire did. This was not a "public candidate's forum”. Our meetings are not public. One must be a member or be invited. To be invited this particular meeting one must first complete the questionnaire and submit it. Every other candidate did this.

Anyway, it seems as if I find myself in the position of having to justify our methods to those who are only really interested in finding a way to sully our name and diminish the impact of our support of any candidate other than the one you are backing.

My guess is that if Sid Braunstein had not answered the questionnaire and subsequently had not been invited to our meeting, you would support everything I have entered into this forum.

If you have read my first post to this forum, then you know why firefighters are involved in political action. I think these facts are also supported and evidenced by our involvement in our communities in other ways. Every year, on our own time, and with our own funds we support our community by hosting a variety of events such as our annual charity golf tournament, the haunted woods at Halloween, the angel tree at Christmas, delivering thanksgiving dinner to local indigent families, delivering gifts to indigent kids at Christmas, the annual shop with a firefighter event, charity car washes, not to mention the thousands of dollars given by our organization to local burn victims and families affected by fires. We also raise money annually for MDA and St. Jude Children’s Hospital. We do these things to give back to our communities in return for them allowing us to be a part of this great profession and for allowing us to serve the community we love. We take a great deal of pride in caring for the people we serve. Our genuine hope is that this shows at every opportunity we are given to help someone in need.

Of coarse we are also concerned about our working conditions, pay and benefits, but please keep in mind there are many other professions that provide more pay and benefits than the one we chose. Few firefighters chose this profession for the money. We do it because we love to help people. Any candidate willing to prove their support of this ideal will have our support.

I will spend no more time justifying our political actions.

Again, thank you for your interest in this important subject.
 
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scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
I certainly know that the SWFD are a community asset and also do a great deal of additional service to the community, that's why I want to know the issues that are important to them.

If I don't know what you consider to be the important issues or what our local firefighters want/need I can't help them get it, or use it as a criteria for figuring out who to vote for.
 

SoWalProfire

Beach Lover
Jul 22, 2008
75
74
www.local3516.com
I certainly know that the SWFD are a community asset and also do a great deal of additional service to the community, that's why I want to know the issues that are important to them.

If I don't know what you consider to be the important issues or what our local firefighters want/need I can't help them get it, or use it as a criteria for figuring out who to vote for.

Our issues:
Knowledge of our District and the fire service in general.

Knowledge of established standards relating to adequate fire department staffing levels.

Candidates view on the need for safe and up to date life saving apparatus and equipment.

Candidate view on improvements needed in the local fire service.

Candidates view on fire district funding.

Candidates view on the local impact of service consolidation.

Candidates view on firefighters right to be actively involved in political action while off duty.

Candidates views on firefighters right to due process and to bargain in good faith for Fair and competitive working conditions, wages and benefits for firefighters.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Our local politics follow a similar paradigm in that we endorse candidates who have proven their support of these ideals throughout their term, and not just talked about it during their campaign.

I see that the firefighter's union for Okaloosa and Walton County have contributed to a particular County Commissioner Candidate, who has never proven his support in the way which you state qualifies him as your choice. Care to explain that? For all of the new candidates running, how could they prove their support in the past, if they weren't in power to make the decisions?
 
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