Proposal blatantly unfair

[Robert Burkett]

November 4, 2008

I understand that the Civic League is attempting to arrange a meeting with Parish administration and the Fire Fighters Association regarding the proposed amendment to the Red Book ordinance. I hope it occurs. I believe this arbitrary decision by the current administration is innately unfair. If they believe they have legitimate reasons for this change then it should be renegotiated with the Jefferson Fire Fighters Association. As I understand it, both parties negotiated the current agreement and both parties should abide by it, if and until it is renegotiated. Doing otherwise lowers the credibility of the current Jefferson Parish administration (if that is possible). What they propose is blatantly unfair. Perhaps a better arrangement would be in the best interest of everyone concerned but that should stand the test of a debate and negotiation in good faith. Right now, and until I am convinced of the true intentions of the Parish administration, I stand behind the Fire Fighters who put their lives on the line every day and risk the financial future of their families. Fire Fighters deserve adequate compensation and not a knife in the back.


Pat Constant

Firefighters don't deserve a knife in the back. They deserve council members that stand up and recognize the extreme neglect and abuse of their firefighters by a few misguided administrators. Council members speak out about other issues, but you don't hear them publicly announce their support for the firefighters. I always thought that part of the elected representative’s job was to draw on their own knowledge and to make every effort to investigate and to speak out. Leaders don’t hide behind each other, or a desk, or a meeting room in matters of importance.

The council had to agree with this attack. They agreed to hire a special attorney and allowed him to hire a PR firm with fire department funds to mislead the public. If they had hired a neutral party to investigate the firefighters’ complaints, the real issues would have been discovered quickly. Complaints of neglect and poor planning by fire administrators after the hurricane were basically ignored by Jefferson Parish administrators, but to make it worse, the council gave out awards. There has been one cover up after another… over and over, again.