Here’s The Scoop … A VFD Boost-er Fund To Campaign? …
November 26, 2009 by Barbara
MORE? ……..
LET’S TRY THIS AGAIN WITH A $3 MILLION DOLLAR” FIRE GARAGE” THAT SLEEPS FIREFIGHTERS …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STXco3O2PHI&feature=related
Dear Readers ….the VFD put together a new Booster Fund Drive…A Furth photo-filled letter was sent out Wednesday….As vendors to LBTS, this time around the VFD cannot actively campaign for the McIntee-Silverstone and (possibly) Furth CIC- endorsed slate or give them donations…But with this fund drive, they will cleverly provide the CIC-slate access to important election information…They will put together a list of the VFD Booster Fund Drive respondents and then the CIC and their endorsed candidates will contact them to vote much like they did when using the Oliver Parker Recall Petition signers in 2008!… Included in the plea for funds is a request for respondents to volunteer for the the Halloween Haunted House and 4th of July events….Why would the VFD, “contractor” put this on the Booster letter to ask for volunteers for Town sponsored events except for it too is to be used politically……But the real problem I have with this “Fund Drive” in 2009, is this, while the VFD is a long time tradition in LBTS…it is no longer the small town fire department of the past in need of funds!…The new VFD receives almost a million dollars in funding from the taxpayers courtesy of our fire assessment for 60+ members …They have well over one hundred thousand dollars in a town account for vehicles, another separate account for the Beach Patrol payments for service…and a very lucrative fire inspection income from annual inspections throughout the town both residential and businesses.. …50% they keep upfront and the other 50% goes into savings in an account for more fire department related purchases!..
So the only reason for this 2009 VFD Booster Fund Drive…is political, plain and straight… I know, there will be “outrage” from the Town Hall East “usual suspects”… for taking this stand…calling it “evil” while beating the drum…saying it is an “attack” aimed at these selfless volunteers participating in something for the good of this town…
But I’m prepared for it……Prepared for the feigned lashing to come from the Mc-Furths….Maybe it will look like sour grapes on the face of it to those still unaware of the big bucks the VFD has gone through in the past year and will receive per their contract this year with 3 more years to follow…..I fully expect a politically orchestrated response on and off the dais…I expect more Commissioner Silverstone “It’s anti-American, it’s anti-Town” declarations like the one he made in November…again during his Commissioner Comments in December, January and February……But that will undoubtedly be tame when compared to his BFF- VFD Deputy Chief /Vice Mayor McIntee, who will pull out his government access cable TV “Look folks” style commentary to appease and appeal to those voters still in the dark……He will use any questioning or negativity concerning the Booster Fund Drive as a starting block …He will declare that such actions are only the beginning of the end of the VFD if he and Jimmy-boy Silverstone and Furths are still not in charge in 2010! …
Those who listen to him should know this ….In the first year after returning as the sole fire service provider to this town this 60+ member VFD acquired 3 more fire trucks…bringing up the total to 5 for a single fire station centrally located within a two and half mile town …..This despite the ISO stating that for a town this size 2 is enough… (prev.post)…When the 1st truck was purchased with no RFP or input from the Town, the Town Manager said the Town must buy it from the VFD…because the Town needed to own all our public safety apparatus…When in short order, the 2nd truck was bought by the VFD again without an RFP or Town input..she changed her mind about the Town’s position of ownership… …It didn’t matter to McIntee though, because the VFD had their bloated Booster Funds…Most of those funds it is said, came from the Vice Mayor’s deep pocketed friend from the Fountainhead. Condominium in the south end of town….McIntee used to brag about the man..McIntee said his benefactor only wanted rides in the truck in return for a McIntee visit resulting in another generous VFD donation…This includes that big 72′ flat screen the VFD was given when they rented the storefront during their ouster on Commercial Blvd….which it is said, the same man with deep pockets also provided to the VFD by paying the rent for a year….Many say he was also the guy that gave the VFD money toward a new firehouse in the Sheriff Ken Jenne days……and covered their legal fees when the VFD was suing the BSO and for a short time suing the Town of LBTS after they were terminated……He was real gravy train for McIntee before he passed away…So, with all those donations sitting in the VFD Booster Fund, the shopping spree continued monthly, sometimes weekly and perhaps even daily from the Oct. 1st 2008 contract starting date with trucks, a new Command car for McIntee, a souped up and detailed fire boat sitting pretty at the new dock…… maxed out ATVs….and lights and sirens on the SeaDoo as well …..It was like having a hot fudge sundae everyday…with sprinkles and a big fat cherry on the top….The cherry was the last fire truck, a $150,000 102′ foot 1989 ladder truck found once again by McIntee himself (flying in the face of his Dec. 2008 letter to the Fl. Ethics stating as Deputy Chief he would have no purchasing duties) …McIntee has admitted his purchasing role …In fact he was rather proud and obstinate on the dais concerning this and other VFD purchases made prior to his 102′ “cherry” in 2008-2009 …One thing about McIntee, this writer observed…he’s a gambler…likes to play the slot machine…and he will pull that lever without a second thought …. In his world there will always be more quarters to play with….He gambled once again by buying this 20 year old $150,000 ladder truck…thinking that even though yet again the VFD purchased it with no Town input and no RFP, he could get the Town to buy it after using Booster Funds to purchase it… (prev. post)… They cut a check for $150,000!…When this writer posted the VFD was going to ask for the Town to pay, after getting the tip off…suddenly the “Little Chief” Perkins pulled it off the agenda…Later it was put on again, and again it was posted right here prompting its removal from the agenda for a second time, but this time the Town Manager revealed Chief Perkins was going to offer it to the Town for a reduced price of $100,000!… That too is an all too familiar McIntee move!… With no reimbursement coming from the Town and his biggest benefactor no long up the road, perhaps the Booster Fund has run dry?… We will never know though, because as this writer found out some time back, the VFD Booster Fund is a separate fund operated under the non-profit VFD and they will not disclose the funds, individual donations (recently they did add a lump collected for 2008 on their website to try and appease) They also will not disclose any Booster Fund expenditures … The 2008 VFD monthly business meeting minutes disclosed the decision to use the Booster Fund to pay for the ads in the Mc-Furth By The Sea Times… Each issue contains a full back page color VFD ad …In the first three VFD income/expense reports I have received and posted there is no inclusion in the reports for payments for the ads in the paper!… So it’s easy to see that by donating to this VFD Booster Fund Drive, McIntee will have carte blanche to whip that VFD credit card out to spend …spend…spend!..
The future election also brings forth one more reason the current leadership of the VFD would want to help the CIC-endorsed candidates in any way they can…You see the $2 million dollar McIntee-Silverstone -Colon driven purchase of the crappy hotel next door for use as a public safety building cannot sleep the firefighters … This was touted as one of the big reasons to push this acquisition through… and a McIntee-Silverstone-Furth-Colon win…means they can try again with a brand new $3 million dollar “fire garage” that sleeps firefighters…grant or no grant…to house all these new trucks…and the many that are sure to follow if this same VFD leadership remains and continues to purchase trucks with no RFPs or input from the Town ….
So folks, as you make this important decision on whether to give to the 2009 VFD Booster Fund Drive, and decide to do so please send a message along with your donation to the VFD members….Inform them you do not want your name passed on to any political organization…and that with your donation you insist the VFD disclose their use of Booster Funds in 2010!…
more to come….
