Your anonymous Houston Fire Department Captain is back with another piece on Houston Mayor Turner.
For the last 15 years of my career I have often found myself to be in the position of a person’s last chance. Hopefully a glimmer of hope. From cardiac arrest reunions, extrication from a vehicle/atv or other entrapments, capsized boats, aircraft crashes, wild-land fires, acute medical conditions, even rescue from a burning structure, I can thankfully say that I and many others have had a small role to play in events like these throughout the years.
Members of the Houston Fire Department have given a lot of people a second chance.
Last night, despite some initial head scratching and dissent, we gave many more another.
111,404 people voted for our incumbent mayor.
128,343 voted for another.
The Firefighters support of Council Member Boykins was wholehearted, as he would have been a fantastic candidate to support public safety, and has battled through such fights on city council. He was revered by his district, and accomplished much in terms of housing, and bringing development into a large swath of lower income residences. I for one, in the times I have met him, applaud him for his work ethic and candor. I asked him for things we needed at our fire station a few times, and he absolutely delivered. Most importantly this; I believe he was a candidate that appealed to the ideals of many that may have voted for the incumbent mayor. Despite our support and endorsement, there were not enough that shared that sentiment. But if I am correct, then his vote alone permitted a runoff, a second chance, for the majority of voters to take stock in their beliefs that a change is needed in this city, and show again they do not support this administration.
I for one am tired of being another Google search away from finding wasted money when recycling trucks are catching on fire, and can’t pick up my waste. I’m tired of seeing elected officials sitting behind home plate at World Series games, after a state takeover of 8 billion dollars was implemented because 10 homes have been rebuilt in 2 years. I am tired of “spend every penny” philosophy to hide money and ask for more next year, only to find that money “disappears” in back room deals and contracts hidden from city council.
All the above and more is just the start. The figures Bill King often brought up are very real, but the mayor will not talk about them because he wants you to believe that in the last 4 years he has worked miracles to save us from financial ruin.
Look no further that the Harris County Commissioners Court. A majority of this body was poised to increase our taxes 13% after many residences have flooded 3 times in 3 years. This administration will bleed its taxpayers the same way.
There has been almost nothing done to address drainage, our streets are not getting better, our infrastructure is literally crumbling around us, the basic public safety we pay for is stretched danger thin with both police and fire, many aspects of crime have risen, and nothing has been done to address the biggest concern of the Houston taxpayer, “what am I getting for my tax dollar”. Unless you wanted 3.5 million dollars in live bands in Intercontinental Airport, at least that was a 45 minute discussion at a city council meeting spearheaded by the mayor.
So here is our second chance.
I hope we are paying attention.
HFD Captain
(Editor’s note: the writer of this post did not want his/her name published. We have verified that this person is a captain in the fire department.)
Barbara Hill says
Thank you!
You stated the importance of a second chance to save the city from any further corruption by Turner! How important this run-off is to the people’s safety!
God gave us a second chance to right the wrongs of Turner and his Corrupt Machine!
Turner must be voted out of office!
Please keep sending this out to as many as you possibly can, even to local radio stations! Your message is very important.
Deanna Anderson says
This is for over due.
Take our City Back, voters can make it happen !
Mark Williams says
All you care about is money, and supporting your corrupt union bosses.
Mainstream says
The Firefighter’s endorsement of Boykins had little power or effect, undercutting their prior success in the referendum re pay parity, and weakening their political position. I think most observers expect Turner will prevail in the runoff.
Mirela Willheln says
Not if we vote for Buzbee.
howie katz says
Come next January, it will be corrupt business as usual. Sly will continue to be mayor, but Buzbee will be a few bushels of money less wealthy.
Tom Zakes says
I’m one of the 60,000 who faced with the prospect of Turnip or Buzbee voted “neither.” I now have a Buzbee sign in my yard.
#AnyoneButTurner
I’m Tom Zakes and I approve this message.
Reader says
What will Buzbee do to reach out to King voters who are seriously considering sitting at home? Buzbee stole King’s ideas and was very disrespectful because he had ten million dollars to outspend his way to the runoff. Sure, I will show up to vote and vote Buzbee, but will I drag my wife to the poll with me? How many of us are there like that? How many will not show up at all?
Easter Lemming says
This letter is an example of Democrats’ problems with unions and police and firemen and how conservative-GOP media can put false facts and frames into the political narrative.
Typical firemen and other union members are typical blue-collar non-college degreed males and share their issues. They are solidly middle-class because of past wage battles but have organized to be politically active on issues that concern them and that politicians control. But except for the issues that concern them, their pay and pensions, they don’t pay attention a great deal of attention to politics. Houston firemen are concerned about sports, and flooding and if their taxes are too high and do more educated elites look down on them but can their kids get into college and how are their doctor’s bills. They listen to talk radio which was captured in Houston as in other places with college dropouts who talk about their resentments and rather “other people” are getting breaks and getting away with murder and how corrupt politicians are. The radio hosts are emailed talking points each day from GOP/conservative propaganda machines of issues and frames that are working for them and getting listeners. The result is typical Republican voters, except on their pay, pension, and health issues.
This post illustrates this. Local politicians often cultivate the police and fire unions by many appearances and assuring them they will vote on their issues and the firemen determine their friends. When you have a mayor’s race, the politician who promised them the most in the past will have their endorsement, ignoring that he will have no chance in the election and that endorsement is throwing away any influence the firemen have.
This fireman repeats the TOTALLY FALSE story spread by conservative media that the GOP members are heroes for walking out a meeting that would have raised their taxes 13% instead of dealing with real flooding issues. Instead the GOP members forced a 3% funding cut for flood control after Harris County has not had a local increase in flood control taxes for 20 years despite huge growth and increasing floods. The tax increase would have been 3.6%, not 13%, and instead, Harris County has to cut flood control projects.
He is aware of the real issues facing Houston in infrastructure but only repeats the politics of outrage and resentment talking points the conservative media is so good at spreading instead of demonstrating any knowledge of what the city government has accomplished.
Turner will be reelected, not because he is the best man but because of the three viable candidates, he had the experience and knowledge of the city and did not run on support from anti-gay activists and launching a smear and innuendo campaign against his opponent.