Half Moon Bay Review
\nSeptember 26, 2012<\/p>\n
The suspense is over.\u00a0 Five long months after Directors Alifano, Riddell, and Mackintosh voted to effectively end our contract with CAL FIRE, we\u2019ve finally learned how much this ill-conceived effort will cost us.\u00a0 And it’s absolutely staggering. Would you believe nearly ten million dollars for just this one year of fire service?<\/p>\n
That’s right. The Fire District is proposing operating expenses for their standalone department of $9.99 million for the fiscal year that started July 1, 2012. Compared to last fiscal year’s actual costs of $6.81 million, that’s a one-year jump of $3.18 million, a stunning 46% increase.<\/p>\n
The proposed budget includes a highly questionable line item for $2.07 million in proposed costs for a \u2018Transitional Organization\u2019.\u00a0 Incredibly, there are no details explaining what exactly we are getting for this $2 million.\u00a0 None.\u00a0 While the budget includes details for relatively mundane items such as $1,500 for custodial services and $5,500 for postage, this enormous, extremely controversial $2 million expense has no details whatsoever.<\/p>\n
In case you haven\u2019t been following the shenanigans on our Fire Board too closely, here are some recent \u2018highlights\u2019, as it were, from Directors Alifano, Riddell, and Mackintosh:<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Director Alifano is still under criminal investigation by the San Mateo County District Attorney for his conduct over the weekend of July 14, when he and handful of supporters allegedly harassed recall supporters who were collecting signatures for his ouster.\u00a0 Regarding these incidents, Alifano is quoted in the July 20 San Mateo County Times<\/a> as saying \u201cI made a mistake. I should have never went out there.\u201d \u201cThey wanted me to stoop to their level.\u201d\u00a0 So this is how a public official acts – Alifano blames his opponents for his own conduct.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the July 18 HMB Review<\/a>, Director Mackintosh said \u201cwe could solve all kinds of problems if we could hear each other\u2026 Whether people agree or disagree, if we listen, we can develop something better for everyone\u201d.\u00a0 One short week later, these words rang very, very hollow, when Mackintosh wouldn\u2019t even listen to Fire Chief John Ferreira\u2019s annual report during the July 25 Fire Board meeting.\u00a0 The August 1 HMB Review<\/a> said \u201cDirector Mike Alifano lamented that he was done arguing over the future of CAL FIRE here and didn\u2019t intend to let Ferreira address his report\u201d during the July 25 Fire Board meeting.\u00a0 It appears at the very least the Directors grossly misled the public and our Fire Department when they released a public agenda they now admit they had no intention of following.\u00a0 This pathetic action was also a huge slap in the face to each of the firefighters in our department.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the July 18 HMB Review<\/a>, Gary Riddell said that the Fire Chief\u2019s position will be advertised.\u00a0 How quickly things changed.\u00a0 In the August 22 HMB Review<\/a>, when discussing the Fire Chief\u2019s position, Director Mackintosh said \u201cIf you have very specific people in mind, nothing says you have to go outside\u201d.\u00a0 One has to wonder if Directors Alifano, Riddell, and Mackintosh have ever looked up the definition of \u2018cronyism<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n
To see the proposed budget for yourself, go to coastsidefire.org<\/a>.\u00a0 Click on Board of Directors<\/span>, then Agenda, Minutes & Video<\/span>, then View<\/span> the Board Packet for the 9\/26\/12 Regular Meeting, then Tab 4<\/span> for the September 26, 2012 meeting. [Click here<\/a> to download Tab 4 of the Board Packet directly.]<\/p>\n
Directors Alifano, Riddell, and Mackintosh will be voting on this budget with its $2 million blank check for a \u2018Transitional Organization\u2019 at the Fire Board meeting at the Half Moon Bay Fire Station at 7pm tonight, Wednesday September 26, 2012.\u00a0 Please be there at 7pm, fill out a speaker\u2019s slip, then let Directors Alifano, Riddell, and Mackintosh know what you think of their performance, their governance, and this proposed budget with $2 million in unexplained transitional costs.\u00a0 But before you do, please visit KeepCALFIRE.com, and be sure to sign the recall petitions to take back control of your<\/span> Fire Department.<\/p>\n
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Half Moon Bay Review September 26, 2012 The suspense is over.\u00a0 Five long months after Directors Alifano, Riddell, and Mackintosh voted to effectively end our contract with CAL FIRE, we\u2019ve finally learned how much this ill-conceived effort will cost us.\u00a0 … Continue reading