Lehigh Acres Fire Board and the News Press

I thought the newspapers were in the habit of presenting the news in a fair & unbiased manner.

Our comments are in red

Lehigh Acres is the fastest growing community in Lee County, and its fire department has been striving to keep pace — both in providing the personnel and equipment necessary and in building its level of professionalism.
The fire commissioners just approved a budget of $36.2 million, the highest among independent fire districts in the county.
There are two seats open, with three candidates in Seat 2 and two in Seat 5.
Lehigh commissioners take a salary of $6,000 a year.

SEAT 2
Steven P. Haas, 41, is a professional firefighter in North Fort Myers and the incumbent here. He is the consummate professional, yet open to both suggestion and innovation and deserves to be re-elected. Haas has been known to hold Saturday open forums and sit patiently answering citizen questions and hearing concerns. But he never answers questions -- checked the minutes of past four year’s meetings. When asked about the possibility of consolidating districts, he shunned the defensive response of many commissioners, suggesting instead an innovative model of a county-wide system that would keep the governance of a central fire district removed from politics and yet able to take advantage of the economies of scale. This is the news paper and union talk and not a true goal. He claims a large amount of credit for taking Lehigh’s department from the depths of ineptitude four years ago to a culture of professionalism today. Seasoned observers say he deserves that credit. The seasoned observers you wrote this endorsement has never been to a board meeting so they can see if there comments fair & unbiased.
Haas also received election fines this year for violating campaign rules from Lee County election s office, but news-press refused to print this. Hass also got in trouble with FPL for put his election sign 6 to 8 high on the power poles endangering there the FPL linemen. Don’t the voters have the right know about these issues?

SEAT 5
The endorsement here goes to Ralph B. Hemingway Jr., 76, a former commissioner who we believe exhibits a fine sense of core values and an ernest concern for the welfare of the department and the taxpayers. Hemingway tends to focus on the details a bit more than is necessary, but he isn’t afraid to challenge the professionals on the commission with probing questions about important issues. He does not understand planning and future. He has some creative financing ideas and is a strong advocate of long-range planning. He is also a hard worker. Hemingway has no core values and even violates the election laws this election cycle. Currently Hemingway has election and ethics charges pending. Hemingway also received election fines this year for violating campaign rules from Lee County election’s office, but news-press refused to print these items. Don’t the voters have the right know about these issues?

Our question to the Editorial Board of News Press is that how can you by fair & unbiased when you don’t even print the ongoing issues with the candidates that you endorsed?


And when we ask you the great News Press to print our comments also they refused!!! Why is the paper afraid of printing the true???? Don’t the voters have the right know about these issues also?

Again News-press refuses to print full letter .......

The local firefighter's union would like you to believe I'm a bad person, not qualified to serve as your fire board commissioner.

They are desperate.

The history of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District is one where once three seats are filled by either union members or union-backed candidates, carte blanche spending becomes the norm, thus benefiting union members. They want to continue spending your tax dollars in this carefree manner.

Therefore they want you to believe that a youthful indiscretion on my part - I admit these transgressions, which happen over 12 years ago, and somehow they want you to believe that it taints me as a bad person.

I paid for this acts, determined to lead a productive life, actively involved in the community in which I live.

I have accomplished this through a variety of ways becoming active in many civic organizations plus founding the Lehigh Acres Watchdog - always checking on the government entities and officials YOU have entrusted to spend your tax dollars.

I want to continue this activity as your fireboard commissioner, continuing my watchdog efforts.

The union refuses to discuss the many issues I have brought up during the campaign. Instead they want to scare you into thinking I'm a bad guy.

Don't let them.

Vote for me Nov. 7 so I can continue my watchdog ways holding the fire district accountable for spending YOUR tax dollars.

Robert J Anderson

For All those on the News- Press Forum,

Wake up ---- look for the disclosures on the websites they are there. Also News-press newspaper edited the content and refused to print the disclosures, it’s not my fault if they (the news-press) refuse to do so.


Facts are still facts ---

The history of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District is one where once three seats are filled by either union members or union-backed candidates; carte blanche spending becomes the norm, thus benefiting union members. They want to continue spending your tax dollars in this carefree manner.

and

They are desperate and there backing Hemingway!!!!!!

News-Press Changes meaning of Letter to the editor

News-Press changes meaning of my letter to the editor to suet their needs during this election cycle

Moving forward

The local firefighters union would like you to believe I’m a bad person, not qualified to serve as your fire board commissioner because I filed for personal bankruptcy in years past.

They are desperate.

I’ve learned, though my own struggles with money and personal bankruptcy and from advising other people over the years, that when we tell ourselves we can’t do something, it’s pretty much a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If we believe that the problem is bigger than ourselves — which we are entirely the victims of circumstance that nothing we can do will make things better — we’re stuck.
It’s true that we can’t change the past, and it may also be that a lot of bad stuff happened to put us in the position we are today. But we do have choices going forward.

I have simple ideas for the future of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District and you as voters and taxpayers of Lehigh Acres are part of this solution.

I have accomplished many things in the past couple of years through a variety of ways, becoming active in many civic organizations, plus founding the Lehigh Acres Watchdog — always checking on the government entities and officials YOU have entrusted to spend your tax dollars.

I want to continue this activity as your fire board commissioner.

Currently, the union refuses to discuss the many issues I have brought up during the campaign. Instead they want to scare you into thinking I’m a bad guy. Don’t let them.
The history of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District is one where once three seats are filled by either union members or union-backed candidates, carte blanche spending becomes the norm, thus benefiting union members.

They want to continue spending your tax dollars in this carefree manner.

I appreciate your vote on Nov. 7.

ROBERT J. ANDERSON
Lehigh Acres


BUT THE NEWS-PRESS EDITED MY CONTENT WITHOUT CALLING FIRST WHY --- The letter below is the letter it sent them to print -----

The local firefighter’s union would like you to believe I’m a bad person, not qualified to serve as your fire board commissioner because I filled for personal bankruptcy in years past.

They are desperate.

The history of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District is one where once three seats are filled by either union members or union-backed candidates; carte blanche spending becomes the norm, thus benefiting union members. They want to continue spending your tax dollars in this carefree manner.

I'm not one who believes that personal financial problems can be solved simply by chanting the right affirmation, decluttering your "money corner" or burying an upside-down statue of a saint. But I do believe the messages we tell ourselves have a powerful effect on our attitudes and actions. I've learned, though my own struggles with money and personal bankruptcy and from advising other people over the years, that when we tell ourselves we can't do something, it's pretty much a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we believe that the problem is bigger than ourselves -- which we are entirely the victims of circumstance that nothing we can do will make things better -- we're stuck.

It's true that we can't change the past, and it may also be that a lot of bad stuff happened to put us in the position we are today. But we do have choices going forward. If I say, "I can't do this" or "I won't do that," I limit my options. As soon as your attitude switches to, "You will do what it takes to solve a problem," solutions begin to present themselves. Often, they were there all along.

I have simple ideas for the future of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District and you as voters and taxpayers of Lehigh Acres are part of this solution.

The difference is attitudes and choices.

As voters, you do have a choice for selecting your fire board, and your attitude and vote on Nov 7 can make all the difference for the future. I have accomplished many things in the past couple of years through a variety of ways becoming active in many civic organizations plus founding the Lehigh Acres Watchdog – always checking on the government entities and officials YOU have entrusted to spend your tax dollars.

I want to continue this activity as your fireboard commissioner, continuing my watchdog efforts. But currently, the union refuses to discuss the many issues I have brought up during the campaign. Instead they want to scare you into thinking I’m a bad guy. Don’t let them. Vote for me Nov. 7 so I can continue my watchdog ways holding the fire district accountable for spending YOUR tax dollars.

Thank you
‘Deal with Your Debt'
by Liz Pulliam Weston

Letters to the editor

Community-minded candidate

As election day nears the choice for who will be the next Lehigh fire commissioner for Seats 2 and 5 is heating up.

The incumbent and his supporters have turned negative in their attacks. While I could write a letter on negative politics, I won’t.

I want to talk to you about my wife Julie Barrett. Julie and I were married almost six years ago on election day.

She is active in our church as a Sunday School teacher, and a leader in praying for our young children in the church.

She is a passionate woman who cares about our community. That is why she decided to run for the Lehigh Acres Fire Board Seat 2.

Julie runs on a platform of lower taxes, stopping wasteful spending, streamline government, restoring fiscal accountability, and is a strong Christian leader.

As a woman of faith she will work on behalf of the community and not the special interests. She will use her strong moral compass to focus like a laser on taking the board out of the headlines and back in the boardroom to do the people’s work.

On election day I ask that you vote for a woman of faith, family values, and who is community-minded.

Vote Julie Barrett Lehigh Acres Fire commissioner Seat 2.

DESMOND BARRETT
Lehigh Acres

Why not hire someone local for the job?

To the Editor,

It was a “ho hum meeting.” The monthly meeting of the Lehigh Acres Fire Board met again and like always had a lot of questions from the taxpayers but of course, there were no answers, just blank stares.

Well they want to hire an assistant chief to help the super chief. I bet he comes from out of town. What they are saying is that the rank and file that we have are not able to do the job.

I’d say that is a kick in the butt to the locals. How do these guys feel? They’re just treading water and going nowhere. That can’t be a good feeling.

Also, the board wants to rent the old Dollar Store in the Publix Plaza and guess how much for a year? Are you sitting down. The answer is $185,000 a year - count the zeros of taxpayer money. When will these lame brain antics end?

Hopefully in November with the ouster of Commissioner Sonny Haas. We the people have to take back our fire department before we’re broke. On the onset I said don’t put a fox in the hen house, but alas the voters put four in there and no chickens left.

So vote for Julie Barrett for that seat. Then we will have control. As it stands now, one firefighter, Commissioner Ashman has jumped ship, leaving his seat open with Ralph Hemingway and Robert Anderson vying for it.

Ashman is going for a bigger position in Lehigh and the plot thickens.

The spending must be stopped . Folks, this is Lehigh Acres, not Fort Lauderdale with all their money., Remember this in November when you vote to save your fire department.,

Harold R. Doidge

Lehigh Acres