By Richard Boucher
Jacksonville, 12.4.2011
Mayor Bruce Garrett’s resignation in the face of the recall attempt marked a sad day for the City of Jacksonville. Earlier this year, following voter rejection of a funding model for a professional emergency responder service, Mayor Garrett and the City Council opted to fund a cheaper compromise plan. The Council’s prudent and thoughtful course of action was taken to ensure our collective health and safety and is worthy of praise, not recall.
The recallers claim that Jacksonville would be better served by an all volunteer emergency responder service but fail to acknowledge Jacksonville’s aging demographics and unsuccessful attempts to staff such a service in the past . Jacksonville residents average 65 years of age and what few young people we have typically work out of town. Ask yourself… Who will you want responding to a time critical medical emergency at your home; 1) an in-city, young, professional fire/EMT service or 2) volunteers hurrying back into town from their jobs in Medford or White City, or 3) a group of 70 year old retirees?
Volunteer emergency responder services work best when you have plenty of young adults who live nearby and who work close to town; Jacksonville has neither.
The recallers don’t mention that Jacksonville’s insurance rating could potentially drop with an all volunteer service resulting in significantly higher insurance rates. My insurer, Amica, might raise my rates over 40%! Ask yourself… Would you rather pay less and have professional emergency responders, or pay more for volunteer responders and a lower level of service?
The recallers seem to be particularly bothered by the fact that the Jacksonville emergency responders earn a living wage and are covered by PERS. Why would anyone begrudge our emergency responders a decent living and access to a retirement plan? Remember, emergency responders are the people that are willing to run into your burning house to save you while you are running out!
Many years ago my grandfather was shot at point blank range with a .44 during a robbery attempt. I arrived on the scene just as the fire fighter EMTs arrived. They quickly and professionally stabilized him and saved his life. It didn’t occur to me at the time to complain about their wages or the few bucks a month I chipped in for their salaries. In fact, I would have gladly paid any price to save my grandfather’s life that night. Fortunately, I didn’t have to because the good citizens of my town had the foresight to fund an emergency responder staff. Emergency responders put their lives on the line and take our lives into their hands every day and should be compensated accordingly.
When my friend Hube Smith approached me with his recall petition I declined to sign it and encouraged him to instead apply his civic energies towards more constructive endeavors such as running for a Council seat or helping the City manage costs by volunteering w/ the budget committee. Unfortunately, the recall path was pursued and Jacksonville is the worse for it. We’ve lost our mayor, an expensive recall will have to be conducted, and Councilor Becker’s reputation will be forever clouded by whatever posterior kissing he bent to in his back room meeting w/ Hube Smith to get his recall petition withdrawn.
The ill advised recall attempt in Jacksonville has already cost us an honorable and hard working mayor. Let’s put a stop to it before it imperils our safety… While I understand Mayor Garrett’s motivation for resigning in the face of the politics of anger and retribution that surround the recall attempt , I applaud Councilor Schatz’s willingness to stand on her record. Jacksonville needs a professional emergency responder staff. I urge the citizens of Jacksonville to vote NO on the ill advised recall attempt.