Was it True--Or Was I Right and it Wasn't True?

Those that do a rain dance should not be upset when they get wet....

Yesterday afternoon I got a call and a text from the AM 1620 News producer asking my opinion about the latest "revelation" about the Medical Examiner.  Apparently, the Medical Examiner was on Andrew Tallman McKay's show yesterday morning along with a remorseful funeral director.  I told him I don't listen to the show, didn't hear it, didn't know what happened.

Later in the day, I got a call from the PNJ.  Same topic.  The reporter texted me a podcast of the conversation.

Then this morning I get a text from Channel 3.  Same issue.

So I held my nose and listened to the podcast.

Here's the takeaway:  The funeral directors sent letters to the county making outrageous, unbelievable accusations that were graphic, salacious, and incredible.  They were also public records the minute we received them.

I posted excerpts to this blog because these allegations were so out of the ordinary.  As is typically the case, the media outlets in town who constantly mine my blog for story ideas picked up the story and ran with it.

And now, come to find out, at least one of these funeral directors regrets sending the letter.  He says he wishes he would not have sent it.  He all but recanted.

That is interesting, because I thought these allegations were hard to believe and I said so in my original post.  

Looks like my suspicion has been supported---and none of these allegations are true.  Things are perfect and "nothing to see here, move along."

Glad to hear that, because if I get multiple allegations like that from reputable businesses in town on a very sensitive topic of interest to my constituents--I will likely blog about it so my constituents know.  And often times the media will pick this up and run with my topic--reaching an even wider audience.  Good.

But the lingering head scratchers on this topic for me are now two-fold.  

1.)  Why write a letter and make accusations that are false?  Why did this funeral director do this?

2.)  Why get mad at me, a public official that blogs important topics of interest---when my blog has a limited number of viewers when juxtaposed with WEAR's massive audience---and most people saw this story once they (WEAR) picked it up.  And the PNJ.  So why is this guy and the ME upset with me?

Seems ridiculous to me---writing something apparently that was not true and sending it to the county commissioners in the hopes nobody ever reads it???  Huh??  What????  Makes no sense at all.

Sounds like buyer's remorse to me.  Better yet:  Sounds like these guys did a rain dance and are mad when it started raining and they got wet.

It's Like Doing a Rain Dance, Then Complaining About a Lack of Umbrellas When it Starts Pouring.....

When you pray for rain it is good to have a solid umbrella....

County and IAFF bargaining continues tomorrow.

Meanwhile, there are significant issues that still need to be addressed in the fire union contract.  I am hopeful our bargaining team can carry the board's proposals tomorrow and an agreement can be reached.

At least that is the hope.

But in listening to the last 10 minutes of the most recent session with the IAFF--it appears their  positions are very intransigent.  I hope this changes.

Continuing shots at commissioners have not stopped or changed, though.  Through selective releases of certain information on social media, via proxies sympathetic to the union,  and the union itself---- information and data that are misleading, inaccurate, or flat out fiction pour out.

For Example:  the false social media posts related to a tragic fire resulting in the death of a citizen were weaponized and launched onto the internet by the union.  This rightfully led to disciplinary action against those union leaders that did this but would not admit their culpability.  Good.  That tragic death was absolutely NOT about a lack of resources as the union falsely claimed.  That was a straight-up, bald-faced lie.  Sickeningly, it had the appearance of an attempt at utilization of a tragedy to further union negotiations for higher wages.  Disgustingly unprofessional.

I was contacted by that victim's family in that instance and they were not happy about that post.  Believe that.

At a breakfast I enjoyed this past Saturday with a current county employee and former volunteer firefighter in West Pensacola, he recounted that his own experience as a multi-year volunteer was bittersweet.  "I enjoyed doing it for many years, but we were never treated fairly, we were not allowed to ride along to fire calls, and we were given only menial tasks to do in the firehouse.  Most of us left because we were treated horribly, like second-class citizens."  

A current volunteer (one of the few remaining) summed it up succinctly "This can be fixed with minimal cost. Just need to put people with vision in these positions and let them build it up and get us all to working together. Volunteers and career can Co exist but we need to begin with solid volunteer leadership to start with. And it can grow if given the chance. Cuts down their overtime and increases services to the citizens at minimal cost. But you gotta start with solid volunteer leaders.

Right now they [IAFF Union] control ECFR every aspect of it and that is not working. District Chiefs with a little backbone for the volunteers is what we need right now. If you noticed recently that station one now has no volunteers and they are trying to achieve that at all stations. I myself have almost thrown in the