Letters to the editor

The following are letters to the editor that appeared in the Aug. 12 print edition of The Peninsula Gateway. To submit a letter, e-mail gatewayeditor@gateline.com. Please keep letters submissions to 250 words.

FD 16 lid lift levy needs to pass, safety and services levels at stake

In his recent letter Fire Commissioner Yanity stated he spoke with a fire deptartment staff member from somewhere 100 miles away. Yet neither were named.

I have never witnessed any Key Peninsula firefighter at work or any scene impaired by drugs, alcohol or weight. In fact we work hard to do the same job with less personnel than surrounding fire departments.

I have been a firefighter-paramedic for more than two years. In that time I have moved my family here, and we call the Key Peninsula home. We have come to care deeply for this community, our neighbors, friends and the family we invite to visit.

My stake in this levy is three-fold. First, the safety of my family and friends is in jeopardy if this levy does not pass. Secondly, my livelihood is at stake. Third is the issue of increased costs.

If we don’t pass this levy and fire personnel, equipment, or stations are lost, it could very likely cause an increase in insurance costs that we all carry on our homes. This increase will be well beyond the cost of this levy lid lift per household.

Commissioner Yanity’s energies are wasted and misguided. I would never entrust my life or the livelihood of my family to a member of this deptartment that was impaired or unable to perform at the levels necessary to do this job.

Actions speak louder than words to me, and as long as I have been part of this community the only deptartment related personnel that has ever shown inappropriate actions is Mr. Yanity.

Assault is no minor detail to disregard.

Mud slinging between commissioners is no reason to jeopardize our loved ones safety or our own.

Vote “yes” for this levy and let’s vote for commissioners who will do the job of being a true steward of District 16 and not act as a distraction from the real needs of this community.

Rick Price, Firefighter/Paramedic for Key Peninsula Fire District 16

Attacks on lid lift levy misleading

I cannot stand by any longer while voters are mislead. The Key Peninsula citizens should be informed by the facts — not the falsehoods of one individual — in regards to the upcoming levy lid lift.

Personally, two years of defeating the levy is tragic. It is time for KP citizens to step up to the plate — and vote in favor of the levy.

The annual increase and the cost effectiveness of this proposition is small in comparison to one private ambulance ride costing $800 or more.

Just as importantly, is how it will affect your service if the levy is defeated.

As the population increases, the demand for more firefighter/EMTs and paramedics increases. A community is asking for trouble if the fire department does not grow as well.

Defeating the levy will reduce one firefighter vacancy; and if defeated the following year, the strong possibility exists for losing more firefighters/EMTs and most, if not all, paramedics.

Imagine living in Longbranch, and you have a medical emergency — or your house is on fire. Outside paramedic response is 40 minutes or more and you depend on mutual aid to assist the understaffed KP fire personnel and volunteers (who were not always available).

Before the mid-1990s, this is exactly how it was on the KP.

You will be going backward — not forward — if this proposition is defeated.

I am saddened that the community have not supported its fire department — one for which it should be proud. The words of one fire commissioner — who tears down the fire department rather than finding ways to build it up — should not taint your judgment.

L.K. Long, Marble Hill, Mo. (former Lakebay resident)

FD 16 drug, fitness issues exist but lid lift levy should pass

I was a member of District 16 for several years. I was appauled by the inside operations of the agency. I certainly encourage you all to vote “yes” on the levy to improve staffing and safety. I encourage you all to vote out the current individuals inside causing problems.

I believe that alot of employess leave because of poor management and moral inside the deptartment that leads to staffing issues. I saw a horrible turnover rate in my time there. There are many good firefighters who work hard to provide a decent service to the community.

There are others who remain because they know they won’t meet standards elsewhere. Mr. Yanity has valid points with fitness and substance abuse.

The only duty drug and alcohol testing that is required is post accident and resonable suspicion. Unless department policy has changed since I left, it should still be the same.

I wish all of you in the public were not kept out of the light. There are alot of these types of issues.

I encourage you to vote out the current trouble makers and help make change in this novembers election. It is apparent that this type of behavior is acceptable to them.

Wess Van Slyke, Vaughn

Fire district, residents need services levy will provide

I am a retired firefighter of Fire District 16. I retired after serving 34 wonderful years with the department at the rank of Battalion Chief. There have been many changes and improvements since I joined.

When I joined, we had one fire station, one engine and one tanker.

As you can see, we have come a long way.

Can you imagine what it would be like now to live like those days with no ambulance or fire apparatus? I have seen accident victims lie on the road for more than an hour, waiting for an ambulance from Gig Harbor or Tacoma, only to die needlessly.

I’ve also seen homes lost by fire because it took too long to respond from out of our area.

I and my fellow firefighters have put in many years and schooling, training and sacrifices to make this fire department what it is today.

Our little fire department at one time was unknown by other fire departments in the county and state.

We had the perseverance to train more and learn all we could to become one of the best in the state. We were then well-known and respected by all and looked up to by not only other fire districts but by our own citizens in our district.

This has all come about because the voters had such good faith and received such good service from their firefighters.

Our fire district has almost always passed the levies submitted to the voters until a commissioner decided to prevent the lid lift levy from passing.

It takes a lot of money to run a fire department and maintain good services and buy new equipment and to maintain what you have. Everything costs more every year, and the costs will never come down.

I know it’s hard to pay more taxes. I don’t like it either, but wouldn’t it be better to pay a little more than to go back to one fire truck an no ambulance?

Please vote “yes” on the lid lift levy.

Bud Ulsh, Lakebay

Primary voters should seek facts

Fire District 16 Commissioner Al Yanity should realize his problem with fellow Commissioner Jim Bosch is a personal matter and should not include the fire district.

That problem is a disease that should be taken completely out of Fire District 16, which would allow our population and fire department to continue to better ourselves and perform their jobs.

Every citizen of the Key Peninsula community who has questions concerning the operations and procedures at Fire District 16 should address those issues with the fire department. There are policies in place — the ones Yanity suggests do not exist.

Any community member can request a copy of the Standard Operating Procedure, Title: Fitness for Duty, Procedure No: 16-400-11P, from the fire station in Key Center.

Those policies are in place for all staff of the fire department.

Yanity used the voters’ pamphlet for his personal soapbox and made statements against Proposition 1.

Printed in his statement-against section, he states, “yes; to increase services will require more taxes.”

Yanity contradicts himself and attempts to sway people from supporting the fire department. The people of this community should use facts to vote.

John and Wendy Glennon, Key Peninsula

Cash for clunkers not working for lower class Americans

Taking affordable vehicles off of the road reduces the number of affordable vehicles available for sale to people with few resources.

Most truly poor people can’t afford to take advantage of the cash for clunkers program, and the cars they could afford are being destroyed.

Mark Kanzler, Olalla

City not listening to calls for new business opportunities

I am dissapointed that we are being told a flat “no” about a full service Fred Meyer here in Gig Harbor.

I go to Port Orchard now because I dont want to pay another toll to go shopping.

I always thought the way goverment worked was, “ We the people” elect someone to work for what we want.

And then they don’t even want to listen to what we want?

I guess Gig Harbor doesn’t need money very bad after all.

Toni Zueger, Gig Harbor

Attacks on state Rep. Jan Angel unwarranted, hurtful

We were saddened to see the coordinated, petty attack directed at Rep. Jan Angel a couple of weeks ago.

As former candidates for our Legislature, we know firsthand that politics are “ rough and tumble”, and absorbing criticism comes with the territory.

However, there is something unseemly and hurtful when the attack letters come from the same politically connected and related opponents.

Rep. Jan Angel is an outstanding, bright, energetic, positive,and outstanding lady. Rep. Angel has been a banker, realtor, small business owner and was Kitsap County Commissioner for eight years.

Our respect for Rep. Angel grew even more observing her on the campaign trail. Rep. Angel is extremely well-informed, articulate and has commonsense.

Rep. Angel is a survivor as was witnessed when her husband died unexpectedly .

She had to raise her two daughters by herself.

Rep. Angel is so well qualified that she could hold any office she desired.

Rep. Angel represented all her constituents. She is so needed in an atmosphere where there is a void of leadership.

We appreciate Rep. Angel for standing strong on the important issues in Olympia.

Marlyn Jensen, former candidate for 26th District House of Representatives, Position 2 Gig Harbor

Jim Hines, former candidate for 26th District Senate seat, Gig Harbor

Taxes, regulation will increase unemployment, hurt the poor

Democrats are hitting us again. Taxing toilet paper, cooking oil, toothpaste, cosmetics and other products we dispose in our waste water, was proposed by Oregon’s Democrat Rep. Earl Blumenauer.

His tax will be aimed at the manufacturing level. HR 3203 is called the Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009 but will further burden our economy.

As prices rise, the value of our money declines. Democrats contribute to inflation with every tax implemented. Bigger government, more taxes and regulations become oppression to the worker and the poor.

The adage is that “Democrats are for the poor.” It sounds more like the Democrats are for corporations, increasing their profits.

Taxes and regulation increase inflation and unemployment rates. Democrats prove they are not for the working family and the poor.

Roger W Hancock, Auburn