"The mayor also used the moment to extend an olive branch to those who campaigned against him and to the various city unions, particularly the firefighters union, which he has feuded with in recent months."
Take the branch guys or it will be your fault when the pink slips fly and the Bradford FS closes.
Badman
· 2 months ago
Oh my god are we beating this horse to death! Should we buy our own fire trucks too!? You want the same level of services without paying a cent more and you want that to happen by us taking pay cuts? Close the station already, I'm sick of hearing about it. We spend more on overtime than it would cost to keep it open due to mis-management but no one wants to hear it.
That olive branch is nothing more than a middle finger! What a joke.
taxguy
· 2 months ago
the HFD hacks will never get it...
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
You guys don't get it at all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the_hillbilly
· 2 months ago
Oh they get it! According to Smallkahunahs, firefighters should take pay cuts, reduced benefits and then be told by fools like you they should not have a second job. That's why common ground will never be found by the mayor and fools like yourself. You don't understand the concept of common ground.
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
Don't cry poverty, don't cry about health care when some of you are making 100k. You look FOOLISH! You can work 12 jobs if you want but I don't want to pay your sick time so you can go out and work another job. AND SOME OF YOU DO THAT! When was the last time you broke a sweat at the fire station besides eating the chili? When was the last time you actually ran into a house ? Most of the calls in Haverhill are burning fields and auto accidents. Please don't try and tell us how you been saving lives this week. You chose the job live with the problems that it has as cities don't have the money. If you don't like it try another profession. I am sure you went to trade school and have a trade but then you make work up a sweat.
the_hillbilly
· 2 months ago
So now you don't care if firefighters work 12 jobs???
Here's a new one. Now firefighters are calling in sick to work a second job.Nice way to change the subject. Tell us small-k who is calling in sick and working a second job, give us some names. You seem soooo sure about it that you even print in caps "AND SOME OF YOU DO THAT!"
ANTIHAVERHILL
· 2 months ago
And Firefighters dont undserstand an Honest Days Work if and when they arent calling in sick.. so your right ....keep pumping yourself full of "I'm a Hero" bullcrap ... its but all you got left after yesterday
bradperk
· 2 months ago
Thank goodness people bash the firemen here for what they really are: frauds - self proclaimed "heroes" - the reality is something much different. They overpaid dregs - firemen should at max. make 40k and have mandatory retirement at age 40. Their halcyon days are over as a profession, the people have turned against them, we can't pay them and their bloated, silly salaries are a joke.
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
How many hours do you actually work a week? You take the engine out to Demoulas to do some food shopping while the truck is outside running using extra fuel for someone in your group can cook for the day for everyone. Then you sit down to eat. When do you work ? Rolling out the hoses for kinks? Washing the truck? How many hours a week or a year do you actually perform your function ?
ANTIHAVERHILL
· 2 months ago
For the record there is an average of 186 fire Calls per year in the city of Haverhill so lets do some Math shall we
365 - Days in a year 186 - Fire Calls Average 2 days per week Fireman Schedule
So other than being a Glorified EMT (which we already have)
They aint doing much fire fighting
ANTIHAVERHILL
· 2 months ago
And for those Glorified EMTS that want to argue that they are Heros .. The math equals out to 15 fires a month so basically on average your going to a FIRE call maybe 2x a Month and those fires are usually granny grease fires which last all of 10 minutes plus running the big ole fan for ventilating so your averaging about 2 hours a month fighting actual fires the rest is spent being the Glorified EMT and taking away from the Private Sector EMTs that actually work a Full 5 day work week for their paychecks
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
These fire fighters would have made great employees of the auto industry or maybe Lucent.
skepsis22
· 2 months ago
Badman; Give him a chance - after all - He's the new and improved model Mayor.
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
Totally agree VN!!!! Do a little PR work.
Don
· 2 months ago
I would like to see the unions get together and make the supreme sacrifice so I could keep my fire station open -- But that would crimp their style -- they could care less about us. When the God almighty buck gets in the way all bets are off. Bottom line I will expect NOTHING
Badman
· 2 months ago
Same thing I expect from the mayor.
ANTIHAVERHILL
· 2 months ago
Looks like the Brotherhood Called in sick Yesterday .. Fiorentini is Still the Mayor and the Public spoke that they support the mayor .. betcha a lot of long faces walking around water st ... good luck on your suspensions
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
totally agree anti !!!!!!
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
Hope you didn't catch a cold standing out there all day with your Mitch sign !!
dorothygail
· 2 months ago
Congratulations Mayor Fiorentini! Great job!
taxguy
· 2 months ago
Congratulations to Mayor Fiorentini!
luckylucy
· 2 months ago
Just goes to show that people appreciate a leader who is willing to make the unpopular decisions to do what is best for the city. If more parents behaved this way with their children, oh what an improvement we would see in society.
ChairmanOfTheBoard
· 2 months ago
Great Job Mr. Mayor - now keep up the hard work.
haverhill500
· 2 months ago
Must commend the Mayor for the 58-42 victory
Now that the election is over, there will be changes/annoucements that have been withheld..
Bradford will be closing in early December
Bond rating Baa1 is likely to slide into junk bond status
Hale Debt override
The 7 policemen, that were covered by budget money in FY09 but were slid-over to grant-money coverage for FY10, are at risk; grant money for FY11 is unlikely, HPD layoffs forthcoming
etc
ANTIHAVERHILL
· 2 months ago
Best Pack your bags and move .... you can still collect unemployment from Massachusetts while residing in another state
the_hillbilly
· 2 months ago
Don't forget the plan to privitize the custodians at the High School.
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
That was the school committee that was looking into it. "FORMER school committee person Kerry.
VICTIM NATION
· 2 months ago
Oh well, can't find anyone that can afford to pay more taxes. Take a turn at a cut or a turn at unemployment. Your choice. THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!
Carrot
· 2 months ago
Exactly, and when asked John didn't have a plan to avoid any of this other than 'looking at the books' or running things more efficiently. The Mayor has used words like 'tough choices' and 'brace yourself'.
It's easy to assume somebody else is doing something wrong or a bad job; the problem arises when you take over that job and discover that they were doing the best they could under the circumstances.
Which is why I wouldn't take the Mayor's job if it were handed to me...
ANTIHAVERHILL
· 2 months ago
Carrot, Everyone is an Armchair Mayor unitl they are slapped with the position and suddenly they have to back pedal...and that's when they shut up and realize
Carrot
· 2 months ago
Exactly.
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
My prediction was 60-40, sorry I was off a little.
politicalmadman
· 2 months ago
Congratulations Mayor and all of those elected last night. Your job will be tough the next two years. Dig in and get tough.
Carrot
· 2 months ago
Interestingly enough during Mitchison's interview with Frank Novak last night he placed a lot of the blame for his loss on the firefighters' sicktime debacle, claiming it put him between a rock and a hard place.
In any event, you gotta respect the guy for running.
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
Absolutely, he got caught up in the sick time debacle and thought it would help him with the fire fighters on his side. He lost his direction going with them instead of the taxpayers.
taxguy
· 2 months ago
got to give John credit for realizing his mistake...I think he had no idea of the backlash...which begs the question, could he be an effective mayor?
Carrot
· 2 months ago
I think his inability to side with the popular sentiment regarding the sick time scandal reveals a lot, either about his inflexibility to change a position* or about how much he drastically overvalued the union supporters of his campaign.
The first option reveals a sort of scorched-earth mentality regarding politics where he was unable to side with popular opinion simply because his opponent took the same stance. The second one shows a disconnect between himself and the general public (who, from what I can tell, wanted to see the sick time abusers strung up from the City Hall flagpole).
Either one tells me he might not have been particularly effective as a mayor. I'd like to see him run for City Council again, though.
*When the facts change, I change my opinions. What do YOU do?
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
I agree on all counts, would like to have him on the Council. The Fire Fighters Union in Boston backed Flaherty big time and they also got beat. When you are wronged and judged as such, you just take your punishment and get ready for another day. The Fire Fighters take that "HERO" chit to much to heart. They are just another worker or person trying to make a living like us. They just get strange hours so they have multiple incomes.
the_hillbilly
· 2 months ago
According to you, firefighters are not allowed to work a second job. I get it, everyone in the private sector can work two or three jobs but god forbid a firefighter works a second job. Go ahead and change the work hours but realize this first. A firefighter in haverhill works 192 hours a month @ straight time. Someone who works 40hrs a week puts in 160hrs a month. You can change the "strange hours" if it makes you feel better but you will have to hire a lot more firefighters for it to work.
Thecityofsin
· 2 months ago
Yea but one thing about the fire-fighters owning a roofing co. or Landscapeing or what ever else they do on the side is ok with me but if they start calling in sick and can't do there FIRE-FIGHTING JOBS then thay should stick with the roofing JOB!!
Badman
· 2 months ago
When you say strange are you refering to nights, weekends and holidays? Nothing stopping anyone from getting a second job working those days to supplement thier income.
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
Nope and I have worked them all before too. Actually still do today. Strange meant the straight 24 hours which is a total waste of time, it's mainly set up and accepted so you can all have your carpenter, plumbing and electrical obs on the side.
the_hillbilly
· 2 months ago
You look petty bigk. Is that the best you can do is attack the so-called "hero" chit and so called "strange hours". I think a better name for you would be SMALLkahunahs, because you were to afraid to work as a firefighter.
bigkahunah
· 2 months ago
Not the occupation I chose. I had a head on my shoulders and went to school got my degrees and make what you make but don't have to run into burning houses and break a sweat :) Not everyone has to be a grunt to make a "GOOD" living
Thecityofsin
· 2 months ago
Congratulations Mr. Mayor now lets move Haverhill on Foward and try and bring some good paying Jobs to the City not like $8.00 per Hour but $10 & $20 Bucks an hour Jobs.
Keep up the Good work Maybe you could win another 2 year Term next election..
The People Have spoken and well you know the other part I want to say is the -Blank- where left in the Dust.
But what gets me A little over 10,000 voters voted with a city of 60,000 people 30,000 are voters why is that how can we get these people to vote.
They seem to say there vote dont count or they don't care to vote in local elections?
All Comments
Take the branch guys or it will be your fault when the pink slips fly and the Bradford FS closes.
That olive branch is nothing more than a middle finger! What a joke.
When was the last time you broke a sweat at the fire station besides eating the chili? When was the last time you actually ran into a house ? Most of the calls in Haverhill are burning fields and auto accidents.
Please don't try and tell us how you been saving lives this week. You chose the job live with the problems that it has as cities don't have the money. If you don't like it try another profession. I am sure you went to trade school and have a trade but then you make work up a sweat.
Here's a new one. Now firefighters are calling in sick to work a second job.Nice way to change the subject. Tell us small-k who is calling in sick and working a second job, give us some names. You seem soooo sure about it that you even print in caps "AND SOME OF YOU DO THAT!"
365 - Days in a year
186 - Fire Calls Average
2 days per week Fireman Schedule
So other than being a Glorified EMT (which we already have)
They aint doing much fire fighting
Give him a chance - after all - He's the new and improved model Mayor.
Do a little PR work.
Bottom line I will expect NOTHING
Now that the election is over, there will be changes/annoucements that have been withheld..
Bradford will be closing in early December
Bond rating Baa1 is likely to slide into junk bond status
Hale Debt override
The 7 policemen, that were covered by budget money in FY09 but were slid-over to grant-money coverage for FY10, are at risk; grant money for FY11 is unlikely, HPD layoffs forthcoming
etc
It's easy to assume somebody else is doing something wrong or a bad job; the problem arises when you take over that job and discover that they were doing the best they could under the circumstances.
Which is why I wouldn't take the Mayor's job if it were handed to me...
Everyone is an Armchair Mayor unitl they are slapped with the position and suddenly they have to back pedal...and that's when they shut up and realize
In any event, you gotta respect the guy for running.
The first option reveals a sort of scorched-earth mentality regarding politics where he was unable to side with popular opinion simply because his opponent took the same stance. The second one shows a disconnect between himself and the general public (who, from what I can tell, wanted to see the sick time abusers strung up from the City Hall flagpole).
Either one tells me he might not have been particularly effective as a mayor. I'd like to see him run for City Council again, though.
*When the facts change, I change my opinions. What do YOU do?
The Fire Fighters Union in Boston backed Flaherty big time and they also got beat.
When you are wronged and judged as such, you just take your punishment and get ready for another day. The Fire Fighters take that "HERO" chit to much to heart. They are just another worker or person trying to make a living like us. They just get strange hours so they have multiple incomes.
Go ahead and change the work hours but realize this first. A firefighter in haverhill works 192 hours a month @ straight time. Someone who works 40hrs a week puts in 160hrs a month. You can change the "strange hours" if it makes you feel better but you will have to hire a lot more firefighters for it to work.
Not everyone has to be a grunt to make a "GOOD" living
Keep up the Good work Maybe you could win another 2 year Term next election..
The People Have spoken and well you know the other part I want to say is the -Blank- where left in the Dust.
But what gets me A little over 10,000 voters voted with a city of 60,000 people 30,000 are voters why is that how can we get these people to vote.
They seem to say there vote dont count or they don't care to vote in local elections?