By now many of you have heard of the outrageous union battle in Derry in which the Town Council wanted to cut taxes at the request of their constituents. The Derry Unions came out in full-force thuggery to spew their propaganda and lies about safety if one of four fire stations was closed.
Not only did the unions lie but they refused to negotiate budget cuts with Derry’s Town Manager or Council even after being asked to. Because they refused to negotiate, a small fire station was closed. They were warned, they didn’t care.
According to the Union Leader, some Derry residents held a ‘clap out’ on the eve of the fire station closure. A clap out led by a union hack.
The story itself isn’t interesting but commentary from Derry resident Michael Layon is absolutely intriguing. Layon gives an honest take on everything that happened in Derry.
Derry residents would do well to listen to Layon’s words. He’s clearly a resident who is paying attention to the facts rather than succumbing to the emotional falsehoods perpetrated by the unions.
Derry needs more residents like him.
From Michael Layon in the Union Leader commentary:
While it is sad that the fire station (not fire dept. as councilor Katsiokores pretends) is closing, it is a prudent move which will NOT affect the safety of Derry residents. It is prudent because Derry FD accounts for nearly 1/4 of the entire state’s fire fighter injuries for the last 4 years reported by the state fire marshal which costs the town in excess of one million dollars each year.
It is prudent because the FD has taken grant money to do things like train and equip for nuclear rail disasters (from Sen Shaheen and Nutfield News) when Derry has neither Rail nor Nuclear. It is prudent because when East Derry merged with Derry there were efficiencies promised in EMS including fire which have never materialized.
It is prudent because Derry has too many fire stations based on an average of one fire every four days in the entire town and of those one fire every ten days that is a structure fire where lives could be at risk. It is prudent because the main function of the Derry FD is to provide a high priced taxi service to a hospital (Parkland) which is run by the country’s largest for profit hospital corporation (HCA) which thanks to Obamacare now earns more money not by maximizing services, but by maximizing traffic (patients) whether they need actual medical care or not.
Derry FD was highly active in fighting for Obamacare so it is prudent to respect their wishes and allow them to enjoy the effects of what they asked for as the rest of us do. It is prudent to close the station because the FD refused to come up with pragmatic working solutions when asked to do so by the town council and instead gambled with the jobs of firefighters banking on the town council rolling over and bending the residents of Derry over the pork barrel.
It is prudent because the Derry firefighters have so much time on their hands they spend hours each day on social media inciting despicable behavior and denigrating members of the town council and anyone who opposes anything they ask for. it is prudent to close the station because the largest private company which provides data to insurance companies (ISO) could have provided solutions which reduced homeowner’s insurance and which would have prevented the single firefighter from losing his job (based on length of employment, not merit).
That the “clap out” was organized by a former school board member who herself helped increase Derry’s tax burden to one of the highest in the state is pure irony.
I hope and pray that next year we strongly consider making similar cuts to the school budget which is out of control and serving a declining population thanks to the high tax burden. Then, just maybe we can incentivize new businesses, expanding existing businesses and new residents to Derry.
Based on the treatment of visitors not from Derry and anyone in Derry who disagreed with union thug politics at recent town council meetings I won’t hold my breath on Derry turning around just yet. At least this closure is a step in the right direction.
And this is from a resident who is directly impacted by the closure and whose home is closest to an arson set wildfire just a few days after testifying at the town council in favor of the closure.
