Panel speaks in Gordon Heights fire district fight -

[Peoples Voice]

drama wrote:

if the tax rate will PROBABLY remain the same and the firemen CAN be a part of ANOTHER district what WILL our rate be how do you know the firemen will stay have you spoken to them? I spoke to some of them during one of their recent functions I didn't hear of anyone say they would join another dept. Why can't we get subsidized like the schools? Have any of you brought suggestions to the firemen how to SAVE the district? I have read this blog and I see many angry and hurtful things to our yes OUR firemen I only hope they continue serving us as you make them mad. Why don't you try working with them for a solution? Do you remember UNITED we stand and divided we fall? It seems like some of you want your way or NO way my husband and I have children here and I see adults behaving just like children. Medford, MI,& Coram PO cover GH so what the mall is covered by 2 FD, Dix Hills doesn't have a PO, and Watermill a small town has a PO and no FD. Islandia & Wheatly Heights have no FD and I can go on & on & on so your case about GHFD doesn't cover all of the community is garbage. I have seen nothing but a smoke screen put out to the community. Your website does NOT reflect my home inside GH and we are NOT losing our home because of the fire tax. Cut the crap and find a solution besides dissolution. Unite with the members and put both of your knowledges together and find a way to keep what we have. If you were really losing your home to the fire tax as you say you would move not make everyone's life miserable and confused. We just came back from out of state and GH property tax is cheaper then other areas. Thank you for opening my eyes to our fire tax rate but I compared the house we were going to buy vs. the one we built and the bottom line was cheaper in GH. We wish the community was better for the kids sake I don't like the sober houses or crime around us why don't you address those issues? The civic association addressed the sex offenders in the area and you want to close the FD but you say we have to have fire protection. get rid of the sex offenders and the gangs first then talk to me about high fire tax. Do you like living with all that and still losing your home to fire tax as you say? Move to Medford pay cheaper tax and you won't have the above problems. I think your priorities are off. Please don't respond to me with a SMOKE screen I've heard enough from politicians save the drama!!

We are not the ones who have the additude of our way or no way. The Commissioners and their few supports do. We have seeked many alternative solutions. If the FIREMEN (many who we love) have a choice. They receive benefits and breaks for their duty. If they don't feel like serving their community through another district that is their choice. Gordon Heights has become a DIVERSIFIED community and so has the FIRE DISTRICT RESIDENTS. WE ALL OWN and have a stake in the district and our voices should count. THe Commissioners have had the luxury of doing what they want, how they want for SO long and now the people are organizing and want change (mostly out of necessity). The Commissioners have sat on their laurels for two decades keeping their dirty little secret and now you want to blame the residents? You should be asking the Commissioners why they allowed this to spiral OUT OF CONTROL and recently had the nerve not to show up for a GRANT writing course that was arranged for them. They don't fill out paperwork and risk LOSING any grant money they do have opportuntiy to get. THAT tells me THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US and just want "EASY STREET". In the meantime GH is becoming more and more A RENTAL Community which naturally brings in CHALLENGING residents. WE WANT TO RID THE ROOT PROBLEM not the symptoms.

[poor people]

If my taxes keep
going up I will not be able to live here. What is
going on with the FD and when are we getting rid off
them. When are they answering to our questions
regarding that new budget of theirs? I spoke to some
of the neighbors and they are in complete disagreement
with the FD we want them out of here!.
This is ridiculous we don't live in a rich area!

[Economic Not Politics]

Tuesday Is Election Day.

Make your voice(s) count.

Do not forget how the incumbants have not taken any action with resolving the GHFD Tax Crisis that they seem to think that ignoring will make matters just go a way.

Grants and assistance is still only a band aid and a temporary measure that in the long run does nothing to change the fact the the Gordon Heights Fire DEPARTMENT does not need to be it's own DISTRICT.

There is a very inportant distinction between the firehouse being a DEPARTMENT and designation of DISTRICT.

Dissolution of the District may not mean the closure of the firehouse. No one will be without fire protection - no matter what people may hear.

Fear and threats will not solve the problem.

When hard working homeowners band together to not only "fight city hall" but try and work within the system, for the good of the community - it should be supported, encouraged. Instead they are demonized, threatened and bullied.

The Gordon Heights Fire District tax payers are held hostage.

We cannot withold our taxes without fear of losing our homes, and we are not given any choice as to if we are to continue to support what should only be a Firehouse within a larger District.

They want it both ways. But as a District's ever increasing 1.5 million dollar budget cannot be sustained by only 900 homeowners.

Change is hard but necessary.

We will not be held hostage quietly.

Make your voices known on 11/6th, but even more so on the special elections in December when the fire districts have their elections.

Moving does not solve the problem for those who remain. It does nothing to change the unfair and burdensome taxes that are in our power to change.

[21 yr problem]

Economics not Politics. Thank you for the concise facts surrounding this issue.

Election night, 2007:
The Gordon Heights Fire Department is one of the polling places in the community where some of the registered voters go to cast their votes.

The GHFD commissioners meeting was held on Tues, Nov 6th, election night at the Gordon Heights Fire Department. However, there were cones in the parking lot blocking anyone from gaining access to the parking lot. Also, there was no annoucement of the meeting posted on the marques in front of the Fire department.

[jkcl]

air

[4 real]

with the mortgage crunch the values in gorden hights are dropping by more than 33 percent really who can afford to pay more taxes other than the crack dealers who live in the neighborhood even the police packed up and ran from the neighborhood and went to selden