Rick Kriseman for Mayor?

Kriseman has political affiliations within the command staff that will surely lead to a turning of the tide back in the old direction. Foster has made significant changes and for that we should all be grateful, but his job is not done.

Kriseman does not have affiliations with the command staff and has told a number of people privately that he would promote Melanie as Chief. Don't spread lies, guys and guests.

[Tom]

What do you guys think of former councilman and current State Rep. Rick Kriseman vs. Foster in 2013? Kriseman always gets our endorsements. Serves on Heroes Board helping to build monument. He's a Dem, but still...

Kriseman would be my second choice after Ford.

Unions caved in early by endorsing Foster and will lose some public support.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/baybuz...14842#comments

Some comments on the Times story: "St. Petersburg mayor wins endorsement from police and fire unions"

Nobody won anything here. St. Petersburg's Fire Fighters normally screen ALL candidates for any and every political position. With the advent of a new union president who made the decision on his own that it was easier to be lazy and side with the PD than to do his due diligence and hold a candidate screening to find out which candidate was truly the best choice - he has shamed us all by implicating us in this canard.

Mayor Foster owns the following:

Reduced minimum staffing levels
Cut FD budget repeatedly
Cut FD OT budget resulting in daily apparatus brownouts but strengthened PD OT budget
Refused to apply for SAFER grant money to keep and/or hire additional Fire Fighters
Allowed Fire Fighters to be laid off (first time in history) in spite of huge reserve fund balances
At impasse hearing he demanded that Employee Assistance Protection be stripped out of contract for drug testing
At impasse hearing he demanded that Fire Fighters Pay Step Plan be frozen
Refused to pay catastrophically injured Fire Fighter Brad Westphal the $24,000 he is owed in back pay and is taking him back to court again
Authorized the city negotiators to violate the collective bargaining agreement (contract) by reneging on 2 year DROP extension that PD has enjoyed for years
Refuses to settle with prematurely retired fire captain who was wrongfully forced to retire due to the above contract violations by the City

Rick Kriseman never stood a chance of winning Local 747's 'official' endorsement. He was robbed of the opportunity.

I am one Fire Fighter who will stand with a man who has always treated Fire Fighters and Police Officers fairly and never placed the citizens or Fire Fighters in jeopardy by letting fire apparatus sit idle in neighborhood fire stations. My brothers and sisters tell me that I'm not alone in these thoughts.

What do you guys think of former councilman and current State Rep. Rick Kriseman vs. Foster in 2013? Kriseman always gets our endorsements. Serves on Heroes Board helping to build monument. He's a Dem, but still...

Kriseman would be my second choice after Ford.

Unions caved in early by endorsing Foster and will lose some public support.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/baybuz...14842#comments

Some comments on the Times story: "St. Petersburg mayor wins endorsement from police and fire unions"

Nobody won anything here. St. Petersburg's Fire Fighters normally screen ALL candidates for any and every political position. With the advent of a new union president who made the decision on his own that it was easier to be lazy and side with the PD than to do his due diligence and hold a candidate screening to find out which candidate was truly the best choice - he has shamed us all by implicating us in this canard.

Mayor Foster owns the following:

Reduced minimum staffing levels
Cut FD budget repeatedly
Cut FD OT budget resulting in daily apparatus brownouts but strengthened PD OT budget
Refused to apply for SAFER grant money to keep and/or hire additional Fire Fighters
Allowed Fire Fighters to be laid off (first time in history) in spite of huge reserve fund balances
At impasse hearing he demanded that Employee Assistance Protection be stripped out of contract for drug testing
At impasse hearing he demanded that Fire Fighters Pay Step Plan be frozen
Refused to pay catastrophically injured Fire Fighter Brad Westphal the $24,000 he is owed in back pay and is taking him back to court again
Authorized the city negotiators to violate the collective bargaining agreement (contract) by reneging on 2 year DROP extension that PD has enjoyed for years
Refuses to settle with prematurely retired fire captain who was wrongfully forced to retire due to the above contract violations by the City

Rick Kriseman never stood a chance of winning Local 747's 'official' endorsement. He was robbed of the opportunity.

I am one Fire Fighter who will stand with a man who has always treated Fire Fighters and Police Officers fairly and never placed the citizens or Fire Fighters in jeopardy by letting fire apparatus sit idle in neighborhood fire stations. My brothers and sisters tell me that I'm not alone in these thoughts.

Rick you and your campaign manager need to stay off the board. Stop whining to everyone who will listen about how you think everyone needs to endorse you.

[Tom]

I posted 10 criticisms of Bill Foster. You have nothing to say about that, do you?

I say it is so refreshing to have a Mayor who actually likes the police department. A Mayor who will come over and shake your hand and remember your name while saying thank you. He is the first mayor in the last 30 years who is on the side of the police........If you think it is bad now (and it's not) wait and see what a different Mayor would do.

I posted 10 criticisms of Bill Foster. You have nothing to say about that, do you?

Hey idiot your on the police board who cares about what allegedly happen to you....ur a real dumba$$ stay on your fire board if you have one.

[Tom]

Here's the Times story- http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/baybuz...-union/2114842

And more comments-

Speaking of public safety, what is the mayor's plan to fix the carnage on our streets for pedestrians and bicyclists? Under his watch, for whatever reason, such accidents have skyrocketed. St. Pete / Clearwater is now close to leading the nation in that embarrassing statistic.

Are we just going to sit back day after day and watch people die.
_________________________________

Believe me the endorsement of the Mayor was not a Union, membership wide choice. The Pres & VP decided on their own,without a traditional candidate interview of qualified people to,"fall In" behind the current. The thought process was no incumbent has ever lost. If we don't support the current we will go another 4-6 years without a raise. Bottom line the top 2 caved into pressure. Not in 20 plus years has there ever been so much division in this firefighter's local. Note to seen it done it, these firefighter's have not shown their true colors, we never had the opportunity to.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns ... ew/2112028

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/st-petersburgs-police-chase-policy-deserves-a-review/2112028

Your point would be? Kriesman won't allow police to do their jobs??