Editorial By The Staff of The Lehigh Acres Gazette
Over the weekend two Fire Commissioners called the Lehigh Acres Gazette to try to gag and put a stop to upcoming articles about the Lehigh Acres Fire Department and the Fire Tax Assessment.
Even one of the Fire Commissioners was begging us not to tell the Fire Chief or their attorney they call us.
When we asked them about the Fire Assessment, both commissioners had similar stories: We can’t do anything else expect for the fire assessment our attorney’s will not allow us.
So we asked who is running actual fire board the elected officials or the attorney’s. Both commissioners refused to answer that one.
One Commissioner stated that they would consider suing the paper if the stories would not stop. The Lehigh Acres Gazette’s Publisher politely reminded the commissioner about First Amendment rights.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
He also reminded the commissioner that articles are based fact, editorial could be based on fact and/ or opinion but both are protected under the Florida Constitution Article I Section 4 and Constitution for the United States of America.
We are not here to embarrass these commissioners in any way, but the taxpayers and voters deserve to know the truth and the factual information.
So what are these elected officials trying to hide from the voters in Lehigh Acres?
Will this fire tax assessment even pass?
There are too many open-ended questions that the Fire Department refuses to answer or they put their own spin on it that doesn’t make any sense. And now, two Fire Commissioners calling the media in which there were told not to do in a public meeting by their attorney.
So what has changed?
Too many Chiefs not enough Firefighters
These public servants make to much money as it is. And now they try to Censor the press. What a bunch of bigoted scumbags. They can kiss my a$$, I will not pay any new fire tax so they can live fat on the backs of the poor and middle class. Who got the tar and feathers? It is time to show these pr*cks who pays there check!
If you read the Citizen they are trying to sway your vote by any means possible.They had a do at the Chamber of commerce and turned into a fire talk ?????
Fire Commissioners not representative of the People.
It had been mentioned over and over that the fire commissioners are not doing their job on behalf of the citizens, instead the commissioners are being led by the fire chief/firefighters and the attorney….Need I remind the commissioners that we elected them to hire the chief/firefighters and the attorney i.e the citizens of Lehigh Acres pay the chief/firefighters and the attorney. We have the right to fire those we hire. We also have the right to “not re-elect” fire commissioners who are not representing the citizens…eg; Look at the votes at the various meetings at the fire district and you will notice one commissioner (who is up for re-election) voting “for everything.” She is not representative of the people.
Vote against the proposed assessment, fire those we hire and do not re-elect the current fire commissioners.
Has this been reported to the Attorney General?Also a note to the News Press should be in order as well a the TV