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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Roanoke Firefighters represent at the City Council forum on the budget

Update: We will have a van to get people from the Union Hall to the Municipal Building. We will also be serving Pizza around 4:30-5:00. At that time the t-shirts will be given out. Pizza, Van, and t-shirts are on the Union bill. We will also have 250 tickets to the Guns and Hoses Softball game to give away (scroll to bottom of this post for more information).

On Thursday May 1st, the Roanoke Fire Fighters Association will represent in force at the Roanoke City Council Meeting at 7pm. The Firefighters are standing up against the proposed budget cuts by Chief Hoback.

The proposal call for a reduction in 6 positions, although the Roanoke Resource Allocation Plan (fancy for Budget) calls for the reduction in 8 positions in operations. Firefighters are not sure why there is a major discrepancy in the numbers, but this isn't the first time the numbers don't add up. There is a long standing tradition of skewing the statistics to help prove a point.

Roanoke's Firefighters will meet up at the RFFA Union Hall between 4:30 and 5:30pm to get ready for the Council meeting. They are calling for all concerned citizens and Civic Leaders to be at the Council meeting to voice their concerns. The media have been following the story for the past week since the proposal was brought up. 100 firefighters are expected to converge on Council Chambers in solidarity against the budget cuts which they feel will jeopardize their safety and that of the citizens they protect.

Several Firefighters are planning on speaking at the council meeting.

Firefighters from Roanoke County and Salem are being asked to show up in solidarity with its Roanoke City Brothers and Sisters to help with the cause.

There will be t-shirts handed out at the Union Hall for all Firefighters.

If any firefighters, citizens, or members of the media need to get a hold of me my phone number is 540-537-8158 (cell).

In other news, Former Mayor David Bowers leads Incumbent Mayor Nelson Harris in the current Mayoral race according to a poll by News Channel 7 52% to 31%. Maybe Roanoke's Citizens are finally standing up.

Just a reminder-

The 5th Annual Guns & Hoses Baseball Game will be this Saturday, March 3rd at 3:15pm at Salem Stadium.
Here is the agenda:
  • 2pm - Gates open, kids activities
  • 3:15pm- Guns & Hoses Game
  • 6:07pm - Salem Avalanche Game

If you need tickets, contact me.

In case there is any question, this was posted by an off-duty firefighter.

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