Ambulance Association Supports Tax Increase for Second, Ninth Districts

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
It sounds like someone either has a problem with their age progression or they are one of the volunteers who "doesn't need to participate because they have been there so long, the rules don't apply to them."

You shouldn't judge people you know absolutely nothing about.
Your description of myself is absolutely laughable.
 

MiddleGround

Well-Known Member
Your punk friend who IMO is a crybaby should be a man and stand up in a meeting of his company and make his complaints instead of crying to you.
In almost every organisation up to and including Congress the young turks seeking upward movement cry about the old people getting in their way.

I don't know about This_person but, my friend, who is a volunteer firefighter, would LOVE to stand up in the meetings and voice his opinion. Unfortunately, all motions have to be voted on and, according to him, most of the voters are the ones who have been there forever, don't train properly, and just expect to indulge in the tax rewards. He has personally seen a 'newer' member who was recently allowed to voice their opinion in meetings get crushed by the old timers because he suggested minimum training requirements for ALL members. OMG.. the old timers railed against him and now he is currently getting sh!t duties in the department. Do you honestly think my friend would speak up? He loves volunteering and does not want to jeopardize his place in the department.

How long have YOU been volunteering? You seem to have such a strong opinion on the matter. Stronger than anyone who isn't or didn't volunteer. You call my friend a punk but he is the one going through all the crap to train to save people's lives as a "hobby."

Just what the hell have you done?
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
The County Commissioners are well aware of the problem of some companies having problems with man power and believe it or not they are working on it.
Your punk friend who IMO is a crybaby should be a man and stand up in a meeting of his company and make his complaints instead of crying to you.
In almost every organisation up to and including Congress the young turks seeking upward movement cry about the old people getting in their way.
I know I cry about Nancy Pelosi aged 77, Diane Feinstein, 84 , Maxine Waters, 70 and Ginsberg 84, myself, and I am not seeking their job.

I don't know much about the building they are in , but I was told this morning by a Firefighter, that when they are transferred there they have to leave their apparatus outside because the doors are not high enough for them to get in..
Apparatus is getting bigger than it was back in the 50's and it takes more room. Is it cheaper to tear out walls and ceilings or rebuild.

back in the old days you got on the back step the tank held 500 gallons and the hose was even smaller.
Today the tanks hold more water, some as much as 3,000 gallons
It's against the law to stand on the back step, you have to have a crew cab, making the apparatus longer and higher.
Todays Rescue squads are sometimes tandem axles
Ladder trucks are higher than ever with a tiller assembly.

I don't live there so I don't know he condition of the building or its capacity to fulfill their needs, and I haven't heard it discussed here.
All I have seen is a hue and cry over the expense.

Except, it was not my friend - it was someone else's; no one is worried about people "in the way", but rather people "getting benefits without earning them"'; there's not really any hue and crying over the expense, but rather the people not running calls or participating in training.

The hue and cry over money is coming from the volunteers - they need more money for bandages and such, and some want a new building. Those are two very separate issues that seem to be getting conflated in terms of seeking new funding from the taxpayer, and the taxpayers have questions about giving up money without understanding it.

So, other than most of what you posted, you're right.
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
Here's last year's County budget.. Fire Depts are under Public Safety..

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County have adopted the General Fund budget for fiscal year 2017 at $222.1 million, a decrease of 2.3% over fiscal 2016. The balanced budget was adopted without raising property tax or income tax rates. Nearly 63% of the approved budget funding is earmarked for education and public safety. The approved budget also invests in furthering economic development in the county and capital improvement projects.

Among the budget highlights:

Revenues

No change in the real property tax rate of $.8523 per $100 of assessed value. The rate in St. Mary’s is the 4th lowest in the state of Maryland.
Local income tax rate remains unchanged at 3% of net taxable income – the 6th lowest in Maryland.
Education

Funding to the Board of Education totals $102.6 million, an increase of $4.6 million over FY16. The county’s recurring investment of $99.7 million supports the full cost of merit increases provided in FY16 and required increases for health insurance. $2.9 million in reverted Capital Investment Project (CIP) Pay-Go is being used for one-time funding of Technology and Science book replacements. When combined with State dollars, the Board of Education’s overall funding increase is $5.9 million.
College of Southern Maryland funding increases by $9,250 for the Water Safety Program for 5th graders.
Public Safety

A 9.8% compensation increase for Sheriff’s Office Sworn employees and a 7% increase for Corrections employees.
$10,000 for software training for emergency services dispatchers; $297,383 for NextGen 800MHz/Radio System maintenance.
Emergency Services Support tax rises from $016 to $.024 due to increased costs for LOSAP’s current retirees and trust fund.

That's a pretty healthy raise for the boys in blue...
The money is there... 130 million in public safety.....maybe cut back on few excessive land purchases along with roads to nowhere and throttle back on the amount of county employees..

I do not know the answer to what I'm about to ask - it's an actual question, not a point. How much of the taxation collected in St. Mary's County stays in St. Mary's County?
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
Generally with more growth and population density services per person cost less.

What I am saying is huge amounts of County's need to be better stewards with taxpayers money. Like in St Mary's Co, exorbitant amounts of cash paid for tracks of land to roads to nowhere.. Including giving Deputys almost a 10% raise..
Twenty plus years as a Union Elevator man and I never got anywhere close to a 10% raise for doing the same job.. 2-3% at best in my pocket..

I certainly can't speak to the county's budget in depth, but I suspect the 10% raise is due to loss of officers to neighboring areas that pay much better.
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
How long have YOU been volunteering? You seem to have such a strong opinion on the matter. Stronger than anyone who isn't or didn't

Why does one have to be a firefighter/EMS to have a valid opinion? It would seem simply being a taxpayer means having a say in the matter.

This idea that citizens can't criticize their public officials/employees is completely unAmerican.
 

MiddleGround

Well-Known Member
The hue and cry over money is coming from the volunteers - they need more money for bandages and such, and some want a new building. Those are two very separate issues that seem to be getting conflated in terms of seeking new funding from the taxpayer, and the taxpayers have questions about giving up money without understanding it.

It might even go over a little better if taxpayers had more say on WHAT the money gets spent on. For example:

Eliminate the purchasing of Narcan and add those funds to the bandages and such. This way, when a pill head ODs and the response team arrives, there is no guilt. The taxpayers voted legally to fund the bandages and NOT the Narcan.

Two birds with one stone
 
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MiddleGround

Well-Known Member
Why does one have to be a firefighter/EMS to have a valid opinion? It would seem simply being a taxpayer means having a say in the matter.

This idea that citizens can't criticize their public officials/employees is completely unAmerican.

I agree. What I am wondering is why you chose to only quote my reply and NOT quote the other forum members initial criticism/response?? If you did that, then you would see that it was not I that criticized anyone.

Go ahead, feel free to look back at the whole thread.
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
I agree. What I am wondering is why you chose to only quote my reply and NOT quote the other forum members initial criticism/response?? If you did that, then you would see that it was not I that criticized anyone.

Go ahead, feel free to look back at the whole thread.

Because I didn't feel like going back and adding 500 replies to my post. Sorry you feel picked on, but you're certainly not the only one (nor the most vocal).
 

MiddleGround

Well-Known Member
Because I didn't feel like going back and adding 500 replies to my post. Sorry you feel picked on, but you're certainly not the only one (nor the most vocal).

Understood. I merely wanted to clarify that I initially posted opinions and comments from a friend of mine that actually was a volunteer. It was not I that criticized anyone initially. Only returned fire. Lol
 

stgislander

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
I believe it's 150 hrs/yr.

I'd really like to see how one accumulates 150 hrs.

As a USCG Auxiliarist, I qualify for MD LOSAP although we don't get the "pension" after turning a certain age. We only get the annual state income tax subtraction. We accumulate "points" so our requirement is 50 points/yr. One point for each hour while on a safety patrol, conducting vessel safety checks, or teaching a boating safety class. A half point for each hour while attending a meeting, participating in training, or providing admin support to an active duty USCG unit. If we are on patrol but not underway (anchored or tied to the pier), we only receive a half point. It's really hard to accumulating 50 points/yr just attending meetings.
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
I'd really like to see how one accumulates 150 hrs.

As a USCG Auxiliarist, I qualify for MD LOSAP although we don't get the "pension" after turning a certain age. We only get the annual state income tax subtraction. We accumulate "points" so our requirement is 50 points/yr. One point for each hour while on a safety patrol, conducting vessel safety checks, or teaching a boating safety class. A half point for each hour while attending a meeting, participating in training, or providing admin support to an active duty USCG unit. If we are on patrol but not underway (anchored or tied to the pier), we only receive a half point. It's really hard to accumulating 50 points/yr just attending meetings.

A quick drive-by at the fire house to get credit for a fire call (without ever dressing out or going to the scene) is not uncommon, however.
 
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