Editor: I have just one question for the authorities who were responsible for firing the Largo city worker.
If your mother was a frail 81-year-old woman and you were her only source of support and comfort with Hurricane Charley coming toward her community, would you stay at work or would you go to your only mother and take her to a shelter?
If she was frightened of the storm and frightened to stay at the shelter by herself with a lot of strangers, would you go ahead and leave her there by herself during this traumatic time?
Were there other city employees who picked up the slack for the man who stayed with his mother? Were there actually a lot of lives put in jeopardy because this man stayed with his mother?
If their answer to my first question is that they would have left their mother and gone back to work, I can only say I am glad they are not my children.
Shame, shame on them. Yes, I think the man should be given his job back - if he even wants it - and should be fully reinstated to his retirement benefits.
How sad our society has become. Where are your priorities? Since when has your job become more important than your family?
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
-- Phyllis Sparks, Dade City
Anyone would choose mom over work
Editor: You have got to be kidding me. Your mother is in the direct path of a Category 4 hurricane and you have to make a choice, work or her. What kind of idiots do we have running the city of Largo? I mean, are these people human? Did they not see what Charley did just south of here?
We all would have chosen our mothers over work.
I am ashamed to live in the city of Largo. The fired employees should both be given their jobs back with back pay for any missed work. These are the type of citizens that should be praised for what they did, not fired for it.
-- Kevin Stinedurf, Largo
Employee had obligation to follow rules
Editor: The media have turned the Gesicki story into a "Mom and apple pie vs. big bad government" story.
James Gesicki worked for the city of Largo for 30 years. Perhaps we should say he was lucky to have had a job for 30 years in these uncertain economic times.
Mr. Gesicki said he knew about the rule requiring him to report to work in times of emergencies and decided to stay with his mother instead.
Five years ago, the city instituted a rule to assure there would be workers available in an emergency. This was done for the good of the citizens of Largo. Why are we now abusing our leaders because they adhered to that rule and fired Mr. Gesicki?
If the hurricane had hit, we would have expected the city to have plans and personnel on hand to quickly react for our safety. Should we abuse our leaders for being prepared just because we were lucky enough not to be hit?
If the hurricane had hit here, the media would be running human interest stories about the city heroes reacting to the area's devastation quickly. Because we escaped the hurricane, the media are reduced to writing sob stories about a man who chose not to do the job he agreed to do, at the expense of city leaders enforcing a rule made to ensure the safety of us all.
-- Ann Bole, Largo
Worker knew conditions of employment
Editor: Concerning the firing of city of Largo employee James Gesicki by Largo City Manager Steven Stanton, the termination of this employee should stand.
A primary responder who violates the public trust during an emergency is unreliable and must be terminated. Such an employee knows the conditions of his or her employment and could have made provision for the elderly parent in advance. Failure to plan is not an excuse for failure to perform the duties of a public trust, and neither is 30 years of service.
Stanton is also correct that allowing Mr. Gesicki such leeway would send precisely the wrong signal to other primary responders. Citizens must be able to rely upon their public employees in event of emergency. We pay them well for the privilege of such employment, which they freely accepted. We expect no less than their best efforts in return.
Likewise, a military reservist who resists a call to active duty during a national emergency is subject to military discipline, including court martial.
-- Paul Chapman, Dunedin
Reverse the decision to fire city worker
Editor: To be blunt and brief, I am disgusted and frustrated by the shortsightedness of the Largo city manager. I don't know all the reasons behind why this employee was fired, but I am sure the employee's mother is living with a burden of guilt that would be lifted if the manager reversed his decision.
-- Denise Bryant, Palm Harbor
Allow religious groups to sponsor events
Re: City rethinks co-sponsorships, story, Aug. 16.
Editor: Very interesting. Let's see if I have my facts right.
First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks co-sponsors a July Fourth event (which I did not attend) at Largo Central Park with the city of Largo. More than 20,000 people show up, mostly families. The church paid $21,000 for the fireworks because if the city had paid, the tax rate might have to go up. No mention of any fistfights, women baring their breasts, obscene language in the music, drunks or obnoxious people, too much noise, auto wrecks, purse snatchings, protesters, etc.
The unnamed "city staff" proposes "no more co-sponsoring of events ... of a religious nature." Therefore, the city might have to cancel next year's July Fourth fireworks, the crowd would go down to a few hundred or thousand, the drunks could return, fighting resume, obscene language back in the band music, obnoxious people would rule and there would be extra revenue to the city from the arrest of some beach bunny baring herself.
Please thank the city staff for trying to protect the rights of everyone. Let's see if the City Commission remembers that those Baptists love to crowd the voting booths. U.S. Rep. C. W. "Bill Young might have realized Baptist voting power when he spoke at the event in front of 20,000 voters.
-- James E. McNally, Largo
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