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Disabled fire inspector's right to job vital to survive

Re : City irked at paying disability pension, story, Aug. 28.

It should be noted, first off, that the city of Largo doesn't pay for pensions, regular or disability. Secondly, the workers' compensation doctor, assigned to fire inspector Steven Strong by the city, put him out on disability.

Mr. Strong's right and left knees were injured and he endured seven knee surgeries so that he could continue doing the job he loved.

As for City Manager Steve Stanton being offended that Strong is receiving disability, I find this very ironic. His former fire marshal, Dan Fries, was employed by Largo while he was collecting a disability pension from St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue. Fries rose to the rank of Largo's fire chief, and he received disability income the whole time from St. Petersburg.

As for Largo human resources director Susan Sinz's statement that "employees on disability do not go on to work in similar positions elsewhere," her statement is obviously not true. A simple check with John Ellis, pension administrator for the Largo Fire and Police Pension Plan, would provide her with accurate facts and details.

Disabled retirees are working in many different areas of employment. They work in jobs that their disabilities allow so they can support their families.

It is fortunate for Mr. Strong that other cities had the vision and open mind to use his experience and expertise for the benefit of their citizens. He physically could fulfill their requirements. This was not the employment situation in Largo.

I, like Steve, endured serious injuries while performing my job as a firefighter/emergency medical technician with the city of Largo. For me it was a long process and several injuries before the inevitable. Eventually, in 1990 I received the dreaded signature by the city's doctor. Like Steve, myself, and other disabled firefighters, the city never offered us another position in the department.

I, like Steve, worked while out on disability. I too filled out a job application and listed myself as a retired firefighter/EMT. Then, in the interview process, I explained that my retirement was due to a disability. This is not a disclosure misrepresentation.

I strongly resent the biased St. Petersburg Times article because it makes Steve, me and all the disabled firefighters who are working and collecting a disability pension look like we are trying to take advantage or are being deceptive. We left our positions as firefighters when there was no choice for us. When we could no longer meet the standards necessary to be a firefighter, our employer offered no alternative positions.

Let me conclude by reminding everyone that firefighters are highly trained people who risk their lives to save others. Firefighters aren't paid enough to support their families and most find side work to supplement their income.

When they are faced with a serious injury, they do everything they can to get back on the job. If the day comes that they are pensioned out, their pension isn't sufficient to support their family because it doesn't include medical benefits or cost of living increases. Disabled firefighters must supplement their pension to survive.

Bus stops should be least of School Board's worries

I am writing this letter concerning my daughter's bus stop that we have to fight the School Board over.

At first, the school district assigned her to a stop right down the street from my house. Well, they decided that she could not go to that stop because she had to cross the road. Instead, they want to send her to one that is further away and on dark streets.

She catches her bus at 6:30 a.m. We have at least 20 sex offenders in our area. We do not have a sidewalk on our side but there is one on the other side of the road.

But they say she can't cross our road, which is a four-lane road with hardly any traffic on it. They are saying they will suspend her from the bus if she does not catch the bus where she was assigned.

Why don't they worry about their education as much as they worry about the bus stops?

Traffic calming requires solutions like roundabouts

Re: Roundabouts pose long list of problems, letter, Sept. 2.

We have lived on Cleveland Street in Clearwater for more than 30 years and eagerly await the implementation of traffic calming with its traffic circles.

We found the letter from Randal and Dorothy Standley, who do not live on Cleveland Street, to be incredible.

As for their contention that intersections with traffic lights are safer, we immediately call to mind the intersection of Lake Drive and Cleveland. It is so common for us to hear the sound of motor vehicle impacts.

The idea of the traffic circles is that a driver must slow down. The landscaped circle breaks up the view of the long straight-away, or should I say race track.

Furthermore, many cars use Skycrest's multiple north-south cross streets to cut between Drew Street and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. Landscaped "bump-outs" there will also reduce speeding and, of course, the city will follow strict codes to ensure that emergency vehicles, etc., will have access.

Traffic calming is a good thing.

Call Dunedin diversity event for what it was

Re: Dunedin deserves praise for diversity, editorial, Aug. 21.

I hope that the city I live in, Dunedin, really does believe this slogan. Diversity, by definition, means variety, not just one political party dominating a night that is supposedly celebrating our differences.

I am unaware if this night was to celebrate our differences or to glorify a local homosexual organization.

If we were to have a night to show "pride in our diversity," would not different organizations be present? Not just a radical group rallying against the oppression of homosexuality?

Let us not mask the purpose of this night with the slogan that it received. Let us call it what it is: "pride in our homosexuality."

Seat belts could do more good on school buses

Re: Tougher seat belt laws saving lives, editorial, Aug. 16.

Tougher seat belt laws? Hmmph. I am still waiting for our Florida lawmakers to put their money where their mouth is. What about school buses? What about the lives of all the children who ride them?

These buses are still in violation of the law. There are more children packed into one school bus than in any 10 cars on the road, and every one of those children is at great risk.

It's about time for school buses to be pulled over and fined. At $70.50 per violation, or child, the state of Florida could make a heap of money on every school bus load, in every county.

Until all of the school buses are equipped with seat belts, the Florida Legislature has nothing to brag about.

[Last modified September 6, 2005, 11:16:27]