The daunting disconnect with Lebanon's fire, EMS chief

When the budget committee unanimously rejected Lebanon's Fire and EMS budget earlier this spring, does anyone believe that their intent was to take $10,000 from the per diem staff budget, $15,000 from the overnight call budget, $2,000 from vital staff training and $1,000 off maintenance of firefighting equipment including breathing apparatus that can save the life of a firefighter trying to rescue a victim in a smoky fire?

How about the six out of 10 Lebanon voters who roundly rejected the $450,000 budget on May 10? Does anyone for a second think they went thumbs down on it because of the inordinate amount of money being spent on breathing apparatus maintenance?

Do you think they were furious about helping our first responders pay for training that helps keep them and those they are responding to safer?

Did it ever occur to the fire chief - Mr. Meehan - that the people of Lebanon might be aghast how a $28,800 a year job with no benefits had become a $46,800 a year job with benefits?

Apparently not, because when he came in to talk with selectman about slashing his budget after it went up in flames on May 10 all he did was increase his personal bottom line from $46,800 to $47,476, he said, to comply with increased paychecks pronounced by President Obama for salaried workers.

What he forgot to tell selectmen, however, is that there are many part-time fire chiefs in Maine and New Hampshire towns.

Their departments, like the one in Milton, for instance, work beautifully.

What Mr. Meehan and selectmen have to realize is this isn't about Mr. Meehan. It's about our town and our property taxes.

Please don't ever forget that.

- HT