"Firemen, Like Cops, Are Street People"
The Chicago Fire Department held their annual memorial yesterday:
- Every year, they come to pay their respect to fellow firefighters who went before them.
Today, the 28th annual memorial service at Rosehill Cemetery was more somber than usual. Firefighters clad in blue uniforms with white gloves and others in black leather and blue jeans paid special tribute to Christopher Wheatley, the first member of the Chicago Fire Department to die battling a blaze in more than a decade.
A somber occasion, made more poignant by the recent loss of a comrade. Citizens everywhere should pause and consider the risks and sacrifices first responders world wide take just going to work every day.
Not in Oak Brook though. In Oak Brook, firefighters and police officers are just "street people." Click over to this article and if you can stomach it, listen to the attached audio from a Citizen Finance Advisory Committee meeting. The most telling portion starts around 7 minutes and 45 seconds:
Not in Oak Brook though. In Oak Brook, firefighters and police officers are just "street people." Click over to this article and if you can stomach it, listen to the attached audio from a Citizen Finance Advisory Committee meeting. The most telling portion starts around 7 minutes and 45 seconds:
- The person says if the chief can’t choose who to fire, they will make the choice for him and it could be the chief who may be gone. While there is no indication that this is seriously being considered, I don’t hear anyone speaking up saying this is a bad idea.
At point the person suggesting this tactic says, “Firemen like cops are street people. They only understand civilized force. That’s what they understand. You fire ‘em.”
Seriously, go listen to the audio. This person advocates firing firefighters at random, in complete violation of contractual protections, seniority rights and bargaining agreements - and the city government representatives don't utter a word against it!
It just makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
It just makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Labels: fire fighters, suburban
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
45 Comments:
"Merchants at Oak Brook are street people. They only understand civilized force. That’s what they understand. You quit shopping there."
So long.
"It just makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside."
that's the whiskey talkin'.
People who live in Oak Brook are rich snotty fucks, just like the rich fucks that live in Burr Ridge, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Lake Forest, et al.
Cops and Firemen are just hired help to be treated like shit like the people they step on in their daily lives.
I taught school in a rich, North Shore suburb before I came on the job. The kids were bad, but the parents were worse, especially if you give their kid anything less than a B. I'm glad I got laid off in the recession of '82-83.
I have less stress on the Police department.
That's from Oak Brook? I expected a little more intelligence than that. Sounds like the person speaking is the "Street person"
Sounds to me like some Cops and Firemen need to stop doing what they do best for a little while!
To my Brothers & Sisters in Oak Brook, you have my support!
Makes you happy that you dedicate your life and many times ignore your personal safety for the protection of theirs.
These people who live in gated communities, in rather fancy homes are just so removed from the fact that they just might need us that they forget they actually do need us. Listen up, Richard, you need us so that you can go to the damn store, get gas, go to work, go to Blockbuster, get a haircut, your children can go to the mall and school without being robbed, maybe kidnapped and maybe killed. Didja ever wonder how much your own private security force would cost you? They have those in other countries, because crime is rampant. We do live in a civilized society, but without us, the civility you take for granted can and will disappear. I bet you eat right and maybe exercise a bit. You couldn't be a victim, now could you? I mean, you're a high powered person, you take charge! If we weren't here, three thugs would have their way with you and yours. Bad peaople rarely travel alone. Good people do. We travel alone because there are people who are paid for watching out for us.
I failed to mention that while driving your car, you might get into an accident and require an ambulance, or your wiring may short out and your 6 million dollar home might just burn down if you don't have any of these "street people" to come risk their personal safety to attend to your needs.
Next thing these twits will bitch about is how much a nurse costs.
I listened to the complete 14:01 of that audio. The guy who was advocating playing hardball with the firefighters also stated that governments can no longer enter into contracts that remain into perpetuity and I would have to agree with that statement. Times change, everybody's hurting right now. Apparently, the city doesn't have the money in this economy to continue to operate their Fire Dept. as they have in the past (something that cities around the country are also figuring out). It also appears that the Fire dept. isn't willing to make any concessions to try and work with the city. Can you blame the guy for proposing the idea of playing hardball? Granted, he could've been more prudent in his choice of words, but he probably was kicking around those ideas out of frustration.
The greatest generation was known for making sacrifices. President Kennedy's request that we "ask not what (our) country can do for us, but what (we) can do for our country" reflected a value that's looked on as foolish now. Everybody wants what they believe is theirs ("I got mine!") whether it's reasonable or not. And, unfortunately, we've got a President who's doing his best to give it to them; even at the cost of bankrupting America's future.
Sounds like a meeting of our own pos staffed police board. They rubber stamp every political
witch hunt to shave the payroll and to jack the officers to make the daley/weis team happy. Another slap in the face to working cops and first responders everywhere.
Unfuckingbelievable
Oak Brook has a long history of an adversarial relationship with their FD. In the 80's they went for years without a contract, living in a station that was literally falling apart. The "Rat Mobile" was parked in their lot for years as well. And the city hired a chief (if you could call her that) who was incompetent at best just to cause more dissention.
Have them do the job for a day. Thats will shut them up.
Unbelievable!
They're going to privatize us all!
I'd like to get the guy who is speaking in the audio in the back of the ambulance with a heart attack and give him a reduced standard of care!!!!!!
Heard the Audio, WTF. THat man needs his house burned down. then his ass kicked by the fireman when they come watch it burn.
and 9 yrs after 9/11, how we forget.GODBLESS our first responders,from a greatful citizen.
Isn't Drew Peterson's son a copper in Oak Brook? I'm surprised that these concerned citizens haven't called for his scalp just because of his lineage.
Citizens Finance Advisory Committee
Donald N. Adler, Chairman. Norma Lauder. Randall Teteak.
George Paul Klein. Todd Rusteberg
I always thought the term Street People is the new euphenism for Piss Bums.
Does the speaker really consider police, fire personnel to be bums leeching off of everyone else.
I hope his fucking house burns down.
playing a little devil's advocate here. it's quite possible that the person blathering against the FD was a known nutcase. these kinds of government meetings draw all kinds of nutballs who go simply because they can get up to the mic and think someone is listening to them. that may be the reason nobody on the panel spoke against it. they know who the nutcases are and just ignore them.
The politicians would love to privatize city services that spend the money get the kickbacks from the firms hired. All while claiming to be pro-union democrats. They are selling everything!
The speaker on the tape is a resident, Constantine "Connie" Xinos. Google him and see his other rants. Piece of work.
This is sickening. Speaker talks about some type of aggreement from a few years ago...geeez, it's called a CONTRACT. Oakbrook is the DuPage Barrington, High tax base and higher incomes. Residence for the corp thieves.... full of people who just hate to even think of the 'lowly' peons working for them and despise worker contracts unless they wrote (dictated) it. The speaker sounds word for word like the directors at Advocate, (Also based in Oakbrook). They don't give a crap about the worker. They don't allow unions and will fire employees at the drop of a hat even those injured on the job...no benis. Vil of Oakbrook must be attending their management meetings....
Retired cop in the know.
The speaker is....wait for it.....a bottom-feeding attorney!
Constantine Peter Xinos
And here is the guy's info from the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission website.
https://www.iardc.org/ldetail.asp?id=387233853
For ease of reference, though.......:
Constantine P. Xinos, Esq.
Xinos and Xinos Ltd.
134 N La Salle St Ste 444
Chicago, IL 60602-1049
(312) 263-6167
To top it off they do not pay any property tax in Oak Brook.. Sales are down so fuck the people that tow the line. No more shopping in Oak Brook!
This is why you just can't
"vote straight republican"
These fuckers hate unions. We know many unions are problems but they are a necessary evil to fight pricks like these jag offs.
I say every police officer and fireman from Oak Brook should attend these meetings under the "open meeting act" and show the bastards some force.
The handjob who states in the audio "after a year of being out of work the dog is dead and the cops & fireman kids are in the street" is 69 year Constantine “Connie” Xino, a criminal attorney and president of a homeowners association.
He brutally belittled an 11 year old who spoke to the village council last year in support of the librarians.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=325508
Yes, right, and Politicians, like Child Molesters, are sick, twisted perverts
these ignorant, arrogant Oakbrook politicians will hopefully be unelected soon, God Bless all Firefighters and Police Officers everywhere, and thank you for selflessly protecting us from danger always. Your detractors could not fill your shoes for even 1 day, they are fraidy-cat, deceptive weasels, which is why they are politicians in the first place.
CPD-DET.
Isn't Drew Peterson's son a copper in Oak Brook? I'm surprised that these concerned citizens haven't called for his scalp just because of his lineage.
9/27/2010 09:27:00 AM
They already suspended him for storing his fathers guns because his fathers FOID was revoked....
Wow this makes ya sick!!!! No more Oak Brook shopping....thats for sure!!!!
I will remember that next time I stop someone from one of those wealthy suburbs!!!!!!!!!
Times change, everybody's hurting right now.
Riiiiight. So then I guess the opposite is true then: when times change for the good and everybody is riding the wave, the excess monies will be shared with the local police and fire departments?
Unbelievable!
They're going to privatize us all!
-----------------------------------
Except, of course, their jobs.
I can not mention which burb I work as the police in. I come from a CPD family. Oak Brook is not the only place where the council treats the police like we are crap. For years the council does not want to slowly raise pension contribution and now the cry because they got caught underfunding it. Do not get me started on the other stuff that the council and the chief try to pull. Stay safe and watch your six.
This is a BIG story -- WBBM radio was playing bits of the recordings today. Town president snarling about how "we don't have to take care of firemen from the cradle to the grave."
I can just see him turning down salary, pension, benefits -- anyway, there's nothing in Oak Brook that you can't buy somewhere else.
"I wanted that kid to lose sleep that night," a grinning Xinos says Wednesday, as he invites me for a nearly two-hour interview in his Mercedes-Benz in the gated Oak Brook community where he lives. "This is the real world and the lesson, you folks who brought your kids here, is if you want something, pay for it."
Well Mr. Xino, maybe you should. Oakbrook needs to establish a tax for it's residents to pay for the "street people" that keep you safe in your home behind that gate.
http://chicagoist.com/2009/10/02/oak_brook_man_hates_libraries_child.php
>>>Anonymous said...
Have them do the job for a day. Thats will shut them up.
9/27/2010 07:40:00 AM<<<
Drill, clean the rigs, study, do the housework all the routine stuff.
One day, not unless they had to fight a fire from inside building out, in January. Unless you had to separate human flesh from twisted shards of glass and metal.
It's not complicated for Xinos.
"You may like the library, but when you call 9-1-1, you want a policeman or a fireman before someone to tell you where the books are in the library," says the man who has talked of privatizing, outsourcing or even closing the library.
"I understand that my philosophy is conservative," Xinos says, adding that government just needs to catch bad guys, put out fires, fix the streets and make sure buildings are sturdy.
He campaigned, successfully, against a plan to bring subsidized housing for seniors into town by declaring, "I don't want to live next to poor people. I don't want poor people in my town."
What an asshat! And a scumbag attorney, as well.
Uh...how can I put this?
There's a particular lawyer, styled as a "criminal defense attorney," lives in an affluent area, who is good for shit. You'd be safer using the public defender -- and you'd save a lot of money, too.
Trust me on this one.
"I wanted that kid to lose sleep that night," a grinning Xinos says Wednesday, as he invites me for a nearly two-hour interview in his Mercedes-Benz in the gated Oak Brook community where he lives. "This is the real world and the lesson, you folks who brought your kids here, is if you want something, pay for it."
--9/28/2010 12:07:00 AM
Of course, there are times that one can pay thousands and thousands of dollars -- to a lawyer, say -- and still get nothing for one's money.
Oak Brook fire and police should simply keep working and do the minimum required while they quietly look for other jobs in communities where they'd be more welcome.
The stink coming off this place will soon be so bad that no one but the real retards would dream of coming in and filling out an application. Leave Oak Brook residents with the quality of protection they seem to want.
Anonymous said...
Uh...how can I put this?
There's a particular lawyer, styled as a "criminal defense attorney," lives in an affluent area, who is good for shit. You'd be safer using the public defender -- and you'd save a lot of money, too.
Trust me on this one.
9/28/2010 02:10:00 PM
Does he, by any chance, have a vanity plate, a lambo and a bentley?
"A poor kid who grew up in Berwyn and worked in his dad's cafeteria in Chicago, Xinos went to law school and served in the Marines."
...yet, sadly, it would seem that life taught him nothing of compassion or decency -- despite all the helping hands he must have received on his way up.
"He campaigned, successfully, against a plan to bring subsidized housing for seniors into town by declaring, 'I don't want to live next to poor people. I don't want poor people in my town.'
"Xinos...sprinkles the F-word throughout his conversations. He dismisses a recent library event...with a blunt three-word rant in which he bookends swear words around the word 'that.'"
'I don't care that you guys miss the librarian, and she was nice, and she helped you find books,' Xinos told [a little girl]...[who was 'upset and 'her little friend was in tears' after Xinos spoke at the meeting...'I wanted that kid to lose sleep that night,' a grinning Xinos says..."
http://www.dailyherald.com
/story/?id=325508
"Before the voice [can be heard by God], it must have lost its power to wound..."
--Light On The Path, Mabel Collins, 1888
http://www.theosociety.org
/pasadena/lightpat/lightpat.htm
"[Xinos] said Oak Brook had to 'stop indulging people in their hobbies' and 'their little, personal, private wants.'"
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=325508
"Without leaving town, Oak Brook residents can partake in sports at the village-owned Sports Core or park district facilities. The Core, as residents refer to it, includes tennis courts, a swimming pool, wading pool, golf course, driving range and the polo field that put Oak Brook on the map. The park district owns the Family Recreation Center, which includes an aquatic center, fitness club, basketball courts and indoor running track, plus the Racquet Club, which has tennis and handball courts, saunas and whirlpools."
http://www.chicagotribune.com
/classified/realestate/
DuPage_County_IL/chi-
oak-brook-profile_chomes
_011jan16,0,1824311.story
Uh -- run that past me again, Connie.
Whattaya expect from a retired defense attorney? Asshat.
Post a Comment
<< Home