This past week proves to be the perfect time for this letter. Why? The sky was dull with smoke and ashes cover everything. Fire! A big one and out of control. We’ve all seen the convoys of firetrucks and support equipment … some staged at our local Elks rodeo grounds. Firefighters from all over the state. What do they have in common? They all are here to protect property and lives. By doing so they often put their own lives at risk. A life risked saving a total stranger that could be you or me. Am I glad they do it? Of course. God bless them all. 

Now to the point of my letter. We all approved Measure U in the past because it was presented as needed to support our emergency personnel. Firefighters and police to name only two. Santa Maria City Council refuses to bring our firefighters up to standard pay. The money is there but being held for something other than wages and benefits. To their credit, Gloria Soto of District 3 and Mike Cordero of District 2 are in favor of decent pay for our firefighters. 

As for Mayor Patino and District 1 Carlos Escobedo and District 4 Maribel Hernandez, the question is: Why won’t you provide these men and women with a decent wage that we citizens voted to give them? Are you going to be typical politicians who promise voters one thing and then ignore them after you get what you want, or will you do the right thing and do what we Santa Maria residents want you to do? Give our firefighters the wages they deserve for the danger, the PTSD they suffer, the death and destruction they see almost daily. 

Call your district representative and the mayor and tell them what you, the voter, want. 

Glen de St. Jean
Santa Maria

This article appears in Jul 25 – Aug 4, 2024.

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1 Comment

  1. Mr. de St. Jean,

    Thank you for your letter. You are absolutely right.

    Mayor Patino, Councilman Cordero, and Councilman Escobedo who want to be reelected have failed our firefighters and citizens of Santa Maria. All they’ve done is create multiple years of financial crisis and are ignoring our public safety by refusing to support firefighters.

    The police department was in a similar situation when Patino became Mayor. After years of neglect, the PD blew up and cost taxpayers millions and years to fix. Patino and her cronies are causing the same problem with the FD.

    We can do better with forward thinking people and not the stagnant trio of Patino, Cordero, and Escobedo. Santa Maria needs a change of leadership.

    Reply
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