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Here's what being a Democrat in Democratic Heaven (Mass.) gets you....

MichaelD

MichaelD

Lifer
...all because you wanted to do the right thing and try to save life.

Look at that pic. Obviously taken by Mommy...here's Daddy with his two little girls....and they get to rot now.

Hero VOLUNTEER Firefighter dies in fire; state votes to not even pay to bury him. let alone give his family a benefit.

Guys like him should be HONORED as heros; not treated like bums! :|

His poor family...Sweetie lost a husband. Two little girls lost Daddy. The state says "Screw you. Your husband/daddy died for nothing."

Dems have LONG run Mass. The laws on the books are b/c of them. I'm SO happy I don't live in, nor am I a registered voter in, a Democratic/Liberal state.

He was a volunteer firefighter. He charged into the burning building to save lives...anyone who does that is a hero.
 
Originally posted by: MichaelD
I'm SO happy I don't live in, nor am I a registered voter in, a Democratic/Liberal state.
Click to expand...

I'm equally happy that you don't live in a liberal state 🙂 red states are renowned for their kindness... you know, as long as you're white, Christian, and straight.

on a serious note, while this is a pretty crappy situation, the article makes it sound like a local issue, and certainly isn't reflective of Democrats in a wider sense. in fact, it's a democrat that's trying to get the current rules changed.

and I'm pretty sure the governor of Mass. is a Republican.

edit: he is.
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
Originally posted by: MichaelD
I'm SO happy I don't live in, nor am I a registered voter in, a Democratic/Liberal state.
Click to expand...

I'm equally happy that you don't live in a liberal state 🙂 red states are renowned for their kindness... you know, as long as you're white, Christian, and straight.

on a serious note, while this is a pretty crappy situation, the article makes it sound like a local issue, and certainly isn't reflective of Democrats in a wider sense. in fact, it's a democrat that's trying to get the current rules changed.

and I'm pretty sure the governor of Mass. is a Republican.

edit: he is.
Click to expand...


While that may be true, Mass. is most definitely a Dem state. The Kennedy's run it, and have since the early 1960's. Nuff said. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: MichaelD
...all because you wanted to do the right thing and try to save life.

Look at that pic. Obviously taken by Mommy...here's Daddy with his two little girls....and they get to rot now.

Hero VOLUNTEER Firefighter dies in fire; state votes to not even pay to bury him. let alone give his family a benefit.

Guys like him should be HONORED as heros; not treated like bums! :|

His poor family...Sweetie lost a husband. Two little girls lost Daddy. The state says "Screw you. Your husband/daddy died for nothing."

Dems have LONG run Mass. The laws on the books are b/c of them. I'm SO happy I don't live in, nor am I a registered voter in, a Democratic/Liberal state.

He was a volunteer firefighter. He charged into the burning building to save lives...anyone who does that is a hero.
Click to expand...

Reread the article; the state didn't say that.

*edit* Oh, and those who feeling like attacking Massachusetts:

According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, half the states have no pension benefits for widows of volunteer firefighters who die in the line of duty. Some, unlike Massachusetts, also have no one-time payment to the families. A few don't even pay for funerals.
Click to expand...
 
QUESTION 1 (Precincts 1 & 2)
Shall sections 280, 281, and 282 of chapter 149 of 2004, which authorized the town of Lancaster to pay a survivor benefit and extend health insurance coverage to Claire B. McNamara and her dependents be accepted?

SUMMARY
The Act authorizes the Town, in lieu of any obligations under any other general or special law, to pay an accidental death benefit to Claire B. McNamara, the widow of fallen firefighter Martin H. McNamara V, equal to 2/3 of the average annual salary of a first year career firefighter in the local area. The Act authorizes the Town to fund the purchase of an annuity through an ?override? of the provisions of Proposition 2 ½, so-called. Proposition 2 ½ imposes limits on the amount a town may raise by taxation. The Act allows the Town to raise through taxation, for one-year only, the sum of $650,000 in addition to the amounts permitted under Proposition 2 ½. The Town Department of Finance and Budget estimates the tax rate will increase by approximately $1.17 per thousand dollars of valuation for one year only. On March 22, 2004, Town Meeting voted to appropriate the $650,000 contingent upon approval of this ballot question. Thus, approval of the question will constitute approval of the override and will ratify Town Meeting?s contingent appropriation of such funds. The Act also makes Claire B. McNamara and her dependents eligible for health insurance, subject to certain conditions, provided that she bears responsibility for a retiree?s percentage share for the premium for such insurance.
Click to expand...

http://www.ci.lancaster.ma.us/...k/ballot_questions.pdf

 
Originally posted by: klah
QUESTION 1 (Precincts 1 & 2)
Shall sections 280, 281, and 282 of chapter 149 of 2004, which authorized the town of Lancaster to pay a survivor benefit and extend health insurance coverage to Claire B. McNamara and her dependents be accepted?

SUMMARY
The Act authorizes the Town, in lieu of any obligations under any other general or special law, to pay an accidental death benefit to Claire B. McNamara, the widow of fallen firefighter Martin H. McNamara V, equal to 2/3 of the average annual salary of a first year career firefighter in the local area. The Act authorizes the Town to fund the purchase of an annuity through an ?override? of the provisions of Proposition 2 ½, so-called. Proposition 2 ½ imposes limits on the amount a town may raise by taxation. The Act allows the Town to raise through taxation, for one-year only, the sum of $650,000 in addition to the amounts permitted under Proposition 2 ½. The Town Department of Finance and Budget estimates the tax rate will increase by approximately $1.17 per thousand dollars of valuation for one year only. On March 22, 2004, Town Meeting voted to appropriate the $650,000 contingent upon approval of this ballot question. Thus, approval of the question will constitute approval of the override and will ratify Town Meeting?s contingent appropriation of such funds. The Act also makes Claire B. McNamara and her dependents eligible for health insurance, subject to certain conditions, provided that she bears responsibility for a retiree?s percentage share for the premium for such insurance.
Click to expand...

http://www.ci.lancaster.ma.us/...k/ballot_questions.pdf
Click to expand...

OK...it was on the books. And according to CNN, it was voted DENIED. That's the entire point of my post! Mass. just sucks. Period. I'm sure CA would've voted the same way. It's just wrong to do that to the family of a Firefighter/Policeman/Military Member. Just wrong. 🙁
 
This is one of the more retarded things I've seen on here. First of all, you're attempting to exploit some family's tragedy so you can blame the liberals for something. Secondly, just because it happened in Mass doesn't make it the Dem's fault. Can I blame every single bad thing in Texas on the Republicans? Or maybe just things that a small town decides to do? Also, Lancaster county was almost perfectly split (2 votes difference) between Bush and Kerry. Glad to see those Republicans stepping up to the plate and doing the right thing.

This post seems like a cross between "look at me!!!" and "look at my clever exploitation of something sad to bash liberals". I'm not sure which is worse, but when I didn't think I could respect MichaelD any less, here this shows up. I think he's proud of being a jackass, but if I was conservative, I'd hate to have this guy on my side making me look stupid by association.
 
Hi,
Lancaster. MA went to Kerry by 2 votes.

Kerry
1,653 50% 100% of precincts reporting
Bush
(Incumbent)
1,651 49%

That is all.

Have a nice day


 
Originally posted by: Strk
Originally posted by: MichaelD
...all because you wanted to do the right thing and try to save life.

Look at that pic. Obviously taken by Mommy...here's Daddy with his two little girls....and they get to rot now.

Hero VOLUNTEER Firefighter dies in fire; state votes to not even pay to bury him. let alone give his family a benefit.

Guys like him should be HONORED as heros; not treated like bums! :|

His poor family...Sweetie lost a husband. Two little girls lost Daddy. The state says "Screw you. Your husband/daddy died for nothing."

Dems have LONG run Mass. The laws on the books are b/c of them. I'm SO happy I don't live in, nor am I a registered voter in, a Democratic/Liberal state.

He was a volunteer firefighter. He charged into the burning building to save lives...anyone who does that is a hero.
Click to expand...

Reread the article; the state didn't say that.

*edit* Oh, and those who feeling like attacking Massachusetts:

According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, half the states have no pension benefits for widows of volunteer firefighters who die in the line of duty. Some, unlike Massachusetts, also have no one-time payment to the families. A few don't even pay for funerals.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

As sad as all of this is, the question begging to be asked is, who "volunteers" for potenially life threatening activities without having even sufficent life insurance to cover their burial expenses or checking to see what the organization would/would not provide in case of serious injury/death?


Also this family has already received around 400k in a combination of state/federal funds and donations.
Not enough to live large on but certainly not a bum's rush either.
 
Originally posted by: MichaelD
...all because you wanted to do the right thing and try to save life.

Look at that pic. Obviously taken by Mommy...here's Daddy with his two little girls....and they get to rot now.

Hero VOLUNTEER Firefighter dies in fire; state votes to not even pay to bury him. let alone give his family a benefit.

Guys like him should be HONORED as heros; not treated like bums! :|

His poor family...Sweetie lost a husband. Two little girls lost Daddy. The state says "Screw you. Your husband/daddy died for nothing."

Dems have LONG run Mass. The laws on the books are b/c of them. I'm SO happy I don't live in, nor am I a registered voter in, a Democratic/Liberal state.

He was a volunteer firefighter. He charged into the burning building to save lives...anyone who does that is a hero.
Click to expand...

Read the article again.

"McNamara's family, who live in neighboring Clinton, have received about $400,000 in one-time state and federal benefits, in addition to the charitable donations."
It's not as if the family did not get anything. They did get something even if it is not enough to pay for a lifetime. And it's not that Fire Fighting was his full time job. He was a part-time fire fighter.

And just because they lost the vote it's not as if the town will not try to do something:
"the town may consider raising funds through private donations or selling town property."
Also read here:
http://news.bostonherald.com/l...iew.bg?articleid=52690


"Holmberg said his group has been brushed off because part-time departments are found in more rural areas with less political clout. Full-time firefighter unions have also opposed the bills, fearing that if the state gives benefits to volunteers, more communities would switch and eliminate union jobs"
That is the sad and real issue here. Its politics. Any idea what union fire fighters are paid? It's more than the average college graduate of similar ages.

And as to your point of Democratic states, the article states
"half the states have no pension benefits for widows of volunteer firefighters who die in the line of duty. Some, unlike Massachusetts, also have no one-time payment to the families."
Majority states are Republican so half the states has to include Republican states as well. At least Mass pays a one time payment which is better than some others (which could be Republican). So assuming that only Dem states are denying payment is a meaningless and fallacious interpretation.

Edit
Here's more about the town:
"The override represents a sizable amount of money in a small, fiscally conservative town. Voters did pass a $2.3 million override last year, after the town's repeated refusal to raise taxes left the town near financial ruin. "
http://news.bostonherald.com/l...iew.bg?articleid=51860

A conservative town against taxes. Most likely republican?? Yes I'm making an assumption to show how irrational they can be.










 
Anyone read far enough to get to this para?

"McNamara's family, who live in neighboring Clinton, have received about $400,000 in one-time state and federal benefits, in addition to the charitable donations. Dunn said the town may consider raising funds through private donations or selling town property.
"

How many of you have insurance that pays off $400K?
 
Originally posted by: steeplerot
Whats really sad are the way these familys are left to seek justice on their own.
http://english.people.com.cn/2...g20020816_101553.shtml
A sad time to be an American.
Click to expand...

Um, does the firefighter have an obligation to evaluate the risk he puts himself into? The risk to his family if he ventures into said burning building?

I'm sorry but I have a hard time feeling sorry for this guy. Apparently he was a bit of a moron. What kind of husband/father walks into burning buildings KNOWING he's not covered? Hm?

His love for the thrill and the adventure is more important that providing for his wife and kids??

Go figure.

Perhaps, if there were fewer volunteers or part timers, the community would recognize the need to enhance the benefits. Apparently, there are far to many people willing to risk it all for a little smoke and flame.

IMHO, he had an obligation to his wife and kids that outweighed his desire to fight fires.

 
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