Friday, October 27, 2006

Donnie Carroll of Emergency Services is behind the petition

Donnie Carroll has taken out a petition to veto Council's decision to contract with the Cumberland County Regional Communications Center. If they get the required number of valid signatures, the Order to combine dispatch with County is suspended until the next municipal election in June.

Mr. Carroll is Executive Director of Southern Maine Emergency Medical Services(EMS). One can say either he is intensely interested in the issues around emergency management because he is a samaritan...or he has a vested interest for himself and/or his friends.

Do you think they will get 750 signatures?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder what Mr. Flarity (his boss at the same county office) thinks of his disloyal action in the name of dirty politics. We all know him as a political pun dent, which is fine, many of us agree with some of his political picks. We DO NOT agree he should be politicizing our safety. Get the facts BEFORE you sign this petition and put us ALL in danger. There is no longer a Gray dispatch to return to; they quit leaving us in the lurch. Apparently conceding the County was the better choice. They had a job BEFORE the vote!

Anonymous said...

The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, 'In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!'
John F. Kennedy

Partnering with our neighboring towns at the county dispatch center was the right move for Gray. Going it alone was not a good option for us long term.

Anonymous said...

there's a kind of reasoning there. If we as taxpayers invest a lot of time and money in training the dispatchers, then they effectively took that with them when they left.

County is looking better and better.

Anonymous said...

Enough politics in Gray - is that an oxymoron?



check out this site:

http://www.oxymoronlist.com/

Sorry for the interruption, back to your regularly scheduled debate!

Anonymous said...

This is the same Donnie Carroll who thinks it is OK to create fear in seniors and others with "Protect Public Safety-Vote NO on TABOR."

He cannot have it both ways,for scaring and fear over Public Safety and now for improving Public Safety by spending more money to have a local dispatch. Hypocrit!

Anonymous said...

Mr. Carroll is ALL about one sided politics. Someone from a political party tells him how to think. Most Mainers are a little more independant thinking than that. Common sense is a real Mainers politics.

Elizabeth Prata said...

Well, Mr. Carroll is a dedicated Democrat, and has spent a lifetime espousing his party's ideals. That's one-sided politics and it's not so bad, in my own opinion, when it means someone has a commitment to a philosophy, like Donnie does.

If I am to generalize, Democrats do not mind spending money for government to help citizens, so it's no surprise that he is opposed to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (which gives more budetary control to citizens) and is supportive of local dispatch despite a lower cost and equal alternative. The Dem philosophy is: 'Spend money so goverment can help you, even when you don't need to spend it and other help is available, spend it anyway.'

What I get agita over is blindess to the ideal when a solution is available that more than reasonably offers a quality but lower cost solution. My opinion is, that is not common sense!

Anonymous said...

While I respect one's activities pursuant to that one's passions and commitments I draw the line when that person uses deception, misinformation and manipulation. If Gray, Maine had a local poster child to represent a catalyst for the political negativeness and visciousness in this USA it should be Mr. Donnie Carroll.

Ed Muskie and Ken Curtis were genuine Democrats .... but Carroll?

Anonymous said...

I still haven't read a good pro and con list for the dispatch issue

Anonymous said...

there were several political signs dotting the road in front of my property, they all blew away in the big storm. no sign of them anywhere! that's the only damage we suffered here in the big wind. Mother Nature must be bi-partisan - she took them all!

Anonymous said...

The council (5) put forth some compelling reasons. The Fire Chief from Raymond said it was inevitable (this puts Gray ahead of the curve). The county made several convincing presentations. Area town leaders support the decision (Gorham, New Gloucester, Baldwin came to a meeting endorsing the county). Raymond and North Yarmouth are now exploring the same county option. Thease are some of my notes, I'm sure a councilor, town manager, or a fire dept leader could say more.
Cons I've heard about,
Displacing workers, tough but necessary at times. The county would take at least one, two have left already for other work, one is being retained by the town.
Silly ones include; signing out the key to the Newbegin Building? Fire Permits; I hope the the Fire Dept leaders are issuing these now!
Drive ups, rare instances that could be handled by a call box out front for emergencies but there are fire dept personnel in the building during days and evenings.

Elizabeth Prata said...

Great job, thanks for writing this. I saw the County's presentations, too, well as the Fire Departments'. County did make a good case. Fire Department, both times, did not.

And don't forget the State Police Barracks 1/4 mile away from the Fire Department, open 24 hours and trained first reponse personnel available.

Anonymous said...

Donnie Carroll should NOT be involved with any Petition regarding the Gray Dispatch {which is no longer}! The decision has been made; and a transition in progress. Let it Go!

Anonymous said...

I agree! Hasn't the Town of Gray endured ENOUGH False Petitioning?