Citizens of McAllen, we are being targeted by local elected officials like never before. There are efforts underway to try to get rid of our collective bargaining and binding arbitration that you, the public voted to have. Our elected officials are using our local union as scapegoats falsely, blaming us for the Great Recession caused by Wall Street and fiscal problems facing governments at every level. Those running our local government are determined to squeeze every bit of blood they can out of us and our department by going after our contract, wages, and benefits.

We understand that many citizens are hurting because of the recession, but we will not apologize for putting our lives on the line, the dangerous work we do, and the countless fires we help prevent from happening thru our public education programs. They are using lies and misinformation to influence public opinion and portray us as the bad guy’s. We have been sitting back taking attack after attack from our elected officials, not wanting to respond to their malicious attacks on our local union, for fear that we might be portrayed to our public as greedy or self-served.

The fact is that we are a critical part of the community, delivering a critical service. We are public servants and part of the public safety net. We are not the public enemies that our elected officials are making us out to be. We would like to remind our citizens that we represent the best of what our local union is and the best of what our city officials have to offer the public. When city officials attack fire fighter and police officers, something is wrong.

We’re citizens, just like you - Americans who work to better our lives and provide for our families. We’ve chosen a career in public safety to make our communities and our nation better, safer. If we let our city officials succeed in their attack on us, then all of us who work for a living will lose.

Citizens of McAllen, we are asking for your support and urge you to call or e-mail our city officials and let them know that they need to stop these attacks on us and work with our local union and our firefighters to better our department. Let them know how you feel and voice your concerns about attacking the very entities that are here to protect you and your loved ones.

Thank you.