I attended the fire commissioners meeting May 5.

It was my first time since before the debacle of an election last November. If the attendance last night was any indication of the way the majority of Enumclaw voted, then that election was well and truly an epic fail! I was only aware of two citizens, commissioners not included, that would have voted against the levy that failed.

I can only assume that the majority of the voters who voted “no” on the levy and elected the new commissioner, were swayed by the false information in the voters pamphlet. Even though The Enumclaw Courier-Herald posted the facts, correcting the pamphlet, it was obvious more people read the voters pamphlet than they did the Enumclaw newspaper. Unfortunate.

Being told that former Fire Chief Clow decided to tender his resignation, like it was all his idea and that he wasn’t handed an ultimatum, is offensive. They are assuming taxpayers don’t see through the smoke and mirrors. This is demeaning. At least the taxpayers that were represented at the May 5 meeting are not fooled! If the huge issue before the election was “mismanagement of funds,” then what do we have going on now if not another huge mismanagement of funds? They “let go” two, now three, firefighters, including former Fire Chief Clow and then attempted to violate collective bargaining rights by asking the remainder to take a pay cut outside of the agreed negotiation period?

Can you say illegal? Seriously? Why? So the commissioners can continue to waste the money on investigations and lawyers fees to negotiate former Fire Chief Clow’s “willing” resignation?

Former Fire Chief Clow was supposedly “resigned” for “performance issues”? Really? Was it because he wasn’t a performing monkey or puppet on a string? I’m ashamed and appalled that more of the citizens of Enumclaw aren’t concerned that our fire department isn’t up to standard because a handful (two) of citizens and their puppet are slowly driving it into the ground.

Get involved people!

Belinda Cooper

Enumclaw