The resignation of MAST board of trustees Chairwoman Brenda Pelofsky isn't such a big deal in light of other news I'm hearing from KICKASS TKC TIPSTERS.
First of all, I thought the story was dead and there was no avoiding City Hall playing political games with the medical care of people on local streets. But with every political move . . . There is a consequence . . .
A PETITION TO KEEP MAST OUT OF DIRECT KANSAS CITY CONTROL AND AWAY FROM THE GRIPS OF THE FIRE FIGHTER'S UNION IS UNDERWAY!!!
Already there's a lot of background fighting over the proposed takeover . . . It may be a lost cause but it's still interesting . . .
Not so long ago MAST employees cried foul when a bunch of Firefighter Union sponsored letters showed up endorsing the deal . . . The letters were cited as low level propaganda but complaints about the letters just might have been turned over to the City's legal department according to some MAST supporters. Obviously, there wasn't case . . . But it's an obvious sign of how panicky people become when anyone dares to challenge Union leader Louie Wright.
And that's where things get interesting . . . There is no politico in Kansas City who can afford to openly offend Local 42 . . . However, MAST is running fine without City involvement and the fire fighter's union move to make MAST part of local government is actually a step backward. MAST is regional, quasi-private and is an international model for a local ambulance service . . . The move to take MAST under KC control is nothing more than big government and the political bullying of the Fire Fighter's Union with the only benefit being a meager savings that still isn't proven along with a downgrade is service that is almost guaranteed.
From what I'm hearing . . . A public petition to stop this move would only take less than 5k signatures . . . Look for it to get started after The Funky recall movement.
You forgot to mention that Funkhouser is completely in the bag for the fire union.
ReplyDeleteAll right, Tony. Want a good issue? This is it.
ReplyDeleteScrew the funk and wife. Just make sure your house doesn't catch on fire. They'll most surely watch it burn and laugh.
That's how union people are.
I'm a MAST employee. The only people who are getting rich off this are the union people that I am forced to pay $1,040 a year to in dues.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sick of how they turned out workplace into this hateful us vs. them thing. Management never promised anything it didn't deliver.
The union, on the other hand, has been long on promises short on delivery and facts.
I'm so tired of the crying and whining. We get free uniforms. Paid lunches. 9% into our 401k. 3 weeks of vacation after 1 year of work. I made over $45,000 last year. And this is "horrible?"
People need to get with it and start looking around at the world. We have it pretty damn good.
However, the union people can't take enough of our money so they figure this game with the city and curring favor with politicans is the way to do it.
I support this effort 100%. Leave our company the way it is. Quit trying to get rich off our backs. This is the same thing they claim that big bad managers are doing. Last time I checked, our union president was making WAY more than the top paid MAST employee.
Nice scoop T.
ReplyDeletewhen and where can I sign the petition.
ReplyDeleteHow can you say "MAST is running fine without City involvement..." when MAST is on the City's dole to the tune of $12 million per year? I'd say KCMO is already neck-deep in the running of MAST. The fact is if KCMO wasn't footing the bill, MAST would not exist.
ReplyDeleteMAST has a monopoly so it is all about government coercion.
ReplyDeleteEVERY ambulance service receives public support, dummy! MAST gets it "support" from the property tax health levy, just like Truman Med Ctr, Children's Mercy and a bunch of other health groups that serve city residents. Mast IS running fine and has reduced the amount of support needed every year. Especially now that John Sharp isn't running it into the ground!
ReplyDeleteThis whole move to change MAST is a John Sharp-Louie Wright political deal; maybe Sharp is angry that MAST did so well after he left? We all know that Louie just wants the money and power -- speaking of money, I wonder just WHO is getting rich on this. This whole thing smells BAD!
The city needs to leave MAST alone.
I have personally seen Mast work on people and the KCFD work on people, believe me you want Mast working on you and caring for you until you make it to the hospital. Fire does a good job but Mast will not quit on you until there is nothing that can be done.
ReplyDeleteThe point that you make about the savings is the best one. There is not going to be any significant savings so why should we be playing games here?
ReplyDeleteMAST was at one time private, correct? In fact, if I remember correctly, it was employee owned. Someone please correct me on this if I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteI hate to agree with an anonymous comment but I have heard as much from other people who say the same thing as 1:13.
ReplyDeleteI think that's unfair but at the same time the City has demonstrated to everyone that they can screw up the simplest of operations.
ReplyDeleteWhat law school did Louie Wright graduate from? I've always wondered when we'd have a lawyer _running_ the ambulances rather than _chasing_ them.
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ReplyDeleteWhen this deal is in the bag you will see the real Louie in action. Get ready to pay with new taxes. new regulations and rules.
ReplyDeleteFact is, Firefighters are against this. Who wants to spend all day and night lifting 400lb heart attack victims when they could be playing X-Box or cruising for chicks?
ReplyDeleteI find it really interesting that when a Union supporter wishes to express their belief they are referred to as a thug. I have belonged to the Union for a number of years, and have never been forced to do anything I didn’t want to do.
ReplyDeleteI seen the petition to move EMS into a Third City service and after reading it signed it. Not because I was forced or intimidated, but because I wanted too. I think EMS in Kansas City is one of the best in the country because of the people that provide the care. The idea we would no longer provide care at the highest level is ridiculous.
I have seen several comments concerning the wages and benefits that Mast employees receive. If the Union was not in place those benefits would not exist. Take a look a crossed the country at those beloved High Performance Systems, and find one that provides anything close to what we receive. The wages and benefits you receive are not because Mast feels like you deserve it. They are negotiated, and have been for years to get us to where we are at today. If paying my thousand dollars in Union dues a year gets me ten or fifteen thousand in wages and benefits I am good with that.
I have heard the comment “Leave our Company Alone”. We did have an employee owned company that was dissolved after Mast decided not to renew “OUR” one and only contract. The reason Mast decided to screw every one of those employees out of thousands of dollars was a potential savings for Mast! Mast decided they could save four to six million a years by consolidating……. Imagine that!
In the recent past I have been approached by several Medics and EMT’s who oppose this consolidation. In most cases they are more than happy to brow beat you for hours if you don’t agree with them. I don’t call any of them thugs for doing so, but I guess by definition I can?
I know five years ago that Local 34 and its Union officials attempted to become a Third City Service, and were not successful. The reason as I remember it was to move away from privates and provide a higher level of job security with a pension. I also am aware as many of you are those same individuals now oppose this merger? What has changed in five years other than we are now Local 42? It would appear that maybe in all this turmoil those who served the Union before have failed to remember their past commitments.
savemast09@att.net write for petition information
ReplyDeletelouie wright is no good and has been for his term in office. i know this from 40 years of experiance, he has threatened to burn down my familys home and have my family killed, this is some one that WE NEED RUNNING THIS AMBULANCE SERVICE, as a matter of fact fire goes around saying us mast employees kill people, now thats professional, in reality they screw up our scene;s to where we can not take care of the patients in a fast timely manner. and by the way we dont kill people flying to the scene to be the first one;s there to look like they are the lfe savers when in fact all their skills consist of just putting on a non rebreather and calling it good, ans oh my goush if us real care takers are on the scene and and the patient is in critial condition and a fire comes out they just take off and go to that fire even if it ant even close to their area, fire is running EMS calls only to account for their budget, if they did not run EMS calls they would not have new fire trucks every 2 years. and us paramedics and emts have to drive junk ambulances and junk equiptment that have the time dont work wright. so who should we expect to be treated better.? EMS and the residance. or the fire dept. i say cut their budget and get louie wright out our buisness and just get rid of him all together, and this would be a better situation for EMS and the residance of kcmo. so think about it, the residance and mast is more important than fire would ever be period. oh and mast dont run over and kill little kids/ fire does doe....
ReplyDeleteare you telling us that you pick and choose what gets put on here, well then your a two mface yourself, you dont want to hear the truth ass hole.
ReplyDelete