Firefighters union endorses Gregorie for mayorRiley 'has embarrassed, disgraced city with his actions,' association head says By David Slade (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Friday, September 28, 2007
The deadly Sofa Super Store fire, the worst loss of firefighter lives in the United States since 9/11, is an issue that mayoral candidates in Charleston say they don't want to politicize, but it has become a top issue in the four-way race nonetheless. The fire and the city's response in the months that followed have been the subject of press conferences and campaign videos, and Thursday afternoon the city firefighters union endorsed William Gregorie, who pledged to replace the leadership of the fire department if elected. "We feel that the mayor is giving up the greater good, public safety, for the sake of friendship," Gregorie said. "We need to also question our City Council, for allowing what is going on to continue." Gregorie, the Charleston Firefighters Association, the state firefighters union and City Councilman Henry Fishburne have called for Fire Chief Rusty Thomas to resign or be dismissed. Mayor Joe Riley has steadfastly defended Thomas against criticism, even as the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the city for safety violations related to the Sofa Super Store fire, and the city's own review panel recommended numerous changes. "Joe Riley has overstayed his welcome," said Roger Yow, president of the Charleston Firefighters Association, at Gregorie's campaign headquarters. "Joe Riley has embarrassed and disgraced this city with his actions and denials these last few months and his refusal to change for many years." The Charleston Firefighters Association represents nearly half the city firefighters and has been at odds with the Riley administration for years over pay and safety issues. The union endorsed Riley's main opponent in the 2003 election as well. "The mayor's position would be that it's not a political issue, and we wouldn't want to comment," said Lawrence Thompson, Riley's campaign manager. Last week, the Riley campaign posted a number of videos on YouTube.com, including one of the mayor being interviewed about the fire. It was quickly criticized in several online forums read by firefighters, and all the Riley videos were pulled off YouTube within hours. Campaign coordinator Denis Chirles said the videos were pulled to fix a problem with sound quality, but the fire interview video should not have been posted and won't be back, because "as the mayor has said, it's certainly not an issue that should be politicized." Meanwhile, a fire-related video critical of the administration was posted anonymously on the same site by someone with the screen name "joemustgo." Riley has said the Sofa Super Store fire was a "perfect storm" situation that the city will learn from. The city has started buying equipment and hiring personnel to respond to the findings of its review panel. Gregorie, the recently retired director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's South Carolina office, is one of three candidates who hope to thwart Riley's bid for re-election to a ninth term. The other two are police officer Omar Brown and Marc Knapp, who owns a utility contracting business. The union interviewed all three of Riley's opponents before endorsing Gregorie. "I knew they weren't going to endorse me, because I'm a Republican and I don't particularly like unions," Knapp said. Brown said the union picked the Riley opponent with the best financing. Yow said that Gregorie has the knowledge and management experience to run the city and that the union was willing to endorse any of the candidates, including Riley. "We're run now by a dictatorial type of government and we feel that's wrong," Yow said. Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 17 comment(s)
Posted by exorcist_pencocky on September 28, 2007 at 5:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey joe, I bet your supporters will be screaming that you haven't played politics with this since day one.
Posted by Rongodzilla on September 28, 2007 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good! Seeing that Riley is partially responsible for what happened as a result of his poor and incompetent leadership and seeing his arrogant and evasive tactics in refusing to take any RESPONSIBILITY for these actions, I applaud the firefighters union and hope this parlays into a Riley defeat come November. This city desperately needs new leadership. All you Riley supporters ou there who support him like a pavlovian dog need to wake up and realize that if you put him back in office in November you will be holding this city back another 4 years.
Posted by cfdiaffman on September 28, 2007 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This article isn't one of the best I've seen. I watched the full press release where questions were asked. Anyone can go to www.local61.com to see it. Capt. Yow and Mr. Gregorie did a very good job. Mr. Gregorie to my surprize has his stuff together. I don't know much about him but the more I see, the more I like. Keep up the good work guys. We need you.
Posted by icbmman on September 28, 2007 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That's right everybody, continue to pull for mediocrity. Good grief, the only reason they chose Gregorie was because of his FINANCING? Idiocy!! You pull for the candidate that has the best ideas and the best plan to lead the city into more prosperity, growth, and modernization (that includes updating fire departments, police, and other city services). You shouldn't vote for a one-issue candidate.
Who is this Knapp guy, another candidate? Maybe people need to start looking at him; of course, he may have a point about his political affiliation. I'm going to check out his campaign...he may be better than Riley or Gregorie.
Posted by bigbrotheriswatching on September 28, 2007 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Icbmman,
I'll have to correct you. First, Omar Brown was incorrect, the Union did not select Gregorie based on FINANCING, as Brown put it. The Union's statement was clear, they factored in which candidate had the skills and background that could not only implement the changes needed, but lead and manage the city. We all know that with the current state of politics, a candidate must have a certain degree a financial strength to be considered vialable. Too bad Brown isn't in that situation, so he takes a cheap shot at Gregorie. And as the paper has already reported, Gregorie is the ONLY candidate that has invested his own money as the majority of his campaign funds. And that speaks VOLUMES! So he isn't FINANCED as Brown puts it. The focus needs to be on why is this topic being buried by media when Yow was just first page news a couple of days ago?
Posted by vesta on September 28, 2007 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gregorie is not using the SSS fire as a "political base"....he is only replying to the mayor, who continues to 'slap band-aids' on this issue so that Gregorie, who is opposing him, and defending the honorable fire fighters (not administration) of the city has to reply. From reading both his site, his news releases and media coverage, Gregorie has a number of other platforms in his campaign.
Posted by JH09915 on September 28, 2007 at 10:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
After reading some of this, I continue to be amazed.
Joe Riley has been our mayor for over 30 years.
With a tenure such as this, why has he not been voted out long before now if he has indeed "botched" the job so badly?
Joe Riley has brought Charleston out of the dark ages and today it is a vibrant, thriving city, one that we all should be proud to call home.
Chief Rusty is a wonderful person and I echo the mayor's statement that he is the best fire chief in America today.
The tragedy that took place on June 18 is one that will live in our hearts and minds forever, no question about that.
I say let's get behind Mayor Riley and Chief Thomas in this time of grief and work together to heal.
We can not change what has happened however we can learn from this and grow as a community..
Posted by Rongodzilla on September 28, 2007 at 11:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The previous post by JH09915 exemplifies what I mean by a pavlovian Riley supporter. It's people like you who blindly support Riley that are impeding the progress and development of this city. Riley no longer fits into the direction this city is heading and he needs to be removed from office. My advice to people who want Riley gone is to call out these pavlovian Riley supporters and put them in their place by demonstrating how his incompetent leadership and arrogance no longer hold a place in the direction that Charleston is heading. Riley needs to go!
Posted by exorcist_pencocky on September 28, 2007 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Grape Kool-aid for icbmman, with ice, to go, the fire grows hot.
Posted by MC29461 on September 28, 2007 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
While the sofa fire is certainly a hot button issue, the larger one that all voters should be considering is does Junior Joe adequately represent the views of the majority in Charleston?
I would say NO, because after 30 years he has cleared out any dissenting views and all we have left is HIS single vision for the city.
Almost anyone who could garner enough votes to become the next mayor would have the experience to take on the job as well or better than Riley.
Just think about what he has accomplished just during his last two terms. Was there anything of real substance for the citizens that did not bolster his reign of power? NO!!!
There never has been a clearer example of the Napoleon complex than Joe Riley - The Little Dictator of Charleston.
In the end voters Charleston City will get the government they deserve so choose well, four years is a long time.
Posted by jameschucktown5 on September 28, 2007 at 1:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In the 2006 Scrooge List for the Sec. of State,the SC Professional FF & EMS Providers group, headed by Michael Parrotta, had total revenue of $231,209. Of that, $8,938 was spent on programs--a whopping 4.5%. Parrotta has called for the chief's resignation--he is a crook and he is the one who should resign. So much for honesty and disgrace from the union.
Posted by EzraC on September 28, 2007 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It will take a monumental effort of "world class" proportions to defeat
little emperor Joe. That needed effort is the coming together of citizens, firefighters and the like who are uniform in the opinion that he must be dethroned. People in smoke filled blogs spewing venom won't cut it and the soldiers stationed at "Camp Joe" know this. After 9-11 the flags and the comraderie of the nation was evident, yet the fervor soon died. After the fire
people from all over this country(myself included) visited Charleston to pay respect to the fallen and witnessed the surge of "Remember the 9". Now, as I monitor the situation from out west and communicate with friends in Charleston it seems evident that many are siding with the mayor through silence to "Ignore the 9". Your local media outlets loyal to 32 years of favors will encircle and protect your mayor by ignoring facts, not giving fair time to opposition and from this he WILL be re-elected. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, what are you who feel so strongly about the real issues prepared and willing to do for the "9"?? I have visited Charleston many times and know whole heartedly that others would return to rally for the "9" but it is left to YOU to ORGANIZE and SPEAK UP for the "9"
GOD BLESS THEIR SOULS AND FAMILIES
Posted by iculukin on September 29, 2007 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Go JH09915! All I ever see on here are the 10 or so anti-Riley's saying the same thing over and over. I agree with you about Chief Rusty too.
Posted by exorcist_pencocky on September 29, 2007 at 9:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder what other safety land mines might be lurking out there within city of charleston businesses.
I wouldn't want to be a fire fighter in that city. I for one, would understand if they all went elsewhere to be firemen. But then they are a better group of people than I am.
What a mess the city of charleston, mayor joe riley and the other commissioners created with those high connection and monthly fees they instituted.
He was always depicted in the news media as being such a brilliant leader, Yea I know, when you get to Oz don't look behind the curtain. You might not like what you see.
Posted by exorcist_pencocky on September 29, 2007 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Can you give us, 10 examples, of the great things mayor joseph p. riley, jr. has done, to make the city of charleston a better place for "ALL" its citizens, not just the few rich and famous, the movers and shakers.
Be specific, no warm and fussys if you please.
For someone as great as the city of charleston, mayor joseph p. riley, jr. this shouldn't be too hard.
Posted by charleytowngirl on September 29, 2007 at 10:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
JHO9915: I think the majority of the people that don't support Rusty and the Mayor feel this way because it really does not appear that Rusty OR the Mayor want to learn and grown from this tragedy.
Rusty is making changes forced on him by a panel of experts and now the mayor wants to fight the OSHA violations.
Even as children, we are taught that in order to learn from a mistake, you first have to admit that there was a mistake. That has not been done in this case. If either of them had admitted mistakes were made in the beginning and that they would take the situation and learn from it, my opinion of Rusty and the Mayor would probably be different today.
Posted by icbmman on September 30, 2007 at 12:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Exorcist, if there is any drinker of Kool Aid in this forum, it is you. Have I said that I support Riley? No. Am I open to other candidates? Yes, but besides Gregorie.
But, as usual, the opponents are mediocre, provide no charisma or motivation to vote for them, and do not have a bold, definitive plan for the city. There HAS to be some candidate that is better. Unfortunately, I haven't seen one yet.