Posted by JohnS on May 15, 2008 at 1:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Chief before you retire make sure you give the mayor your list of troublemakers from the last year. They are the problem. We will miss you.

Posted by CedarPosts on May 15, 2008 at 2:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The tragic news continues, Chief Thomas had been on life support since the fire and now the CFD has lost a tenth man.

Charleston has a long way to go, so do many of the people who have made fighting fires their passion in this city. The pain is as thick as a smokey grass fire, and now it's time to ventilate and overhaul.

You must not let the loss of the Charleston "9" and now the Chief be for nothing.

It's time to put the events of the past year behind you, put a new shire on the chrome and brass and work to make CFD rival the storied FDNY and much respected Phoenix Fire Department.

You can make a difference and this old city is counting on you.

www.cedarposts.blogspot.com

Posted by Slick50 on May 15, 2008 at 6:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"If he had quit today, or next week, or next month, it would be considered a reaction to the report, which is most likely going to say mistakes were made." DUH.

There are many dangerous occupations out there, firefighting being one of them. However, firefighters do not routinely perish as result of fighting fires...at least not nine at a time. You better believe mistakes were made. Someone has to be culpable.

Posted by cadiz on May 15, 2008 at 6:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Losing Chief Rusty is a major tragedy for a lot of us who work for the City Fire Department. It was most shocking and quite upsetting to hear him come over the radio yesterday.

He is a legend and not just because of losing 9 men. 9 men he loved and cared for. Those men did not go into that building feeling that they were going into unsafe conditions. The conditions changed drastically and rapidly. I am not saying things couldn't have been done differently, however this type of tragedy could have happened anywhere in the world. And blaming Chief Rusty is like trying to blame one person for the sinking of the titanic. Several things all had to occur simultaneously for the Sofa Super Store tragedy, and this time they did.

Harpo I rarely ever even read the comments to any article on here. I wouldn't even begin to have time to do so. The few times I have read them, I always find some absurd and hateful comment by you about any article. No matter what the topic. I am beginning to think you don't have a job or a life to have so much free time to make cracks at everything written here. There is no way you could even begin to understand anything as prestigious as working for any Fire Dept. I know I used some big words here, hopefully you have a dictionary and can look them up.

To the pubic - thanks for you continued support through all our losses this year. Your continued outpouring of affection and emotion keeps us going. For those of you who wanted this change, you got it. I just hope that you understand what you asked for and are ready to deal with the end result.

Chief if you should happen to read this, there are so many of us who love you and support you in every way!! It has been an honor to work with you.

Posted by jerrytj on May 15, 2008 at 6:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It is unfair to place blame on any one person, but the buck has to stop somewhere as they say. One thing that is clear, the need for leadership. It seems like alot more checks and balances need to be inplace so that the proper equiment and training are being given to every firefighter, period! The article that was run a few weeks ago showing that the new equiment that had been purchased was not being used!! That is shameful!!Maybe we need to look at dividing up some territory so that more quailty control could be enforced. For the mayor to try and hide the report is just another example of how our political system works these days, HIDE, CONCEAL, LIE, DELAY. ALL because of legal issues of liability! Not any concern for the families and the hard ship they face and not knowing why it had to happen.

Posted by ColdBeer on May 15, 2008 at 6:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hopefully the Charleston Fire Department can move forward with a competent Fire Chief. Rusty Thomas was undoubtedly a very nice guy, but his leadership and management skills fell far short of making him a good Fire Chief. His decisions had a direct result in the loss of those 9 Firemen. It was past time for him to be gone.

Posted by SCgal on May 15, 2008 at 7:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Chief Thomas~ enjoy your well deserved retirement after years of dedication and hard work~~

Know you have served this community in an outstanding and professional fashion over the course of your career~

Stand tall, be proud, and know we are extremely thankful for your years of service to our families, community, and the firefighters of Charleston~~

Sad and tragic events happen each and every day throughout the United States and world~ it's life

Understand the could haves and would haves don't change the events~~ but you were there for each and every fallen hero, their families, and this community during those sad days~~

And so now it's time to move forward and heal by honoring those fallen 9 and in doing so~~ to each firefighter strive to be the best that life offers in their memory~~

Posted by Lakeuser on May 15, 2008 at 7:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Harpo; you need to get a life or job ! No respect, the Chief is a good man.

Posted by ColdBeer on May 15, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Lakeuser, No one is saying that Rusty Thomas is not a good man. There are MANY good men that are not good leaders. Rusty Thomas is one of them.

Posted by wpc3iop on May 15, 2008 at 8:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It's time to move on and improve at the CFD...the departure of Chief Thomas should speed that process up. No question that he understood that...

Posted by SCgal on May 15, 2008 at 8:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

He was dedicated to the CFD for 32 years~ that's pretty darn impressive!!!

Posted by jmw29410 on May 15, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If LittleJoe is smart, he will try to talk Chief Thomas into staying on with the Department in some capacity. Letting his experience and talent go is a tragedy in itself.

And what if his replacement has to suffer a similar situation? Will the citizens whip out the hammer and nails and crucify him as quickly as they did Chief Thomas?

Posted by Paoa on May 15, 2008 at 8:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Rusty Thomas a legend? His goodness as a man has absolutely nothing to do with his competence as a fire chief. His morals aren't in question, but his competence as a Chief have been questioned even preceeding 06/18. More than one CFD brother expressed reservations about the culture that Rusty Thomas helped to promulgate in the CFD. Their words fell on deaf ears. The SSS tragedyfocused national and international attention on the CFD and its leadership. The fire is now studied as a model of what not to do at a fire scene. Rusty Thomas was not the only person to blame for this tragedy, but he was the man in charge that day. And like President Harry Truman said, "The buck stops here."

Posted by ChrisPia on May 15, 2008 at 8:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Did Rusty Thomas ever Request for Funding to Correct these Conditions?(FF's wearing PPG,New Hoses ,Updated State of the art equiptment).
He Seems Like a really Good person that got Stagnant in his leadership role.As a leader He should have fought Tooth and Nail to improve his Fire Department and Training.
There is Nothing More important than the Safety of the Community and the Members of the Fire Department and First Responders.Unfortunately, when the public loses faith in the Leadership of the Department,It directly affects the Rank and file.
Stepping Down Now will start the process of Healing and Improving The Department to always strive to be better and learn more .
I wish Chief Thomas the best on His retirement and Hope He finds Peace and Rest.Thank You For Your service.

Posted by UpperSCFF on May 15, 2008 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Cadiz,

The SSS was not an accident. It was very predictable. If you are a firefighter with any type of experience you should be able to answer these questions. How much fire does it take to produce the amount of smoke needed to exit multiple openings on a large, open-area store? Hint: It wasn't a couple of waste paper baskets. Did you see how fast the smoke was moving? Pretty fast. That means the smoke was heat pushed. All the warning signs were staring the incident commander in the face saying, "I'm setting you all up for a world of hurt."

And, the reference to the "Titanic" was excellent. You had a seasoned proud captain who was overly confident. Captain: Full steam ahead!! Sailor: But sir, there's icebergs ahead. Captain: Who cares!

The Chief is where the buck stops, my friend. Regardless of how a Chief may feel, he/she has the duty to the Citizens and the Firefighters of the Department. He is responsible for all aspects of the operations and logistics. He may delegate work tasks but it is still his responsibility. The Fire Department is not "his" to do with what he wants. He is called a "Chief" not a King.

Maybe you should be writting a letter at this moment in time, too.

Posted by FunandGames on May 15, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It's time to stop bickering.

There is no need now to say anything about Rusty or any of his mistakes.

Look to the future and put your energy there. That is where we can actually make a difference for the better.

Posted by forget on May 15, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I really believed that the chief did what he could do with the funding that he was given. Chas. is infamous for funding projects like an aquarium, King St., the SSS property and just putting band aids on problems like schools, teachers pay, an adequate police force, and of course modern firefighting equipment. Just to touch on a few things. So, since he was "in charge", some of the blame does need to go his way, but there are other heads that should roll along with this one.

Posted by theronce on May 15, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm curious about the training of managers within the department. Many organizations promote from within. These organizations promote their best salesman, fireman, etc. with little regard to that person's abilities as a manager. Good managers are not born. Organizations that do promote from within must have a plan to train that best salesman or fireman to also be a good leader. A good manager can manage just about anything from a restaurant to a fire department. Sure, there must be a top fire chief, but running the department should be in the hands of a good manager.

Posted by Chasgirlie on May 15, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

So raregar67.. I think what you posted is completely not true. CHief did not want to lose his guys....He did what was done on every call. Talking with other firefighters... they said among the same Thats the first thing I would have done as well. So with that being said, I completely agree with FORGET. Charleston does not fund the departments adaquately in my opinion. With all the new technology for firefighters Charleston has a bit of catching up to do

Posted by ColdBeer on May 15, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

theronce, your questions and points are very valid. The problem in many cases (including the military) is that people are promoted to the point of failure. I believe that Rusty Thomas was promoted to a level above his abilities. Its sad, but this promotion cost lives.

Posted by sadjamesislandgirl on May 15, 2008 at 9:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

To our Fire Chief,
I am so proud of you and what you did for our community. You helped so many people for so many years. It is sad that they have to blame someone for the tragedy that happened at the Sofa Super Store.
May your retirement be as good to you as you was to the community.
CHEIF RUSTY YOU WILL BE MISSED BY ALL THOSE YOU KNOW YOU AND THOSE WHO ADMIRE YOU. GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

Posted by Paoa on May 15, 2008 at 10:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I am not impressed by Rusty Thomas taking one sick day in 32 years. I wish that he would have taken 06/18 off. 9 brothers might still be alive if he had !! He may be a good man, but he was an incompetent fire chief who steadfastly refused to bring his department up to accepatable levels !

Posted by abitskeptical on May 15, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Even after reading most everything on this issue, I do not feel qualified to "know" what Rusty Thomas should have done regarding stepping down.

It does appear, from all accounts, that there was a failure in leadership. Unfortunately it played out in a horrific tragedy & understandably there is tremendous emotional reaction to what happened....

From most all accounts Thomas has been a dedicated & worthy professional throughout his career. Additionally, from most all accounts he is a good person. People, especially good people with good intentions, do usually want to learn from mistakes.

Perhaps his retiring is the right thing, but something about it bothers me.

I can't help but wonder that all of this would be happening in any event. The "off with their heads! & someone has to pay" crowd was conveniently accommodated this time by some easily identified problems.

However, I do know enough about pain & tragedy to be able to comment on the healing thereof.

Anyone looking for an event or person to begin the healing process is looking in the wrong place.

Waiting for consequences to be bestowed on a person or people one considers to be instrumental in causing or precipitating tragedy or pain can suck the life out of a person, even when the actions leading to the tragedy & pain are intentional & deserve vengeance & punishment.

Posted by Hutch on May 15, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think Rusty Thomas made the right decision
to queit the fault finders down, now they
will find someone new to blame. It it really
sad because none of this blame pinning will
bring any peace to the familis who lost a
loved one. Peace comes from God, the peace
that passes all understanding.Turn you hate
and discontent over to him. Burdens are lifted
at Calvary.

Posted by MARK on May 15, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Chief Thomas
It's been great working for you, but have a great retirement.

CFD brothers put on your seat belt because the good times are over now it's going to be all work and no play. Look at North Charleston's daily schedule that is what we will be doing here soon. Sitting in front of the TV will be gone.

Posted by UpperSCFF on May 15, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Mark, do you think that sitting in front of a TV is what a career Firefighter does for a living? Thanks for reinforcing the stereotype!! What a putz.

Posted by solrebel on May 15, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Sitting in front of the TV instead of training and preplanning the district may be part of the reason for the situation today. Leadership begins at the top, but this sounds more like a cultural issue than simply putting the blame on someone, getting rid of them, and the next day all is well. Sounds like time for a major overhaul.

Posted by creeker on May 15, 2008 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

To MARK, real great times last year, losing 9 "brothers", you sound real enthused about your job. Maybe if the Chief had put you in classes for the last few years, instead of "in front of the TV" 9 people may not have been lost to, "Not knowing what to do". Read some of the last posts, I thinks some of your own brothers place the blame on the chief for not looking to the future.
Also take a look around yourself, Charleston has grown tremendously in the last 15 to 20 years and the fire dept has been stagnant on training and up dating equipment, I don't work there but it's as obvious as the nose on your face.
Cheif Thomas seemed like a real nice man, but as the saying goes, "nice guys finish last". I would never wish any ill upon the man or his family, I hope that some day he can deal with what happened. God bless him and his family, and all of the men that keep us safe from fire....

Posted by creeker on May 15, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

P.S. the next head to roll should be the Mayor. Do I really have to get into why?

Posted by hillbilly on May 15, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

SO SAD.
Hate to see you go, Rusty.

Posted by Charles_Town on May 15, 2008 at 11:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

There is a saying that I have seen hold true all to often: "You are promoted to your level of incompetence." It takes a very wise person to realize that the next promotion may put them in a position, that for whatever reason, they may be not be as good at as in the previous one(s).

Posted by scnative4ever on May 15, 2008 at 11:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Asst Chief Larry Garvin will be the next to retire.

Posted by geekguy2008 on May 15, 2008 at 12:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

SCgal, are you rusty's wife? You must be because you're the only FEMALE on here practically sucking his **** on this message board.

Posted by scnative4ever on May 15, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

geekguy2008,
your comments are out of line and not appropriate to post or to say to a woman. I have requested your post be deleted. grow up!!! would you say that in front of your wife, mom or daughter...then don't say it here.

Posted by bravecharleston9myspace on May 15, 2008 at 1:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I DID TOO.....NOT COOL GEEK...

DANG!!

Posted by CFDSPOUSE on May 15, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Chief Rusty, as for my husband; a proud CFD fireman, and my family you will always be CHIEF. We are sad to see you retire. Nine lives were lost, husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, and my heart goes out to those families each and every day. I have to wonder, if the fallen heros were given the opportunity to speak about the way this tragedy has now turned into a BLAME GAME, what would they say. I think most would be quiet disappointed in the way this tragedy is continuing to spiral down hill.They should be remebered with pride. Please know the majority of us maintain a high level of respect for you as a Chief and wish you all the best. We know your heart is heavy as well and we continue to pray for you as well as the families of the fallen heros.

Posted by Paoa on May 15, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The Routley report is out and for those of you who think Rusty Thomas was a great fire chief this report is going to be a shock for you!! Let the Thomas backers, Rusty's Rangers and assorted sycophants say what they will. The man was a terrible fire chief-in my opinion !! This report proves his level of incompetence.

Posted by ptmama73 on May 15, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"The Charleston Fire Department was inadequately staffed, inadequately trained, insufficiently equipped, and organizationally unprepared to conduct an operation of this complexity in a large commercial occupancy."

Hmmm...Sounds like a major budget issue was a factor in all this - staffing = $$$$$, training = $$$$$, equipment = $$$$$. Ultimately, this responsibility falls on Riley and the County Council (yes, I know the Chief played a role too). The safety of your community and employees is a much more important issue than tourism and aquariums and self named ball parks. Where are YOUR resignations?

Posted by stand828 on May 15, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I know nothing about firefighting, and I may well be wrong, but just my basic knowledge would suggest that smashing out the front windows of the store would allow oxygen in and strengthen the severity of the fire. Unless Thomas thought men were trapped between the exits and those windows, I can't imagine why he would have ordered the windows be broken out.

As I recall, the initial reports indicated that there was an employee trapped inside...I always assumed that is why they went in. If it was simply to save furniture and not lives, then not pulling the men out was an even worse decision.

While I am sure Chief Thomas was a good chief, he will probably be haunted by that night and regret his decisions for the rest of his life. Granted, they were split second decisions, but they were bad ones and nine men are dead, so I think those under him would perhaps question his judgment in similar situations in the future. Stepping down is the right thing to do...I'm just surprised it took him so long.

Posted by whalernut on May 15, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Mayor Riley I am sure helped him decide to step down. He (Riley) was definitely feeling the heat. Bad terminology sorry but this is only one case. There are a lot of city employees quitting the city right now. They have lost many good people in a lot of departments this year. I wonder why this is happening. The post and courier is not reporting all of the things that are happening downtown right now. And on the papers behalf it is because the mayor’s office is keeping a lid on it.

What is really going on is a true wonder and our media in this town is not doing the job.
Wake up post and courier and really look at what is going on.
There is a local conspiracy going on here I know that this is really nothing new. However if it continues it is going worsen the quality of life we here are all a custom to.

Now I am going to quit writing about this incident because it really is getting out of hand and god knows if you run your mouth to much in this town you can be doomed.
Good luck to you Chief and may this town let the men who died trying to save the lives of others rest in peace.

Posted by Chasgirlie on May 15, 2008 at 2:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As for Geekguy.... Apparently he is just jealous and is tired of waking up going to a sorry job making no money. Get over yourself man. As a woman... I SUPPORT CHIEF RUSTY AND JOE RILEY! I grew up around the fire service and I know first hand how demanding hte job is. Chief Rusty had to assign who did what. People are designated to do the training and so forth. So... if you are going to blame Rusty then start looking at the ones under him as well... I THINK HE IS A WONDERFUL CHIEF WHO WILL BE MISSED!

Posted by Lakeuser on May 15, 2008 at 3:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

ColdBeer; was he not good leader the past 15 years ? Anytime something of this nature happens, they always look to blame the person in charge. The family of the fire fighters do not blame Rusty and the co-fire fighters do not blame him. Apparently he was a good leader and as in most cases budget cuts would not allow the tools the fire department needed.

This was a terrible accident and losing this leader will cause for worst things to come !

Posted by ColdBeer on May 15, 2008 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Lakeuser, in my opinion (I don't live in the city, so I'm just voicing my opinion as a resident in the low country) he was not a good leader. The issues that led to failure the day of the super store fire did not develop that day. They developed over a long period of time. Yes, some of the problems "may" have been brought about by a lack of funding, but I never once saw where Rusty complained about a lack of funding. A Fire Chief, charged with the safety of his men, should bring such issues to light if they exist. If you made me responsible for the safety of fire fighters in the city and then failed to provide me with the essentials for their survival, I'd certainly be yelling at the top of my lungs for all to hear. If that didn't fix the problem, I'd find employment elsewhere.

Some of the problems that led to the loss of lives were due to poor tactics used to fight the fires, not due to any budget restraints. Breaking windows while men were in the building, sending men in to a fire without an adequate water supply (two hoses the size of garden hoses were sent in to the building).

I have not seen anything over the past several years that tells me Rusty was a good Fire Chief. I hear that he was a great guy. I hear that he went to work every day. I know tons of great guys that never call out sick. Good leadership and management take additional skills. Skills that he obviously did not possess.

Yes, it's sad to see a "great guy" take a fall like this, but the bottom line is that he did not do his job well and it ended up costing the lives of nine men.

Posted by bc11 on May 15, 2008 at 5:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I am a firefighter for the Charlotte Fire Department and have a few friends on the fire department in Charleston. This whole event from begining to the end has been a terrible tragedy. I have met Chief Thomas on a few occassions and he always seemed very personable and respectful. I will not pretend to know what goes on within the organizational ranks within the fire department. I can only imagine how difficult this decision was for Chief Thomas and for the fire department itself. After reading parts of the report, Chief Thomas may have thought that this was part of the solution to the problem. I will not sit here and armchair quarterback CFD's operational guidelines and tactical procedures. I have opinions just like everyone else but I do not feel message boards are the best place for them. All fire departments across the country have issues, it is just how extreme those issues are. I pray for my brothers and sisters within the fire department in Charleston and hope one day that can attempt tp get closure on this terrible and tragic event. It will be very interesting to see who applies for the Chief's position. Charleston would be an unbelievable job for some lucky chief. I can only imagine how many people across the country will apply for this coveted position. In fact it would not surprise me one bit if someone from Charlotte put in for it. I just hope that the city hires the right person for the job and gives them the power and ability to make the necessary changes.

Posted by luvmydogs59 on May 15, 2008 at 6:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"You don't lose nine men and not have someone answer for it."

Antiquated equipment, antiquated fire department, poor leadership. I agree with many of the posters...Rusty Thomas may have been a wonderful person, but as a leader, he failed miserably, putting the CFD as much to blame as the SSS.

A tragedy that could have been prevented!

Posted by burton on May 15, 2008 at 7:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It's sad that even after this report has come out showing how incompentent Chief Rusty "Peter Principle" Thomas was there are still people on this post supporting him as an outstanding Chief--even some of the family members. I'm shaking my head in disbelief. Did they read the same report I did?

I've been asking Chief "Peter Principle" Thomas to retire since last year because I knew King "Kneel down and kiss my Citadel Ring" Riley would never fire him--just like he didn't fire Greenberg. Thanks for doing the honorable thing Chief but it's not over.

There are some families that have been waiting for this report to come out. Their lawyers are pouring over the report now and you will see the Chief, the Mayor and many others in the CFD chain-of-command being sued under wrongful death suits and rightly so!

Posted by DontSpamMeBro on May 15, 2008 at 7:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"For years, Charleston firefighters have battled every blaze just like the last one, the same game plan every time — because that's how they always did it."

Unfortunately, CPD has the same culture. Lots of great police officers working there, but the institution hasn't changed for decades. "We do it our way - that's the way we've always done it."

Posted by Gullah on May 15, 2008 at 7:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I understand that this ordeal is big - but what about all the lives that Chief Rusty saved? Does that count anywhere? What if you were in a burning house - he sent someone in there - and they saved you - would you still feel the same? Or what if it was your child in there?

Posted by bootlicked on May 15, 2008 at 8:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

First off, RT was a micromanager so he knew damn well what was going on in training. If you don't believe me look at www.firefighterhourly.com and look to the right column under training videos. Then click on the third video and go to about seven minutes into it and watch it to the end. He was a nice guy if you didn't question him or his tactics. He was a nice guy if you were his neighbor, family, or a friends kid. If you worked under him and were passed over because of your views ,you weren't related to him, or one of the other Chiefs he wasn't so nice. Him and the city leaders were warned with letters back in the late 90's about national practices. It fell on deaf ears because he was the Chief of a first class Dept. Oh and it is a lie that he never missed but one day of work because he was out for almost a year early on in his career. Once he was the head Chief he took off whenever he wanted so why would he need to burn sick leave. So many Charlestonians are so easily bs'd. Oh and by the way what difference does it make that he never used but one sick day if that was the truth. Yes he loved the CFD because it was his own little family business. And for those of you that think he asked for these changes but was shot down due to budget constraints please feel free to prove me wrong by listing what he has asked for before leading NINE BRAVE MEN TO THEIR DEATHS. PLease think of them as geese and it will make all of you who love him and think he was just a scapegoat feel a little better like me and most of the CFD felt when he said he was leaving.It is not over for him or the city leaders by a long shot. It is definitely a new begining for the CFD. Congrats men and women that put your lives on the line everyday you go to work. If you can read and comprehend and still think the city is loosing a great leader then you and RT should move to Waco Texas and live happily ever after. And for those that bash the Union,over half of the cities heroes are union and they are gaining strenghth every day. If it wasn't for people like RT and Joe there probably wouldn't be labor organizations needed.

Posted by seriouslyb4real on May 19, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

its about time you did this Rusty Thomas.
mayor joe riley needs to quit as well!

Posted by bravecharleston9myspace on May 22, 2008 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WHY THE HECK IS EVERYTHING SO QUIET???

WHY IS ONLY RUSTY'S HEAD ROLLING???

WHAT ABOUT OTHERS WHO DID WRONG????

THIS IS NOT RIGHT!!!

HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO DID WRONG!!!

COME ON......THE FAN IS STILL ON....THERE IS STILL A PILE OF CRAP ON THE FLOOR.....

HELLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

MAYOR RILEY IS SITTING PRETTY...THE OWNER IS SITTING PRETTY....AND SO ARE OTHERS......

Posted by seriouslyb4real on May 23, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This city has turned into a communist territory for high ranking officials to do whatever they want , and cover it up.
Mayor Joe Riley should be on the way to the hanging tree.
Rusty Thomas is the scape goat on this one.
R.I.P Joe Riley , and ex chief Rusty Thomas.

Posted by bravecharleston9myspace on June 7, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

IT'S JUNE AND STILL....NOTHING....

JUST RUSTY'S HEAD ROLLED.....

SHEESH....I BET HE DIDN'T THINK HE WAS THE ONLY ONE GOING DOWN....

GOLDSTEIN SURE HAS A RING TO IT DOESN'T IT?