They are supplied and maintained by the American Legion and VFW -- at no cost to the city.
That Clearwater parks guy should be fired -- if for nothing else -- an inability to seek creative solutions!
Posted on 08/03/2009 8:06:50 AM PDT by devane617
CLEARWATER — The Clearwater City Council plans to discuss the removal of several American flags, an act that has drawn widespread ire, during a work session this morning.
Kevin Dunbar, Clearwater's parks and recreation director, ordered the removal of 13 flagpoles from across the city last week. He said budget cuts made it impossible to properly care for the flags.
So Dunbar had city workers pull the poles out of the ground. The last flagpoles were removed Friday.
City Council members and Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard were never consulted before the removal.
Public reaction to news of the flag removal has been heavy and harsh. After the St. Petersburg Times posted the story on tampabay.com Friday, over 260 readers posted comments, with several commenters calling for city officials to be summarily fired.
Dunbar said the flagpoles were removed only at facilities controlled by the parks and recreation department — the flag still flies at City Hall, for instance — and only if the flag was on site for display purposes only.
A flagpole remained at the E.C. Moore Complex because during softball tournaments "we play the national anthem," Dunbar said last week, but flagpoles were removed from a nature park and from the beach at Sand Key.
The flag stayed at Countryside Recreation Center because during summer camp children recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning before beginning the day's activities. But a flag was removed from the Long Center, a swimming and recreation facility in north Clearwater.
Dunbar said his staff has been cut from 247 employees in 2006 to 191 today, so resources had to be shifted.
Over the weekend, Clearwater officials noted that about a dozen out of 50 flags in the city were taken down, with numerous others still flying above fire stations and other locations.
Remove the City Council by RECALL instead. Start a door to door campign. Recall them and send them packing.
If I understand what has been written so far, the city council, nor the mayor, had any idea this was taking place—at least that’s what they say so far. The Dunbar guy, head of P&R, it appears, made the decision on his own.
More local government blackmail to force citizens to approve higher taxes.
If they were so concerned about costs why did they spend the money on labor, equipment and material to actuually remove the flagpoles?
If they really did not have the manpower to maintain the flags wouldn’t simply not flying the flags solve the problem until funds became available?
Who appointed Dunbar to the office?
So those which they were using to clean their shoes before entering buildings can remain. Excuse me but what other proper purpose is there for the American Flag if it isn't for display purposes?
If you don’t pay us more taxes, we’ll shoot this flag.
Maine-iac7 posted this info yesterday:
Write, phone or FAX
http://www.myclearwater.com/gov/city_council/biographies/bio1.asp
Frank V. Hibbard (Mayor) - Seat 1 CAN YOU BELIEVE HE’s REPUBLICAN!
John Doran - Seat 2
George N. Cretekos - Seat 3
Carlen A. Petersen - Seat 4
Paul F. Gibson (Vice-Mayor) - Seat 5
Mailing Address:
Official Records and Legislative Services Department
P.O. Box 4748
Clearwater, FL 33758-4748
Location Address:
Clearwater City Hall
112 S. Osceola Ave.
Clearwater, FL 33756
Telephone:
(727) 562-4090
Fax:
(727) 562-4086
Hours:
Monday through Friday: 8:00am-5:00pm
Your point is the point that many seem to be questioning: Why pay to have the poles removed? Why not simply stop flying the flag until the budget improves? I am almost certain there is more to the story than meets the eye.
‘impossible to properly care for the flags’
Are there no Boy Scouts anymore or VFW Lodges? I bet it cost more to remove the poles that it would to simply leave them be. It’ll cost even more to put them back.
How very telling that to save money, one of the first things they implement is getting rid of American flags - how very Obamanoid of them. GO VETS!!!!!!
Everyone of these politicians (would be dictators) plays deaf, dumb, and blind when they get caught.
Way to go George76. That’s shows clear thinking...;-)
Here’s the Clearwater administration’s email page:
That was the very first thing that came to my mind when I read this story. Guess local politicians would rather remove the flag than ask the VFW or Boy Scouts.
If they can’t properly maintain the flag I’d rather see them pull the poles than fly dirty, shredded flags in the rain.
I’m in the minority on this one. I’m more bothered by seeing flags flown which are improperly cared for than I am by not seeing a flag fly. I would rather they not fly flags that aren’t going to have people around to remove them during poor weather, at night, etc. A few people in my neighborhood hangs these oversized flags from too small poles so that they are constantly dragging through the little flower garden that you always find at the base of those poles. It really winds me up when I see it.
I think the story made that odd wording pretty clear. The "other" purposes included at the softball fields where they play the national anthem.
That still doesn't explain why they had to remove the flag pole instead of just leaving them empty for a while. And if it is the typical city workers removing them, they probably just cut the pole off at ground level so it can't be used again rather than digging up the section below ground to reuse the entire pole in the future.
Agreed. These people, all of them, need to be removed.
Removal from office is not enough. These people should be tried for treason and then hung.
Considering the price our military paid for us to have our flag and for which it stands. Anti-American Aholes!
Isn’t Clearwater - Scientology headquarters? .
George Orwell was wise indeed. He saw the inevitable outcome of the future based on what was and has occurred before in other nations.. Doublespeak ... revisionists history,... monitoring ... government control of our every action and word ... etc. tyranny! etc.
God help us in our day. God bless America. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
It also happens to be the locus of the powerful, wealthy, politically active and just plain weird Church of Scientology.
Anybody who's familiar with the place, who's head isn't buried in the sand on that allegedly lovely beach, knows it's Satan's winter home.
While painful, this is logical.
Empty flag poles? Shredded flags out in the rain?
It actually makes sense to remove the poles if the flag can not be properly maintained. The BSA? Munis consider them a religious org. remember?
That’s the first thing I thought of. Real Americans would be happy to care for, raise, and honor the flag for free, and the VFW and Boy Scouts immediately come to mind.
Thomas Paine nailed it in the first paragraph of the first page...
funny how they have the resources to rip the flagpoles out of the ground, and transport them to whatever facility they desire, but not the resources to just leave them alone - they not only wanted the flags not shown, they wanted people to know that the flag will never be flown from that place again.
all they had to do was not put that particular flag up each day and nobody would have noticed.
Like they don’t have a local Boy Scout, AMVET, VFW group or some other patriotic association that would be glad to “maintain” these flag poles. What the hell would you need to do with maintaining a flagpole?
EXACTLY. They could have left the flagpoles, up. Communicated the problem, allowed groups (Boy Scout Troops, VFW groups, etc.) to adopt a flagpole and keep the flags flying.
i believe this is the same city council that has recently banned any and all ball throwing on the beaches in clearwater....
We think alike. I had not even read your post before I posted about Boy Scouts and VFW. They should make the parks director guy PERSONALLY pay to have the flagpoles restored.
You are absolutely correct.
That makes to much sense. Remember we are dealing with politicians here.
When I was a kid, (and in the Scouts) it was an honor to raise the flag and lower it at school or at camp. That all seems so long ago now...I guess I’m becoming a ‘geezer’.
Come on now; that is extreme. Throughout the Iraq war, numerous instances of real treason have not been prosecuted -- that's what bothers me.
They are supplied and maintained by the American Legion and VFW -- at no cost to the city.
That Clearwater parks guy should be fired -- if for nothing else -- an inability to seek creative solutions!
Yes it is extreme. But I have learned one thing when it comes to liberals, you give them an inch they take a yard, you give them a foot and they take a mile.
And THERE you have the reason for the removal of the actual poles - they're even better than lampposts for the purpose.
We have soldiers who are overseas who are fighting and dying for our flag which is the symbol and emblem of our liberty and thhen there are these libturds who do things like this.
“That’s the first thing I thought of. Real Americans would be happy to care for, raise, and honor the flag for free, and the VFW and Boy Scouts immediately come to mind.”
Totally agree. Far better to put out a presser stating the cities financial woes and ask the community for help. It would be there. Not just scouts and vets. Lots of folks would take a shift- rather like old neighborhood watch programs. I’d gladly sign up for one day per week. Vets/scouts could coordinate the schedule.
May I just state again how much I detest this administration and those traveling helpers who aid and abet?
You have GOT to be kidding me!! At city government costs, how much did THIS cost as opposed to leaving the flags and finding alternative budget cuts????
Have you ever seen the actual flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write what became our national anthem?? It not only has holes in it, it has pieces missing from it where people removed them.
Sure, a shredded flag isn't the prettiest, or proudest symbol of our nation, but it beats the heck out of no flag at all. Lots of flags aboard Navy ships and at military bases in war zones are not pristine but, as any veteran can tell you after he/she has been repatriated, it still remains the most beautiful sight in the world!!!
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
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