Re: Texas Legislature Online - 81(R) History for HB 2113

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Ed, for your words of wisdom and for your many years of fine

service. I am glad you're still kickin hard and doing what you love. You

are truly one of the best.

Gene Gandy

>

> As usual I have been scanning all the remarks going back and forth about

> a subject on this listserve. And I usually don't respond but I think I've

> had enough. Making September 11 a holiday focusing on firefighters calls

> for one word,,,,,,,,As usual I have

>

> Now while you¡Çre getting out the gas cans and matches, or for those of

you

> more sophisticated your hair spray and lighters so you can turn me into a

> crispy critter read on first and you may even agree with some of my

> points.

>

> Like a lot of us, I was on the sidelines watching the news and working to

> get my agency ready for a response should something happen around here. I

> was wishing I was back home in Jersey living across the river from the city

> and my parents were thankful I was in Texas because they knew if I was

> still living home I would be across the river knee deep in the hoopla in a

> heartbeat. I did put my name on every list imaginable to go there to help,

> and am very sorry to say like many others, I wasn't called.

>

> I lost friends in the towers and on the ground, some were kids I graduated

> with and some were kids from the oldneighborhood I lost friends in the

> towers and on the ground, some were kids I graduated with and some

>

> FDNY lost 343 brother firefighters. I do say brothers speaking not only as

> a retired firefighter (CFD-21 years), but as someone who was standing in

> Station 6 in Greenwich Village on September 10, 2002 getting real teary-eyed

> with those brothers and hugging them after I presented them with a

> handmade memorial from their brothers in Carthage, TX. Those at the station

> didn't care or have to remember what my first or last name was, we called each

> other the same, " brother " . A name I don't hear being said too often among

> firefighters here, unfortunately.

>

> Yes EMS and PD lost some of their brethren too, but the loss to the WORLD

> was almost9 TIMES GREATER than the loss to FDNY, PD, and EMS combined.

> Cantor Fitzgerald alone lost 658 employees. I was standing among over 800K

> others on September 11, 2002 for the first anniversary. There were people

> there from all over the world standing and crying, hugging, and paying their

> respects for those lost in the tragedy from all over the world INCLUDING

> fire, police, and EMS. Who you were or what if any affiliation you had

> didn't matter. At times a lot of us prayed together, joined hands, cried, and

> it is really amazing to say amen to a prayer being said by someone holding

> your hand and speaking in a language you didn't understand at all.

>

> The only way to properly honor those lost is to make it a national holiday

> of remembrance as we do for Memorial Day. Honor those killed, remember

> them, pray for them and their families. Don't ever think that this day

> affected firefighters more than anyone else. If your that narrow minded I know

> of some spouses who lost loved ones that have no affiliation with any

> emergency agency that can tell you quite differently and so can their kids.

>

> This year as in years past, with the exception of 9/11/2002 I will be very

> low key on September 11. Fortunately I will be off that day so I can hide

> from those compelled to thank me for doing what I do, when the only reason

> I do what I do is because I want too.

> I don't need or want you to pay for my meal, buy me a paper, ask me

> questions, shake my hand, sit across from me while I am eating or stare at me.

> I only want to be left alone.

>

> Go and get your matches and gas, I can take it, been there done that

> before and still have the singed T-shirt, and grabbing for the Nomex underwear

> as I finish this.I'mnot very hard to find, but in about three weeks I

> will be standingin New York for my fifth visit to Ground Zero, my wife's

> first visit, so if you delay you will have to travel some. Really I'm not too

> concerned with the flames, my tears are enough to protect me.

>

> Ed Brando,

> Service since 69, and proud to have a few more years in me still.

>

>

>

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > AN ACT

> > relating to the holidays for members of fire and police departments in

> > certain municipalities.

> > BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

> > SECTION 1. Section 142.0013©, Local Government Code, is amended to

> read

> > as follows:

> > © A fire fighter [and a police officer] shall be granted the same

> > number of vacation days and holidays, or days in lieu of vacation days

> or

> > holidays, granted to other municipal employees, at least one of which

> shall

> > be

> > designated as September 11th.

> > SECTION 2. Section 142.0013, Local Government Code, is amended by adding

> > Subsection (d) to read as follows:

> > (d) A police officer shall be granted the same number of vacation days

> > and holidays, or days in lieu of vacation days or holida

> ys, granted to other

> > municipal employees.

> > SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Thanks Gene and all of you who replied.  Sorry if I was a little stern but this

date and what happened has changed us all in one way or another.  I know I

didn't mention the Pentagon and Pennslyvania, but those of course were equally

as tragic.  I've been to all three sites so sometimes I get a little sideways.

 

Ed

>

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > AN ACT

> > relating to the holidays for members of fire and police departments in

> > certain municipalities.

> > BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

> > SECTION 1. Section 142.0013©, Local Government Code, is amended to

> read

> > as follows:

> > © A fire fighter [and a police officer] shall be granted the same

> > number of vacation days and holidays, or days in lieu of vacation days

> or

> > holidays, granted to other municipal employees, at least one of which

> shall

> > be

> > designated as September 11th.

> > SECTION 2. Section 142.0013, Local Government Code, is amended by adding

> > Subsection (d) to read as follows:

> > (d) A police officer shall be granted the same number of vacation days

> > and holidays, or days in lieu of vacation days or holida

> ys, granted to other

> > municipal employees.

> > SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Thanks Gene and all of you who replied.  Sorry if I was a little stern but this

date and what happened has changed us all in one way or another.  I know I

didn't mention the Pentagon and Pennslyvania, but those of course were equally

as tragic.  I've been to all three sites so sometimes I get a little sideways.

 

Ed

>

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > AN ACT

> > relating to the holidays for members of fire and police departments in

> > certain municipalities.

> > BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

> > SECTION 1. Section 142.0013©, Local Government Code, is amended to

> read

> > as follows:

> > © A fire fighter [and a police officer] shall be granted the same

> > number of vacation days and holidays, or days in lieu of vacation days

> or

> > holidays, granted to other municipal employees, at least one of which

> shall

> > be

> > designated as September 11th.

> > SECTION 2. Section 142.0013, Local Government Code, is amended by adding

> > Subsection (d) to read as follows:

> > (d) A police officer shall be granted the same number of vacation days

> > and holidays, or days in lieu of vacation days or holida

> ys, granted to other

> > municipal employees.

> > SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.

> >

> >