Florida politician says firefighters ‘have really taken advantage of 9/11’. You can imagine the reaction.
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Facebook page Janet C. Long for Pinellas County Commission, District 1
The Tampa Bay Times article by Anne Lindberg from yesterday’s paper starts like this:
On the eve of the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, a former state representative now running for the Pinellas County Commission criticized fire unions, accusing them of using the tragedy for their own gain.
“The firefighters have really taken advantage of 9/11 and what happened then and capitalized on it and the emotion,” Janet Long said Monday during a meeting with the Tampa Bay Times editorial board.
The Tampa Bay Times article by Anne Lindberg and Anna M. Phillips from today starts like this:
The one thing every candidate for local office welcomes is exposure.
But Janet Long, a Democrat running for the Pinellas County Commission, has earned the unwanted kind after her comments on the eve of Sept. 11 about firefighters using the attacks to their advantage created a firestorm.
On Tuesday, fellow Democrats distanced themselves and lawmakers of every stripe rushed to declare their love of firefighters. After being deluged with comments on Facebook, Long took down her page, then replaced it with an apology.
A Republican consultant supporting Long’s opponent says Long’s campain is over and calls it the “greatest mistake” he’s ever seen from a local candidate. As for Janet Long, she stands by her underlying points but has apologized for Monday’s remarks. Long is married to a retired firefighter.
Here’s Long’s latest posting on the campaign’s Facebook page:
My remarks, as reflected in the Times regarding firefighters and 9/11, were ill chosen and taken out of the context of a much longer conversation. I apologize for that unfortunate reference. I deeply respect what professional firefighters and paramedics do every day. That’s especially true when you consider I’ve been married to one for 34 years.No one knows better than I, the sacrifices firefighters and their families make everyday for all of us. My family has made them, too.
The real debate is whether we allow the lobbyists and firefighter union bosses to bully our county commissioners into making multi-million dollar deals they cannot afford and issuing checks that they cannot cash. My frustration is with the years of internal squabbling while millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted, not with the men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day.
In my frustration with this important issue, I used the wrong words and I regret that.
Excerpts from two of the latest comments reacting to Long’s apology:
#1
As a spouse, daughter, granddaughter, & sister of all firefighters it literally made me nauseous to read what you said. I don’t care if your husband is a firefighter & you think you know everything that involves the career. You were completely out of line.
#2
Your position in society as a self serving council woman, commission person, congress person is the reason people hate politic and politicians. You will say what ever it take to get what you want and then step on people who oppose you.
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