By Mona Raskin

On July 20th, our city council had many Monterey Park residents in an up roar! It appears that every six months or more, we are faced with the same problem, “Whether we should allow our firefighters to go county “? The last election concerning this matter, eighty five percent of the voters had voted “no”. Well, what part of “no” do we not understand?

On one hand, our city council complains that our shrinking budget has resulted in the layoff of several city employees. The idea of having another election on whether we should retain her firefighters or hand them over to county would result in costing the city a “fortune”, in which we truly cannot afford!

One of the basic reasons why we sincerely hesitate in this matter, is a simple one, Monterey Park invested in acquiring their firehouse, equipment and the training of their firefighters many years ago! They made a deal that this important venture was for the safety, assistance and care for the residents of Monterey Park! Therefore, we should not allow any outsiders to attempt to persuade or intimidate us to do otherwise!

I believe that some cities, such as Rosemead, El Monte, etc., do not have their own Fire Department and therefore they must have County facilities for their care and assistance! It also means that it can take somewhat longer for any help, even in an emergency!

The above, is why we feel it necessary to continue to say “no” to any more requests for a county switch! Remember, we made a “deal” a long time ago and we should honor it still!