First I wanted to thank all those who raised their voices yesterday for Freedom of Speech and the Internet at Tampa Public Libraries. Thanks to Jim Johnson at State of the Sunshine who offered up some common sense. And others whom I've yet to catch up with quite likely. (UPDATE ON ABOVE POST)
I've come here often enough because my child tutors another child and I've observed folks leering at some pretty pornographic stuff. I figure that's their right. It's against library policy, however and no one does anything about it. I'm not a librarian so I don't figure that's my area of bees-wax. What I do here and/or at my home and other places I post (campus, the bf's) is not against library policy NOR against the Constitution of the United States of America and yesterday there was a concerted effort to block me from posting or commenting. I saved some very unusual screenshots which I may post, and it proves that someone was purposely manipulating the routers/technology to disallow my blog posting and comments. One screen would say "session time out" but when you copy-pasted to save the copy came out perfectly normal (as though you could log in properly) so I took screen shots and there's the tale.... of what they were up to.
You know, I have this silly idea --- instead of trying to shut me up --- realize I speak for more than a few and CHECK YOURSELF and GET BETTER. Stop trying to steal from myself and others and stop trying to keep everything for yourselves. You don't merit it.
And on to what the St.Pete Times offered up that the Tampa Trib seems to have missed ! Were they busy covering (up) the random shootings and South Tampa shootings? At first, I thought this fractious firefighter had fallen outside the power structure like myself but then looked back through the Tampa Tribune and found NOTHING on this story. ZERO. ZIP. ZILCH. NADA.
WHY????
I would like the reporter who had the time --- (on shrub's 60th birthday) to ask if maybe KGB's 'foxy' nephew (Jeb's son) would run for Resident 'when he was old enough' --- to take a moment from her fantasies and frolics and hopeful wishing to post here and tell me why this was not covered. I figure she's at loose ends what with the Resident busy planning an attack on Iran and no time to discuss his birthday .... I'm sure she doesn't particularly cover CRIMINAL news but the way I hear it ... when the paper is smighted busy then whomever does whatever to GET THE NEWS OUT.
Where's our DAMN NEWS in Tampa FL???
Here's the SECOND coverage of this incident I found, none of these were in Tampa Tribune and also?? Please see my comments for the search for same. Disgusting.
Fire official accused of fleeing accident twice
A driver chases down the man who clipped his Ford pickup; he also called deputies.
By BRADY DENNIS, Times Staff Writer
Published February 13, 2007
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DOVER - A Hillsborough County fire rescue battalion chief was arrested early Monday on charges that he caused a traffic accident and then fled. Twice.
Authorities said Robert Wayne Garrett, 56, also had been drinking at the time. Garrett faces charges of driving under the influence with property damage and leaving the scene of a crash.
The incident began late Sunday evening near U.S. 92 and McIntosh Road.
Reports state that Garrett, driving a Buick sport utility vehicle, clipped the back of a Ford F-150 truck driven by 19-year-old Michael Gaeta of Plant City.
Garrett kept going.
"So I followed him," said Gaeta, who was with his mother, two brothers and sister. "I had to chase him a little bit. He was hauling a--."
He said Garrett pulled into a driveway, got out and asked Gaeta if he had called the police. "Yes, sir," Gaeta replied.
That's when Garrett hopped back in his SUV and took off again, Gaeta said. Gaeta kept chasing.
Garrett eventually pulled into a gas station off U.S. 92, where he was arrested by Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies. Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said he admitted that "he'd had a few beers," though records show he refused to take a blood-alcohol test.
Garrett, who has been with the county fire rescue for more than three decades, oversees a battalion responsible for covering a large portion of eastern Hillsborough.
Fire rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley said Garrett has no history of disciplinary troubles within the department, and state records show he has no prior arrests in Florida.
Yeakley said the arrest will only indirectly affect Garrett's standing in the department.
"To work for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, you have to have a valid driver's license," he said. "We're only concerned if he can legally perform his job. He can't come back to work without a license."
Yeakley said Garrett is due back at work on Wednesday but will be able to use vacation and sick time until he resolves his legal troubles. Neither Garrett nor his attorney could be reached for comment on Monday. Garrett was released from the county jail late Monday morning after posting a $750 bond.
As for Gaeta, he said the accident scared his family, but he's glad he decided to chase Garrett.
"I got what I wanted," he said. "He got arrested."
Brady Dennis can be reached at dennis@sptimes.com or 813 226-3386.
[Last modified February 13, 2007, 00:36:21]
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Comments on this article
by Deborah 02/14/07 01:40 PM
If he is allowed to return to work he should have to blow into a machine that will clear him of any alcohol in his body; before he gets behind the wheel of a fire truck or giving out orders to put out fires.
by paul 02/13/07 07:31 PM
"We're only concerned if he can legally perform his job." guess that says it all.
by Tom 02/13/07 05:47 PM
Of course, he will get a pass on this though.
by Nee 02/13/07 01:35 PM
Can't help but laugh at "did you call the police?" The guys says "yes sir", He then hops back into the car and takes off! The visual -LOL!
by John 02/13/07 01:29 PM
His utter lack of judgement indicates he is unfit for a supervisory position with the FD. He should be promptly demoted or fired.
by jackie 02/13/07 11:20 AM
so sad....that he would take his life, the lives of others and his career so lightly.I guess he didn't learn anything from all of the accident scenes he has witnessed involving alcohol.
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