John Gaccione

09/18/18

Holy smoke! New marching orders for the district election season arrived from Headquarters. The campaign to take over the Kensington Fire District has begun. The goal for the faithful is to portray the current KFD directors as out of touch and unable or unwilling to keep Kensington safe.

For this election there are three seats in contention and two incumbent directors running for re-election. Headquarters sees this as an opportunity to win at least one seat, maybe even two and if the stars are in alignment perhaps as many as three seats! Can you say “majority”!

Thankfully a trio of candidates stands ready and able to spearhead the new plan. Apparently all three of the challengers came to their decision to run independently. They are not running as a slate even though they have raised funds together.

The plan is similar to one used against the current KPPCSD board. Continually question the KFD board’s ability to manage the district. Always paint the current board’s approaches and decisions as questionable. Disregard their years of successful management and focus on their unresolved issues and perceived mistakes.

For example, make claims that the KFD directors spent $200,000 on drawings before they realized that an earthquake fault was located in the back of the existing public safety building site. Ignore the fact that the drawings were schematic to explore programming preliminary space requirements for the project.

Describe the public safety building project as a “remodel”. Minimize the fact that the current building is not compliant with current building, life safety and ADA codes and would need to be essentially rebuilt to comply.

Complain about Kensington buying a heat-sensing aerial drone that will also be used by the dreaded city of El Cerrito. But never bring up the fact, unknown to even some long time residents that Kensington fire services have been successfully contracted to El Cerrito for 20 years.

Extol the virtues of one of the trio as a successful lawyer, businessman and insurance manager. Do not focus on his extensive history of political maneuvering regarding the KPPCSD and his authorship of the so-called Dorroh initiative. That turned out to be an impediment to improving the delivery of police services and could even be unenforceable as well.

The same candidate in public meetings has advanced the notion that the KPPCSD and the KFD should be merged together forming one new district in the name of efficiency. Do not acknowledge the fact that the KPPCSD always seems to be in need of additional funds while the better managed KFD always seems to have a healthy financial balance. Righteously claim it’s all our money and don’t get into the details.

It may remind some of the antidote about the notorious bank robber Willy Sutton, when he was finally apprehended the authorities asked why he preferred robbing banks, his answer “…that’s where the money is”.  Simply deny the reference as impossibly illogical.

“Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel peace prize.” (Tom Lehrer)

Keeping K-ville First in Pettifoggery since at least 2008.