Letters to the Editor
Political Agenda
In regards to the article in the Nov. 26 issue, “Bainbridge Fire Chief Rebuked,” my older brother is Brian Phan, fire chief of Bainbridge Township.
Our family moved to Bainbridge in 1973 when it was a small rural farm community of around 2,000 people. There was no freeway, no McDonald’s or other fast food, just a drive-in theater, and Tanglewood Mall was just being built. It was a great place to grow up.
I graduated from Kenston and followed my love for music to Lakeland and eventually on the road where I am today. I travel around the country and overseas with international country and rock artists, and I have “seen it all.” I have been to The White House twice and spent three summers working for the U.S. Army Entertainment tour. I have toured everywhere, but I always like coming “home” to Bainbridge.
One thing that really sickens me is seeing my hometown fall victim to big city politics, personal political agendas and political corruption.
In regards to your article headline, it was completely politically biased because you have only one side of a story, never contacting Phan for his side of the story. Why was the fire chief rebuked by Trustee Benza, because Chardon Municipal Court did not properly issue subpoenas to the parties involved?
Maybe the township should hire a “lawyer” to take care of any legal issues the township may have. Oh wait, never mind, there are several already on the township payroll.
The term “political witch hunt” comes to mind because Benza has a personal political agenda against Chief Phan. Before you continue your sickening personal political agenda, here is a little background on the fire chief that you were not around for.
Brian joined Bainbridge Township Volunteer Fire Department in 1983, at the age of 16. Back then, there was no 9-1-1. If you had a fire or medical emergency, you called 543-9494, which rang constantly into all of the firemen’s homes, including ours. The volunteers responded in their personal vehicles to any emergency, day or night.
Brian continued to study fire science at Lakeland and then became a paramedic.
In 1998, Phan was appointed fire chief and shaped the department into what it is now. Under his questioned “leadership,” he has turned the fire department into the largest, best equipped, best trained full-time staffed fire department in Geauga County.
His only political downfall is he is not a politician or a lawyer; he is a third generation fire chief and first responder who has spent 33 years of his life dedicated to the safety of the people of Bainbridge and surrounding communities.
The trustees should be ashamed of themselves for pushing their personally motivated political agendas instead of doing what is best for public safety, simply because you do not like him.
As far as the $622 in question for court costs, yes, Trustee Benza, maybe you should pay it out of your pocket. You owe the township at least that. Trustees have absolutely no problem wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars of residents’ money on “studies,” probably connected somehow to their own political agendas. I implore residents to call the trustees and tell them enough is enough.
The most important thing is to continue the high standard of public safety to its residents and to neighboring communities, not to put someone you owe a favor to or like better in a position. Your favoritism politics are crystal clear.
Charlie Phan
Nashville, Tenn.
Duplicity
When a person uses language to paint a picture of something he is not, that is the definition of duplicity. It is also the definition of Dave Joyce as a Republican congressman.
Example: Dave Joyce as he pretends to be a Pro-Life Conservative.
On Tuesday, Aug. 25, Congressman David Joyce (OH-14) joined active Associ-ation of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) members in Solon for what was the second AMAC town hall of 2015 in his district.
AMAC members are deeply disturbed by recent videos that showed Planned Parenthood executives harvesting the organs of aborted babies, sparking a new conversation about whether or not Planned Parenthood, a private organization, should continue to receive federal funding.
Speaking about these atrocities with AMAC members, Congressman Joyce advised the group that he was a co-sponsor of the bill to defund Planned Parenthood and, as one would expect, Congressman Joyce voted for that bill as it passed the House.
However, when the opportunity came to withhold the funding by voting against the spending bill that actually provided the monies to allow Planned Parenthood to continue business as usual as the leading provider of dismembering preborn children in their mother’s wombs, Dave Joyce’s knees buckled. He voted with the abortion loving Democrats to keep the cash flowing. Dave Joyce’s action was duplicitous.
Matt Lynch is not duplicitous.Matt Lynch says what he means and means what he says. Matt Lynch is a true Pro-Life Conservative as recognized by the endorsements of Ohio’s Pro-Life leaders and their organizations.
We need to send Matt Lynch to Washington to restore honesty and integrity to our legislative process.
Denver Sallee
Newbury Township
Real Conservative
On March 15, Republican voters in the 14th Congressional District have a chance to choose a real conservative as the Republican candidate: Matt Lynch.
He proved during his time in the Ohio House of Representatives that he will act as a conservative once elected. He co-sponsored the Heartbeat bill, introduced the bill to ban Muslim Shariah law in Ohio’s courts (HB513), co-sponsored the bill to repeal Common Core (HB597) and wrote the bill to deny driver’s licenses for illegal aliens (HB114) as well as a bill to deny in-state taxpayer-subsidized tuition for illegal aliens at Ohio’s state colleges (HB254).
In spite of Republican majorities in both the Ohio House and Senate, establishment Republicans blocked passage of all of these conservative bills supported by Matt Lynch.
The current 14th District representative, Dave Joyce, is the quintessential establishment Republican, like so many in the Ohio House and Senate. He ran as a conservative, but once elected now frequently votes with the liberal democrats.
All of the conservative groups give Dave Joyce an “F” . . . Heritage Action rates Mr. Joyce’s conservative voting record at 48 percent; FreedomWorks at 44 percent; and Conservative Review rates him at only 40 percent.
The record is clear: Matt Lynch is the true, principled conservative and deserves your vote on March 15.
Peg Hunt
Chester Township
