City Government
Fire Chief Asks Birthday Money Go To Mayor
September 23, 2013 
Boise Mayor Dave Bieter attended Fire Chief Dennis Doan’s birthday party over the past weekend at the Basque Center and it paid off–literally.
Doan invited plenty of guests–including the presidents of the police and firefighter unions. Guests were asked to make donations to Dave Bieter in lieu of birthday presents. We haven’t heard if Bieter is running for reelection, but it would be a good bet Dennis Doan has a secure job.
Other department heads can only hope they won’t have to make similar gestures to insure job security in their positions. Probably goes on everywhere, but it just sours the taste of birthday cake for the GUARDIAN.
We also noted when TJ Thomson announced his reelection bid for city council he noted the Firefighters Union had endorsed him. Again, we understand the right of anyone to donate to the candidate of their choice, but when a group of workers (firefighters) make payments to one of the officials who will ultimately approve their employment agreement, it loses a few degrees of innocence.
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Comments & Discussion
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Sep 24, 2013, 12:23 pm
Is it me or have times really changed? It seems to me that in the past one would have requested that people give gifts to a charity or to the needy (not the greedy) of the community.
Feed children, buy books …. warm coats ….
But then Mr. Mayor could have stepped up to change it, but alas – failed to do so.
Sep 24, 2013, 12:47 pm
A “few degrees of innocence”? You’re far too kind.
“All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. … The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1937
Sep 24, 2013, 1:21 pm
When I lived in Chicago city workers would politic while on the city dole, it was part of the job – just seems like old times to me.
Sep 24, 2013, 2:10 pm
It is always good to give your boss money. 🙁
If you do not you get replaced with someone who does.
Sep 26, 2013, 8:07 pm
Well, that’s just more crap on the same old dietary cracker. Pah! May all of their chicks come home to roost at the same moment, covered in all thus unsanitized glory.
Sep 28, 2013, 11:01 am
Not good. How many of the coerced donors were firefighters?