‘Outrage’ Is Response to Letter on Paramedics

By Patric Hedlund

For most, it came with Saturday’s mail. It was a letter bearing arguments against the firefighter paramedic initiative (Measure K) from KernTax, a private Bakersfield-based group with an undisclosed membership. Those registered in Pine Mountain will find Measure K on their ballots November 4.

Michael Turnipseed, KernTax director since 2005, said in an interview “we didn’t say to vote against it, we just said we have some problems with it.”

By Saturday afternoon the mailbox at The Mountain Enterprise was filling with letters to the editor. Paula “Cindy” Tarver said the letter was “offensive” and a “Chicken Little” message with “skewed facts” using scare tactics. “One life saved is worth it,” Tarver wrote. Another called it an “outrage.” Edie Stafford spoke about the “dire lack of adequate emergency response” in this area and Karen Bailey wrote of “years of gut wrenching work” to get this item on the ballot. Their letters will be published next week.

See Editorial: KernTax Misguided on Paramedic Issue

This is part of the October 10, 2008 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.