`Taxpayers` Protest Irks N.Y. Firefighters

Sept. 05--A re-designed political sign has caused a flap between a Lockport firefighters union officer and a city resident.

The black-and-yellow sign, which originally stated "Support Lockport Firefighters," now reads "Support Lockport Taxpayers," after Donald Enzinna and his wife Cindra found the sign in the gutter outside a friend's home this past spring.

"The sign was laying in the street over on Juniper and it was beat up and muddy," Mrs. Enzinna said. "It didn't even have the legs to it."

Mrs. Enzinna said she asked her friend if it was OK to take the sign and the friend agreed. The Enzinnas then cleaned it up, added new legs and replaced the word "firefighters" with "taxpayers."

With the city going through financial difficulties, Mr. Enzinna says he feels no one is looking out for city taxpayers. An active member of South Lockport Volunteer Fire Company, he observes that city firefighters seem unwilling to help the city reduce spending and spare taxpayers.

When firefighters were laid off last year, Enzinna admits he was turned off by their "poor me" attitude. He believes the fire department could have helped the city and itself by being less "wasteful" with resources. Its insistence on having a fire truck escort LFD-operated ambulances out on call is one way in which it drove up costs unnecessarily, he said.

"I wanted to take the (Support Lockport Firefighters) sign and change it," Enzinna said. "No one is looking out for the taxpayers, and it's time someone looked out for our interest."

The altered sign, which has been in the Enzinnas' front yard since May, drew the attention of Lockport Professional Firefighters Association executive officer Kevin Pratt, who visited their home twice this week to ask that the "defaced" sign be surrendered.

The union bought 250 of those signs, at a cost of $4 each, for distribution to residents around the city who support Lockport Fire Department and object to firefighter layoffs and the city's shutdown of LFD ambulance service, according to Pratt.

"Our signs are paid for by membership," Pratt said. "(The sign at the Enzinna property) wasn't being used for its intended use, so I asked for the sign to be returned to the local resident who was supporting us."

Pratt says he's not upset by the message the Enzinnas are sending.

"I fully support any message out there; he has a First Amendment right to do so," Pratt said. "I simply asked for the property to be returned."

Donald Enzinna said he refused Pratt's request, since he had found the original sign on the street and also obtained permission from the person who'd been displaying it to take it away.

But after a phone call from Scott Monkelbaan, president of South Lockport Volunteer Fire Company, Enzinna removed the altered sign from his front yard on Friday night. He says Monkelbaan asked him to remove it "for the good of the company."

"I was rubbing salt in the wound," he said, referring to a history of animosity between paid and volunteer firefighters in Lockport.

But he's at peace with both his protest and his decision to put the sign away.

"I feel I have proven my point," Enzinna said. "No one wants to take away from the firefighters, they are our heroes, but something has to give to make city residents feel more at ease."

Contact reporter Rachel Fuerschbach at 439-9222, ext 6246

Copyright 2015 - Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.