I try to avoid all "panhandlers."  I don't like being confronted when I need to get my groceries home before they melt  (i.e. ice cream).  I've complained to management because of people outside grocery stores:  "support adults against kids taking drugs" and "sign my petition to help the youth" and "help for veterans" and "Jesus loves you and needs your support."  I feel like I'm under siege.  I'm a liberal and want every one to have food and shelter.  California has hundreds of programs that do that.  I pay taxes - a lot of taxes - to help make that happen.  Why do parents send their kids out to assault me for money?

I'm kind of in the same boat.  I don't give to the scruffy guy standing outside the store, I give to the homeless shelters, food banks, etc.  I'll even buy a meal for someone that is hungry, but I'm not going to give money to anyone with a sign and a can.  I encourage everyone else to do the same:  give to causes that are close to your heart, but give to the accredited organizations that HELP people, don't waste your money giving to someone who may not even be needy (there are, seriously, those that make their living out of lying about where the money in the coffee cans goes).

longtimeresident - of where? Obviously not Sand Canyon. You don't know jacksquat about SCVFD. If you did, you wouldn't be spouting off like a jerk. These are hard working men who go the extra mile for the residents. They are not panhandlers posing as firefighters - you might want to be careful with your slanderous words.They are selling raffle tickets, not just asking for money. We have to raise our own money to even exist. Just so you know jackarse, we sold all our tickets (only 50 left) and got some generous donations to boot (hey, good pun).

Christi, you disappoint me, you're the last person I though would be judgmental based on their appearance. Yes, some of them are a little "scruffy" - they are mountain men who love this canyon and are trying hard to put the fire department back together.

Do any of you complain about the Girls Scouts pushing their overpriced ($4.00 a box) sugar laden cookies? I used to be a GS leader, let me tell you, the girls don't see that money...

Why don't you call and talk to our chief, Bill Bender, or Mr. Maben instead of just mouthing off in a blog?

Shame on all of you!

Joty, I'm not sure you want people calling Maben's office. According to them the SCVFD was not able to get workman's comp insurance. No one would cover them. So they are saying it's not even a MONEY issue!!  They are also saying that because of this they were going to take back the money promised to SCVFD for a temporary shelter.

Now who do I believe? Maben's people or you and your chief because no one seems to be on the same page.

Perhaps longtimeresident needs to volunteer with something...perhaps he has too much time on his 'hands' and he feels the need to fill his time by criticizing people who are out volunteering and making a difference...My mother is a volunteer in the Sand Canyon Volunteer Fire Department, as well as my step-father, and they both have put in uncountable hours in training, etc, to make a difference along with all the other volunteers.  What kind of sourpuss agenda is this to attack the volunteers - what's next?  Meals on Wheels?  Christmas Carolers?  Good neighbors who shovel snow from neighbors driveways?

Perhaps you need to go read to old folks in an old folks home, or volunteer to drive for Meals on Wheels...We all live in communities, for gosh sakes, be nice! 

Laurie Nelson, a "scruffy" mountain girl

Countygirl, I have no idea who "they" are, but whoever "they" are, "they" obviously don't know what "they" are talking about which is pretty typical for any politician's office. So you're right, maybe people shouldn't contact Maben's office since his staff can't find their a** with a flashlight in both hands. None of them live up here either!

You don't live up here, it's not your concern unless you've been supporting us in our efforts, but hell yes, it most certainly is a MONEY issue! It is an outright LIE stating "no one would cover them". You think for one minute our guys want to stand out in front of stores in town every weekend so people like 'concerned' and 'longtimeresident' can bad mouth them? Thank GOD most of the people in Tehachapi treat us as part of the community and are generous with their help be it outright donations or buying a raffle ticket. And THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GRANT FOR THE FIRE STATION (not a temporary shelter) and no, they are NOT taking the money back which is already in our possession. The County is holding up the ground breaking for the building over a land split.

In closing, I do not give the proverbial rat's a** who you believe.

Another month, another load of libel against the dedicated men and women of Sand Canyon.  We got it already, you don't like the SCVFD.  What, did one of them spit in your cheerios twenty years ago?  Get a new focus, you're demeaning yourself.  And why not stand up and give your name?  Afraid someone will know you and know exactly why you hide behind an anonymous moniker? 

Joty, I don't know what is libelous. I had panhandlers ( Panhandler- noun- one who approaches strangers and asks for money)

asking me for money. I consider that act panhandling.

You're right, the word is libel since you wrote it for the world to see. Libel (n): action, crime, or an instance of injuring a person(s) reputation especially by something written ~(v) libeled, libeling: make or publish a libel. You sir, are guilty of just that. "...a bunch of panhandlers posing as firefighters trying to make a buck."

It's been explained a couple of times why we are not operating at this time. And as I said previously in a comment - Thank GOD the majority of people in Tehachapi are supportive, generous and care about their neighbors in SC.

Panhandle=to stop or accost people on the street and beg for food or money (Merriam-Webster)

Was this on the street? No, this was on private property.

Was the request for food or money? No, the request was for "support" which can take many forms other than cash. 

Equating the fundraising activities of organizations like the Scouts with panhandling is ridiculous.  Do those little girls really scare you so much that you feel accosted when they sell cookies?  Get a grip.

Again, I don't give a rat's a** who any of you naysayers believe. Read my comment about "Maben's people" above. Gee, I wonder where that $42K came from that is sitting in our special building fund account? Hmmm, thin air I guess. I live here, am a member I'm well aware of what's going on.

If you care so much...why don't YOU call Chief Bender and ask those questions of him? Why do you have such a hair up your arse for our fire department? (and by the way, we've figured out who you are) If indeed, we aren't recognized, why do we have a number? And I don't mean telephone number. Why doesn't your "friend" who supposedly lives up here answer the questions for you? Or is he another complainer that doesn't bother to join?

If you lived in Sand Canyon, I would gladly take the time to answer all your questions. I'm not going to repeat myself with explanations for the likes of you. Go get some anger management, or better yet, offer to help the SCVFD with all your "expertise"....LOL!!!!!!

Joty countygirl talks out of her azz because her meal ticket is a county fireman. BIG WHOOPI. She needs to get her own identity. Kern county firemen are over paid whiners that assist Hall ambulance. If you want to find a fireman just look in one of our fine restaurants and you are sure to see them eating food that they mooched. SCVFD are a bunch of scroungy looking fellows, so what! They are there to help the neighbors and i feel that is a good deal. There is a lot of false information out there and the last thing we need is for an unemployed wife of a overpaid county fireman bad mouthing the SCVFD.Volunteers are what makes small towns like ours great.

I don't know that much about the Kern County firefighters, but I do know that my son-in-law who is a Captain up in the Sacramento area holds them in high esteem. He says they are the best at fighting wildfires.

Thanks for the kind words about SCVFD. I like scroungy scruffy mountain men, lol, my husband being one!

If the SCVFD wants to try and raise money by asking for donations or selling raffle tickets in front of public establishments then they have the right to do so just as much as kids have the right to do public car washes or people have the right to stand on the corner of major intersections with anti-abortion signs. If they have the business owner's permission then it is ok.

Any who have read some of my previous blog postings probably know that I often disagree with the way that both the local and county governments choose to operate, but voicing my concerns is all I can do. In the end, money talks and BS walks. Or, paying developers and investors talk, and county and local governments walk, and pretty much let them do whatever they want. But I am digressing.

It is a shame that all places do not have adequate fire services, in a perfect world they probably would. The fires in California last year are a good example, people build their homes in remote places, do not conduct sufficient fire prevention on their land, and then pay the price for it. A fire department, volunteer or otherwise, has limited ability to control fires if the land-owner does not perform their own fire-prevention.

What is the really issue that is upsetting people over SCVFD fund-raising issues? Is it because a lot of people look down on Sand Canyon? If the Kern County Fire Department was doing a fund-raiser in front of a local business would people be so upset? If the SCVFD, as a legitimate organization, is conducting a fund-raiser, then they have as much right to public access as anyone else. If they are not a legitimate organization then their bluff will be called soon enough and they will have to find some other means of getting money.

At any rate, if someone does not want to donate money then they do not have to. If the person seeking the donation is trying to intimidate the other individual into giving the donation, then they are only hurting their own productivity. Is the issue that locals like to thumb their nose at Sand Canyon, or is the SCVFD acting inappropriately while asking for donations?