To the editor:

Over many years, the good citizens of the Mehlville Fire Protection District invested their hard-earned money in building one of the area’s finest fire departments.

With great pride and considerable gratitude, we supported tax increases to provide the best in salaries, benefits, facilities and equipment for our firefighters. The implied bond of mutual respect and trust that developed nearly automatically assured support for whatever our firefighters needed, from tax levy to election of endorsed board officials.

Unfortunately, that trust and respect is about to be irreparably shattered through the overt — or covert — support of our fire union for the election of Mike Klund. The deliberate distortions, misleading claims and outright fabrications of fact that he foisted upon us in the last election are well known throughout the district and ought to disqualify him from even running.

Supporting such an incompetent candidate is both disrespectful and insulting of our citizenry. It leads one to question what our firefighters are really seeking.

I ask our firefighters to please come up with a write-in candidate that we can support, one that shows your concern and respect for us. We deserve better.

Bill Hogan

Concord