Briana Ferrenburg's Response

October 27, 2010

Bob,

I appreciate your apology, but have a hard time believing that you are truly sorry.  Deep in my heart, I believe your apology is just for smoothing things over, just in case you are elected.  Deep in my heart, you will never understand the pain and hurt you have caused.  Since you say you are trying to tell the truth, let's get a couple things straight.

Rodney and  his ex-wife's divorce did not have anything to do with me.  The reasons he left her or she left him is between him and her and have nothing to do with this election.  So, let me explain what your comment has put me through.  People judge me now.  Before they even meet me, they have a predisposed thought about me and look at me differently.  That is hard to overcome when I deal with the public so much as a Caseworker in the Trustee's Office and a Captain at Columbus Township Fire Department.  But the boundaries do not stop there.  It is every where I go.

Now, lets talk about my job at the Trustee's Office.  I was hired at the Trustee's Office in April 2006 as a Caseworker.  My job is to interview clients and determine the need for assistance, based upon their application, my investigation and whether those fall in our guidelines.  YOU have no idea the difficulties and struggles that can be.  I assist people that I know are abusing the system.  I know people come in to this office for their rent or utilities, so they can use their money to buy their drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.  As a taxpayer it frustrates me.  But I can not deny their assistance.  I have also denied people based on our guidelines.  That is hard to do.  And clients do get mad.  I have been called names and verbally threatened, because I do my job.  That is what I am supposed to do.  I am waiting for the person to come into the office and shoot us all.  It is just a matter of time.  Especially, with the “hate” you post about us on your website.  Sometimes, when I kiss my husband and daughter goodbye in the morning, I wonder if that will be the last and if today is the day.  Is a client going to come in strung up on who knows what and hurt one of us?  On the same note, when I respond with the Fire Department, what I am I going in too?  Meth Lab, Drugs, Domestic Violence?  And we risk our lives for little pay or nothing at all.  Bob, until YOU walk in those shoes, YOU have no right to judge. 

Let's continue on the Fire Department.  I started my fire department career at Harrison Township when I was 18 years old.  My Father is one of the Charter Members at Harrison.  This runs in my blood and runs deep.  I joined Columbus Township in January 2006.  I was elected by the membership as a Captain under the former Chief, Kevin Green.  I tell you this, so you understand that I have earned my status and not because my husband is the Chief, which some people believe.  You always post that the volunteers are scared of being fired.  It takes 2/3 membership to “fire” someone.  And I am not quite sure where you came up with working different shifts, but the volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  We don't work different shifts.  It seems to be that your source is a disgruntal volunteer.  They must be two-faced, also, because they have not expressed any of the concerns that you write in your post and in the anonymous letter you received.  My answer to them, is that if they are that unhappy, resign and join another department.  They can do that if they choose.  But here is what else the disgruntal volunteer has caused.  Lack of trust.  I am speaking for myself as a volunteer.  I can not trust this person or people.  May not sound like a big deal, but when you go in to a burning structure, the last thought you do not want to have is if I can trust this person with my life.  That IS a big deal and I know I am not the only one that feels that way.  So, when this election is over, I hope that person or those individuals will choose to resign because that trust can never be rebuilt.

Now Bob, let's talk about you.  I can never trust you.  I can never believe a word you say.  You always write and say you have proof or this is what you heard.  You never check anything out before you write it.  It would have been real easy to just ask if I was related to Sandy.  Not just assuming that since Baxter appears in both families that we are related.   Again, why should this information be coming up in an election?  But since you read the obituary from my Grandfather, you should have noticed he died 11/16/07.  And since your “anonymous” letter had mine and Rodney's wedding announcement, you should have picked up that we were married 11/17/07.  That's right, my grandfather died the day before our wedding.  But what is even more scary is that you know so much information about my life and things that shouldn't even matter.  Just to make everything clear.  I am related to Terry Baxter.  I am not sure why that was brought up, but I am.  Just because he is family, doesn't mean I agree with the choices he has made.  You probably have family members like that, right?

So, Bob, I have a request  for you.  I appreciate your apology that you sent to Rodney and I privately, but unfortunately the accusations you made were public, not private.  So I ask that you place your apology Publicly on your website, where this all transpired. 

One last thing.  I want you to know that I pray for you.  I pray that God can give you peace, because anyone that can say and spread so much hate, must have so many inner struggles in their life.  I hope one day that you can see the good in people instead of digging in all the bad.  Every person that you have named and villified on your website, has good in them.  YOU just choose not to see it and choose not to look at that. 

Sincerely,

Briana Ferrenburg