10 TV: Mayor Michael Coleman is considering laying off 200 firefighters and 200 police officers unless taxpayers decide to vote for an income tax hike proposal.
In January, the firefighters agreed to a pay freeze to avoid layoffs, but now it seems all bets are off… Firefighters fear that threats of drastic layoffs could mean patients, like Vicki Meyer, could soon have to wait longer for help.
In July 2004, Meyer was serving lunches to the homeless when she suffered a heart attack and suddenly collapsed. "I was just moving trays like I always do," Meyer said. "Six days later, I'm awake in the hospital."
Meyer later learned that it took fire medics just minutes to reach her side and save her life. "It hasn't happened yet," said James Davis of the firefighters' union. "You don't want to feel burned yet. Desperate situations call for desperate measures. We've got to hear what the Mayor's got to say."
Meyer said that she will vote for the income tax hike if it will save firefighter's jobs, saying that a price cannot be put on a life. "Taxes for this and this and this and this - do it for something that's really going to help somebody," Meyer said.
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