Fake Faces, Real Consequences: The Dirty Trick That Crossed the Line in Frisco Politics

Politics is nasty. No surprise there. It attracts the best and the worst in people—but mostly the worst when election season heats up like a June sidewalk in Texas. And while anonymous commentary has long been a staple of free speech (hey, Frisco Whistleblower isn’t exactly sending selfies), there’s a wide, dusty canyon between anonymity and outright impersonation.

Let’s make this clear: creating an anonymous account to voice your opinion is one thing. Creating a fake account using someone else’s real photo, name, and identity? That’s a whole other universe of dirty. And in that universe, you’re not just trolling your political enemies—you’re potentially slandering innocent people and opening them up to have their reputational ruined, legal jeopardy, or worse.

Case in point: a local keyboard warrior operating under the name Bryan Bridges III (sometimes known as Ezra Bridges) has been bouncing around social media like a pinball, slapping his name on some big accusations and slinging insults like confetti at a cheap parade. The problem? The smiling face on Bryan’s profile pic? That’s not Bryan. That’s James Bridges—a real man who lives near the Oklahoma border, works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and whose wife of 36 years is a Texas schoolteacher. He is a father of two sons and a grandfather of four grandchildren. He leads Bible studies and hosts weekly FCA huddles.

We are guessing James Bridges is not the Frisco flamethrower or political hatchet man. We are guessing he is just a man, living his life, who probably has no idea his photo is being used to publicly drag elected officials, political candidates, and constituents through the digital mud.

We like to fact check, so we have reached out to James Bridges via email and will be reaching out to his wife as well.  We will of course let you know how he responds.  If he responds the way we think he might, it’s going to be a doozy.  We’ve taken all the screenshots sent to us of Bryan Bridges III comments and archived them as evidence. And if Mr. Bridges didn’t give consent for his image to be used in this toxic identity-theft theater, then “Bryan Bridges III” might be facing more than a few angry replies. He might be facing a libel suit. 

Let’s stop and think about this: what if James’s employer stumbles across these posts and assumes he’s the one spouting off? What if someone at his wife’s school district mistakes him for the venomous ghostwriter behind the name? This is the sort of stunt that doesn’t just smear political opponents—it scorches innocent bystanders, too.

There’s a word for people who do this kind of thing: cowards. Cowards with no moral compass, hiding behind stolen faces because they know that if they showed their own, they’d have to answer for the mess they’re making.  Maybe if they showed their face then we would know if they were the spouse of a council member, or a town bully, or maybe the sister of a political candidate.

Frisco deserves better than this kind of clown show. Say what you want, stand for what you believe—but do it under your own name or be completely anonymous.  But don’t put real people on the line who don’t even live in our town to carry out your devious acts.  Frisco Whistleblower has never claimed to be anyone but a resident of Frisco.  We are not portraying ourselves as anyone we are not, we are just not disclosing who we are.  Very different!

Because when you steal someone else’s identity just to hurl insults in a local election? That’s not speech. That’s sabotage.  And we’re not letting it slide.

Let us know what you think:

Should the Frisco Police investigate this? 

Should our city council members demand an investigation into this, the same way they did into the so-called “illegal recordings per Laura Woodward and Bryan Bridges III?”  If they would like James Bridges information, we are happy to supply it to them.

“Silence, Shame, and the Swift Vanishing Truth Bomb”

Well, Frisco…we didn’t have this one on the bingo card today.  The soap opera that is Frisco politics just added another act, and this one had all the flair of a daytime drama mixed with a deleted tweet. Today, we were all witnesses to what could’ve been a turning point — or at the very least, a moment of reckoning. That is, until it vanished faster than ethics at a campaign fundraiser.

This morning, Marcia Locke, fiancée of Councilman John Keating, broke her silence on the now-infamous Toxic Tammy Tapes. You know the ones — the recordings that have been circulating through local inboxes and Facebook threads like wildfire through a dry prairie.

Not only did she break her silence, but boy did she come in swinging a bat that was on fire. In a now-deleted social media post, Locke took to her page and finally addressed what we’ve all been talking about in hushed tones and wide-eyed reactions:

“I can no longer accept the pressure to stay silent,” she began. “I am not okay with what has been thrown at myself or my family… Politics is one thing… Being a person of integrity is a requirement of an elected official… and I have to speak my truth.”

 Let’s pause for applause. 👏👏👏

But then Marcia didn’t stop there. She went full-on mic drop mode, calling out Councilmember Tammy Meinershagen directly:

“Tammy, you were exposed!!!”

Then—like a twist in a Netflix docuseries—she receipts us. Locke posted a screenshot from our very own comment section, a post from a reader named Rick, thanking him for telling the truth.

“Accountability is not persecution,” Locke wrote. “Those were your actions, your words, your choice, and your consequences. I look forward to early voting tomorrow!”

🔥 Mic. Drop.  Honestly? It felt bold. It felt brave. It felt truthful.

Ladies and gentlemen, for a few shining hours, we thought finally, someone with firsthand knowledge, courage, and ties to the inner circle was willing to stand up, take the heat, and say what needed to be said.

We were so floored we even commented on the post ourselves—respectfully, of course. We said we were glad she spoke out and told her truth, but also disappointed it took this long. After all, when the house is burning, it doesn’t help to show up with a water hose two years later.  But then…

Poof!!! The Post Was Deleted.

Gone. Like it never existed. No follow-up. No explanation. Just silence.

And now, we’re left wondering: What happened?

  • Did a certain councilman, mayor or city manager make a phone call?
  • Did someone remind her of who’s pulling the marionette strings on the cabal puppets?
  • Was there pressure from a political ally?
  • Did the local Cabal whisper in her ear?
  • Or did someone with influence promise support… in exchange for silence?

Who knows? But what we do know is this:

For one minute, Marcia had the guts and glory to speak up—and then someone, somewhere, convinced her to un-speak.  That’s not transparency. That’s political puppetry. And it reeks.  It is the clearest sign yet of the power behind the scenes in Frisco politics.

If politics is theater, then this was the deleted scene they didn’t want you to see. Which only confirms what many in Frisco already suspect—truth is dangerous here, and the pressure to suppress it comes fast and hard.  We can vouch for that as we were served papers ourselves today.  More details to come about that!

We applaud Marcia for finding her voice, even if it was just for a few hours. We hope she finds it again. And next time, we hope she doesn’t give it up so easily.  Because, like she said, “integrity is a requirement of elected officials.”  That must mean that the silence in the face of corruption isn’t just disappointing, it’s complicity.  We will be reminding you of John Keating’s silence when he jumps to run for Mayor in a year!

The Cult of Denial & The Silence of Cabal Leaders

The Meinershagen Conspiracy Fantasy

Ah yes, the newest myth making the rounds in Frisco’s political whisper network: “Tammy Meinershagen was tricked. Led astray. Lured into saying those things she obviously believes. It’s not her fault—it was a setup!”

Cue the dramatic violin. Please.

Let’s be clear: This isn’t a conspiracy—it’s a confession. Tammy wasn’t led anywhere. She wasn’t prompted. No one shoved a script in her hand and said, “go ruin your credibility.” What you heard in those tapes was not stumbles or slips. They were her unfiltered opinions—her beliefs, her attitude toward other fellow leaders, and her disdain for her constituents laid bare.

But Tammy supporters? They’ll believe anything—as long as it lets them avoid looking in the mirror at the cold hard truth. Anything except the truth.

The Silence of the Cabal

Now let’s talk about the rest of the Frisco elite—those quiet pillars of complicity who heard these same tapes and responded with… crickets.

  • Jeff Cheney: Silent.
  • John Keating: Silent.
  • Bill Woodard: Silent.
  • Former officials mentioned in the recordings: Dead silent.

Their SILENCE makes them complicit to the thoughts and actions displayed on the Toxic Tammy Tapes.  Silence isn’t just a lack of words—it’s a choice. A political calculation. A fear-driven retreat into the shadows. And if you want to be mayor of Frisco but can’t speak out when a sitting council member exposes herself as part of a toxic, backroom clique that mocks constituents and violates confidence, then guess what:

You are not fit to be mayor.

You don’t deserve the trust of the public if your response is to remain silent, then wait and see which way the wind blows.

The Keating Episode

Now, about John Keating. When the tapes dropped, he said nothing publicly. But privately? Oh, we heard from him. Trust us, we debated long and hard whether to release what he told us, because we have rules. One of them is protecting real sources (aka whistleblowers).  However, let’s be clear: Asking us to scrub information about your family out of the tapes doesn’t make you a whistleblower, it makes you someone who is asking for a favor. And we don’t owe you favors.

Keating was upset that his kids were mentioned in the recordings. And rightly so. He sent us an email on Friday, May 2nd at 6:46pm asking us to remove or edit out the portion about his sons, or references to them.   That’s right, instead of confronting Tammy Meinershagen, who aired private conversations she had with his ex-wife, he came to Frisco Chronicles asking for a favor. 

To be very clear, we understand why Keating is upset and we respect it.  His kids (even though they are grown) don’t deserve to be in the discussion.  They are private citizens who did not ask for their life to be on blast.  However, let us be plainly clear – we are not the ones who put them on blast…. Tammy Meinershagen did!  It does not matter if the meeting was recorded or not; she should never have brought it up to someone else outside of her conversation with John or Leslie.  Tammy Meinershagen broke the confidence, broke the trust, and broke the friendship lines and barriers.  NO ONE ELSE!

On May 3rd at 3:11 AM we wrote Mr. Keating back and said thank you for request.  Removing it now is nearly impossible as it has already been uploaded and shared.  We told him we understood his frustration, however we are not the ones who brought his kids into this – Tammy Meinershagen did.  We did ask our tech guy if there was a way to take it out after being posted (to be kind) but he told us there was not. 

That say day, May 3rd at 7:54 AM, John Keating replied and said he understood and agreed “Tammy is responsible for all of this.” 

He then continued to tell us, “Despite playing a small role in the overall story, I must say, the written narratives were very clever, wickedly entertaining, and at times, hysterically funny.”

He closed his email with “I hope the community does hold Meinershagen accountable for what she said. She certainly offended all four corners of Frisco with insults, bigotry, jealousy, and hatred.”  Yet publicly, Keating remained silent!  Never once standing up for the four corners of Frisco he mentions.  This is a man who already discussing with folks his bid for Mayor when Cheney’s term ends.  He is already actively asking for endorsements for when that time comes. 

HOW DO YOU ENDORSE A GUY, SUPPORT A GUY, WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AND STAYED SILENT? 

We’ll say it as directly and plainly as possible: If you’re more upset about being exposed than about the bad behavior being exposed—you’re part of the problem.  Keating has endorsed Gopal and been across the city with him the last month wooing the South Asian community to vote for Gopal.  He will also be at the polls with Gopal, why?  Keating expects Gopal to do the same in return when he runs for Mayor and he knows he can’t and won’t win with out the South Asian vote!

WAKE UP SOUTH ASIANS!!!! NEITHER GOPAL, NOR KEATING CARE ABOUT THE SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY. THEY STRICTLY WANT YOUR MONEY AND YOUR VOTE!  IF THEY DID CARE, THEY WOULD HAVE STOOD UP FOR THE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF REMAINING SILENT AND COMPLICIT! 

A Final Word to the Voters

Next time Keating—or any silent leader—asks for your vote, remember what they said when the city needed courage. Nothing.

If you can’t speak up when your own political ally crosses the line, don’t pretend you’ll fight for the rest of us when the stakes are higher.

Truth doesn’t need a PR campaign. It just needs a spine. And Frisco’s voters deserve leaders who have one.

City Hall’s Troubled Seas

HR-GONE: The Mysterious Disappearance of Frisco’s Human Resources Trio

It’s been unusually quiet over at City Hall lately. It’s the kind of quiet that screams “Something’s rotten in the records room.”  While most departments are humming along in their usual bureaucratic fog, the stench of an investigation is sweeping the building due to some major “Absences.” 

A few weeks ago, Lauren “Sassy” Safranek and Jacinta Shanks, top brass in Frisco’s Human Resources Department, vanished like a bowl of queso at a Friday Night tailgate. Gone. Poof. Not a peep.  Did they get lost on a ship stuck in troubled seas?  Maybe they went ice fishing and fell in the hole?  It’s like they just pulled a Houdini!

We reached out to some of our sources inside city hall.  When something like this happens, it does not take long for whispers and rumors to begin.  One whistleblower told us, “One minute they’re steering the ship, the next day they’re gone like a Margarita on Cinco de Mayo.”  Did they quit? Nope. Did they announce a vacation? Were they abducted by an alien spaceship sent by fed-up municipal employees?

I mean, it’s not the craziest theory on the table.  What we do know is this:  Multiple sources allege they’re on administrative leave—which in government-speak often translates to: “Something’s gone sideways, and we’re pretending we have it under control.”

Rumor Tornado: Allegations Aplenty

Cue the local rumor mill which is working overtime, spinning out allegations faster than a ceiling fan in an August heatwave. Allegations range from forged documents, toxic workplace culture, and racist comments.  And while we’d love to dismiss it all as wild conspiracy, here’s the truth: When that much smoke is circling, it usually ain’t from a scented candle.  For a city who claims to have pride in their professionalism and diversity, something like this is not just smoke, somewhere there is a fire!  Someone call the Fire Department!! (more about that in a sec)

If things weren’t already murky enough, we got word that Shamaria, another key player in HR, is also out. Administrative leave too? Vacation? Witness protection? We hope to tell you soon why people are just vanishing from the organization chart.  We are just giving the city the courtesy of a comment request before we move forward.  For now, they think no one’s talking. Not the city, not the employees, not even a cryptic passive-aggressive Nextdoor post.  However, that is simply not true!  They have more cracks and leaks than the Titanic.

At least when you email any of them you get back the “official” statement which is a robotic Out-of-Office reply that reads like it was written by ChatGPT on Ambien.  The silence is deafening. No answers. No updates. Not even a cryptic “thoughts and prayers” from City Hall.  So, what did we find?

HR Hotline Tellanovella

Case 61: Discrimination or Harassment!  It was filed on 4/25/23 and closed one month later on 5/23/23 and the person identified in the behavior was none other than Jacinta Shanks – HR Manager.  The report goes on to say that on April 10th while the Director was away, Jacinta pulled her staff into a meeting and yelled and screamed at them for two hours.  It reads “she was screaming that they were bad in their roles in HR, was name calling, cussing, screaming, etc.”  Not only could she be heard yelling through the department, but she could heard in the hallway too which the reporter said was abusive and unprofessional.   The end result? The case was closed and no evidence was found.

Case 62: Listed as “OTHER” was reported on 5/4/23 and closed on 5/23/23.  The hotline complaint is about the same “April 10th Issue” listed in Case 61 but this time the complaint is the initial report was closed out and never investigated by the HR Director, Laurn Safranek. 

Case 64: Falsification of Contracts, Reports or Records was reported on 5/29/23 and closed out 6/22/23.  We reported this in our Twelve Days of Christmas Blog back in 2023.  It was Day 3: Case 64 & HR Malfeasance and Day 9: Case 64 Responses.  You can just click the Case names, and it will take you directly to those blogs. We know for a fact his true and it is why Lauren Safranek used a fake investigation to go after the Former Fire Chief, to cover up her own fraud.  The complaint was closed out due to NO EVIDENCE FOUND! 

Meanwhile, Over in the Fire Department…

You’d hope that while HR has hit the skids, all the other departments would be cruising along smoothly, right?  Wrong.

Five employees have recently left the Frisco Fire Department.  We’re not talking about minor attrition here—we’re talking about experienced professionals pulling the ripcord. Some retired early, which means, “I’m out of here because this will never get better,” while others just walked out of the job.

Why? The unofficial rumor is due to the lack of true Fire Department leadership and lack of support by city management.  Tammy’s recent comments “caught on tape” sure didn’t help when they were called 300lb Bullies.  They have realized it is not going to get better without change on the Dias and new fresh minds sitting in the seats on the council. Maybe that is why the Frisco Firefighters Association and Frisco Police Officers Association has endorsed Burt Thakur and Jared Elad in the runoff.  One thing is clear for sure those that put their life on the line to save our lives and our property are sick of the city’s BS and jumping off the Titanic early while there is still a lifeboat to get them somewhere else. 

Damage Control in Public Works?

HR, then the Fire Department?  Surely, it’s a fluke – nothing to worry about, right?  Wrong.  Just a few weeks ago a lady spoke at citizens input about the “issues” in public works and how she was upset that a letter she sent it to recognize someone was never given to them.  Well turns out there is a flood in the Public Works Department too and it goes back several years.

Sometime in 2024, Lauren Safranek (HR – now allegedly out on administrative leave) hired an outside HR Consulting Company, called Kathy Shields Consulting, to investigate the “alleged complaints through the HR hotline of an inappropriate relationship.”   That’s right, the “ALLEGED” complaints involve Lover Boy, Kevin Grant, his alleged girlfriend, Loosey Goosey Gloria Martinez (who is married to someone else who works in the city).   

Sources from deep in city leadership told us NDA’s were required by everyone in Public Works.  The affair is alleged to have been happening for several years now, and the consultants couldn’t understand why people were bothered by it.  Well, when one who is loosey goosey starts to get promotions and special treatment you can see why it would upset those that work around her.

Piling High HR Allegations in Public Works 

Case 55: Time Abuse was reported on 1/3/23 and closed on 1/30/23.  The report reads that Office Manager, Gloria Martinez and Kevin Grant, Assistant Director for months would go off during work hours to donate plasma for extra money while still on the clock (meaning they were stealing taxpayer dollars and being paid for it).  The confidential reporters said they believed the stolen time was equal to $50,000 dollars.  Their report continued with all the CSR’s and other direct reports were aware of the happenings.  HR found no evidence and closed the case.

Case 57: Offensive and Inappropriate Communication was reported on 3/17/23 and closed on 5/8/23.  This report is about Marvin Redmond, a Supervisor and foul mouth in the office.  HR found no evidence and closed the case.

Case 58: Nepotism/Favoritism Inappropriate Workplace Relationship was reported on 3/20/23 and closed on 4/11/23.  The report says Kevin Grant, Assistant Director of Public Works and Gloria Martinez, Office Admin, are having an inappropriate relationship and disappear at different times of the day for extended periods.  It mentions Kevin has a DUI so he gets Gloria to drive him everywhere.  They openly flirt in the office making others uncomfortable and awkward.  The Director of Public Works, Gabe appears to do nothing and turns a blind eye.  HR found no evidence and closed the case. 

Case 59: Violation of Policy was reported on 3/20/23 and closed on 4/12/23.  The report states that Gabe Johnson, the Director of Public Works knows that Kevin Grant, Assistant Director of Public Works was convicted of a DUI which is an issue because driving a city vehicle is part of his job to check on employees and job sites.  The report notes others have been fired in the past for DUI’s but this time Gabe choses to look the other way.  HR found no evidence and closed the case. 

Interesting thing here, we did a simple search, and we found a DUI for a Kevin Grant – could it be the same Kevin Grant that works at the City of Frisco driving city vehicles?   

Case 84/85/86/87/88: Multiple Reports about Public Works and the HR Cover up also reported to the hotline in 2024/25.  The first starts with a 3-page complaint about Gloria Martinez, the Strategic Services Manager in Public Works (new title), related to her behavior and ongoing love affair with her boss.  The case was closed when NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND!

We could keep going, but we don’t want to sound like a broken record.  Sources from deep in city leadership told us NDA’s were required by everyone in Public Works during the investigation. The consultants couldn’t understand why people were bothered by it.  Our guess, when one who is loosey goosey starts to get promotions and special treatment, you can see why it would upset those who work around her.

What we find interesting is each time they are closed due to no evidence found.  One report, I could see its just petty employee behavior but when you have multiple reports in multiple departments and they are always investigated by the same HR folk (who are even named in the complaint) something tells me – there is some rotting shit in Denmark.

Lets Talk About Leadership Or Lack Thereof

Enter Wes Pierson, Frisco’s relatively new City Manager.  According to the Tammy tapes, she just finished his “yearly review.”  Don’t worry, we are filing a PIR for that blow pop sucker! 

To hear some folks inside City Hall tell it, Wes didn’t just walk in with a chip on his shoulder—he brought the whole bag of chips on this back.  There’s a growing sentiment that his arrogant, top-down leadership style is rubbing people the wrong way, all the way down to those “entry level employees.”  Micromanaging? Check. Intimidating culture? Double check. Open-door policy? Not unless you’re bringing praise, apparently.

And here’s the kicker: this isn’t Wes’s first rodeo when it comes to morale problems.

Sources from his previous job in Addison say the same script played out there. Multiple departures. Low morale. Leadership complaints. Sound familiar? Because it should. History doesn’t repeat, but it sure rhymes.

Walking on Eggshells

Maybe it’s time we stopped asking what happened and started asking who’s driving the bus at the city.  Insiders describe the current vibe inside City Hall as “walking on eggshells.” But in the absence of information, people fill in the blanks themselves—and right now, that blank is filled with rumors, stress, and enough anxiety to power every Keurig in the building.  However our City Council Members want you to believe everything is just dandy – and the truth is the cancer is all over the city including our City Council.

Final Thoughts

To the City of Frisco: This isn’t Mean Girls. We get that HR matters can be sensitive and complex. But people deserve a straight answer—or at the very least, an acknowledgment that something is amiss. And to Mr. Pierson: you were brought in to lead, not reign. Arrogance isn’t management. Intimidation isn’t accountability. And silence isn’t transparency.

The people who make this city run—from dispatchers to developers—deserve better than this circus. We’ve got talent walking out the door, departments on edge, and a leadership team that thinks “no comment” is good enough.  Then to top off the Sunday, we have city council members getting caught on tape showing their authentic self in a safe space, acting no better than some of the city “employees” she thumbs her nose up at, who work for our city. Too bad we can’t file an HR Complaint with the hotline about Tammy.

If you read this and don’t think we need a change in our city, you are simply delusional! If you want to try and discredit us because we are anonymous – go ahead. Companies and cities cannot operate this way.

Years of HR HOTLINE COMPLAINTS, which name HR as part of the problem investigated by none other than HR. Simple No Evidence Found! Years of complaints about issues in Public Works, but simply no evidence found! More reports about other departments from PD, Facilities / Maintenance, and Professional Services, simple, no evidence found!

A city’s HR Team doesn’t go POOF IN THE NIGHT, unless there is a serious issue! If you want to believe our Fire Department is a group of bullies, we can’t change your mind. The fact is that a fire department does not lose tenure like our department has in one year unless there is a reason for it. If you want to believe that our Public Works department has no issues after 15+ complaints have been reported for the same thing by different people, then we can’t change your mind. How many cities have to hire this many outside consultants or investigators to look at an issue and still find no evidence? What you should care about is that it is your tax dollars paying for it.

For years, the city has operated with the mentality to protect the ones they like and cut the ones that could or will “uncover the problem”. Hence, our former Fire Chief and several other employees across other city departments. If you want to blame the wrong people and keep denying there is a problem, better yet, that there is a cancer in the city that starts at the top, then you are blind and stupid.  The problem starts with our city council leaders and trickles down through the city. I would love for someone to explain to me how one city has so many problems! Don’t believe us, fine! We can’t make you see what you choose to close your eyes to. Just continue to be sheep!

City of Frisco Motto: Keep the cancer, eat the innocent!

Mental Health Check

In April of 2021 you would have thought an El Paso dust storm full of tumbleweeds came through Frisco and upset the equilibrium of our city.  As we discussed in our earlier blogs Where There Is Smoke PT 1 and There is Fire PT 2, there has been a long standing point of contention between the Frisco Firefighters Association and the city in regards to workers compensation. 

In 2021 the city opposed House Bill 2242 brought forward by Jared Patterson, Texas State House Rep for Frisco.  In 2023 the FFA and Patterson brought HB 471, and they have been working extremely hard to get it or similar legislation passed in Austin that would protect first responders across Texas.  The fight for more protection by the FFA and Jared Paterson has continued into our 2025 Texas Legislative Session.

Even though we knew about the El Paso dust storm, my wife and I were still shocked on May 16, 2023, after tuning into the city council meeting online, like we have done every other Tuesday for years. Mayor Cheney presented a proclamation to Denton County MGMR, for all the work they do each day relating to mental health.  Mental Health Awareness Month aims to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being and provide resources and information to support individuals and communities in need of mental health support.  

At that same meeting, during Citizen Input (23:00 minute mark), Frisco Firefighters Association President, Matt Sapp, along with Retired Frisco Fire Chief Mark Piland, and Assistant Fire Chief Cameron Kraemer to address the termination of Kraemer, a 27-year Veteran of the Frisco Fire Department. 

What?  After 27-years serving our city and its residents without hesitation, Kraemer was terminated BY EMAIL while on medical leave and under medical supervision for PTSD which we go into more detail about in our blog Backdraft which we really encourage you to read.   

By the end of the meeting, I wanted to scream like Alanis Morrissette…

Isn’t it ironic?
Don’t you think?
A little too ironic

Where are we two years later? It is Mental Health Awareness Month again, and the second anniversary of Kraemer’s termination BY EMAIL while on medical leave.  The fight is not over, not even close!  It’s time to peel back the curtain on a firehouse-sized problem simmering here in Frisco? Buckle up, this one’s got smoke, politics, and no small dose of Texas-sized irony.

Smoke, Stigma & Silenced: Mark Piland

Since then, Retired Fire Chief Mark Piland has had his name wrongfully smeared and his 40-year stellar career in public service wrongfully attacked by City of Frisco leaders for speaking out on behalf of Kraemer and the Frisco Firefighters Association when he attempted to run for Frisco City Council.

The Legislative Lifeline

When your city will not support you, what do you do?  The Frisco Firefighters Association has continued the fight and has been in Austin off and on the last several weeks with local State Rep Jared Patterson to fight for more protection for public safety employees in the State of Texas.   Just today, HB331 officially headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law!  The bill marks the final piece of legislation language from last session’s HB471 that our Frisco Firefighters have been advocating for the past three legislative sessions.

A Firefighters Fight: Cameron Kraemer

And Cameron Kraemer, where is he? Kraemer, while still under medical supervision, started the fight of his life against our very own City of Frisco.  After a hearing on September 21, 2023, before the Texas Department of Insurance, the DMN reports that the administrative law judge hearing the case ORDERED THE CITY OF FRISCO, which is self-insured, to pay Kraemer benefits and any accrued but unpaid income benefits in a lump sum with interest as provided by law.  According to John Riddle, president of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, Kraemer’s case is being watched throughout Texas, and it is important to the state’s 18,000 firefighters in 195 communities.  Riddle said in the DMN, “For now, Frisco is among the most aggressive cities in fighting its injured employees at City Hall and the Legislature — and because of that, employees like Cameron Kraemer pay a high price.”

The battle continued as Kraemer took his case before the DOJ for them to determine if he was able to sue the city for wrongful termination which we wrote about in our blog Big Time Casino Payout. The DOJ ruled Kraemer could move forward with a lawsuit so in August 2024 Cameron Kraemer filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination against the City of Frisco in Collin County.  Based on the research we have done, Kraemer is going to win, and we think he will win big!  You can learn more in our December 2024 blog Kraemer vs City of Frisco that we wrote which lays out the details. 

Final Thoughts from the Hillside Winery Whistleblower

Ask yourself why.  Why is the city spending hundreds of thousands on a private law firm to fight so hard and drag this out for so long, when clearly, they are in the wrong?  Why is the city spending tax dollars fighting our public safety employees instead of protecting them and just doing the right thing?   What will this cost us, the taxpayers, when he wins? Our guess…. MILLIONS! But that is not all. We are hearing rumors of other lawsuits that have been or will be filed by former employees of the FD against the City of Frisco.  We are digging into that now! 

They had all the time in the world to prance around asking us to vote to change the use of EDC funds for a Frisco Center For The Arts but they cannot simply make things right with the firefighters. Instead, we have Councilwoman Meinershagen calling them 300lb bullies and complaining that they are fighting for protections that directly affect their life. We have Bicycle Bill Woodard, who wants you to believe the firefighters are lazy (his words during the May 2024 election), and they want to bankrupt the city.  You can’t get a paycheck from a bankrupt city, so why would they want to do that?   Cheney and Keating want you to believe that our RETIRED Fire Chief was fired after a stellar career with the city and 10 years of perfect performance reviews.  Not to mention, in our PIR requests and federal FOIA’s, we found his entire 40-year career was stellar with not one deficient performance review.  Lastly, no one is paying attention to the fact that in the last 6 to 8 months, several (rumor is 6 to 8) of our firefighters are saying Hasta La Vista Baby either via retirement or quitting their job.  They are going to work for other organizations and cities where they are valued.    

Just hope and pray your house does not catch fire because we were already short staffed and now it is getting worse!  The city loyalists just turn a blind eye as always, and function as if nothing if wrong.  They want you to believe we have nothing to be worried about, but as a taxpayer you can bet, I am worried!  Big Time Payouts, the loss of experienced firefighters from our roster puts citizens and businesses in jeopardy.

Reference Articles:

DMN: Frisco changes workers’ comp policy for first responders            June  1, 2024

DMN: Frisco Firefighter fired while on medical leave wins workers’ comp case     10/12/23