They say no good deed goes unpunished, and if recent events in the City of Norwich are any indication, I guess they are right. In recent days, I’ve heard people complaining about pretty much everything in Norwich. The Evening Sun Forum online has been overflowing with complaints about our service professions, like the fire department and the hospital.

While I am always an advocate of free speech, I am finding fault with all of the fault-finding individuals. Recently I have heard complaints from both sides concerning the Norwich City Fire Department. Some people are complaining about the fire department’s budget, claiming that they are being wasteful, and do not need such a high amount, while others are complaining about the recent scheduling changes that will reduce the number of paid employees working during nighttime hours.

I do not consider myself to be an expert on this or any matter. However, it occurs to me that if you feel strongly about how much money is allocated to the fire department or any department, there is a very good way to deal with that. While the budget was being planned, there were several public meetings dealing with this exact issue. A public hearing was held, at which time city residents were encouraged to come in and express their opinions. However, most of the people who are complaining so profusely now, were not there then.