By: Community Correspondent
The Observer was recently contacted by one Nathan Ferrer, the latest recruit to lead the city Labor Union and Hathian City Construction and a Captain at Hathian’s Fire Department. We met with him to discuss a variety of city issues– including the controversial Hathian Theater collapse.
Hathian Observer: “What inspired you to reach out to The Hathian Observer?”
Nathan Ferrer: “As the latest hire to lead the Labor Union an’ city construction, I wanted to take a stand an’ speak out about issues that are facin’ the city. I’ve personally been documentin’ visually–photographin’–all the things that need to be repaired urgently. There’s a massive pothole, for example, out by Grand St. Massacre by one of my favorite restaurants-The Flamin’ Cajun; every time I go there, my truck almost descends into the underworld because of it! An’ I’m not exaggerating. Look at this thing–“
Obsv: “That does seem obtrusive.”
N.F: “Yes. An’ Mayor Boxer is squanderin’ our city budget on hookers an’ blow instead of funnelin’ funds into urgent public safety works that Hathian Construction is supposed to be pickin’ up an’ carryin’ out! A person I consulted with about goin’ up against the Mayor told me not to; said it would be ill advised, I’d be rockin’ the boat. Makin’ enemies. But I could not care less. We–the Labor Union/Hathian Construction, have nothin’ to lose! We’ve not been given anythin’ to begin with! Mayor Boxer swallows up any budget we might be allocated. An’ then you get things goin’ wrong or broken around the city–like the Hathian Theater collapse. I wouldn’t say I was responsible–or the FDH–that one is on the mayor squarely. I have just filled this position as of about two months ago an’ there’s a lot that needs to be done but my petitionin’ the mayor an’ city hall has not gotten me anywhere.
The only way I personally get to carry out work an’ provide construction for my crew, the men an’ women I pick for work as a general contractor–is through private contracts. I use my own company–Ferrer Construction– to reconstruct private businesses an’ residential spaces. I provide flood-assessment an’ fire restoration.”
Obsv: “Are you allowed to possess your own company? Isn’t that in violation of the regulations, considering you may pass on public contracts to your own company?”
N.F: “It would be if I was gettin’ the fuckin’ public contracts to begin with, right? Besides–I keep my company separate an’ its all transparent. You can see I haven’t executed government contracts under MY company. With Hathian Construction–be it roads, potholes, signage, lighting, sewage, whatever, that’s what would fall under it but of course, the city fails public safety because, again, Mayor Boxer needs to lay off the coke binges an’ his whack sexcapades. “
Obsv: “It’s hard to argue with that, considering the derelict condition of our city. How do you believe going to the press will help in any way?”
N.F: “By applyin’ pressure to Mayor Boxer. An’ by lettin’ the public know that the department is really tryin’ to work but we have so many limitations in terms of fundin’ an’ resources. The Labor Union has been generally speakin’, a quiet presence in the city, but I am willin’ to be outspoken. I know public safety works need to be executed, that we could plan our city better too an’ carry out works to benefit it but we’re bein’ held hostage by one man’s appetite for his vices. Him an’ his team, I should say. If we can move this corrupt element out of our local government, we might see things change. But until then, you can expect things like the Hathian Theater to happen. I could go visit buildings an’ inspect them to see if they’re up to code an’ secure but unless there’s money in the budget, we cannot do much other than tell them to pay out from their own pockets, or if it’s a public property, leave it in the hands of God an’ nature.”
Obsrv: “You were working with the Fire Department on the theater collapse. Do you have any comment to make about it–such as the HPD, HGH, and FDH involvement?”
N.F: “Nothin’ other than everyone played their part an’ did their best. I worked alongside the best crew I’ve ever worked with before, at the FDH. We worked tirelessly to extricate fifteen people an’ remove four that unfortunately lost their lives. We were able to get the majority of people out an’ rush them to emergency care. That’s all I’ll say about it barring that the buildin’ collapse itself should have been investigated by somebody deeply immersed in construction. I don’t mind if I wasn’t called on by the HPD personally to assist, since I don’t know whether they would’ve been wanting a particular narrative to spin, but they also could have reached out since I am a leading part of construction in the city, privately, publicly, an’ in the relevant department to carry such an inspection out.”
N.F: “Nothin’ other than everyone played their part an’ did their best. I worked alongside the best crew I’ve ever worked with before, at the FDH. We worked tirelessly to extricate fifteen people an’ remove four that unfortunately lost their lives. We were able to get the majority of people out an’ rush them to emergency care. That’s all I’ll say about it barring that the buildin’ collapse itself should have been investigated by somebody deeply immersed in construction. I don’t mind if I wasn’t called on by the HPD personally to assist, since I don’t know whether they would’ve been wanting a particular narrative to spin, but they also could have reached out since I am a leading part of construction in the city, privately, publicly, an’ in the relevant department to carry such an inspection out.”
Obsrv: “How do you balance your roles and responsibilities between work at the Fire Department and at the Labor Union/H.Construction?”
N.F: “I get asked this question sometimes. I have four days on an’ four days off within the fire department. I’m able to work at both jobs an’ am better for bein’ a firefighter since I work with materials, know their tensile strengths an’ weaknesses an’ flammability points. I also understand buildings better an’ the safety aspects so my jobs really enrich each other an’ reinforce one another. I’m very design an’ technically oriented an’ I really enjoy both professions. It’s an adrenalin rush headin’ into a fire an’ rescuin’ people or puttin’ one out, an’ there’s a lot more science to it than people imagine. An’ then with construction, it’s really satisfyin’ to build or create somethin’. I also enjoy makin’ people’s buildings better, function well for them.”
Obsrv: “Thank you for taking the time out to talk to us, we hope to hear back from the Mayor and city council but we tried reaching out to him over this article and he had no comment.”
N.F: “Figures. Maybe we need to hold an election…or failin’ that, install an AI model Mayor. I’m kiddin’—don’t take me serious on that.”
With the city gradually recovering yet still reeling from hurricane Ruth, Nathan ‘Nate’ Ferrer seems to have decided that the time to strike while the iron is hot by speaking out against Hathian’s mayor and city council. And it would appear that Mayor Boxer is still evading being ‘boxed’ in, to be held accountable for anything city related.
Will the public receive any word from the mayor and city council, or will things be swept under the potholed roads as is customary?
