Putting out the fires
Time to add a little warped perspective on the warped perspective people have about the Monroe firefighters and Monroe police debate.
Those who have been following it know that the city is trying to cut about a million bucks from its public safety budget. The priority of this administration seems to be on building streets and water lines.
I think I know why. The perception is that we have worse streets and water lines than we have crime or fires.
A lot of people are being critical of firefighters particularly because SOME OF THEM are sucking down big overtime bucks. It's structural overtime really and I don't blame the firefighters. Someone on one of those funny city council shows said it once: When times were fat, no one had a problem handing out fat salaries.
What I do have a problem with is this tendency by some firefighters and, to a less degree, some police to say what a big fat favor they're doing the citizens.
I would suggest that the average cop in Monroe has a tougher job than the average firefighter, but on average is paid far less. But let's face it, when is the last time a city firefighter was killed or severly injured on duty? How about a cop? It's not like it even happens once a decade.
Just because evidence of the last major fire (which totaled the building) still exists on main street doesn't mean it happened yesterday.
There usually are two kinds of people in every work place. Those who think they're underpaid, underappreciated and highly talented and tell everyone about it and those who actually do most of the work.
In other words, I can understand those who are offended by people trying to reduce their salaries and bennies, but trying to sell a bunch of self-aggrandizing BS to preserve those salaries and bennies is just god-awful stomach-turning.
Those who have been following it know that the city is trying to cut about a million bucks from its public safety budget. The priority of this administration seems to be on building streets and water lines.
I think I know why. The perception is that we have worse streets and water lines than we have crime or fires.
A lot of people are being critical of firefighters particularly because SOME OF THEM are sucking down big overtime bucks. It's structural overtime really and I don't blame the firefighters. Someone on one of those funny city council shows said it once: When times were fat, no one had a problem handing out fat salaries.
What I do have a problem with is this tendency by some firefighters and, to a less degree, some police to say what a big fat favor they're doing the citizens.
I would suggest that the average cop in Monroe has a tougher job than the average firefighter, but on average is paid far less. But let's face it, when is the last time a city firefighter was killed or severly injured on duty? How about a cop? It's not like it even happens once a decade.
Just because evidence of the last major fire (which totaled the building) still exists on main street doesn't mean it happened yesterday.
There usually are two kinds of people in every work place. Those who think they're underpaid, underappreciated and highly talented and tell everyone about it and those who actually do most of the work.
In other words, I can understand those who are offended by people trying to reduce their salaries and bennies, but trying to sell a bunch of self-aggrandizing BS to preserve those salaries and bennies is just god-awful stomach-turning.
posted by The Observer at 6/06/2008 12:08:00 PM
2 Comments:
Observer,
Don't say I never agree with you. You hit the nail right on the head.
I never fault anyone for being unhappy when their standard of living and benefits are impacted by their employer. Threatening and grand standing pontificating on the threat to public safety is just self serving political BS. I don’t threaten the public that I am going to start compromising the quality of my work, thereby making the products I work on unsafe. I just had to buckle down and get the job done with the tools that were available for the wages and benefit that my employer would pay.
The fact that most of the Fireman and Police chose to live out in the townships where they are served by a few sheriff deputies and a volunteer fire department speaks volumes about their actual real thoughts about the correct amount of police and fire protection. That leaves their fear mongering and threats exposed for what they are, a feeble attempt to maintain their lifestyle.
There is good news for these fine employees. This is America, the land of opportunity. They are not slaves. They don't have to work for the Monroe Fire Department and Police Department. They can pursue other ways to make more if they chose.
The council needs to stay the course and keep cutting. They just voted to scale back the salaried / non union benefits package. The unions need to realize that this is the trend and accept it also. The next thing council needs to go after freezing the pensions in place and discontinuing the pension plans for new employees. The retirement for current employees are now typically handled by contributions by the employer to the employee’s 401K plan. That eliminates the threat of an underfunded pension plan and the majority of future budgets going to retiree benefits.
This council is off to a good start, but they need to keep pressing. The next round of union negotiations is critical. I don’t envy the council and management this difficult task.
Roundybout
Well said.
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