Another year, not much change

After a long sabbatical in another country, I return to find the city of Monroe and the county too in the same sad situation as when I left: Too much service, not enough money.
Now it looks like the city is getting ready to cut closer to the bone and one of the casualties again will be the fire department, and probably its ambulance service.
For most residents who don't have fires or medical emergencies -- and that means most everyone who lives in the city -- the shrinkage of these services probably will hardly be noticed. For those unfortunate enough to have a heart attack, it might mean a matter of life or death. But even those of us who don't think we'll be affected will be affected, especially if insurance rating services downgrade the city's fire protection status because of fewer firefighting personnel. That will translate into higher property insurance rates for most people. It means that despite city budget cutting, citizens will end up paying more out of pocket because of less fire protection. The taxpayers get screwed again. Like I said, not much has changed.

Hosing the firefighters

There's been more rumors than info in the spat over the city firefighters contract.
I can see the logic on both sides of the argument, but nobody's going to win in this one. Too bad. It doesn't have to be that way.
Let's pretend the firefighters aren't involved and the city isn't Monroe.
Basically what we have is an employer with a collective bargaining agreement who doesn't think he has enough money to pay all his employees at the going rate. The choice is either to cut staff selectively or cut pay across the board.
If the employees were bargaining for a new contract, this would be fully understandable. Each side postures so in the end they both feel like they won something even though they also might have given up something.
I'm not defending the firefighters or the city.
The problem is that regardless of how greedy or overpaid anyone thinks the firefighters are, THE CITY AGREED TO THE CURRENT CONTRACT ABOUT NINE MONTHS AGO AND IT'S A MULTIYEAR CONTRACT.
Seems to me that everyone in the city knew finances were about to get tighter but at the time the contract with the firefighters was a good idea because of the precedents it set.
Now suddenly it's not a good idea anymore because the city suddenly can't afford it.
Given the city's decision to force a contract on the disorganized COMEA union, it seems like they're getting advice from a professional union-buster.
The union-buster, Jim Green, is accountable to no one. His job is to go around the state and try to screw public employee unions. Every public employer knows he will try to do that in good times or bad. (He had a traumatic experience during a Labor Day parade as a youth).
With the present state of the economy, it's a fine time for him and others like him to do their work. If you're unemployed and paying taxes, you kind of resent seeing your tax bill go up and someone still working who makes more than you do.
It really doesn't matter if that person is a firefighter or not, its just human nature.
Suppose some firefighters are fat, lazy, overpaid and bleed the city for overtime pay.
There are employees like that in any organization.
The problem is that by listening to a behind-the-scenes manipulator who appeals to their baser instincts, the city leadership is undercutting the collective bargaining process that has existed in the city for years, whether times were good or bad. Someone like mayor Mark Worrell, who seems to be a likeable and fair-minded guy, was a teacher represented by the teacher's union. Even if he didn't believe he should have been represented by a union, he probably took the pay raises the union negotiated and probably would be upset if someone wanted to reopen his contract.
Yet that's what he's condoning in these "talks" with the firefighters.
Here's what he and council should do. They should stick with the terms of the contract that they bargained for and signed in good faith and work on developing the framework for the next contract. Maintain the integrity of the collective bargaining process because no matter what fancy lawyer might advise them to the contrary, they have a signed and enforceable current legal contract with the firefighters.
This process could cost the city far more, namely distrust of city council (any city council) on the part of all city employees, unionized or not.
To suggest that easier and less high profile cuts can't be found elsewhere in the city is a joke. The city fire department is not the only big waste of money in the city of Monroe and might not be the biggest waste by a long shot.
Besides that, paybacks are hell. Either the city will find itself with a big liability problem due to staffing cuts or come election time what's left of big labor will light a fire under the seat of the present council. If they hang together now, they'll all hang together later.

That was rude, whatsyourname!

If you didn't catch it, there's a choice bit of citizen comment that occurred during the last Monroe City Council meeting.
It seems a certain city firefighter sympathizer thought she'd give Ed Paisley his comeuppance for rebuffing her outside the council chambers before the meeting Monday. She publicly issued a mini-rant for his rudeness. After she was done, Councilman Bob Clark confessed that it was he that she had the encounter with, not Paisley.
Nevermind.
Not that Paisley doesn't deserve to be reamed every so often.

Speaking of cutting fat...

Some on the city council should cut off their own heads, if they can find them. Because it was a fathead move to allow open burning in the city.
Aim to reduce fire department staffing and allow open burning on a case by case basis?
Isn't this like letting the fireworks store clerk take a smoking break -- in the store!
Luckily, the city doesn't have a substantial elderly population that might suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems.
Luckily most housing in the city isn't old wood-frame stock on small lots.
Luckily we've never had water pressure problems anywhere in the city.
Luckily we might soon have one less fire station.
Luckily no one ever asks whether the city's fire insurance rating might go up because of all of this, meaning homeowners will end up paying higher insurance rates.
Luckily council terms are usually only two years.

Fireman save my child? Fat chance.

In case you missed it, Monroe city firefighters and their sympathizers from some other fire departments had an informational picket outside city hall before Monday night's city council meeting.
As I said before, some of my best friends are firefighters, but some of my best friends' co-workers appear to be horribly out of shape. The group picketing all wore bright yellow t-shirts. It looked like a Big Bird convention. I recognized some of the fittest as guys I know and respect. I didn't realize a lot of others were in such sad shape. Or whether they even were firefighrers. I'm just glad they all know CPR. My question is whether the city has any liability if one of these guys croaks on the job. Are REGULAR annual or semi-annual fitness tests required? Do they regularly have stress tests? Or were most of those guys just a bunch of fat friends walking the line? It was a horrible advertisement for fitness-for-duty. I can't imagine some of these guys carrying someone out of a burning house. If the city wants to negotiate something meaningful into the NEXT contract, maybe they should consider stiffening the physical fitness/body mass index requirements.
Talk about trimming the fat in the department. It's pretty obvious where they could start (if those guys were firefighters).

Yelling fire in a crowded theater

Let's get this straight. I admire firefighters. I don't think employee groups should have contracts forced on them.
But ... having said that. I hate the idea that some people associated with the City of Monroe's firefighter's union is trying to use scare tactics to turn public opinion against the pikers on city council.
I mean, really. If you think you're worth what you're being paid. Or worth more than you're being paid, go with that argument.
Don't tell me that firefighters save lives, not budget cuts.
In Monroe, ALS paramedics save lives.
I can't remember the last time anyone's life was saved from a fire in Monroe by a firefighter.
If I ruled the world, I would get rid of the current fire operation, run only an ambulance service and field a paid on call RESIDENT fire department. Offer subsidized firefighter training and put monitors in their homes.
For the small city area to be covered, it would probably be as good or better coverage than the departments in Frenchtown or Monroetown.
If everybody else can make wild-assed claims, so can I.

Just my opinion

This is just a general comment.
Don't anyone take it personally.
But I just have to get this off my chest.
Let's say you figure life has dealt you a raw deal.
Maybe you can't get along with your boss at work.
Or maybe you have a drinking problem.
Deal with it.
Or seek help.
Don't take it out on your family.
If you can't stand your family, get out.
If you can't stand yourself, do something about it.
Even if all of a sudden you hate someone's guts, remove yourself from the situation. Don't do something stupid or rash that might hurt someone dear to you and make you appear like a monster to your friends and neighbors.
If you can't deal with issues in your life appropriately, seek help.
Just don't get violent or physically abusive with your family, your dog, your other relatives.
It's stupid.
But most of all ... it's wrong.

Walking the talk

It was interesting to see a certain councilman talk about how the city needs to be more business friendly.
This came on the heels of a decision to grant a tax break to Fedco in Monroe. It was a 12-year tax break. Not too long ago, certain members of the city thought 12 years was too long. They figured six years would be more appropriate. Of course, when the opportunity arose to try to recapture tax breaks granted to ACH, the city council opted not to. That probably was because the city was so business friendly, it had overassessed the auto parts plant and owed it a fat refund.
Word is that another city taxpayer is locked in an assessment battle that might end up the same way.
Anyway, the ironic thing about wanting to be business friendly is that the city only recently was unable to control a bunch of harpies who are supposedly pro-business -- they serve on the DDA -- and they decided to raise such a stink about a proposed geriatric center that they scared away a $3 million investment in downtown Monroe. Something about a lack of parking that would result.
What a joke. At times like these, some in the city really show their true colors.
It's not about the greater good at all. It's all about what's in it for me.
Business friendly my ass.