Why governments from the state level on down don't just declare an economic emergency, tear up their union contracts, and cut payroll across the board is just a mystery to me. And here's an example of why they need to do that:
Kelso cops nix pay cut; layoffs next
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The Kelso Police Association announced Tuesday it rejected the city's offerto spare three officers and one police clerk from layoffs in exchange for union members taking a 5 percent pay cut in 2011. In a show of solidarity, the city manager, police chief, police captain and police administrator even volunteered to take 5 percent pay cuts if the union would agree to trim their own salaries. But the union, comprised of the city's 28 officers and sergeants, rejected the proposal by one vote. It needed a supermajority to pass.
Tuesday night, the City Council refused to dip into the city's dwindling reserve funds to keep the four police jobs, saying the union needed to meet the city halfway and didn't.
"Unfortunately, we're in a very dire budget and we're going to have to make some dire cuts, and that's just the way it is," Councilman John Karnofski said.
"How can we go further into debt? There's just no way," said Councilman Todd
McDaniel.
Every city department was asked this fall to cut 20 percent from its proposed 2011 budget. That effort resulted in 11 layoffs citywide. The Kelso Police Department makes up more than half of the entire $7 million budget. The city has roughly $1 million in reserves.
When it became evident the council's decision was final, two of the officers doomed for layoffs walked out of the room with tears in their eyes.
The layoffs of officers Aaron Marthaller, Sarah Hoffman and Phil Weismuller go into effect Dec. 31. The police chief has yet to choose which clerk will be laid off, City Manager Denny Richards said.
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Kelso cops nix pay cut; layoffs next
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In a show of solidarity, the city manager, police chief, police captain and police administrator even volunteered to take 5 percent pay cuts if the union would agree to trim their own salaries. But the union, comprised of the city's 28 officers and sergeants, rejected the proposal by one vote. It needed a supermajority to pass.
Tuesday night, the City Council refused to dip into the city's dwindling reserve funds to keep the four police jobs, saying the union needed to meet the city halfway and didn't.
"Unfortunately, we're in a very dire budget and we're going to have to make some dire cuts, and that's just the way it is," Councilman John Karnofski said.
"How can we go further into debt? There's just no way," said Councilman Todd
McDaniel.
Every city department was asked this fall to cut 20 percent from its proposed 2011 budget. That effort resulted in 11 layoffs citywide. The Kelso Police Department makes up more than half of the entire $7 million budget. The city has roughly $1 million in reserves.
When it became evident the council's decision was final, two of the officers doomed for layoffs walked out of the room with tears in their eyes.
The layoffs of officers Aaron Marthaller, Sarah Hoffman and Phil Weismuller go into effect Dec. 31. The police chief has yet to choose which clerk will be laid off, City Manager Denny Richards said.
More:Now, I get why these scum failed to vote with the best interests of the people at heart: it's because this way, many of these greedy aholes will not only get to keep their pay at current levels, but they'll get a buttload of overtime as well.
Generally, I love police officers. They put their asses on the line for us every day.
But that doesn't give them the right to hold us hostage to their outrageous demands for pay and benefits while we're in the midst of this horrific recession.Government must understand: they have to act in OUR best interests... and not in the interests of their union keepers.
This is just one of the examples of the failure of government to FORCE these people to reduce their pay and benefits.
And pretty soon?
We're not going to have any choice.
And for those reading this who don't like it?
Well guess what: every cop who voted against taking a cut to save the jobs of their brother and sister officers can feel free to fricking quit. This isn't an employee market, it's an employER market. Go work somewhere else if you think you're underpaid.
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2 comments:
This was part of my testimony to the County Commissioners Wednesday, to no avail.
Unions have brought nothing but greed to the table for a long time now. They are no longer what they started out to be.
From the TDN Link that CCP provided:
"..But the union, comprised of the city's 28 officers and sergeants, rejected the proposal by one vote. It needed a supermajority to pass."
So it did not pass by ONE vote. Man that is sad that the union could not pass it.
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