Detroit Council proposing drastic cuts to various city services

[SWMAP]

I stand with St. paul who wrote that "a workman deserves his pay." And I infer that he means that the pay be just and allied with the services the workman provides to the community and the skill-set and guts it takes to provide that service as well as the relative impact of employment on life and happiness.

I know a few cops. They were young when they got into it and were idealistic boys. They saw themselves as knights. But the realities of coping with the worst of degradation, filth, inhumanity to fellow man, etc. wears idealistic young people down. It hurts their marriages and relationship with their kids. But they have a job and they do it. Many grow old and retire. And lately, in increasing numbers, many are blown away by the other side.

Firefighters also put their lives on the line [[and increasingly with poor supplies and rigs) but they have a job, years invested, certifications earned, and they do their job - even if life-long paralysis looms as it does for a recent injured young father and Detroit fire-fighter.

I contrast those services and contributions with those of run-of-the mill city employees: refuse collectors, lawn mowers, clerks in accounting, water shut-off people and meter readers - and I conclude that th police and firefighters derserve a higher pay standard and, having made already many financial give-backs, shouldn't feel compelled to make more.

And as to the really careless assertion above, that no one asked these guys to be policemen and they should go somewhere else - who exactly do you think will take their places? Who will work for low pay, no protections, with bad supplies? The City tried hiring felons once for these jobs because its pretty hard to get residents with no records - but that was a disaster.

The military is not a good comparison. As most of us know, the army is the placement of last resort for directionless young people. Detroit Fire and Police Department shouldn't try to be that.

[Islandman]

I stand with St. paul who wrote that "a workman deserves his pay." And I infer that he means that the pay be just and allied with the services the workman provides to the community and the skill-set and guts it takes to provide that service as well as the relative impact of employment on life and happiness.

I know a few cops. They were young when they got into it and were idealistic boys. They saw themselves as knights. But the realities of coping with the worst of degradation, filth, inhumanity to fellow man, etc. wears idealistic young people down. It hurts their marriages and relationship with their kids. But they have a job and they do it. Many grow old and retire. And lately, in increasing numbers, many are blown away by the other side.

Firefighters also put their lives on the line [[and increasingly with poor supplies and rigs) but they have a job, years invested, certifications earned, and they do their job - even if life-long paralysis looms as it does for a recent injured young father and Detroit fire-fighter.

I contrast those services and contributions with those of run-of-the mill city employees: refuse collectors, lawn mowers, clerks in accounting, water shut-off people and meter readers - and I conclude that th police and firefighters derserve a higher pay standard and, having made already many financial give-backs, shouldn't feel compelled to make more.

And as to the really careless assertion above, that no one asked these guys to be policemen and they should go somewhere else - who exactly do you think will take their places? Who will work for low pay, no protections, with bad supplies? The City tried hiring felons once for these jobs because its pretty hard to get residents with no records - but that was a disaster.

The military is not a good comparison. As most of us know, the army is the placement of last resort for directionless young people. Detroit Fire and Police Department shouldn't try to be that.

My assertion is not careless. My best friend is at DPD, and this is affecting him. Again, one chooses what one does for work. I'm not saying that they should pack up and leave, you misunderstand. My point is that if you just HAVE to be a firefighter or police officer, Detroit isn't the only place to do that.

Ar for your generalized statement about the military, I'll keep my comments to myself.