Detroit Police Commanders get bonuses as cuts hit city workers

[cla1945]

What the hell is up with this?

Bing's office said it had no choice but to hand out the raises, which were agreed upon before Bing imposed pay cuts on city workers and new 12-hour shifts on police officers last summer.

What a lame excuse for slapping the employees in the face even harder than he did the first, second and third time he has implemented pay cuts, either through salary or health premiums. What about the things that are promised in a contract Bing? What about keeping the status quo and not putting so much pressure on the street cop?

These pencil pushers that you are giving raises to are just that, pencil pushers. They sit behind their desks, polish the gold buttons on their uniforms [[which are prestine while officers on the streets have to pay $85/pair for pants if they tear theirs); these pencil pushers drive the newest cars or have drivers; they are just waiting to retire, and they don't risk a thing for beautiful DEtroit!

What could possibly be going through your mind to disrespect all of those you supposedly care about? If you're going to abide by what was "ALREADY AGREED UPON", go back to 8 hours shifts and give the officers back their hard earned pay.

You are a do nothing mayor, a talking head. The Fire Department, Police Department, and EMS have been working for almost poverty level pay, less health care, higher co-pays, bigger deductibles, and all the while they are still working and doing the best they can do for an unappreciative Mayor and Clowncil and population. I am sick to death of Bing and the other clowns who run Detroit. God help these employees because you're sure doing all you can to make their lives miserable while they are all out there, risking their lives, for a mall cop security guards pay.

$90,000 for a Police Commander? $81,000 for an Inspector? They do nothing for that money. Try letting them live on a rookie cops salary today, $32,000.

http://www.freep.com/article/2013020...text|FRONTPAGE

[Wesley Mouch]

I don't disagree with you -- but the problem isn't any one questionable decision. The problem is that we have a gigantic legacy of problems. That's why bankruptcy is the best approach. Toss EVERYTHING out. Bondholders, pensioners, salaried staff and union contracts. Then make sensible decisions on how to reassemble something that works.

I have a problem with sniping at individual decisions. An administration gets NOTHING done when every single decision is fought by some constituency for some reason.

[Motor City Sam]

I don't agree with the idea of paying bonuses to anyone in the City at this time, but it's wrong to characterize all commanders as pencil pushers who sit around doing nothing but polishing their badges. There are good commanders, and bad commanders, just like there are good street cops and bad cops.

The guys in the command jobs in the vast majority of those cases put in their time on the street. They weren't born into those command jobs.

Again, I don't agree with paying bonuses at this time. The City can't afford it, and the reasoning that is can't be avoided due to a contract is not valid. The City has asked plenty of bargaining units to re-open their contracts during this time fiscal emergency.

[cla1945]

I don't disagree with you -- but the problem isn't any one questionable decision. The problem is that we have a gigantic legacy of problems. That's why bankruptcy is the best approach. Toss EVERYTHING out. Bondholders, pensioners, salaried staff and union contracts. Then make sensible decisions on how to reassemble something that works.

I have a problem with sniping at individual decisions. An administration gets NOTHING done when every single decision is fought by some constituency for some reason.

I understand what you are saying, however; this individual decision that Bing made is unconscionable. The individual decisions by KK to steal, rape and pillage Detroit was unconscionable. The individual decisions of some of those who are in power in Detroit have turned it into what it is today.

Don't touch the pension that I worked 35 years to accumulate, Detroit owes that to me and thousands like me. Don't penalize employees who are working hard for Detroit without much guidance or equipment. Don't break union contracts or get rid of salaried staff if they are productive and not pilfering millions of dollars like the fat at the top has been doing for years and is continuing to do today.

[313WX]

WEll then cla, what else do you propose we do to fix Detroit's budget problems?

Punish the taxpayers like myself who sign your checks with MORE cuts to our already unacceptable services? Cut them any more and there won't be any more taxpayers remaining to sign your check.

[Meddle]

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...ontinue-in-DPD

[illwill]

cla1945 & 313wx-

This is not a Detroit problem, this is an american problem that we're alldealing with. And before all the arm chair political pundits start yapping, theproblem began long before President Barack Obama was elected.

[313WX]

illwill,

At this time, only Detroit is goine broke [[we can't print money or borrow it from other countries) and bleeding people/taxpayers at a rapid pace, not America.

We can argue all day about Detroit being the canary in the coal mine in terms of America's demise, but as it stands now that is neither here nor there.

[cla1945]

WEll then cla, what else do you propose we do to fix Detroit's budget problems?

Punish the taxpayers like myself who sign your checks with MORE cuts to our already unacceptable services? Cut them any more and there won't be any more taxpayers remaining to sign your check.

313WX, I paid taxes in Detroit, too; so the line that I and many others heard about "I pay your salary, you work for me", is old. If you live in Detroit, you have been punished by the corruption in the City, not by the average city worker. When people voted KK into office for a second term, already knowing he was the biggest crook, they signed the death warrent for Detroit. Bing is now perputating it.

My suggestion is, and always will be, start trimming at the top. Get rid of the fat that is draining the City dry. Get rid of those who are not doing their jobs and getting paid high wages. You know and I know that the waste within the CAY building is a shame. We all know that money is spent foolishly, no one knows who is getting it, no one follows up on anything, some are just blindly moving along, staying unnoticeable until they can retire or are unappointed.
It's high time to hold everyone accountable in what they do for Detroit.

I had to answer to a Chief, he had to answer to a Commander, the Commander had to answer to the Mayor. Now, no one has to answer to anyone and the only way something is found out is when a reporter gets wind of it. In all my years of retirement, I have had to call down to the Benefits office on a few occasions. They never answer the phones, the voicemails are always full so you can't leave a message; if you write a letter, no reply. I have had to go down 3 times to get something straightened out and no one will give me their names. These are people that are sitting behind a desk, filing their nails, eating, sleeping, or not there...these are the ones who need to go and let someone else do the job properly. If you've never worked for the CofD, there is no way you'd know what I'm talking about. It wasn't always like that either...back in my day, and others, you did your job correctly, you cared about the public, you were conscientious and had a sense of integrity....a big thing missing today.

I drove by the Manoogian Mansion today. Two, shiny, clean, brand new Crown Vics were in the driveway waiting for someone to use them. The cops downtown are driving cars that are 10 years old, sirens don't work, computers don't work, seats covered with plastic garbage bags, and one with an uncovered rim for a steering wheel because someone pulled the leather covering off of it...why should a cop who is out there every day serving and protecting drive a piece of shit like that while brand new cars sit empty in Bings driveway? The workers are not to blame.

313, I ranted and I'm sorry.

[cla1945]

illwill,

At this time, only Detroit is goine broke [[we can't print money or borrow it from other countries) and bleeding people/taxpayers at a rapid pace, not America.

We can argue all day about Detroit being the canary in the coal mine in terms of America's demise, but as it stands now that is neither here nor there.

I agree 313.

[313WX]

cla, your rant is fine and understable. I also agree with you about cutting and restructuring from the top first.

However, here's the elephant in the room. How much would cutting at the top really save the city? Half of the city's budget is dedicated strictly to debt service. The majority of the remaindner of that [[which is pittance to compairson to what we should be spending) goes to public safety, or Fire and Police protection. Until that is addressed [[and yes, I'm aware most of that debt service is to pensioners and retirees), Detroit's financial crisis will never be fixed.

What will happen instead is, austerity will be imposed while Detroit's debt load continues to increase due to rising health care costs AND more workers retiring from the city. Because of the austerity being imposed, more taxpaying will flee because they're sick of their homes burning down to the ground or their children dying in fires because a fire truck and EMS can't get there in a reasonable time. 10 years later, Detroit's debt would have exploded even higher,revenue would have plummeted even lower and the city will be crying broke again.

Furthermore, let's be real, no Moyor, Concil or EM is going to voluntarily cut their private cars and security, let alone cut their pay. It's going to have a take a very liberal BK judge [[I say very liberal because at least he/she will have SOME sympathy for the unions and will be more open to cutting the fat at the top first) who can't control their own pay [[since they won't be on the city's payroll) to come in and sort it all out.

[corktownyuppie]

There was an article in the Detroit News about what Emergency Management could look like:

-Declare Default on all municipal debt
-Business owners pay 20% surcharge on all revenue
-All city services to be serviced at the lowest cost possible, public or private

In other words, everyone is gonna take a hit. And it wasn't listed there, but I'd put pensioners up there with municipal debt. Whether its bankruptcy or EM, this is what's coming.

But just think...the result of it in the long run will be better services and a healthier economy for everyone.

That's why bankruptcy is the best approach. Toss EVERYTHING out. Bondholders, pensioners, salaried staff and union contracts. Then make sensible decisions on how to reassemble something that works.

Exactly. "What works" is the #1 and only criteria for what changes need to come down.

[313WX]

There was an article in the Detroit News about what Emergency Management could look like:

-Declare Default on all municipal debt
-Business owners pay 20% surcharge on all revenue
-All city services to be serviced at the lowest cost possible, public or private

In other words, everyone is gonna take a hit. And it wasn't listed there, but I'd put pensioners up there with municipal debt. Whether its bankruptcy or EM, this is what's coming.

But just think...the result of it in the long run will be better services and a healthier economy for everyone.



Exactly. "What works" is the #1 and only criteria for what changes need to come down. [/COLOR]

In reality, an EM would never do that. The banks Detroit sold these bonds to aren't bond by Michigan's state law, and you better believe the lawsuits would be flying immediately once the EM supposedly declares that the city defaults on the debt.

Furthermore, according to the Michigan constitution, all pension obligation must be met, no exceptions. So more lawsuits would be coming from them as well.

So, the only legal way the debt can be discharged is through bankruptcy.

[cla1945]

cla, your rant is fine and understable. I also agree with you about cutting and restructuring from the top first.

However, here's the elephant in the room. How much would cutting at the top really save the city? Half of the city's budget is dedicated strictly to debt service. The majority of the remaindner of that [[which is pittance to compairson to what we should be spending) goes to public safety, or Fire and Police protection. Until that is addressed [[and yes, I'm aware most of that debt service is to pensioners and retirees), Detroit's financial crisis will never be fixed.

What will happen instead is, austerity will be imposed while Detroit's debt load continues to increase due to rising health care costs AND more workers retiring from the city. Because of the austerity being imposed, more taxpaying will flee because they're sick of their homes burning down to the ground or their children dying in fires because a fire truck and EMS can't get there in a reasonable time. 10 years later, Detroit's debt would have exploded even higher,revenue would have plummeted even lower and the city will be crying broke again.

Furthermore, let's be real, no Moyor, Concil or EM is going to voluntarily cut their private cars and security, let alone cut their pay. It's going to have a take a very liberal BK judge [[I say very liberal because at least he/she will have SOME sympathy for the unions and will be more open to cutting the fat at the top first) who can't control their own pay [[since they won't be on the city's payroll) to come in and sort it all out.

I guess we'll just have to let the chips fall where they may and hope for the best in this situation. I feel for the employees who have been diligently working, through the paycuts, the higher health care premiums, the antiquated equipment and no support from the Mayor. Maybe my grandchildren will someday see Detroit become the City it once was, but I sure know it won't happen in my lifetime.

Incidentally, after driving down to the Manoogian Mansion, I drove through my old neighborhood, Harding, Montclair, Lemay, Vernor, Kercheval; then over to Beaconsfield, Nottingham, Outer Drive. It's unbelieveable to see. Total, mass carnage of once beautiful homes. It all looks like Beirut probably looked after being bombed. No tax base there, no residents, a wasteland. Detroit can't survive if this infection continues, it's like a flesh eating disease slowly creeping throughout the entire City.