Unpaid holidays will likely be the first pinch Dekalb County employees will feel from the county’s $84 million deficit.
The county commission is proposing to stop paying employees on eight holidays, including Washington’s birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Christmas.
The move will save the county about $8 million, Commissioner Kathie Gannon said.
The commission will vote on the proposal Feb. 9. The commission is also considering furloughs and an early retirement program to trim next year’s budget.
Click here for Megan Matteucci's AJC article
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
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37 comments:
Bent over with No LUBE....Hey Clark Griswold looks like Uncle Eddie is gonna make more money than you this year...This just in Dekalb County employees have gone on strike due to Frivolous spending by the B.O.C.
How about a new article. Title it: DeKalb Eliminates unearned, over inflated salaries to thieves in their commission.
That's about the only way to fix these problems. Get rid of the over paid thieves that are running this place into the ground. Let's also get rid of all the unnecessary B.S. positions. We all know what they are and who holds them. If you are afraid of that thought, then you are part of the problem and are not needed here!!!
What a joke. The only paid holidays are going to be New Years and M.L.K. I would think to most people that Christmas, Thanksgiving or Independence Day are more important holidays than the ones they wanna keep but it is Dekalb County.
Ok so correct me if I"m wrong. I see 6 checks at 10% reduction and 1 week at 20% reduction (the two for thanksgiving fall on same pay period). This assuming they do the so called unpaid holiday like last time. Plus some furlough days, fun fun fun!!
Lord, help us alll...... this is ridiculous
To the above Anon poster, they are eliminating the remaining holidays. Hard to eliminate New Years and MLK when they have already passed.
To the above Anon poster, they are eliminating the remaining holidays. Hard to eliminate New Years and MLK when they have already passed.
Different topic. Seems CID is required to get taser but detectives will not be issued tasers. Instead they'll be issued two per unit to be signed out for extra jobs. Didn't the Chief tell the commissioners that everyone below the rank of Lt would get a taser? Uniform, and CID, Lieutenants have to take the taser class but don't get taser because they aren't issued tasers. If I'm not getting issued a taser, I shouldn't be taser. And what if more than two people are working a part time? The policy manual also says tasers will be issued to people who routinely handle prisoners. Do you have any idea how many prisoners I transport to court per week? This is ridicoulous!
Different topic. Seems CID is required to get taser but detectives will not be issued tasers. Instead they'll be issued two per unit to be signed out for extra jobs. Didn't the Chief tell the commissioners that everyone below the rank of Lt would get a taser? Uniform, and CID, Lieutenants have to take the taser class but don't get taser because they aren't issued tasers. If I'm not getting issued a taser, I shouldn't be taser. And what if more than two people are working a part time? The policy manual also says tasers will be issued to people who routinely handle prisoners. Do you have any idea how many prisoners I transport to court per week? This is ridicoulous!
How very typical of our county commissioners to avoid a tax increase by screwing the employees. I hope the citizens realize that they are still going to pay in the long run. They may avoid the tax increase this year but when all of the good workers are run off they will see the quility of their service tank.
they keep this shit up Pinelake officers will be making more than us
Question to discuss - Rumor has it a certain Asst/Deputy Chief are considering 5/2 work week for uniform division? I hear this will be a real bad moral issue if this happens and cause further financial hardships for some officers. Can this be topic be added for us to discuss on the blog. The pro's and con's!
I did the numbers and it appears to be about a 3 1/2 percent cut in pay.
The sad thing is that this only the beginning for seriously hard times for county rank and file employees. I truly feel for you because, not only are the commissioners going to cut your pay, 3 1/4 percent, they are going to give you a few more unpaid furloughs so you will probably end up with 5 percent less than you did last year. I have no idea what you guys make, but for myself, I make about 20 grand less than my contemporaries in neighboring counties.
This was a decision made by the successive administrations to simply not give any cost of living increases, flawed pay-studies using unrepresentative model counties to adjust or not adjust our pay. When the times were good our pay did not inflate as they did with our neighboring counties. When the times are bad we take paycuts and furloughs and yes some of us will get canned before this is all over with.
If the BOC maintains the same cycle of no pay raises when times are good and paycuts when the times are bad, you severely limit you pool of qualified and competent recruits for employment generating additional waste and inefficiency in government. The use of employee benefits and salaries as a pool of available revenue to be used for political advantage results in poor morale and a higher turnover of employees.
Now to bring a little research to the matter I Binged on "unpaid holiday" to get a better understanding of the history of the practice and I only got four good "hits" over the last two years. (cont)
You better believe this you start cutting my holidays like that, then its warnings every day, If I can't get my holidays then you I guess the county is not getting there money, two can play that game. Another thing no holiday, well guess you won't catch me working.
(cont)
And they were Pheonix, AZ, four unpaid holidays, Charleston County, SC 1 day, Fulton County, GA Discussion of unpaid holidays, nothing approved (last November 29 after DeKalb had already initiated 2 unpaid holidays) and then the current DeKalb County proposal of eight unpaid holidays.
So why does the commissioners treat DeKalb employees so badly?
No one is going to like this but the truth is that the BOC collectively thinks DeKalb employees are overpaid, incompetent and lazy.
For all of us to put up with this, we must all be stupid too.
Sometimes some sacrifice is necessary for the greater good of all. Last year was pushing it. This crap proposed is over the top. I've busted my ass and put my life on the line willingly for DeKalb County and for each year I hang on, the worse it gets. The BOC just keeps on taking from us so they can avoid a measely 1.86 mil increase to the taxpayers. I guess public safety is no longer a priority for the bulk of DeKalb's citizens and visitors.
So, go ahead BOC and Mr. Ellis and do this crap. I get it--do unto others as you would have do unto you. I promise you...you will get what you are paying for. NOT MUCH AT ALL!!!
TO ALL DEKALB EMPLOYEES: If these proposals take effect, then we all need to do a work stoppage. Are we clear? Public works and all its departments, make it "work" not so well. Public safety, protect the public but forget the rest. The citizens will either not care or they will put some SERIOUS heat on the elected officials. I bet a mil increase won't look so unattractive anymore considering potential alternative results.
So, no paid holidays. Hmmm... But, federal law does require hourly paid employees to be paid double-time if they are required to work on a holiday. So be it.
Someone correct me if I am wrong...
We need to start complaining loudly to the Feds. This is really getting out of hand.
WHAT a sick game these disgusting politicians are playing. And oh by the way - I hope this doesn't divert any attention away from the fact that Sharon Barnes-Sutton doesn't deserve to be on the commission.
I'm not a County employee. I can't afford a tax increase, but you're lookin' in all the wrong places ya'll. You must KNOW that the thugs who take advantage of us every minute of every day are delighting in this kind of news. How dare you.
GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD and GET CREATIVE and REAL. Even IF you come up with a better idea, this emotional turmoil is worthy of a "NO" vote at the next election - I don't care WHAT kind of schlub is running against you. I hope you're losing sleep over this. I want you ALL gone.
Maybe a Blue Flu...I bet they would pay us for our work then.
Don't forget that CEO Ellis wants a 13 percent INCREASE for his office. he keeps adding administrators, like the incredibly ARROGANT and unimpressive Jabari Sims.
Better than getting laid off!!!
To Anonymous who says, "Better than getting laid off!!!" Just a job for you, huh? You must not be dedicated and career-minded. Yeh, I guess you're right. Careers take heart. Jobs just enough effort to get things done. So, we should tolerate this incompetent leaders and continue to settle? The citizens should continue to settle? I don't think so and I would like to think neither do the citizens.
The elected CEO and Commissioners won't be taking a pay cut since their pay is dictated by the state.
A 1.86 mill increase has no or negligible effect on your taxes if your property appraisal value went down. You are receiving the same police protection and other county services as last year and the year before, why should your taxes go down just because the value on your house has gone down (in theory)?
check this out..http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-eyes-unpaid-holidays-289128.html..they talking about no benefits..what
Food for thought….while listening to the commissioners meeting today I am pretty certain I heard Commissioner Johnson throwing out another possibility for them to deal with cutting back. Do yourself a favor and watch it to make sure I am not misunderstanding this. It goes something like this. If you earn more $, then you will possibly have to take more of a reduction in your salary. (over achievers beware). In other words, instead of a pay cut of say 5% across the board for everyone, it would go like this: If you earn 40K per year, maybe you should only have a 2% pay cut – but if you make 75K per year, well you should have to shoulder more of the burden and take an 8% pay cut. My example, not his.
More ways to punish the folks who strive to achieve more or better. Don’t you just love Dems. This is my interpretation of what I saw - feel free to watch and make up your own mind.
To: "Better than getting laid off!!!"
Laid-Off is coming, trust me.....stay tuned!!!
BLUE FLU! BLU FLU! BLUE FLU!
news flash. everywhere is hurting. jobs are scare. do i like it no? but i have a job. its cold out there, trust me.
"Better than getting laid off!" is part of the problem here. The culture in the Dekalb County government is to brow beat its employees so much that they believe that this is as good as they can get. That may have been true thirty years ago when Dekalb was on top, but not any more. I am a highly trained law enforcement professional, with ALOT of police experience, and a clean record. I WILL find another agency that recognizes my worth. The only thing that has kept me here is the promise of a good retirement and decent benefits. Once that is gone I have no reason to stay and be mistreated by this place any longer.
It was not that long ago that the county was paying middle seniority MPO's bonus money every month to stop the attrition. Now that jobs have become scarce the county had gone back to its old ways of screwing the workers.
CEO Ellis and County Commissioners mark my words. The economy will not be bad forever. When things turn back around you will see people leaving this police department like never before. It will really be a crisis because you will have already gotten rid of most of the old timers with early retirements. In another five to eight years there be hardly anyone left in the department who has more than ten years of experience.
BLUE FLU! BLUE FLU! BLUE FLU!!!!!
Well kids....so much for the swimming pool I was gonna put it when the ground thawed out. The holidays seem hooter I mean hotter than they are.
Any truth to the rumor about the county not paying their portion of our Health Benefits anymore?......
No Paid Holidays. You pay the entire amount for your medical. No contribution to the retirement fund. 4 day work week for other county employees (there goes the support services for county residents). Grady will be forced into closure without funding, so there goes the only Trauma ER in the state (hope you don't get injure protecting the county that won't pay your medical program because if history is any judge they'll find a way to not pay Workman's Comp too). Face it folks - we're getting it up the rear without a kiss - and the people we're supposed to protect don't give a crap about us. (Well, the criminals and perps are loving this - going to be open season in Dekalb - and I say - go for it.) I for one will do as little as possible until I find another job. After almost 15 years here I'm looking. As soon as I find one I'm gone - no notice. That is the employee loyalty this place has given me.
Hey Mav you know the name of that truck driving school. Truck Master I think....
I will be burning as much sick time as I can to look for my other JOB.
As a supervisor I call on every officer to join in, there is strenght in numbers.
All it takes is just one sick day among us to get the citizens attention.
Maybe then when they are being robbed senselessly, and that thin blue line called POLICE arent there to protect them they will call the BOC and Mr Ellis.
Im sorry to say it but it's time for a tax increase to maintain the service there getting.
I hate higher taxes as well but have paid for my protection.
A BLU FLU IS IN ORDER PERIOD, WE ARE GETTING HOSED AGAIN AND AGAIN.
If they force employees to shoulder the entire pension and insurance burden, people will be leaving by the masses.
This crap about the holidays and everything else needs to stop too. Leave our paychecks alone!
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