The commissioners are voting today to furlough us 4 days before the end of the year.
Also on the agenda is discussion about our health and dental benefits.
Stay tuned
Click here for agenda.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
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27 comments:
Well I guess we will see if our ticket quest will continue, or if we have been heard!
Either way we can continue if necessary.
The power is in UNITY! History has proven time and Time Again that "POWER" is in numbers! Since down here (south of the Mason-Dixon line" the word UNION is heavily frowned upon, we need to find some other way to band together! This Ticket revolt will only last but for so long! We need a stronger UNION (in it's simplicity)! We need to find a way our voices can be heard beside bit*hing on a Fu*king cyber site! Other then that, they are going to do WHAT they want WHEN they want and HOW they want!
They count on our integerty not to Blue Flu. We can't count on their integerty because there is none there.
Bend over and hold the position for another year...the rape continues, even with Burrells measley 1% suggestion of a pay raise, remember it was just a suggestion...how many years has it been since we've all had a raise? oh and by the way, the commitee that is investigating weather or not the 12 hour shifts is gonna work, have already made up their minds....prepare to never work J2 again and never see your famlies, it sounds as though they've already made up their minds....going 10-42 for the remainder this place is a disgrace for law enforcement the laughing stock of Atlanta other than Clayton County, Burrell must be proud his County is only the 2nd sh*ttiest place to live or work, give yourself a pat on the back...
As for the morale pole I think we forgot to thank Wiz Miller and his assistant for voting. Most of you probably noticed that their two votes were recorded. Glad Wiz is making public safety better each and every day.
We have a strong voice that has been representing us. The FOP and Sgt. Wiggins is that voice. Join the FOB.....give them the numbers that will give us a UNITED FRONT.
They did approve furlough days. How it shakes out though will tell the "rest of the story". Chief O'Brien commented that it will be a bit of a logistical can of worms trying to schedule those days, given the late date in the year. They'll have to start "almost immediately". At least you will have the discretion to enjoy the day off however you choose, even if you may not have complete flexibility as to when it's taken off (as in clumped together with other days off - as the Chief said, if you have 2 days off, you may then come back to work for 1, then have to take the furlough day after that). The other issue I heard is that capital expenditures may have to be reduced. Hope this doesn't cause you worse problems where equipment is concerned!
Good luck guys - I think your fight is long from over, despite the progress made today.
The commissioners are just selfish, lazy sacks of shit who don't care about us. They claim there isn't money in the budget. When it came to their people though, they took the time to move things around in their own budgets so they could provide their people with raises. Why can't they can't make the same effort with the county budget for us? Why not cut some services, like the Crisis Center? Sell off some county land and buildings? Guess the ticket strike shall continue!
Well atleast we wont be working for free anymore.
Although the BOC has missed the point, we want our pay back. If theres money for staff raises, then damn it theres money for our pay.
Lets see how much longer they want the ticket strike to last. Hell I dont care myself, an honest days pay, for a honest days work.
And FYI stop telling me " Be thankfull you have a job", hell you be thankfull "you" have a job I dont wanna be anylonger, I want to slap the crap outa someone
Checking other departments as this unfolds.
Veteran with more than 5 years.
We won! We won! Yeah baby! Wait until you bitches see what I buy with all that money coming back to my paycheck!
What? What was that? What did you say? We're still getting furloughed and not getting paid what we deserve? We still aren't getting raises? Aw shit! Guess we won't be writing tickets anytime soon!
Yep 6:41 - that's my point. At least you're not working for free, and although it's a start, this move doesn't come close to solving the problem yet.
And by the way, it was Rader who brought up the capital expenditure issue. The additional costs involved in giving furloughs (i.e., officers working OT to cover for those who are off so that the same level of service can be achieved), must be offset somewhere else, if current expectations of coming in under budget are to be met. I don't really understand all this bull - wish someone would explain it to me. It seemed so dam easy to come up with the 150K for Edwards and Barker.
I'm gonna join Ethel's husband in a drink.
Peace be with you -
The county says were broke but yet they got all this federal money coming in giving out money for quiting fired and now Dekalb get two million for residents to lose fat. This down right crazy. You can kiss my A&@$ I refuse to give This county any more satisfaction warnings all the way no more
At least now the "pain" is shared by the county. Atlanta did furloughs, real furloughs, and the citizen screamed...
The citizens spoke up in Atlanta and told their representatives to make the cuts elsewhere, we NEED first responders at regular levels.
As it was, the county did not share the pain....they still go served at the same level. PD and Fire shouldered the burden.
Now Dekalb will see reduced staffing and will "share the pain". If the pain is too much, they'll tell the bums on the BOC to get off their collective asses and come up with REAL cuts.
I'll give it a chance and start writing tickets again.... three months from now may be a different story.
I think the commissioners believe we are too stupid to realize that we are only gaining time they were STEALING from us to begin with. I'm not writing another ticket until this furlough B.S. ends.
I hope all of the command staff enjoy their fat salaries. The pay freeze that we are enduring now will affect our salaries for the rest of our careers. Even if I make the rank of captain, major, or even chief I will never be making as much as the people who hold those ranks now.
Look I'm a realist and understood the need for furlough days. I don't like it and think it's county mismanagement that caused it but that's the way it goes.
I agreed with the ticket slow down to make a point. I think the point has been made. Now listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. If we continue to not write tickets what do YOU think the end result will be? Do you think the county will be bullied and just let this go. Understand something, the county can cut even farther if they need to. They can permanently reduce your salary. They can take away sick leave accrual and vacation accrual. They can decrease their contribution to your health plan thereby increasing your cost. Yes this is all perfectly legal.
I said all that to say this, we can all continue to not write tickets and cost the county money. But, and this is a big but, be prepared to shoulder more of a financial burden. That's the way these type of fights go. The county will attempt to break you so you better be prepared now. You think furlough days and no raises were bad, you haven't seen nothing yet. This will get ugly real fast.
Six to eight months from now when the Chief has been fired and replaced and your pay has been reduced 10-20% permanently, or there's been layoffs, don't say we weren't warned. Don't think it can happen, look around at some other departments. Here's a simple fact, employees/labor doesn't always win. Especially in tough economic times. Just ask alot of union members who aren't working these days. I want to win this fight but we won't be able to do it by ourselves. We need the backing of the citizens. Without their support we aren't going anywhere but down.
Are we supposed to be thankful for this?
We haven't been given anything back! Where are the raises we haven't seen in 3 years? Where are the holiday sick checks we used to get as a reward for not calling in sick all year?
At least the Grinch gave back everything he stole from the Who's!
9:12PM, have you been sipping the green cool-aid or you are a sham? I haven't heard more than 6 or 7 citizens speak out against this atrocity. There are great citizens that attend the BOC and speak on the issues however there are not enough. 9:12PM we have good citizens in this county however, people are only concerned about what affects them directly. If the BOC mention a tax increase watch how many flock to the BOC meetings. 9:12PM, this ship is sinking and you're waiting on an oar from the citizens, good luck with that!!!
You have two years before any changes can be made with this BOC, good luck with that too!! I would encourage all employees whether you reside in this county or not, tune in to the BOC meetings. Tape the proceedings review over and over until you fully understand you and I are in trouble!!!!
Anon 11:33,
According to you, the taxpayers don't care and the politicians don't care. So???????
Well I'm all ears....whats your solution to this problem?
The ticket strike must continue, and at a higher level than we have so far. Maybe they are starting to hear us, but I doubt that. I think that they are throwing us a scrap, believing that we will trust them to do the right thing because "we showed them". BALDERDASH!!! We need to keep it going even stronger than before until they completely and totally give us our due.
Is a ticket slow down the only tactic we have???? Do any of you really think that the county can be bullied by a ticket slow down? News flash...for those of you who weren't here last time..it didn't work. Oh sure some got a raise under the Price Waterhouse study while others got the shaft. Then to add insult to injury they turned around and cancelled the 5% merit increases...
C'mon guys we need a much better plan than this.
I left DKPD and guess what? I get paid on all Holidays and even a Christmas bonus, Sounds crazy I know
5% merit raise?.....if you've been getting 5%, you must have one of those staff positions with a black crown vic/be in the clique. The merit increase was designed to reduce costs to the county by making 5% increases very rare.
The ONLY solution is to leave and work for a community that supports and actually WANTS law abiding officials and citizens. AGAIN, this is a pipe dream and exercise of futility wishing for a normal society in Dekalb County.
If the county commissioners think times are tough now wait until the economy starts to get better. Once other employment opportunities begin to improve officers are going to leave this county like rats from a burning building.
Back in 2008 the county was paying MPO's "incentive money" because of the attrition problem. If they couldn't keep people here before they started messing with our pay, what will happen after the screwing that we have been taking the last couple of years? Who would want to stay in a place where your pay gets reduced, your shifts get bumped up to 12 hours, the equipment is wore out, and three of your coworkers have been shot to death in the line of duty in the last five years (not even counting the ones who have been shot and survived)?
As a tax-paying citizen, I EXPECT my elected decisionmakers to stand up to the TRUE test - it's not about how you're treated in good times, but how you are treated during bad times.
So to all those in elected positions in Dekalb County - YOU ARE FAILING THIS TEST MISERABLY.
GET with the damn program already. It will come back to haunt you if you don't. Personally, I can't WAIT to start punchin' those buttons. One by one, you will be picked off, rest assured.
To Anon 9:12....
Though you have valid points, you're killing me. PLEASE be mindful of what you say on this blog since any AND everyone reads it. Let's not give the BOC any more ideas that are harmful (or potentially so) to us. Unless, perhaps, you are a BOC. If that's the case, YIKES!; see what I mean?
To Anon 11:33...
That's a good recommendation for all to watch what goes on at the BOC meetings. However, all one really needs to do is go to the Board of Commissions web site and click on the link "video on demand" and then select the date. Everyone can start watching right now.
To Anon 8:14...
Well said...
"If the county commissioners think times are tough now wait until the economy starts to get better. Once other employment opportunities begin to improve officers are going to leave this county like rats from a burning building."
...worth mentioning again. The BOC really ought to listen to your words carefully and consider them quite seriously.
To all DeKalb County Officers...
Though it is difficult to feel proud for obvious reasons to be a DeKalb County police officer, nonetheless I am proud to be "a police officer" and to do this my chosen career. I enjoy my job and I currently love my position. So, I choose to serve DeKalb County citizens to the best of my ability and give them positive results that make them happy. By doing so, I make a friend who I then politely ask to advocate on our behalf for desperately needed improvements by either attending and speaking at a BOC meeting or calling/writing to each and every commissioner whether it is their's or not. Each and everytime you have a citizen or business contact, be polite and professional, do your job to the best of your ability, and then ask them kindly to speak out for us. This was recommended to me, and I began doing so today.
I'll give you some examples from today...
1. At Starbuck's, a lady next to me while trying to put her personal touches on her latte unfortunately spilled it. I helped her clean it up, I brought it to the attention of the staff, and then I offered to the staff to purchase its replacement. Well, they took care of handling the replacement, but she was very happy and thankful toward me.
2. Originally it appeared a case could not be resolved, but I gave it my best effort when a DeKalb County citizen asked for any extra effort possible. Well, though it may not have gone anywhere it paid off. I found the responsible party and brought resolution to the issue so that our citizen would no longer worry and needlessly suffer. And then I asked her for her support for us and she seemed very enthusiastic to do so. AND, she has plenty of free time as well so I believe she will.
Let me be clear. I am adamantly opposed to the past no-pay holidays and now to the furloughs, as well as many other pay issues we have been dealing with for the past several years. I just ask and encourage every DeKalb County officer to do your job, follow policy (not the crazy ticket-blitz unwritten one we've been doing), consider educating rather than penalize our good citizens while we lock up the bad people, and then ask them if they wouldn't mind in return helping us.
Thanks y'all and be safe.
AL
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