Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Open Comments

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

So who is this Ex-Dekalb Officer, Donald Bristol, that was indicted on federal charges?

I've been here almost ten years and that name doesn't sound familiar....

See:
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/ex-dekalb-cop-faces-963153.html

Anonymous said...

Loflyer

Just curious if you know when these pension changes are going to be open for debate/commentary in public?

We need to all make a stand and demand they give the option to opt out of the pension all together.

I see our pension to the county commission as social security is to the US house and senate....a pile of money that is not theirs that they want to and do get their hands on

If we don't at least stand up and be heard, and these increases come to fruition then it is all over... you will see a mass exodus from this place...I feel like Im gonna be paying to work in a place more dangerous than most, for a bunch of crooked ass people that treat me like crap to boot...screw that...I know Im smarter than that

-Anon 1118

Anonymous said...

He came out of 83rd academy I believe...he worked Tucker evening watch. This all comes from him getting mixed in with some perps at a club he worked at.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Dekalb is pushing for more unqualified and irresponsible residents to move into their community via their "Get Home Now" program. Isn't the lending to non-qualified persons the reason for our bankrupt nation now? Voting limited to responsible home and business owners was in place for a reason.

Anonymous said...

Bristol was a warm body hired during the Graham-Bolton era.

Anonymous said...

hes' only been here about 2 1/2 years.........so sad. We keep hiring these crooks and it continually makes a bad name for our department. You rarely hear about Cobb, Gwinnett, but every news cast is practically dekalb, and APD, clayton ! When will this department wake up and try to fix these things ?

Anonymous said...

I was at Police HQ today for the first time in a few months. I see the metal detector is still broken, but there is now a flat screen TV in the lobby. I think that says a lot about the state of the county and its priorities.

Anonymous said...

Heres your golden nugget of wisdom for today folks:

"Dekalb looks a whole lot better in your rear view mirror".

Sgt Friendly

Anonymous said...

I just love the 1st business day of the month!Cha Ching!

Anonymous said...

Def not from the 83rd

Anonymous said...

Can anyone tell me why motor officers have take home cars?

Anonymous said...

I guess when the blue order comes out Friday we will see who Wiz Miller hand picked for his Homeland positions. Im sure it will not be the most qualified. I heard there was several well qualified people who interviewed. However when the interviews only last five minutes its a dead give away the they are only just going through the motions. Cant wait to see who these chosen few are.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if OUR guy's have any plans like this ?

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — U.S. corporate pension plans, which oversee more than $1 trillion, are set to plow billions of dollars into hedge funds in coming years as they try to tackle long-term liabilities that loom larger in the wake of the financial crisis.

A recent Preqin survey found that 30% of institutional investors polled will definitely increase hedge fund allocations over the next three years, while another 64%are considering the same move.

Public pension plans, which oversee at least $2 trillion, are expected to push further into hedge funds. But some in the industry say corporate pensions may lead the way this time.

“We are expecting hedge fund allocations to double across pension plan types, from a current level of 5% to an expected 10% target,” said Peter Madsen, director of marketing at Cube Capital, a hedge fund investment firm with roughly $1 billion in assets. “We wouldn’t be surprised to see corporate plans leading the government sector in this increase.”

Anonymous said...

I know Don personally...very dissapointed in him. Dekalb and some surrounding agencies need to dig a little deeper into these applicants I suppose....smh

Anonymous said...

Anon 1118.
Anyone can attend the working committee meetings, you just cannot speak,(I can't imagine anything more infuriating than not being allowed to speak at a meeting) the ERCS meetings are held on the second and last Tuesday of every month at 1 PM in the Maloof Auditorim.
Mrs. Boyer, in response to my request to address the committee has proposed a personal meeting between herself and myself, and I have made a counter-proposal that I hope will bring the major players into one room for unofficial and hopefully productive discussion of the issues.
Let's get one thing clear. A new pension plan is coming for the new employees. It will save the county considerable money at the expense of attracting only marginally qualified employee candidates.
My only hope is to head off the employee pension contribution ratio reversal as proposed by the ERCS committee. I have a pretty shrewd idea of the short-term goal of the committee and with some help, the damage limited to just the future employees.
This is a truly crappy situation and I feel guilty because I cannot protect the future employees benefits. But I can fight for the current employees benefits and contributions, and will continue to do so.
Best of luck, guys!
KenC

Anonymous said...

Anybody heard more about the possible furloughs later this year or next year?

Anonymous said...

Dekalb County is the Brannon Hills of the Metro Atlanta area. Nothing good goes on there.

Anonymous said...

What about these crappy unsafe cars we are having to drive. 180,000 mile plus.
The county is going to have big lawsuits on their hands.
You can hardly keep them between the lines because of the loose steering and worn suspension.

Anonymous said...

Write the units up if unsafe until there is nothing on the lot to drive. THAT'S on YOU.

Anonymous said...

To anon 12:35. You must not be in uniform! We do write them up for the suspension and loose steering.
They always come back in the same condition.
Now what are you going to come back with?

Anonymous said...

Loflyer

Keep us posted if you get that meeting arranged. We can speak at the monthly BOC meetings on this matter during open comments (at a minimum). Should this meeting you are trying to arrange is not effective in warding off a reversal of the employer/employee contributions, then we need to start organizing employees to show up to these BOC meetings.

I went to a BOC meeting last year and there was maybe a dozen of us. Half in uniform and half of us in plain clothes. It was pathetic. The only one who spoke up for us was the infamous Jerimiah Jackson, a pissed off loudmouth south Dekalb citizen (need more like him). If we keep rolling over and taking it, it will continue. We have the power to keep the bad press rolling on the BOC and CEO.
Our financial health (present and FUTURE) and ability to provide for ourselves and our families are constantly under fire and most are complacent and have the "at least I have a job" attitude. At times, Im more worried about what my employer is gonna do to my wallet than what I may encounter on the street.

Folks...If we don't demand that the county find a way to solve the pension problem by not once again putting the burden on us, then all is lost. I want the option to opt out. At least the pile of money I would have would be mine. I could do whatever I want with it, whenever I want when its time to hang it up.

Loflyer - Much appreciated]


-Anon 1118

Anonymous said...

Go work elsewhere...?

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, there's the evidence to support a take-home car progam for all. I have one. It's always been one since the county bought it. A 2003 CV. Nine years old and counting. Very clean. Needed new rear shocks @ about 126,000 last year. Other than the transmission slipping now @ around 157,000, she runs good with no squeaks, rattles, or lane wandering.

I realize we have line cars half this age with even more mileage. And counting. So you see, a take-home car program is a wise one that all of us should and would benefit from including the county because the cost of wear-and-tear and replacement can be reduced substantially. They'll stay cleaner and last much longer while not looking and running like they have been to hell and back. Be proponents instead of opponents.

Anonymous said...

Keep the following story in mind as you all bitch about your jobs:

http://www.championnewspaper.com/news/articles/950man-accused-of-murder-pursuing-lawsuit-950.html

Anonymous said...

Here is a link to the ERCS minutes for May, you will need to download it as a PDF file to see it all.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/57086960/ERCS-Minutes-052411
Nothing much to note that no one has seen before, except for possible Town-hall style employee meetings, and a cryptic comment about Stan Watson requesting additional information on a stop-loss report.
The employee meetings are a must if the BOC hopes to sell employees on their ideas of making the county employees pay the majority of the pension contributions. This would be the obvious chance for the employees to air out their grievances.
I'll start looking into the stop-loss report to find out what it is and says.
Things are on track for a meeting with Elaine Boyer and hopefully some of the other commissioners on the ERCS committee before the next work session, I'll let y'all know the results of the meeting afterwords, I am keeping my opinions on the issue quiet until I have had a chance to discuss the issues with the commissioners.
Best of luck, mates!
KenC

Anonymous said...

"I am keeping my opinions on the issue quiet until I have had a chance to discuss the issues with the commissioners."

Glad you're finally catching on.

Anonymous said...

How can it be open comments when your comment is screened and not posted. No profanity, no threats, and no malicious statements. Huh, still censored.

Harry Callahan said...

Damn, are we big enough to stop attacking each other? Come on people, those who stay, or those who go, are not cowards, stupid, lazy, unemployable else where, or corrupt. (Well a few are, but if you think that is any different anywhere else you will discover you are wrong.) Each of us must make a decision that works best for us and our families. I understand the need to vent but please. If it wasn't for LoFlyer I'd have a hard time reading this blog. To often it reads like Pee Wee Herman, “I know you are but what am I.” We need to unite as one! Stop fighting amongst ourselves. Set aside our differences and realize screaming about the deck chairs on the Titanic will not stop it from sinking. And for those of you who have made up your mind to leave, that is fine. Post your good byes and go. You should have enough respect for your brothers and sisters who are staying not to attack us. You are not helping.

I say we take all that “energy” and focus on one problem at a time. Defeat it. Then move to the next one. Lets start with the pension. How did it get this screwed up? Who is responsible? How do we get rid of those who are responsible? What do we need to do to fix it? LoFlyer you seem to be the smartest person posting on this blog. Any suggestions? There has to be a way to fight back.

If we do nothing about this, next thing you know some Politician will want to “invest” pension money in the Central and Hairston corridor. Or something equally stupid.

Harry Callahan

Anonymous said...

I agree with HC. Where is the unity? Ok we are all in a crappy sinking boat. Thats obvious, no need to drill it into the ground. But some of us can, or don't want to leave. Maybe some people that are left here just want to have one glimmer of positive hope, with out being bashed for not hating on the department every moment of every day. The department isn't totally at fault for the pension problem, crap cars, ugly cheap uniforms, etc..etc.. Thats the county's doing. The department is doing what it has to do, or what it is told to do, to keep it a float. Also bashing veteran officers is the most disrespectful thing. As children we are taught to respect our elders. Even if you don't like your uncle, teacher, neighbor, or whoever you still were taught to respect them. Why isn't that logic carried on as grown men and women. Yes, people like Whittington are disliked for some reason or another, but he is an elder...a veteran officer...with a head full of wealth and knowledge that you rookies will be lucky to have, if you stay police that long, so at least respect the man. You don't have to like him (disgruntled Center Precinct evening watch officer) but respect him as a man. I am sad to see that abundance of negativity continue on such a great forum of communication. Please for the sake of us left, remember the brotherhood and pride that you felt the day you graduated the academy and become a united front to make things better. Be safe!

Anonymous said...

I agree with the last two posts. When I come on here I try to light a fire to get us to come together on the big issues that are effecting us negatively as a whole. Sometimes I toss in some cynicism and sarcasm on decisions that are made that don't make much sense.

All the bickering and back and forth personal attacks are just dumb. We need to stay focused on the more important issues and the bigger picture, and how the issues will effect us in the long and short term. This take home car issue is so retarded. Some folks just cant resist bringing it up all the time, regardless of the topic at hand. And then when they bring it up, the baby rattle starts shakin "well this guy and that guy have take home cars and they dont deserve it and blah blah blah.....

There are much bigger issues at hand for us. The command staff and those running the county read this blog. When they see us bickering over stupid crap and personally attacking each other, they raise their glasses and toast to the stupidity saying.."we got these people right where we want them....fighting amongst themselves and not focusing on us".

Smarten up everyone. Lets unite on the bigger issues like our pension, our pay, our benefits, and furlough days....not on "hey Chief...when we gettin our black uniforms....or what about take home cars?".

-Anon 1118

Anonymous said...

Anon 1118, ten years of employee intimidation, a cushy pension plan that no employee wants to lose, and an apathetic employee mentality that resistance is futile in face of the all powerful CEO and BOC.
Some things have changed over the last years, The economy broke down and recovery is slow by any measurement. DeKalb government has consistently refused to even think about a logical and thoughtful reorginization or consolidation of government functions.
My first thought for advice on the subject of employee unity is to abandon ship and find another employer, but that's a cop-out and does not address the issue of what can be done to improve the county and employee relations with the CEO and BOC.
In the face of the refusal of the CEO and BOC to actively communicate with the employees I would advise that employees strongly look at the employee unions available to represent them. DKPD and Fire Services both have unions that actively support them. I personally detest most unions as socialist entities that seem more interested in creating wealth for the union leaders and insiders rather than the employees.
Upon some research and interactions with the DKPD FOP and the Fire Sevices unions I have found both to be conservative in outlook and focused upon the employees best interests, along with making both departments more effective to the citizens.
For the majority of DeKalb employees, there is no union available, I understand SEIU has some presence in a few departments such as Sanitation, but their politics and goals suck, one look at the Wisconsin demonstrations and the tactics of union thuggary of the organization are not appropriate for DeKalb employee nor in the best interests of the citizens.
I would advise that all POST certified cops or Fire Services employees take a closer look at the available unions, talk to the union reps, and either join and actively participate in the union activities or forget about any unified opposition by the employees to an autocratic and dysfunctional employer.
For the vast majority of DeKalb employees with no or poor union choices, perhaps a new employer is the best choice for the individual and family.
Any thoughts or ideas on this subject would greatly appreciated.
The very best of luck, mates!
KenC

Anonymous said...

My mistake, the last comment was directed to Dirty Harry, not Anon 1118.
I appreciate both of your comments.
Best of luck, mates!
KenC