Are the police on Long Island overpaid? (Babylon, Garden City: work, health)

[NY62]

Originally Posted by Jrprofess

I spoke to all of the other points in earlier posts. Read through all my comments. If your only argument is that yes we could get people to take the job for less, BUT, they will all always eventually make more...well, I truly have no response to that. You base your argument on fictitious "absolutes" that I have no argument for because you are making them up out of thin air. Let's see, don't ratchet Suffolk salaries down to city levels, because even though we will get the same applicant pool, you feel that eventually everyone will "want to make more"...so the salaries will most certainly rise back up to their current levels?? Well, all unions need to negotiate contracts and one would hope they would face some taxpayer scrutiny. Everyone might want to make more, but proposing a salary plan that mirrors the city would still save plenty of money. Again, I am not arguing what a cop is worth, but you seem to agree that we could get people to take the job for less, but then go on to personally tweak every poster that they can also be replaced on the cheap. That has nothing to do with this discussion. As for how long they could afford it, as Clam Guy has noted, there are plenty of city cops living on the island...somehow they are pulling it off. And the whole point of looking at county costs are to make things more affordable than they are. It would be easier for everyone in Suffolk county to "afford it" as you said, if the tax bill was lighter...

Dude read my post before the one you replied to. you selectivly answer. If you cut just cops it saves 23 bucks a month and that is being generous because the total police tax is not just salaries. You would have to cut everything by 1/3 are you willing to do that? If so, go for it I am with you. But do not single out one small portion off our taxes and blame there salaries for your high taxes. read my posts. If you cut cops by 1/3 they are on par with garbage men is that fair? my school taxes are more then 1/2 my tax bill cut that mess by 1/3 and we will be saving, you have to cut it all , not just 700 out of 6000. I know you will try and insult me with some little dig or dance around the point , but try and answer this will $23 a month make or brake you? If that 23 bucks is makeing the difference weather you can make it here or not than you have every rite to want that, but at the same time if you cut it all by a third you save 190 a month that makes more sense , no?
But then you probably have a teacher in your family so that definately is a no go for you , you would lose more in salary. But take that out of the picture and think unbiased, what makes more sense to you? otherwise leave it all alone. I am not a cop and not a teacher yes I have both in the family I dont begrudge any of them what they make .

[Jrprofess]

Originally Posted by NY62

Dude read my post before the one you replied to. you selectivly answer. If you cut just cops it saves 23 bucks a month and that is being generous because the total police tax is not just salaries. You would have to cut everything by 1/3 are you willing to do that? If so, go for it I am with you. But do not single out one small portion off our taxes and blame there salaries for your high taxes. read my posts. If you cut cops by 1/3 they are on par with garbage men is that fair? my school taxes are more then 1/2 my tax bill cut that mess by 1/3 and we will be saving, you have to cut it all , not just 700 out of 6000. .

No digs...but again...the question is could we get the same cops at a lower salary, and you automatically go into what they are worth (same as sanitation workers, etc). I think they are worth a lot, but the basic question stands independent from that. Then, to my earlier point, you go on and on about the rest of the tax bill. That is not the topic of this thread. We can go after the rest of the tax bill in other threads. Feel free. I am not arguing or debating the other parts of the tax bill in this thread or what a cop is worth, I simply think you could get a suffolk cop at a city salary. That's all. No dancing, no digs. And to say we shouldn't bother because it only saves 23 bucks...well, that is a funny concept because the entire tax bill is made up of a bunch of 23 dollar costs here and there in theory, that make up the whole. Let's start with 23, at least it might start going down...and gas is expensive these days...We agree to disagree. No worries.
I come in peace,
JRP

[Astrantia]

Originally Posted by NY62

I was just trying to show that if we are complaining about cops salaries and want to cut there salaries by 1/3 it would not save squat in taxes, if the rest stayed as is. We would have to cut school by 1/3 and yes that is teachers salaries, also sanatation ,politicians, clerical and all the rest. Would everyone on this board go along with that? If so then cut away I am all for it. But you cant single out one job and bash it like they are sucking us all dry. cut police by 1/3 and nothing else and that saves me 23 bucks a month ,1 trip to mcdonalds. That makes no sense to me.

I agree 100% with this. I look at my tax bill and see Suffolk County Police costs me only 17% of what my school taxes do! And you know what? The amount I paid to the SCPD this year was less than I spent on the 90,000-mile service for my 2002 car about two months ago. I didn't mind spending the money to keep my car running well, and I don't mind spending even less than that once a year to keep my police dept running well either.

It's all relative.

[clamboy]

Originally Posted by Astrantia

I agree 100% with this. I look at my tax bill and see Suffolk County Police costs me only 17% of what my school taxes do! And you know what? The amount I paid to the SCPD this year was less than I spent on the 90,000-mile service for my 2002 car about two months ago. I didn't mind spending the money to keep my car running well, and I don't mind spending even less than that once a year to keep my police dept running well either.

It's all relative.

So then it should be Precincts that affect a homes resale value and not School Districts?

One might also argue that if poverty and crime work hand in hand, Long Island might be a pretty easy gig.
I've yet to see anything quite like Brownsville on LI...yet.

Perhaps our High taxes keep the riff raff away and quite possible serve as our economic patrolman?
Food for thought.

Who knows?

Im not following this simple thread anymore.

The question was...
Can it be done for less?
(considering the risk being relatively low and the reward being fairly high in comparison to NYC?)
I believe it can.

If a NY cop can afford to live on LI than an LI cop can too.



C

[NY62]

Originally Posted by Astrantia

I agree 100% with this. I look at my tax bill and see Suffolk County Police costs me only 17% of what my school taxes do! And you know what? The amount I paid to the SCPD this year was less than I spent on the 90,000-mile service for my 2002 car about two months ago. I didn't mind spending the money to keep my car running well, and I don't mind spending even less than that once a year to keep my police dept running well either.

It's all relative.

Thank you that is all I am saying. You now if each and everyone of us worried about what the other guy makes no one would be happy, because there is somebody always making more than you. SCPD is not a big part of our taxes, so why should I care what the cop down the street gets paid ? more power to them.

[NY62]

clam I give up on this one , you think they are , I dont. oh well . Let me refrase that I think everyone is over paid here.LOL so who cares what they get.

[clamboy]

Originally Posted by NY62

clam I give up on this one , you think they are , I dont. oh well . Let me refrase that I think everyone is over paid here.LOL so who cares what they get.

Its all good 62

: )

C

[Redd Jedd]

Originally Posted by NY62

Thanks redd for answering, we dont have police headquarters tax ,LOL. even with that your % of your total tax bill is not that crazy , but 1/4 of county dont seem that off IMHO. I hear what your saying about the sanitation workers also. I was just trying to show that if we are complaining about cops salaries and want to cut there salaries by 1/3 it would not save squat in taxes, if the rest stayed as is. We would have to cut school by 1/3 and yes that is teachers salaries, also sanatation ,politicians, clerical and all the rest. Would everyone on this board go along with that? If so then cut away I am all for it. But you cant single out one job and bash it like they are sucking us all dry. cut police by 1/3 and nothing else and that saves me 23 bucks a month ,1 trip to mcdonalds. That makes no sense to me. Like I have said before everyone gets paid more on the Island . civil service and private.

Depends on what town you live in. I know that in Massapequa Park, we paid a tax labeled "County Police", which this year on my old house was $650 and one labeled "County Police Headquarters" at a cost of $516. Nice how they got us twice for the same thing, but I'm sure the costs are separated out for a reason. It's possible that towns with their own police force don't pay one or the other. Look up any house in Massapequa Park on Land Record Viewer on the tax tab and click on "View General Tax Bill Details".

My mistake though, it was 65% of my county bill. $564 to the T of Oyster Bay and $325 to special districts, and of course $5137 to the schools. Although it was only $1100 out of $8000, that's still a lot of cabbage.

[Astrantia]

So then it should be Precincts that affect a homes resale value and not School Districts?

No, of course not. I don't know of ANY suburban area where the quality of the local law enforcement exerts a strong influence on resale value.. do you?

However, IMO the importance of school districts on Long Island affects a home's value to a higher degree than it SHOULD. In other words I don't think a good school district should make a home unaffordable to most people, either because the school taxes are so high or because the sellers ask a lot more for their home simply because it's in a "better" district. I honestly don't think, other than the very top and very bottom rungs of the perceived "school district ladder" that there's much real difference between one district and another on Long Island.

Now if a family needs specific special services that are available only in certain districts (like for a special needs child), that's something else and then there would be an important difference to them between one district and another. But for most people/students, I think the results don't justify the higher dollars. Again, JMO.

Perhaps our High taxes keep the riff raff away and quite possible serve as our economic patrolman?

Actually, I think in quite a few areas of Long Island they do exactly that.

[clamboy]

Heres one of many.

Nothing against Hempstead but...Garden City Village

but again....its the economic patolman that keeps Hempstead out.

No ones sweating a bullet on the mean streets of Garden City

C


PS
GC...Do you guys have to pay for both police forces? County and Village?