Given the current economic meltdown, are the Police on Long Island overpaid? (Union: employment, school districts)

[azzurrony]

You know what? I don't blame the cops one bit for taking this sort of salary and benefit level. I mean, which one of us would refuse this sort of meal ticket when offered to us?

It is the residents of Long Island that should be ashamed of themselves. Whenever the teacher or police unions start their scaremongering, the typical apathetic Long Islander just crawls back into their McMansion home.

NO ONE seems willing to stand up to this lobby except for a few people here on these message boards. Until people start to really pressure their elected officials...and I mean big protests...Until people actually VOTE NO on their inflated school budgets, nothing will be done.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by azzurrony

Until people actually VOTE NO on their inflated school budgets, nothing will be done.

Voting no doesn't help. When you vote no, they take it directly away from the kids. I recently got a postcard in the mail for our school district vote, and even on the limited space of a postcard, they clearly listed what would be taken away from the kids if the school budget does not pass.

[zulu400]

Originally Posted by I_Love_LI_but

Voting no doesn't help. When you vote no, they take it directly away from the kids. I recently got a postcard in the mail for our school district vote, and even on the limited space of a postcard, they clearly listed what would be taken away from the kids if the school budget does not pass.

That is so sad.
Its the price to pay for living in one of the best places in the country, that has top schools. Sarcasm:ON.

[sunstrider]

Cops are much, much more expensive per capita than teachers. Factor in all the traffic tickets, and it's off the chart.

Per capita doesn't mean anything in this argument. It's the total that matters and that's it. Nobody is suggesting, "Well, since the Police budget is actually less then the schools we should hire as many cops as there are teachers". If that was the case than yeah, totals would matter.

Originally Posted by Burb

The 10 most dangerous

jobsOccupationFatalitiesjobsOccupationFatalities

per 100,000
Timber cutters117.8
Fishers71.1
Pilots and navigators69.8
Structural metal workers58.2
Drivers-sales workers37.9
Roofers37
Electrical power installers32.5
Farm occupations28
Construction laborers27.7
Truck drivers25

The big difference hers is a large part of an Officers job is specifically to deal with people who are actively trying to hurt him or others.
The jobs listed above are in there own way noble or honest etc but they will not be called upon regularly to save lives.

As for conceding the 20 year retirement benefits and waiting till 65 to get your pension. What should they do between retirement and getting a pension? How will they earn a living? Or are you suggesting they aren't allowed to retire till they work 30 years or more? Do you know what its called in the Police department if you stay on longer then 20 years? It's called "The Death gamble". I'm not making this up. I know for a fact that's what the NYPD call it. And not as some nickname the officers came up with its in there pension paper work. I wonder why that is?

Everyday they go to work is a risk (I don't care what department you work for or what town its in). Now you think this risk should be extended by another decade? Get real.

[Burb]

Originally Posted by sunstrider

Per capita doesn't mean anything in this argument. It's the total that matters and that's it. Nobody is suggesting, "Well, since the Police budget is actually less then the schools we should hire as many cops as there are teachers". If that was the case than yeah, totals would matter.



The big difference hers is a large part of an Officers job is specifically to deal with people who are actively trying to hurt him or others.
The jobs listed above are in there own way noble or honest etc but they will not be called upon regularly to save lives.

As for conceding the 20 year retirement benefits and waiting till 65 to get your pension. What should they do between retirement and getting a pension? How will they earn a living? Or are you suggesting they aren't allowed to retire till they work 30 years or more? Do you know what its called in the Police department if you stay on longer then 20 years? It's called "The Death gamble". I'm not making this up. I know for a fact that's what the NYPD call it. And not as some nickname the officers came up with its in there pension paper work. I wonder why that is?

Everyday they go to work is a risk (I don't care what department you work for or what town its in). Now you think this risk should be extended by another decade? Get real.

Very romantic and speculaive. Again, facts are facts, the 10 jobs listed are more dangerous. The individuals doing those jobs put themselves more in harms way than cops. They surely have a "death gamble" working past 40 as well, even more so, factually. How about we offer 50% retirement after 20 years for fishermen and loggers? Are their lives worth less than cops?

[dman72]

Originally Posted by sunstrider

Per capita doesn't mean anything in this argument. It's the total that matters and that's it. Nobody is suggesting, "Well, since the Police budget is actually less then the schools we should hire as many cops as there are teachers". If that was the case than yeah, totals would matter.



The big difference hers is a large part of an Officers job is specifically to deal with people who are actively trying to hurt him or others.
The jobs listed above are in there own way noble or honest etc but they will not be called upon regularly to save lives.

As for conceding the 20 year retirement benefits and waiting till 65 to get your pension. What should they do between retirement and getting a pension? How will they earn a living? Or are you suggesting they aren't allowed to retire till they work 30 years or more? Do you know what its called in the Police department if you stay on longer then 20 years? It's called "The Death gamble". I'm not making this up. I know for a fact that's what the NYPD call it. And not as some nickname the officers came up with its in there pension paper work. I wonder why that is?

Everyday they go to work is a risk (I don't care what department you work for or what town its in). Now you think this risk should be extended by another decade? Get real.

...and thus they are given access to and the right to carry weapons that the average person is not. It's much easier to get somebody to comply when you're wielding a gun, a taser, and a club, and have the right to take peoples freedom away by arresting them. Especially in a place like Long Island, those are great advantages against the relatively tame mooks/skells.

Personally, I think the 20 year retirement should be a perk of the job. However, being able to pile up overtime to pad your retirement take home while not contributing a penny should not be a perk.

[azzurrony]

Can someone please point to me statistics that show a cop is MORE likely to die in the line of duty after 20 years, rather than during his/her first 20 years?

I'm willing to be there is none. Let's face it. The "high risk" assignments (and I use that term carefully given the mean streets of Long Island) are most certainly not getting put on the senior guys.

I see no reason why an able bodied cop can't work til 50, unless he/she let their body get so out of shape from donuts that they can't even run 10 steps without breathing heavily.

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For the Long Island taxpayers to continually SUBSIZE these people...and make no mistake that is happening...well, it's shameful.

The day of reckoning will come. It will come for all unions that are fat, happy, and abuse their power. It's coming for the auto industry, and it will inventually happen here. LI can't sustain these wages and benefits for too much longer.

[azzurrony]

Finally, I know it's a bit off topic, but I have to address the School Budget Scaremongering from a previous post.

The logic is this...if you vote "NO" to the school budget, the kids will "suffer" the most. So, we have to vote YES. Let's think about that logic for a second. It assumes the following:

1. Your school board officials are corrupt and favor their own benefits and perks over the children. If that's the case, then VOTE THEM OUT.
2. Even if programs are cut, will your child really "suffer"? Is "suffer" or "harm" the right terminology? Don't be ridiculous.

If I vote "NO" to my upcoming GC school budget, one of the positions at risk is probably going to be the FILM STUDIES teacher. Do we really need one in High School...I mean....really?

PEOPLE WAKE UP....and WAKE UP YOUR NEIGHBORS. You have been on LI far too long and you have become accepting of a system that is ripe with corruption and spending abuse. DO SOMETHING. Don't just spend your whole time whining, running to the mall or beach, or setting up extravagant birthday parties for your kids. WRITE YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS...SET UP PROTESTS...GO TO SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.

In short, start making people accountable!!

[Huckleberry3911948]

why is it that when pay cuts and punishment are recommended for cops teachers and social workers the people in america cheer? why do they hate unions so?
american labor ---the anti labor party.

[azzurrony]

LMAO...good one.

Look, I just wish cops and their families would just be honest about this. Two of my cousins are in the NCPD. They know they hit the lottery. They joke about it. Deep down they KNOW. It's just pure self interest on their part to keep this system going. I can't blame them. I'd do the same thing if I were in their shoes.

But, that doesn't make it right.

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NYUGRAD--You're right. It is getting really bad out there in the mean streets of East Williston and Manhasset. I really hope every NCPD is fitted with a Kevlar jacket and have the special weapons training.