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04/22/02 Police/Fire
Pay Referendum
You've made it very clear that
your mind is made up on this issue. Frankly, I don't see any way out of it
either, but that doesn't mean that I'm happy about it. I just have to tell
you why.
| First
- 17 percent. Why 17%? Who's to say that the right figure
isn't 16%? Or 18%? But we didn't get a choice; it was 17% or
nothing. You can have any color you want as long as it's black, I
guess. |
17%
is the figure that will bring the average cop/firefighter pay up the upper
average pay for the metroplex. |
| Second
- across the board increase. Is this the right way to spend the
money? We'll be giving the same 17% to the top brass as to
the first-year rookie. Yes, your friend Chief Bolton will be
receiving more of our tax dollars too. |
It's
the law that when commanders get raises, rank and file get the same
percentage and vice versa. |
What if we had been allowed to think about this instead of having it shoved down
our throats? Probably any personnel department in the world would come up
with a smarter plan than this. Like maybe a larger increase in starting
salary and different amounts for 5-year veterans, 10-year veterans and so on.
Different amounts for different work shifts or for more risky duties spring
to mind.
I don't know the best answer, but the point is, we have no choice. It's
17% - across the board - carved in stone.
| Third
- hamstrings our mayor. Laura stated repeatedly during the campaign
that she favored a 15% increase for police and firefighters. Laura
won the election by a large margin. But she will not be allowed to
carry out her plan. Even when she sat down with the leadership on a
friendly basis, they refused any compromise. Rather than elected
leaders, we have an employee union setting policy. |
They
had no choice either. They got their petitions signed (including
Laura and other council members. If they dropped the referendum,
they would have been dependent on elected officials, a couple of whom are
not friends of law enforcement. They want the voters to decide. |
I'm not against the police and
firefighters - I don't think any responsible voter could be. I also agree
that they deserve better compensation than they get. Benchmarking
compensation against others doing the same job is a standard practice in
corporate America and it should be used for our civil servants as well.
If Dallas pay is out of whack compared to other cities in the area, it should be
adjusted.
I'll vote for the increase, since it's an all-or-nothing proposition and I think
nothing would be a disaster. I just don't think simple answers like this
are often the best answers. And I wish it didn't feel as if "our
protectors" had backed the taxpayers against the wall and demanded our
money.
I don't expect you to agree with me, Sharon, but I hope you can see how
reasonable people could dislike this proposal.
Those who disagree with you are not always evil.
Phil Leven
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