Hope they stay!

05/06/02 If we won't pay them, we can't expect much protection!

Along with the attached responses, here are some comments from police regarding the election results:

Beside the Badge:

I am writing "in memory" of what was left of positive moral in the DPD that is now gone due to the City of Dallas, its city council, including a backstabbing mayor and unappreciative citizens. Some of those same citizens of Dallas who he would give his life to protect, let him and his fellow LOYAL officers down today.

This is an officer who (no matter what was going on in the past with DPD/City of Dallas) evilness continued to do his job to the fullest. He would give up his family for someone like Laura Miller for whom I personally made telephone calls to friends in order to gain votes in her election.

Thanks, Laura. You made one of Dallas' truly finest officers start losing his will to protect and serve. Hope you sleep well at night because I can't. And, that DFD who "contacted" you, thanking you for ... whatever ... we believe you!!!

Now, your projects to better the city of Dallas will be protected by the few and un-proud officers who do stay. Not to mention, future unqualified classes of academy strippers, felons and underachievers who gain their acceptance simply because big D(ump) can't recruit any other class of officers.

We just think the city is corrupt now. Here's to the start of a future DPD/City of Dallas scandals in the news!!!

I can't wait to personally say "I told you so". Hopefully, it's not at a funeral of some DPD officer(s) because of the downhill slide of the City of Dallas.

How do I explain that to my children? "Daddy was doing his job protecting others so that we all could be safe, when DPD isn't even safe from its own city council?

These men and women didn't take the jobs to make a great amount of money, but they should be compensated since no one else in the city can say they would give their lives to protect something they hate.

Some may think things are getting better. You know who you are! Just keep wearing your "beer goggles", and everything will look just fine!!

I don't know when I've been so sick to my stomach -- maybe, the last time I attended a funeral.

I hope and pray our officers/firefighters can stay safe and stick together with the mass exodus of experienced staff.

About the council giving away $millions$ on the Palladium/Victory project (since Dallas doesn't have any $$), let's all watch and see how the next meeting goes and how much money is voted out after the council condemning the police and firemen. If I could only place a bet somewhere on that! Just sickening...

From www.undergroundcop.com:

DATELINE 05/06/2002

WE LAY DOWN OUR LIVES

Now, I understand what is meant by the lyric "The day the music died". The nonsupport by the public broke the harmony (if any really existed) between us and them. When it comes down to it, the most important thing should be us taking care of each other.

We know we all took an oath when we were all hired and we will continue to do the job, but let's not kid ourselves. We need to be as safe as possible in doing the job. Your lives are only worth so much to the public. Be wise and adjust to the new standards being set by the city.

They want response time to go down. We say, drive safely and within the speed limit to each call. Wait for cover before you make contact and write up the report before taking another. In addition, perhaps it's time to stop using the N-code system so much. Only take a chance when it involves taking care of each other.

Follow the General Orders and stop risking your lives anymore than is needed, folks. The most important issue to consider now is to do your job as carefully and as safe as possible. The top priorities should be are to go home to your family and take care of each other while doing this job we do.

Yes, we lay down our lives for you; but we will do it with more caution than before.

THE ACADEMY PROCESS AT WORK

Many have asked: What ever happened to the Puerto Ricans who went to the Police Academy? You know, the ones the city spent so much money on to recruit.

We are pleased to say that only two will graduate and another two will have to be recycled through the next class.

It seems these highly sought individuals have a slight problem with the English language. They only have a 6th grade reading ability.

We have another standard being set again folks.

Distressed Dallasite:

I was filled with hope that Laura Miller could turn things around in this City. However, seeing her on the news kissing Tom Dunning just shot that hope down.

I could not believe my eyes. Shake hands maybe, but kissing??   It was sickening! I can't help but think she's going to be a player just like the rest.

Will she get involved in the vote buying like Dunning? Will she be kissing Tom Hicks' golden ring next?

She's a phony just like the rest of them at City Hall. I am sick!
___________

Ware John:

"Don't Feed the Greed"

Well, the cops and fire bubbas may have been down in the mouth, but the other city employees who work just as hard for you and other citizens of Dallas were exchanging high fives this Monday morning. It is really unusual for anyone to come to work in city hall with a good mood, specially on Monday, but today was an exception.

Nobody, right now at least, is going to have to lose a job to feed the greed. Of course, it could all change come 1 Oct. and the cops and fire bubbas won't blink an eye to see someone else get fired so they can have a raise.

___________

On my way Downtown Saturday night to attend the election watch at the Dallas Police Association, I stopped by a store for some cat food and other essentials. With my mind on the election, I managed to drop 4 cans (bound together) on my toes. That was an omen. Hobbling with my stuff to the car with my toes throbbing, the first thing I heard when the radio came on was 67% against competitive pay for our cops and firefighters. I felt much like "Beside the Badge" -- sick at my stomach. I turned around and went home.

It is embarrassing for Dallas voters to be so selfish, stupid and short-sighted.

We had a chance to do the right thing and designate a big hunk of the waste at city hall directly to Our Protectors, but we have just freed up millions for the city council to waste on things we do not need -- like signature bridges and tunnels encircling Downtown.

It was particularly evident last week how dangerous it would be to put "lids" on our freeways when that van cut off a chemical truck on Woodall Rogers. The van caught fire (driver was conscious when he was burning to death), and traffic was bottled up for hours. What if that had happened in a tunnel? The fire would have damaged the tunnel's infrastructure and probably killed hundreds of motorists trapped in the tunnel behind the wreck. What if that van driver had been a suicide bomber and deliberately targeted a fuel truck?

Don't laugh! This council is very likely to vote big money on studies about bridges and tunnels in an effort to raise the city's image.

I love Downtown. Most of my 20's and early 30's was spent working Downtown. From 1976 to 4/02, I lived about 10 blocks North of Woodall Rogers (which put me disgustingly near the Hicks/Perot Arena). As Downtown declined (due to previous council and stupid ODB decisions), property values in the Turtle Creek and Oak Lawn area actually increased and much of the development was "upscale" and "gentrifying".

We now have "out-of-town" experts blaming our freeway system for Downtown's decline. They claim our freeways are forming a "noose" around Downtown. That's baloney. Downtown started to decline because several past Mayors had real estate investments in Collin and Denton County and got their councils to go along with annexing areas that should never have been in our city limits.

Residents of far North Dallas naturally got very tired of the trek Downtown to shop and work. When Ray Nasher built North Park, you could have put money on the end to Downtown retail. Between Valley View and North Park (even before the Galleria), there was no reason for North Dallas residents to shop Downtown. Almost every Downtown store was represented in the malls.

The ODB decision to get the people off Downtown streets into air conditioned tunnels and skybridges was the final straw that broke retailers' backs. As retail and restaurants left Downtown, so did business. If your employees have no place to eat at lunch, you have to do something. It isn't the freeway system that is choking Downtown, it's those ugly skybridges and empty pedestrian tunnels.

Something else happened Downtown as one Mayor after another focused on North Dallas development. We lost our police officers on street corners. My dad was the traffic cop on the corner of Main and St. Paul for years until his health forced him inside to a bailiff's job in the Municipal Courts. You felt safe Downtown when you knew there was a cop on every block. Our sense of security came at a price of the health of men like my dad.

Some of the arguments I heard from people against competitive pay for Our Protectors were that some officers are drawing good salaries for desk duty. Every time someone said something like that, it just made my blood boil. Many of those officers doing "desk duty" can no longer do the physical part of patrol work. Many have health problems directly related to their service to us. In my dad's case -- years of breathing car exhaust while standing on hot pavement in a Dallas summer, wearing those hot uniforms likely contributed to his developing Lupus. It is so rare for a man in his 60's to have Lupus that the doctors kept searching for something else.

There is quite a bit of evidence that Lupus can be caused by exposure to environmental hazards, as well as genetic predisposition and possibly some viruses. Those years making Downtown Dallas workers and shoppers feel safe took years off my dad's life. Other cops and firefighters die early from stress related illnesses. There is an inordinate number of officers and firefighters who suffer from various cancers that likely are connected to their jobs. Then there are Our Protectors who get killed on the job.

Yet, 67% of Dallas voters think our cops and firefighters should risk their lives and health and future years with their families for salaries that put them at the bottom of the pay scale in the metroplex. Only 50,982 people even voted, and less than 14,000 voted for competitive pay. Disgusting!

Grand Prairie pays better than we do!

The issue of their retirement and giving 17% raises to the commanders and the Chief were frequently used as excuses for opposition to the pay raise. When I worked for the DPD (right out of college), the officers did not have Social Security. The city had opted out of the program in the 50's for the officers. Part of their pension plan included the amount the city would have contributed to Social Security. I don't know if that has changed and all new hires are covered under SS now or not, but it's still a non-issue. So many officers leave years before retirement, it is evident our generous retirement package is not a draw for recruiting or retaining the top men and women who want to be police and firefighters. They want take-home pay now!

Giving Chief Bolton a raise certainly sticks in anyone's craw, but he will not always be the chief. A higher salary for that spot might help us recruit someone with real credentials when Mayor Miller finally forces the City MisManager to replace Bolton, which will likely result in replacing those incompetents he put into commander positions.

Here's the real joke on the 37,047 Dallas voters who pinched pennies at the expense of Our Protectors -- your taxes are going to get raised. This council is going to blow much more than $60 Million on ridiculous projects. They are going to give Palladium/Victory the $43 million tax abatement they want -- unless the Sports Arena TIF Board pulls another rabbit out of their hat. The council will designate the $20+ million for another performance hall. There's the $60 million that could have gone to improving our police and fire departments.

Even if your taxes are not raised outright -- your latest property appraisal will raise your taxes. You get fewer services at city hall for your tax $$, so that's a raise in your taxes. With that 67% margin of loss, more and more young police and firefighters will seek jobs elsewhere to provide for their families, so you will get less protection for your tax $$.

Many of you people who voted NO to an extra $125 a year for the competitive pay shell out $30-50 or more a month for security systems. Who is going to answer your alarm? We can't recruit the best and brightest now. That money spent on the Puerto Rican recruiting effort was a waste. We can't retain our best and brightest now. The money we spend training them is lost when they leave for better pay in another city with less problems than Dallas.

One of the ads the police and firefighters ran was the widow of an officer killed doing security work at a Dallas nightclub. When that officer died, everyone was angry and sad -- particularly a longtime "Bachman Warrior".   Yet, she was able to justify voting against the 17% raise that would have eliminated much of the need for officers to take dangerous off-duty jobs to provide for their families.

Well, let's watch this month to see how many of those council members who posed in that picture against our police and firefighters vote for the THIRD tax abatement to Hicks and Perot and their partners in Victory. Come next council election, police and firefighters should not forget who campaigned against them in their referendum.

Because they are better than the rest of us, our police and firefighters will continue to do their job until they get something better or retire or die.