Our City Council decided the other day to make some tough choices so they can balance the budget out. One of those choices was to eliminate at least 17 police officers and more depending on who spins it. The City claims it had no choice and the police union says it had no choice as wage freezes could go on for years.
The truth of the matter is simple. The city and the police just signed a contract last June. This is after the fact that the old contract had been expired for months and months. The police union was frustrated with the city’s slow bargaining or lack there of and of course the city was pissed that the police were holding out as it were. In the meantime, no officers received a raise or a COLA for over a year. This pissed a lot of officers off and never mind that fact that it’s a family affair at the Mayor’s office and firefighter’s union.
So the animosity was there between the two long before the city’s financial woes. Don’t let the press releases shit you. City of Peoria thinks it’s police force is overpaid and the police think our City leaders are full of shit. Crime? What crime. That’s backseat crap now. Pardon the pun because you just might have a backseat robber after your next mall visit.
This all got me to wondering about the Garbage Fee we all pay on our water bills under threat of shut off if we don’t. Funny how the water company a few years back as been seen as Satan and now the same city leaders are sleeping with them. Anyway, this garbage fee that doesn’t go to garbage collection but is supposed to go to public safety or to keeping police officers on the streets is still being taxed. Now, with the down scaling of the police department, are we getting rid of the garbage fee? Why the hell not? It was touted as a temporary tax when Ransburg clan announced it. Laughable. A temporary tax. That’s funny.
If not, then where is that money collected being spent? Anyone? If that money is indeed being used to keep officers on the job, then why not raise it 2 bucks and keep more on the job? It’s an ugly unfair tax that I have felt was jammed down our throats and to slap us all in the face it was named a garbage fee but if it is helping to keep police on the streets, why not up it. It’s not like you are upping the property tax? Of course only residential water users are being taxed the garbage fee, not places like hospitals and businesses that use police services are being taxed. That alone doesn’t seem fair.
So, we are going forward with an under funded museum, probably going to sell bonds to fund a $40 million hotel, paying for an empty Mid-Town Plaza, and with crime all over the city from Wall-Mart on Allen Rd to the shores of Tripoli, we cut back police, reduce snow routes, and nobody can say where is that garbage tax money going?
3 comments:
The cops might have gone a while without a cost-of-living increase, but when they signed their contract, they got EVERY PENNY in back pay. Plus, they get two steps automatically (2.5% per step). That means most cops will see an 8.5% raise next year.
And they earn every damn penny!!
That's not the point. CAT floor workers earn every penny too, but that doesn't mean at the moment they aren't just happy to have a job. The Police Chief earns every one of his pennies, too, but he won't be getting a raise next year. Nor will the firefighters (for the most part) or city carpenters or lots of other folks. If the police gave up what the city is asking them to give up, they would still be getting 5% raises.
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