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Just a week after seeming amenable to concessions to help the city close a projected $400 million budget hole, Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donahue said that his members aren't really feeling Daley's calls for cuts, which include city workers forgoing promised pay raises and accepting extra unpaid leave days. "We base what we're gonna do in the future on what we've seen happen in the past. And what we've seen in the past is a scandalous waste of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars," Donahue said, referring to the Hired Trucks scandal, city contracting and hiring fraud charges, and 14 months of contract negotiations that have stalled. In fact, Lodge Seven's third Vice President, Greg Bella, wrote in an editorial posted on the FOP's website that they "will sit down and help the mayor find solutions to the problem but not at the expense of our officers."
But the Chicago Federation of Labor is still talking like they'll work with the mayor to close the budget hole. Unions representing city workers are willing to discuss proposals with the city, but not until they get more specific answers on the budget. "We need a better understanding of the financial picture before we’re willing to do anything. Is it $400 million or $450 million? If they [lease] the parking meters or Midway [Airport], does that do anything? These are moving targets. We need a better understanding of how we can save some jobs. They need to tell us, ‘If we do X, we’ll get Y,’" said CFL President Dennis Gannon. Labor leaders met Wednesday at Plumbers Hall to discuss proposals, but don't expect any specifics. "It would be irrational for any labor leader to stand by and watch his people get cut. We should try to preserve as many jobs as we we can. But we’re working in the dark. How can you make a deal when you don’t know what you’re dealing with?" Gannon said.
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No mention of TIFs, Mr. Mayor?
Or the funds this city has all but given away through lawsuits because of corruption and gross mismanagement.
Or the money wasted on worthless projects that never see light.
But hey, at least our dear munchkin leader is riding the subway in Beijing and pretending to be a skilled manager worthy of the world stage. I wonder when he last took an El or CTA bus. Betcha it wasn't in this century.
Hey Donahue, how much has the city had to lay out over the last few years in multi-million dollar lawsuit settlements for police abuses? Yeah, that's what I thought. I'm all for a well-paid, highly performing, moral, standards-driven police force, but probably not a good idea to step up on the soapbox throwing stones at glass houses.
Hey DaviCon1, how many of those awards were handed out without there ever being a trial to prove wrong doing on the part of the department, how many of those settlements awarded with the Officer in question having been cleared of any wrong-doing but the city paid off the person anyways. You'd be surprised how many of those lawsuits never made it to court but the city chose to settle so as to avoid a lengthy trial process and even more bad publicity.
CPD officers have been working 14 months without a contract, any other profession and they'd be on strike, but Daley knows he can exploit the no-strike clause in the CPD and CFD contracts, so he drags it out. He's asking for concessions to a contract that doesn't even exist.
The chicago public school teachers got a nice contract as soon as the old one expired I wonder how many days they would have worked without a contract? I bet the garbage man would have showed up if he didnt get a new contract. Every city union except police and fire recieved a new contract, electricans carpenters,plumbers, laborers, water dept, streets and san, janitors, city council voted them selves a nice raise and a huge increase in their office budget. I know a few cops and fireman they get screwed by the city every 4 years because they cant strike. Daleys corruption and mismanagment is to blame for the city budget. I would tellhim to stick his un paid days up his a$$ to.
Garbage men do not show up if if they don't get a contract. Don't you remember this happened several times the last 5-7 years?
Also, unions have different policies. Without a contract, some don't get paid. The cops are still getting paid and reaping the benefits of O.T.. Give O.T. and similiar benefits to teachers and they won't strike either.
Next year they'll just raise the sales tax to 15%....
O.T for a job where you work 8-9 months a year 6 hours a day. Every holiday and weekends off.
Fed, pro-cop people:
Serious question: Do you really think cops in Chicago are slowing down their work, as claimed on various blogs, as a way to stick it to this city? If so, do you agree with this action?
Disclaimer: I object to the way CPD protects its bad apples, and reject the notion that a cop can't be aggressive without regularly breaking laws, but I sympathize with cops who must live in this city on their relatively crappy salaries (relative to many yuppies, for instance) and use inferior equipment on the job.
Do you really think cops in Chicago are slowing down their work, as claimed on various blogs, as a way to stick it to this city?
I have a couple of cousins and a godfather on the force and there is definitely a sense of, well, perhaps rebellion is a strong word.
But they're out there in cars that just aren't up to the task, often buying better equipment than is available at their own expense.
The slowdown is going to be centered on property crime, community policing (what's left of it) and follow-up.
My godfather is on a desk after some knee surgery. He's been handling community contacts. This cycling group came in with a petition and a banner and cameras DEMANDING that the district do more about increasing bike thefts and motorists endangering cyclists. His response after they left was "If they get hit, then we can do something"
The money is not there for them to do everything being asked of them. It angers the community, who get more alienated from the cops, making matters worse and worse.
I dont know if there is a work slow down with the police. I would certainly understand it if there was. I work in a trade where we are covered by a union we would not work 14 months with out a contract.
I tend bar part time and know a few cops ( they do like to drink). From what I can gather they are less aggresive then in the past, from lack of support from the mayor,supt, city council, public, tired of BS law suits the city just settles,(because it is cheaper than going to trial) and complaints from the arrestees and people who are stopped. I have heard it said if you dont stop anyone no one will complain against you. As far as the contract in the last 14 months I have recieved 2 decent raises at my job and thank god for that because gas prices are way up, electric prices are up, food prices are up, my property taxes went up sales tax went up, so I would be a little pissed if my salary didnt go up. I like most of the cops I have met mostly decent guys trying to do a crap jog and go home to their families. I'm sure some are Aholes and support getting the criminals and abusive ones fired but do believe Daley is at fault for his budget mess because of his corruption and incompetance and shouldn't look to the citys workers to help him now when he has ignored them for 14 months.
Albany, fed: Thanks for the insight.
I would love to pay more taxes for the cops--more positions, better pay, better equipment--but I get a feeling any money would be siphoned from the department and sent, indirectly, to support the connected.
I didnt say I wanted higher taxes maybe a better allocation of the citys available rescources.
A little info on our elected officials...
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/2120231.php?
I say have them cut about 40K off of their salary and expenditures (which covers renting a ward office, transportation, and misc). That's 2 million we can get back. Or more, if its a part time job. Chicago is 2nd only to LA in terms of council pay.
Fremo, what would really help is cut the number of alderman in half. We have more alderma then New York or L.A. This would also reduce the number of wards where an ethnic majority with a good organization can ignore the will of the people. Make the wards larger and more diverse. I believe this would make alderman more accountable so naturally it could not happen.
Fed up: Agree about the alderman. That would be a great improvement for this city.
And I didn't way I wanted taxes either--you have the better idea--only that, all things being ideal, I would not mind to pay more for the cops.
In other cities, services do not come from begging an alderman's office or from contributing to an alderman.
Instead, you call the department in question.
Here in Chicago, the same thing can be done if we reduce the number of wards to about 15. That would be plenty.
However, only the election of a true reformer as Mayor would give us any hope it happening.
Good idea on reducing the number of aldermen.