McMahon: Police Contract a Key Obstacle to Recovery
On Wednesday, Newsday published an op-ed piece from E.J. McMahon of the Manhattan Institute's Empire Center for New York State Policy in which he said that "it was inevitable that the county's police contract would emerge as a key obstacle to recovery" as Nassau "stumbled back into fiscal crisis mode."
McMahon discussed several problems with the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) including large salaries, generous pensions, vacation time, early retirement and "minimum manning" — the term applied to the requirement that all but two posts be filled during every shift in every police precinct.
From McMahon:
Unaffordable public employee union contracts are a problem all over New York. But the Nassau PBA contract is extraordinarily costly and inefficient, even absent the fabulously lucrative buyouts Nassau wants to give some veteran officers to go away. Median pay for Nassau officers as of 2011 was $150,000 -- 46 percent above the median for teachers, administrators and other professionals in Nassau school districts, who are among the best-paid K-12 educators in the country.
Jim Carver, President of the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, said there's a higher cost of living on Long Island and the Nassau cops are paid comparable to other law enforcement departments across the Island.
As for the "fabulously lucrative buyouts," Carver said that the termination pay was approved by the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA).
"NIFA gave the county authority to borrow $80 million in termination pay over the next three years and this was just a way of speeding up retirements -- for those who were looking to go -- to save payroll by hiring younger, less expensive police officers," Carver told Patch.
Mangano, Dale Announce 77 Arrests for Burglary in 2012
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Dale Thursday reported the arrest of 77 burglary-related individuals in the past 8 weeks, with 54 arrests related strictly to residential burglaries. The arrest of eight individuals resulted in the closure of 34 burglary cases in 2012. According to police officials, a significant number of individuals arrested for home burglaries were addicted to or seeking prescription drugs.
According to Nassau County Police Chief of Department Steven Skrynecki, since 2010 when Mangano took office, statistics indicate that overall major crime is down approximately 10 percent. However, residential burglaries are up by less than 1 percent.
According to statistics from the NCPD, there were 225 burglaries in the first month of 2012, compared with 133 in the first month of 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/nd5WGLWNllA?rel=0
No, it went somewhere where they have no state income tax, low electric rates, low property taxes, etc. http://www.volkswagengroupamerica.com/chattanooga/index.htm That is the problem Long Island faces and we are not doing anything about it.
James Carver: Please don't tell us that the cost of living is higher on Long Island. One of the reasons it is, is that the Police Contract swallows more than 33% of the Nassau County Budget. The ability to pay these contracts as they are written is becoming increasely difficult.
So sorry.......
If I had the reins, I would have offered tax-free everything, guaranteed hydropower from Upstate through the Hempstead tie in, and loads of political support. Why? Using the VW example, we could have provided hundreds of great paying jobs to Nassau residents. Those incomes would trickle into local coffers and we’d be in the Black again. However, since we all want our pound of flesh; Unions, Municipalities, Grandma, on every deal, no company of significant means will ever come to the table. We are desperate. Nassau needs to bend over and cough or we'll never get out of this stinking hole.
SOUND COUNTY ECONOMIC POSITION Nassau County, located on Long Island just east of New York City, has a broad, diverse economy and well above-average economic indicators including high income levels (per capita personal income in 2009 was 160% of the nation's), well below-average unemployment (6.6% in December 2011), and high per capita market value ($189,368 as of 2009). A somewhat strained housing market is indicated by elevated foreclosure levels and stagnant average home prices. As a fully built-out county, new development has been limited, although some redevelopment is in the planning stages. The effects of the economic downturn were milder than in some areas; employment and home price declines have been relatively moderate and while sales tax revenue, the county's largest source of general government funding, declined in 2009 the drop was less than in many places and as indicated above appears to be recovering. ---------------------------------------------------------
Step two - stop hitting the middle men/women for now - the union employees are untouchable. The arbitrators/politicians are where to hit first. As for all the police bashing - I could go on forever with all the comments above, but sticking with the well thought out posts - let's see - police are not 9-5 employees. They will pretty much miss all the holidays and special events in their families lives for a good amount of time - which is generally when their children are young and we all like to be around for. They do leave their happy homes every day not knowing what their job will bring them face to face with - not knowing if they will return and yes, while the risk of that is far less out here than NYC, it still exists - do you bring a gun to work every day "just in case"? Yes, their jobs are not running around through the streets shooting all the bad guys - yes, they generally have time on their hands and so what? They are there when we call - if you don't want to accept that - I pray you never need them.
Another topic - yes, retire after 20 IF YOU WANT. It's not mandatory - it's a benefit. Yes, it is a great benefit - but I know that my job doesn't carry the same stress level as theirs. I'm not missing out on my family life - having to have my spouse take the kids here and there on holidays - missing their football games, etc. That does mean a lot. And yes, I'm sure there are many out there who will go off on this post - so be it - let's just stop bashing the easy target so we feel better - lets face the facts we're in a crater of crap and we need to find the way out. Start at the top of the mountain. Some of us have lived on LI all our lives some have MOVED HERE FOR THE BETTER LIFE - ie schools, safe neighborhoods, elbow room, whatever. We're all in this crater let's stop the bashing and help each other out. Yes, there's corruption everywhere and those who take advantage and that should be accounted for.....but that's in every business - and element of society. Admit it. Let's all get moving and work together here.
& there pension is what they work for They contribute into their own pension therefore they are entitle to it. If u lower the salary, u lower the peNsion that can be a solution
We cannot afford excess in ANY area whether pensions, or other aspects of government. We can't be the grasshopper, we need to be the ants (For those who don't know what I am talking about, Google it).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u58FPkmejoc&feature=player_embedded
See The Clock is Still Ticking http://vimeo.com/18956280
STOP THE PAY TO PLAY !!! It's not the Cops. It's not the Teachers. It's not the working people. It's the sleazebags we sent to represent us! Elected Town Officials http://toh.li/council-members http://www.northhempstead.com/content/7350/default.aspx http://oysterbaytown.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={42B6E716-ADFC-4CE4-820F-0D2C929AB158} Nassau County Elected Officials http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Legis/index.html NYS Assembly & Senate http://assembly.state.ny.us/ http://www.nysenate.gov/
You said it correctly - we are forced to chose two between two evils - who each have an agenda. However; by starting this rallying whisper perhaps we can turn it into a rally cry in the future and put those in charge on notice. Yes, the system is flawed, but not unfixable in the long run - if we all just ran away and hid a few hundred years ago this country wouldn't be standing - it's time to fix our mess - period. Moe, thanks again! You made my day.