Mayor cuts cop, firefighter pay to minimum wage

[Meg]

Mayor cuts cop, firefighter pay to minimum wage | News To Me with George Mathis

This is just UNBELIEVABLE!!!

The Michael Scott style of management must be infectious.

In Scranton, Penn., home of the mythical Dunder Mifflin paper company, the mayor has reduced the pay of all city workers, including his own, to the federal minimum wage — $7.25.

Let’s hope Mayor Chris Doherty doesn’t need a firefighter or cop anytime soon. He’s not likely to receive quality service.

NPR reports Doherty made the move after city council voted to reject a proposed tax hike. Scranton, the sixth largest city in the state, had only $5,000 in the bank and owed $1 million in pay to its 400 or so employees.

There’s no indication in the article that salaries for city workers are out of control — one firefighter said his gross income was $1,500 every two weeks. Now his check is for $600 after deductions. He’s probably pawning the fire station’s Dalmation to pay his mortgage.

How are those people supposed to pay their bills??? This is nothing short of insane!

[Bobbi]

Mayor cuts cop, firefighter pay to minimum wage | News To Me with George Mathis

This is just UNBELIEVABLE!!!



How are those people supposed to pay their bills??? This is nothing short of insane!

When the cities overextend themselves this kinda stuff happens. This man should be thankful he even has a job. There are others out there who would love to be getting any money.

[dave-o]

I guess he expects people to generously tip cops and fireman for their services. So, next time you get a traffic ticket in Scranton be sure to give the cop a tip for a job well done.

[livin_in_the_Son]

The firefighters are lucky to still have a paying job. When I lived just outside Pittsburgh, about 20 years ago, they had an all-volunteer firefighter force. Even the EMT's only made minimum wage.

It does stink that these poor employees went from having a good job, to merely a paycheck, and in all reality the public will suffer for it.

[dave-o]

Just more of that hope and change that obummer promised.

[ForgivenOne]

Here in Nashville, only the city EMT and cops are paid; outside the city the county fie stations are all volunteer. The young man in the article is getting $600.00 eery two weeks? about what I bring home every 2 two weeks. He probably still has insurance whereas I do not. The insurance we have comes from my hubby's job which is a school bus driver. He only brings home $600.00 a month.

Regardless, we are thankful that we have jobs because, as stated above, there are people out there with no jobs.

Should the economy improve, I suspect the Mayor would reinstate their former wages.

You know what would be really, really nice to see? The president follow this mayor's lead, and reduce his own, and Congress' pay to minimum wage. Perhaps if they had to live like we do for awhile, they'd appreciate what they're putting us through!

[UCT]

I don't want to sound like the bad guy here, but the Firemen I know make six figures per year. My wife's cousins are both Firemen and both exceeded $100k last year because of their overtime. They work 24 hour shifts. One day on, two days off is supposed to be their rule. Due to the economy, some economic genius decided they would work overtime instead of adding more Firemen and taking on the insurance and retirement costs associated with said hirings.

The bottom line is they live in a small community and make a fortune. They are rural, so there is no chance they will be rushing into a fire to save anyone. By the time they arrive, no one would be left alive. Who is paying for their salary? The City is via taxpayer money. They have a great retirement plan, generous benefits and an unbelievable salary. I am all for people getting whatever they can in terms of financial gain (as long as it is done honestly), but this is on the taxpayers back.

You get what you pay for though. If you dropped their pay to $7.25 per hour, I am quite certain they would not bother leaving the Fire Station until the home/building was already burned down. Our Police Department where I live also makes excellent money, especially if they have over 5 years on the Force or a BA in Criminal Justice. They would not work for minimum wage. Burglary you say? Sure, I'll be there in an hour or so.....

I expect we shall see MANY of these wage cuts take place across the country in the coming years and more and more Cities filing for bankruptcy. The company I work for had over 5,500 employees just over 3 years ago. Today, we stand at under 2,300. Thanks Obama. I praise God each morning I even have a job left to get up for. Four more years of Obama and we'll all be standing in soup lines.

[Robert]

I cannot believe the majority opinion here....


Consider what you folks are saying here:

1) The training that Firefighters, Police and EMS go through is no day at the park, and is not cheap. To reduce someone who went through the police academy, CPAT (fire) or EMS to minimum wage is to disregard several certifications, time spent in arduous, extensive training and experience in the field. Physically, mentally and emotionally, you have to be in excellent shape; not everyone can do it, and many cannot complete the training. A lot of folks who apply wash out during the training.

2) The work they do, especially in a city like Scranton, is not easy. When my dad died in my arms, the emotional toll was incredible. Now imagine being exposed to people hurt, dying, dead, and in all sorts of grief, pain, anger, the whole physical and emotional spectrum. Now add on top of that the physical hazards they go through in their jobs: being stabbed, shot, burned alive, beaten, trapped in a burning building, chemical hazards, exposure to carcinogens, pathogens, heat (fires can often get above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit or more), etc. The rate of alcoholism in the EMS services is staggering, as is the incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. There is also a lot of stress involved when a police officer has to go before a review board over a shooting: anytime a police officer has to discharge their weapon in the line of duty, a review board is convened and the entire incident, from start to finish, is reviewed and scrutinized. On top of all that: paperwork and the usual stuff that is involved in the running of a city department. And these are the folks that we feel shouldn't complain about taking a pay cut all the way down to minimum wage? Try reducing an electrician, plumber, carpenter or truck driver to minimum wage!! For that fact, reduce an office worker to minimum wage and see how long they stay on the job!

3) Those of us who are struggling to make ends meet (which is the majority of us) should know better than to say "they're lucky to have jobs". With the situations we are in, how would we feel if someone said that to us? Yes, we should be grateful that we are employed at all, there is no debate on that. but there comes a point when it becomes insipid and insular, and sounds an awful lot like "let them eat cake". Someone trains hard for a career and then gets cut to the same amount as a grocery-store employee, I'm sure we can relate.

And finally:

4) "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-7, NASB, emphasis mine)

So, with all this in mind: if we're going to be bitter and tell the police, fire and EMS services to "suck it up" because we believe they are overpaid, then I think its' only fair that we should try doing their jobs for even a day before we consider saying it. My relatives were in the EMS services, and having attended several training sessions with them as well as talking to them, it's not like they sit on their duffs all day chomping donuts and drinking coffee.





This will be my only post in this topic; I will not read any replies in this, nor apologize for my words.

[YeuEmMaiMai]

Firemen, EMT, and police should be paid well. People living at home on welfare unwilling to work should not be paid at all.

[livin_in_the_Son]

Robert, even if you plan on not reading this....I don't believe ANYONE who posted comments to this thread was implying that these city workers should 'suck it up'...quite the contrary. It IS an enormous shame that these people trained so hard, etc, to be reduced to a pitiful salary, even more so for those who had a budget based on a certain salary just to have it cut in half.

As for my post, the volunteer firemen I knew, well they had limited training, (one week, emt's went for two) but back in 90-something, an airplane crashed in our town's 'backyard' and there were no survivors out of 200-some passengers, and that all-volunteer-force had the horrific job of cleaning up the crash site. Not one of those workers demanded pay for that, nor were they paid. They volunteered because it was a 'calling', a vocation...not because it was a job.

When I stated that they were lucky, it's because I meant that they are still paid, because a lot of communities are laying off their cops and firefighters. It's not anymore insipid to point out their 'luck' then it is to pray for our members who are currently out of work with NO income at all.

There is no need to apologize for your opinion at all, but please don't condemn others for their's either.

[Bobbi]

I cannot believe the majority opinion here....


Consider what you folks are saying here:

1) The training that Firefighters, Police and EMS go through is no day at the park, and is not cheap. To reduce someone who went through the police academy, CPAT (fire) or EMS to minimum wage is to disregard several certifications, time spent in arduous, extensive training and experience in the field. Physically, mentally and emotionally, you have to be in excellent shape; not everyone can do it, and many cannot complete the training. A lot of folks who apply wash out during the training.

2) The work they do, especially in a city like Scranton, is not easy. When my dad died in my arms, the emotional toll was incredible. Now imagine being exposed to people hurt, dying, dead, and in all sorts of grief, pain, anger, the whole physical and emotional spectrum. Now add on top of that the physical hazards they go through in their jobs: being stabbed, shot, burned alive, beaten, trapped in a burning building, chemical hazards, exposure to carcinogens, pathogens, heat (fires can often get above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit or more), etc. The rate of alcoholism in the EMS services is staggering, as is the incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. There is also a lot of stress involved when a police officer has to go before a review board over a shooting: anytime a police officer has to discharge their weapon in the line of duty, a review board is convened and the entire incident, from start to finish, is reviewed and scrutinized. On top of all that: paperwork and the usual stuff that is involved in the running of a city department. And these are the folks that we feel shouldn't complain about taking a pay cut all the way down to minimum wage? Try reducing an electrician, plumber, carpenter or truck driver to minimum wage!! For that fact, reduce an office worker to minimum wage and see how long they stay on the job!

3) Those of us who are struggling to make ends meet (which is the majority of us) should know better than to say "they're lucky to have jobs". With the situations we are in, how would we feel if someone said that to us? Yes, we should be grateful that we are employed at all, there is no debate on that. but there comes a point when it becomes insipid and insular, and sounds an awful lot like "let them eat cake". Someone trains hard for a career and then gets cut to the same amount as a grocery-store employee, I'm sure we can relate.

And finally:

4) "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-7, NASB, emphasis mine)

So, with all this in mind: if we're going to be bitter and tell the police, fire and EMS services to "suck it up" because we believe they are overpaid, then I think its' only fair that we should try doing their jobs for even a day before we consider saying it. My relatives were in the EMS services, and having attended several training sessions with them as well as talking to them, it's not like they sit on their duffs all day chomping donuts and drinking coffee.





This will be my only post in this topic; I will not read any replies in this, nor apologize for my words.

In todays ecomemy these firefighters could be like other people and not have a job at all. I was not telling him to "Suck it up". He could have lost his job and bring home nothing, but he didn't loose all his pay so he should be thankful he still is able to bring home something. My husbands job hasn't had a raise in about 2-3 years, but when he tells me others are upset, I tell him it's better to have a job than a raise and we should be thankful that he has a job.

[billym]

Here in Nashville, only the city EMT and cops are paid; outside the city the county fie stations are all volunteer. The young man in the article is getting $600.00 eery two weeks? about what I bring home every 2 two weeks. He probably still has insurance whereas I do not. The insurance we have comes from my hubby's job which is a school bus driver. He only brings home $600.00 a month.

Regardless, we are thankful that we have jobs because, as stated above, there are people out there with no jobs.

Should the economy improve, I suspect the Mayor would reinstate their former wages.

You know what would be really, really nice to see? The president follow this mayor's lead, and reduce his own, and Congress' pay to minimum wage. Perhaps if they had to live like we do for awhile, they'd appreciate what they're putting us through!

I agree

[UCT]

Definitely not telling anyone to "suck it up" although paying Firemen in some old St. Louis city neighborhoods in excess of $100,000 per year is simply egregious, in my opinion. There have been multiple reports in the St. Louis Post Dispatch over the last decade of Firemen making $130,000 and $140,000 in a single year while fighting no fires. The station "has" to have a specific number of people present for each shift. The sad thing is our Police Department makes 1/4 of that (if even that) and our EMT's make even less. I don't believe anyone in any career should "suck it up" and think people should make whatever they can before the economy goes bust. Making $130,000 + on my taxes isn't something I am happy to see though. The people in my local Fire Department make slightly less than half of that and actually have to deal with "real" fires, not watching old burned out warehouses tumble to the ground.