Occasionally, The Triadvocate is going to open up its space to our friends who wish to post on topics of importance. Our first guest blogger is Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 President John McNesby, commenting on the recent contract award. You can learn more about the issue here, where you can also contact John directly.
Mayor Nutter Does the Right Thing
By John McNesby, President
Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #5
Former Philadelphia City Managing Director Phil Goldsmith put pen to paper recently, publicly begging Mayor Michael Nutter to appeal the arbitration-awarded contract with city police officers.
“Tin ear” doesn’t even begin to adequately describe what is apparently hanging off both sides of Goldsmith’s head.
Using cute phrases like “expensive holiday gift” and comparing the deal to an item from the Tiffany catalogue is not only outrageous, it is an affront to every city police officer who puts his/her life on the line every day. It is also quite a whack at the independent arbiter who oversaw the contract award.
Let’s be clear. The new contract does, in fact, call for a 7% pay raise over the next three years. It also changes work rules, achieves health care benefit savings, and could potentially save on pension costs in the long run.
Apparently, it is the pay raise part that has Goldsmith in an uproar. After all, in these tough economic times, how can we afford to give a modest increase to people who get shot at fairly routinely? Why should city taxpayers have to foot the bill for a pay increase for police officers in the first place? It is not like they provide any real services to city residents, other than to make sure people can walk the streets without getting mugged, robbed, beaten, raped or murdered. And after all, nothing makes it easier for the city to recruit new officers than the absolute certainty that wages are frozen.
Nutter this week demurred, and will not be challenging the arbitration award in court. It is heartening to see that, despite Goldsmith’s plaintive calls in the op-ed section of thePhiladelphia Daily News, Mayor Nutter has his feet firmly planted on planet Earth.
When the City of Philadelphia, or any other city or town for that matter, begins trying to solve fiscal problems on the backs of its first responders, it is time for a serious re-evaluation of priorities. It is easy to sit back and muse about how times are tough, and everyone needs to tighten their belts.
We agree, unless the belt you are tightening happens to have a gun and a nightstick strapped to it.
Public safety comes at a cost, like it or not. And given what our men and women in uniform have to endure every day, this contract is more than reasonable. Mayor Nutter was correct to dismiss Goldsmith’s rant.
Comments