Chicago Wants Cops, Firemen Furloughed
By Wyatt Earp | October 29, 2009
Hey, you know what would be a great idea? If a large, crime-infested metropolis decided to balance the budget on the backs of city workers, including police officers and firemen. That’s what Chicago is planning to do. Then-Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell did that in 1994, and it worked for him. That fat bastard was elected governor of Pennsylvania. Twice!
Chicago wants to force their police officers and firefighters to take 24 days off – without pay – every year. Brilliant!
One of the more controversial pieces of Mayor Daley’s 2010 budget is the requirement for all city workers to take 24 unpaid furlough days.
The only city workers who have been spared from what amounts to an entire month off without pay are the city’s police and firefighters. But that could change.
A representative for the city budget office says the city is in negotiations with police and fire unions to accept furlough days. It would mark the first time in Chicago that police and firefighters were forced to go without work. (H/T – NBC Chicago)
Knucklehead Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey would like to see this police implemented here in Philly. Like Chicago, I think it would be a disaster, with absolutely no upside. Morale would plummet, manpower would be decimated, and emergency response could take hours instead of minutes. The policy would almost surely cost some citizens their lives – not that any politician would give a damn.
Me? I would live up a furlough if it was installed here. When the city started burning and the bullets began flying, I would ignore the phone calls from work, shrug my shoulders, and go back to playing PlayStation 3. Cold? Yes, but to be honest, morale in my department hit rock bottom the day Ramsey arrived.
Topics: The Job | 13 Comments »
October 29th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
So, uh…you got people shooting the crap out of each other and you want to furlough the people who are trying to protect it. Smart. Not like they would furlough the guy who pushes the broom in the same 10 square feet everyday. Nope.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
The other day I heard Chicago described as a third world city.
I think that phrase just may catch on.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
What part of “essential services” don’t these clowns understand?
October 30th, 2009 at 12:06 am
anarchy.
that’s all they want.
mission accomplished.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:17 am
Maybe Acorn members can take up the slack in the inner city. With the crime rate in Chicago I think they already have.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:58 am
You happen to read http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/ ?
The crap the police/FD/EMS is much worse than most folks know… and the look who learned politics in that area…
October 30th, 2009 at 8:56 am
I think the city would be better off if the mayor took a month off.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Maybe we could get AHHnie to send them a letter? lol
October 30th, 2009 at 9:29 am
How do these politicians arrive at these solutions? Decimate the very forces we need to keep us safe and protect us, not sure on what level that makes sense. Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters??????
October 30th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
RT – I can see their point about including firemen and police officers. I don’t agree with it, but I see it. That being said, if they try it, they had better be able to handle the consequences.
Kaveman – Yeah, it definitely fits.
Proof – All of it.
Teetop – Maybe Obama will swoop in and fix the situation? Bawahahahahahahaha!
USAdmiral – Yeah, they can be the citizen police force the POTUS wants.
Dano – Yeah, it’s a shame. City is going to be the next Detroit.
Mad Mike – I absolutely agree.
Jon – Daley wouldn’t figure it out.
MeToo – Oh, I’m sure their police bodyguards won’t be furloughed.
October 30th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Contract negotiations have been going on for almost 3 years. Negative stories start popping up in the Chicago Machine controlled media to PO the sheeple whenever arbitration is in progress. Daley (known as shortshanks) to the Police is beyond description. POs in Philly are the closest (to what the Chicago guys are going through) of any metro department.
God Bless the PPD……..
God Save the CPD……
God Save the United States………
October 30th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Liberal, big city politicians always do this in a budget crisis. It has been going on for years. Personally, I think it is a cynical plan to run the real priorities of the city up the flag pole, like police and firemen, so the public will rise up and say “no way”. Then they increase taxes to support all of the free loaders, lowlifes, and other losers that form their base.
California is doing it on a state wide basis.
November 1st, 2009 at 12:21 am
LDIV – Wow, and I thought our city sucked because it’s been three months without a contract!
Ralph – Thank you very much, Governor Schrawzenegger.