Police protest flaggers Options

[lusting_kay]

Mass. police officers protest civilian flaggers

The Associated Press

BOSTON— Police officers are protesting on the first day civilian flaggers have replaced them at some construction sites in Massachusetts.

Several dozen off-duty officers showed up Tuesday morning as flaggers directed traffic around crews cleaning catch basins in Woburn. But state officials say flaggers at at least five other sites were working unimpeded.

Police unions are fiercely protective of the details, which often pay them a minimum of four hours of overtime pay. Gov. Deval Patrick has challenged the system, saying police officers are not needed to provide protection at all construction sites.

His administration has set up a three-tiered system for classifying work sites. Roads with speed limits of less than 45 miles per hour are the most likely to have civilian flaggers assigned to them.

[Horror Business]

The new system makes sense to me.

[Rev. Brixx]

The new system makes sense to me.

I'd rather have someone just as qualified doin it n savin my fuckin tax doolahz,bra!

[plcmat]

What a bunch of fucking pussy crybabies!

Maybe now cops who joined just for the extra overtime pay for doing nothing will quit. They are no doubt lousy cops anyway.

[Horror Business]

I'd rather have someone just as qualified doin it n savin my fuckin tax doolahz,bra!

Exactly.

[Look Sharp!]

all cops are evil faggots

[lusting_kay]

What a bunch of fucking pussy crybabies!

Maybe now cops who joined just for the extra overtime pay for doing nothing will quit. They are no doubt lousy cops anyway.

Mark my words...with in 2 years they will be asking for raises to make up for their lost salary.

[Christóbal]

I'd rather have someone just as qualified doin it n savin my fuckin tax doolahz,bra!

We'll still pay for it in the form of construction costs. One way or another we always pay in the end.

[me_]

yeah, that's not too intimidating, having COPS protesting you while you work. people who, you know, can arrest you, carry guns, shouting you down. I don't think cops should have the right to be out there protesting.

[Rev. Brixx]

Here's a perfect example!!! PLEASE READ!!

Ex gets the last word on trooper hubby
By Howie Carr
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - Updated 6d 1h ago
+ Recent Articles Boston Herald Columnist

E-mail Printable (121) Comments Text size Share (4) Rate
First, let me make clear that this unsigned letter I’m about to quote from came from an ex-wife, and that she is dropping a dime on her first husband.

Her ex is, or was, a state trooper on the Turnpike, and she says she wanted me to know just how good he has or had it on the job.

I understand that being a cop can be a dirty, dangerous job. But overall being a state trooper is a very good job indeed, especially when you compare it to what’s happening out here in the Dreaded Private Sector. Let’s go to the letter, which she starts by telling me how much her ex-husband the trooper enjoyed my columns.

“I can honestly tell you that he used to laugh and make fun of your articles.”

How dare he!

“I do not write you to be vindictive, but to enlighten you some on what really goes on with regards to the salaries.”

His base salary, she says, was $60,000 (I think it’s higher now), but he never made less than 180K and once got over $200,000.

“He had a master’s degree, which afforded him an extra 25 percent on top of his regular salary; he was paid $20-a-day tax-free to drive his own car back and forth to work, a perk I understand has been changed; he was paid extra money for passing a physical.”
Much of this is well-known. Here are the MSP payroll numbers from 2007: With overtime, 1,376 of 2,983 staties made more than $100,000. One lieutenant made $206,000 last year, $115,000 above his base pay.

“At the end of each shift (his was 7-3), the Turnpike would have one officer from each station running radar at time-and-a-half under the pretense of keeping the road safe. What a joke.”

He was home for dinner every night by 5:30, she said.

“He would always say that no one cared what time they left, as long as they wrote a certain amount of tickets and that the times on the tickets indicated that they actually worked the 4 hours.”

So how did he get home every afternoon at 5:30?

“He said that he would put the actual time of the ticket on the one he gave to the offender, but the one he submitted with his overtime card would have a later time on it so that it looked like he actually worked 4 hours. This went on for years, Howie.” Then, of course, there were the paid details.

“My former husband used to sleep half the day because, as he would say, no one ever checks on us, and the construction people don’t care as long as the cruiser is there with the lights flashing - $40 per hour to sleep, not a bad deal, Howie.”

Another mammary: court duty. It was almost as easy as being a judge.

“He would be home every day by noon. If he was assigned a radar detail, he’d go back in at 3:30 and be home again by 5:30, earning $160 for his efforts.”

And finally, filling in on the weekends for “sick” troopers.

“I can remember him saying on weekends, ‘No hon, we can’t make plans today because so-and-so is calling in sick, and I’m next on the OT list to be called.’ And sure enough, he would get the call and go in and make 8 hours overtime. Those were the only times he ever did stay for his entire shift.”
I faxed this anonymous letter to the state police, and they confirmed all the contractual stuff - the Quinn bill payraises, the now-ended driving-to-work perk, etc. The state police spokesman said:

“If this guy did this, shame on him, and if there are others who are doing this, shame on them, because they’re a small minority of more than 2,000 state troopers . . . If there were a name attached to this, I can promise you he would be disciplined.”

Your move, Mrs. Statie. I’d be happy to pass on your ex-husband’s name. You know where to reach me.

This post has been edited by Rev. Brixx: Oct 7 2008, 11:52 AM

[Colt45]

Mark my words...with in 2 years they will be asking for raises to make up for their lost salary.

that and ripping off CVS's

these same tools were just in the papers for intimidating MWRA workers into honoring their pickets right?

anyone in the quincy area hear the new recruit classes jogging around the cemetary near Roxies singing call and response like they're in the Marines? they also enjoy blocking off traffic in the area too- rush hour commute on 3A

i'd be out walkign the dog some mornigns and have a laugh at the fat ones huffing and puffing a 1/2 mile or so behind the pack but it hit me-- i can laugh now but if these groups of thugs didn't like the look of me for some reason they could be on me like a ton of bricks



138

[ƒ(x)]

The new system makes sense to me.

Isn't it done that way in just about every state? I never understood why there were police needed there.

[DanPM]

Were they collecting time and half while protesting?

[Rev. Brixx]

Were they collecting time and half while protesting?

Most likely,bra!

[Carl Spackler]

yeah, that's not too intimidating, having COPS protesting you while you work. people who, you know, can arrest you, carry guns, shouting you down. I don't think cops should have the right to be out there protesting.

Even if they are off duty?

[Mrs. Rockit]

Most states use flaggers and not cops. 'Til I moved here I'd rarely seen a cop on a road construction site.

[omelette]

all cops are evil faggots

ACAEF!!!

[MARSMAN]

all cops are evil faggots

exactly nobody needs the fucking cops !!

[His Daddy]

I'll tell you why I'm against cops earning all that OT -- I simply don't want my cops, in theory, always tired and physically worn down. Cops have that Heart Bill because an inordinate number were dying of heart attacks from all the stress and hard living related to the work. I'd rather the cops got a much higher base salary, and only had to work 40 hours a week.

If we need so many more cops that the current ones are working 80 hours a week, why not double the size of the force? I'd rather have 200 cops working 40 hours a week than 100 cops working 80 (and getting paid for 100+)

[Soup]

I shouldn't be surprised, but I am...I just don't understand the level of shamelessness one needs to sink to in order to feel entitled to be paid extravagantly by tax-payers for unskilled labor like this. You'd think these people would quietly slink away counting their blessings for all they years when this gravy train was in effect, but instead they are screaming bloody blue murder and telling the public with a straight face that we should pay $150/hr for someone to stand on a side street and hold a sign. Fucking pigs.

[lusting_kay]

I'll tell you why I'm against cops earning all that OT -- I simply don't want my cops, in theory, always tired and physically worn down. Cops have that Heart Bill because an inordinate number were dying of heart attacks from all the stress and hard living related to the work. I'd rather the cops got a much higher base salary, and only had to work 40 hours a week.

If we need so many more cops that the current ones are working 80 hours a week, why not double the size of the force? I'd rather have 200 cops working 40 hours a week than 100 cops working 80 (and getting paid for 100+)

I'd rather see cops have to...you know...stay in shape.