Whoever said, “A few bad apples can bring the whole place down” knew what they were talking about. Here’s one story that certainly reinforces the that notion. According to The Boston Globe, 20 Massachuetts State Troopers are being investigated for theft of overtime pay. Reporters Mark Arsenault, Travis Andersen, and Shelley Murphy write: “In another black […]
Archive for October, 2016
The Evidence Keepers
In any police department, the folks at the Property Division are a key part of the system. But it’s rare that a chief tips his hat to them. Submitted by Charlie Beck, Chief, Los Angeles Police Dept. Here at the LAPD, the Property Division manages the booking, securing, moving, and disposing of evidentiary and […]
Police-worn video a sign of the times
This editorial appeared on thespec.com website, an online news outlet in Canada. It raises the question about whether the police should wear video cameras when on duty so everything that takes place is recorded. What’s your opinion? Should police wear a video recording device? Try to imagine what it would be like to go […]
New GASB rules might hurt pensions
The balance sheets of U.S. cities, states and counties will look very different this year because of changes in some key accounting rules from GASB that will require local governments to publish their long-term pension obligations. While the prior GASB standards focused on plan expenses, the new standards shift the focus to balance sheet items […]
A model pension fund
If all the major state worker retirement plans were run like the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, would a massive public pension overhaul be needed? It’s a question that can never be fully answered. But one fact is clear: IMRF is the state’s most financially stable pension provider. Providing retirement benefits to local government workers in […]
Unique program reduces stress for cops
In a groundbreaking program, Oregon police officers are learning mindfulness techniques to deal with stress, be more focused on the job and connect more meaningfully with the people they serve. The unique program was the subject of an article in the magazine Mindful and was written by Pulitzer prize-winning Seattle Times reporter Maureen O’Hagan. “Basically, […]
Cutting budgets by robbing public pensions is wrong
By Josh Sanger The Progressive Cynic December 27, 2013 Public budgets are strained across the United States—from the federal government all the way down to local cities—and something must be done in order to keep the sheets from swinging too far into the red. Unfortunately, efforts to address budget problems are being steered into cuts […]
The world braces for retirement crisis
The article below is a long and well written analysis of the world wide melt down of defined benefit pension plans. Take a moment and read this article. If you are struggling to educate your members that action is needed now to protect and sustain your pension, then here is some of the evidence. Chicken […]
Chief says pension cuts prompted him to quit
A well liked and respected police chief has admitted that his retirement was prompted by looming changes in the pension system which could leave him with reduced benefits than he had contracted for during his 25 year career. Chief Bobby Dodd of the Chattanooga, Tennessee Police Dept., says pension reform is a factor in his […]
Ammunition to fight back
While this letter is about the treatment of employees in the private sector (Boeing), crazy pay for the CEO, and outsourcing jobs to foreign countries, there are a thoughts here you can extract and incorporate into an opinion piece for your local newspaper in defense of your members. New York City comes to mind – […]
On board for the pension fight
The adage that there’s power in numbers is proving true in Alberta (Canada) where a large group of unions has joined together to stop the effort to cut pensions. Dubbed “Defending Alberta Pensions,” the powerful coalition orchestrated by the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), includes the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), the Canadian Union of […]
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